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Black Friday ad serving during the pandemic

One of the biggest shopping days of the year in the United States is referred to a Black Friday. Coming the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday is traditionally when great deals are delivered and the buying public starts ticking off items on their Christmas list. With brick-and-mortar stores putting all sorts of restrictions in place due to the pandemic, the way in which advertisers are looking at Black Friday this year is different than usual. We are living in strange, frightening times at the moment, and we are all being forced to adjust. That is being felt in the advertising industry, so let us take a closer look at how things might be different this Black Friday and into the holiday season.

Hybrid approach to advertising

Historically speaking, advertisers do all they can to get the buying public out of the house and into their store on Black Friday and during the holiday season. That is not the case this year, though, as social distancing requirements have made it virtually impossible for businesses to go the traditional route. A big crowd is not the place to be. While they will certainly still be offering up some in-store specials, expect to see them offer up a whole lot more via online deals and discounts. Buying online and picking up in store will also be a popular option.

Online doorbuster deals

On Black Friday, shoppers are in the habit of lining up outside stores waiting for the doors to open and the sales to begin. The reason is to nab those amazing limited-stock doorbuster deals. That experience is exciting for many shoppers. Those deals will not be happening this year because of social distancing requirements. However, advertisers will still be raising the excitement stakes by offering similar limited deals online, or sitebusters. It is a great and fun way to build anticipation and boost shopping activities while also keeping shoppers safe and healthy.

Longer ad campaigns

Rather than big one-off sales and discounts concentrated in only a few days, you can expect to see businesses extend the sales period beyond Black Friday. Deals will start weeks before and weeks after Black Friday, which is a good situation for all involved. Shoppers have more time to get what they want at a good price. Advertisers and businesses get to keep customers coming back for more. Publishers are able to extend a busy, not to mention profitable, season because they have more active ad campaigns running on the site.

Essentials in focus

This year, many consumers are having a tough time making ends meet because of the pandemic, which is why the focus is more likely to be on essential items and good-value items. Luxury items and lavish spending are probably not on their mind. This does not mean that there will not be great deals and consumer interests on high-end big screen TV’s, but advertisers need to be aware of what is important to most consumers right now.

Importance of shipping and delivery

Given that shoppers will not be able to go to the store and take home all their purchases right away, expect to see businesses include expected delivery times in their ads and offer more free shipping deals. People want to know that they will get their items in a timely fashion, especially with the postal service and delivery companies sure to be busier than ever this holiday season. It is also important for advertisers and ad agencies to set strict start/end date and other restrictions in the ad server so that time-sensitive creatives always stay relevant and up-to-date. You don't want viewers to find out the ad offer has already expired or won't be delivered on time after they click on it.

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