Playbook · free to read
The BFCM playbook: Black Friday starts in September
September · foundation
- List building as a campaign objective of its own: giveaways, early access signups, quizzes. The BFCM margin sits in the list.
- Run the unit economics for the discount scenario: which markdown is still profitable at which volume?
- Inventory planning with scenarios: selling out on Monday is as expensive as full warehouses in January.
October · collect proof
- Raise the creative testing budget: winners must be identified before the expensive November auction.
- Lock the offer architecture: hero deal, bundle tiers, gift frames. No decisions during discount week.
- Technical load test: load time under campaign traffic, checkout test orders, app ballast removed.
November · the dramaturgy
- Early access for the list 24 to 48 hours before public: reward, server load test and first revenue wave in one.
- Four email acts instead of constant blasting: announcement, launch, bestseller focus, final hours.
- Ads: scale winners instead of testing new things. Discount week is harvest time, not a laboratory.
December · turn buyers into customers
- The post-BFCM journey decides LTV: an onboarding flow for first-time buyers, not another discount.
- Use the second purchase window: curated complements to the BFCM order in the January flow.
- Cohort review: what did the BFCM cohort do after 60 days? The answer plans next Q4.
BFCM is the stress test for any system. If you run offer, landing, ads and email separately, November is where you notice it most.
What happens next
- 1
Fill in the form
Five fields, two minutes: company, shop, revenue range, platform, what is going on.
- 2
20-minute intro call
We find out whether this fits. Shops on our decline list get a decline, not a pitch.
- 3
Phase C starts
Seven days later you have your baseline, break-even ROAS and the three biggest leaks in euros. Then you decide.
No contract before Phase C. Reply within 24 hours on business days.