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Five predictions for winning BFCM
By Kat Garcia, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Ground
Ok les amis, are we back or still riding the tides of Cote D’Azur? Because my email opens are down and I’m starting to feel like all of y’all left me for French lemonades. As brand teams get back from their European summers, I’m here to break down a couple of things I am seeing and predicting for what’s to be a bit of a rude awakening.
For those who don’t know, I’m Kat. It’s short for Kathleen but I spent one too many years in corporate and felt the need to keep it casual after spearheading growth at BCG Digital ventures (the Boston Consulting Group’s venture arm), Accenture, and the many corporate-backed consumer startups I helped co-found and launch as a result. ‘Kat’ was also my stage name when I was a television & film actress (Cannes Festival credits included) and a recording artist opening up for Young Money. But that’s another story, for another time.
Swapping Ground’s NYC summer for one in LA has me reflecting on Q4 of last year. Brand teams were optimistic, launching BFCM campaigns much earlier than expected.
While incubating Ground AI with some of the brightest minds, our team received an urgent call from one of the top apparel brands. The activewear brand was falling short of their Q4 growth targets and during Thanksgiving week, no less. The trouble? Much of it could have been avoided back in September.
As brands get back for vacay and prep for their Black Friday / Cyber Monday sales AND December Holiday, it’s important to know what to expect. It’s important to start as earlier as ever given this year isn’t about profitable growth - it’s about convenient growth. Here was my predictions on winning BFCM:
Winning brands will NOT heavily discount but rather focus on partnerships
Last year’s winners of BFCM offered <20% discounts but rather won on brand by releasing beautiful content alongside strategic partners. For instance, if you’re a cleanser, partner with a filtered faucet company. Or if you’re a candy company, partner with an electric flosser.
Winning brands will have built their email/SMS list with AI-first solutions
With cookie restrictions and evolving privacy laws, collecting emails and phone numbers has become harder. To overcome this and boost growth, brands are turning to AI-first solutions during slower seasons to enhance their go-to-market strategy for BFCM.
Paid media is out; organic channels will drive successful purchases
BFCM 2023 saw many scrambling to boost RoAS, but by October, it was too late. Leveraging your CRM (email/SMS) and tapping into existing customers, along with organic social media, can be crucial for success.
Advent holiday calendars x product drops
Ouuf. This is a hardcore favorite. You know those cute chocolates you eat every day coming up on Christmas? Well kicking off an advent calendar with product drops, partnerships, discounts, and daily or weekly “surprises” is a way to get the buzz going.
Revenue will be cross-channel dependent
The reality is winning BFCM isn’t just about optimizing one channel. You have to be a bit everywhere while remaining focused. TikTok shop was 2023’s goldmine, as Flip helped many indie brands pop off. It was also when many started to use Ground’s ReBeat AI feature to increase repeat purchases. Activating new channels or parts of the funnel EARLY is crucial.
🔌 See how to use Ground AI across the funnel to automatically capture NEW incremental revenue you’re not generating on Shopify today.
Curated Intelligence
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Attribution is dying. Marketing in 2024 is like marketing in 1964. Read more.
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Gen Z broke the marketing funnel. Read more.
Grounded Insights Podcast
Shivani Siroya, Founder & CEO of Tala (Series E), talks $0 to $800M growth. Ep 2.
Katia Beauchamp, CEO of Victoria Beckham Beauty, talks brand. Ep 1.
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Common Ground Dinners
Remember when we held Tulum inspired dinners in New York and LA? We’re brining them back! Stay tuned as we plan more exclusive brand events alongside our partners.
Finding Common Ground
The Ground community comes together sharing different stories, but common ground.
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