Why the BFCM Customer Is Different
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Black Friday and Cyber Monday can bring a very different kind of shopper to your brand.
Some are already loyal customers waiting for a deal. Others may have discovered you for the first time because your product is discounted. Some shop for themselves, while others are looking for gifts. And plenty are comparing your offer against dozens of others at the same time.
That makes BFCM different from a typical promotional weekend.
The BFCM customer has a different reason to shop, a different mindset around price, and often a different relationship with your brand.
Understanding that difference can help CPG brands build a holiday strategy that goes beyond “20% off.”
Quick Glance
In this article, you’ll learn:
- Why BFCM shoppers may have different motivations and shopping behaviors
- When to start teasing your BFCM offer
- How to make your offer stand out in a crowded promotional landscape
- How to give customers a reason to spend their limited budget with you
- How to turn a BFCM purchase into a longer-term customer relationship
BFCM Shoppers Are Shopping With a Deal in Mind
For most of the year, someone might buy your product because they already like it, need it, ran out of it, or simply came across it at the right time.
BFCM changes the equation. The promotion itself becomes part of the reason to buy.
That means your everyday messaging may not be enough to motivate someone during the holiday weekend. A shopper who has been considering your product for months might finally convert because the price has changed.
And someone who has never bought from you before may be more willing to take a chance because the perceived risk is lower.
For CPG brands, that makes the offer important. But the offer shouldn't be the entire strategy.
You still need to answer:
Why this product? Why this brand? And why buy it now?
This is also why timing matters. If customers have limited budgets and multiple brands competing for their attention, you want your brand to be part of their consideration set before they're ready to spend. The earlier you can build awareness around your offer, the more opportunity you have to earn a place on their BFCM shopping list.
When Should You Start Teasing BFCM?
BFCM might happen over one weekend, but the customer journey starts much earlier.
If the first time your audience hears about your BFCM offer is when the sale goes live, you’re giving yourself very little time to build anticipation. Customers are already being bombarded with promotions from other brands, so waiting until the last minute can make it harder to stand out.
Think about BFCM as a sequence.
Start by letting customers know something is coming. Then build anticipation around the products, bundles, or offer. As the weekend gets closer, give them more specific information so they know what to expect and when to shop.
You might move from:
“Something big is coming.”
to:
“Our biggest offer of the year is almost here.”
to:
“Here’s what you can shop, and when.”
Then, when BFCM arrives, your customer already knows to look for you.
The exact timeline will depend on your brand and offer, but the principle is simple: don't make launch day the first time your customer has to start paying attention.
BFCM Can Bring New Customers Into the Brand
One of the biggest differences between your everyday customer base and your BFCM audience is that they may not know you yet.
A shopper might discover your brand through:
- A paid social ad
- A creator recommendation
- A retailer promotion
- A friend's recommendation
- A holiday gift guide
- A search result
- A BFCM deal roundup
They may know very little about your brand before they land on your site.
That changes what your marketing needs to do.
Your most loyal customers might not need a reminder of who you are. A first-time BFCM shopper does.
If someone is discovering your brand for the first time, your holiday creative has to do more than communicate the discount. It should quickly communicate what the product is, why people like it, and why it's worth trying.
The sale gets them through the door.
Your brand gives them a reason to come back.
Give Customers a Reason to Spend Their Limited Budget With You
BFCM isn't just competitive for brands. It's competitive for shoppers, too.
Customers are working with finite budgets and a long list of brands competing for that spending. Even if they're interested in your product, there are only so many purchases they can make during the holiday season.
That means your BFCM strategy has to answer a bigger question than:
“How much are we discounting?”
A strong offer is part of that. But so is making the value easy to understand.
Bundles can help customers see more value in a single purchase. Gift sets can give them a clear reason to buy. Limited-edition products can make the purchase feel more timely. And clear messaging can help customers quickly understand what they're getting for their money.
You also don't necessarily need to compete by offering the biggest discount.
The goal is to make your offer feel worth choosing.
And because customers are making decisions across dozens of promotions, clarity matters. Don't make them work to figure out what's included, how much they're saving, or why the offer is relevant to them.
The easier it is to understand the value, the easier it is to make the decision.
Your BFCM Offer Is Being Compared to Everything Else
BFCM creates a particularly crowded environment.
Your customer isn't just seeing your promotion.
They're seeing promotions from other CPG brands, retailers, fashion brands, beauty brands, restaurants, marketplaces, and pretty much every other business trying to capture holiday spending.
That means a discount alone may not give your brand enough differentiation.
A 20% off message can start to look like every other 20% off message.
Your offer still matters, but so does how you package it.
That could mean:
- A bundle designed around a specific use case
- A gift set
- A limited-edition product
- A buy-more-save-more offer
- An exclusive product combination
- A loyalty perk
- Early access for existing customers
Your Existing Customers Need a Different Message
Your loyal customers shouldn't necessarily receive the same BFCM message as someone discovering your brand for the first time.
They already know your product.
They may need a reminder that it's time to restock, an incentive to try something new, or a reason to buy more than they normally would.
That allows brands to segment their BFCM messaging.
For existing customers
“Your favorites are on sale.”
For new customers
“Your first chance to try us is here.”
For high-value customers
“Here's an exclusive offer for you.”
For shoppers buying gifts
“Here's what to give everyone on your list.”
The more your message reflects the relationship someone already has with your brand, the more relevant the promotion can feel.
What CPG Brands Should Take Away
The BFCM customer isn't necessarily a completely different person.
They may be your existing customer, a new customer, a gift buyer, or someone who has been considering your product for months.
What's different is the context they're shopping in.
They're surrounded by promotions, working with limited budgets, and deciding where their holiday spending should go. They're comparing more offers and making decisions across more brands than they normally would.
That's why BFCM strategy starts before BFCM.
Build awareness early, give customers a reason to keep your brand in mind, make the value of your offer easy to understand, and give them a clear reason to spend their limited budget with you.
Then think beyond the transaction. A BFCM purchase can be the beginning of a customer relationship, not just the biggest promotion on your calendar.
BFCM Is a Moment. Your Customer Relationship Isn't.
The biggest mistake brands can make is treating BFCM as the end goal.
Yes, it's a major sales opportunity. But it's also an opportunity to introduce your brand to new customers, deepen relationships with existing ones, and learn more about what motivates people to buy.
The brands that think beyond the discount can use BFCM as the beginning of a customer relationship, not just a weekend sale.
And that relationship is worth much more than one weekend of sales.
Want More CPG Marketing Insights?
Clout Collective brings together CPG founders, marketers, creators, and operators to share what's working, ask better questions, and learn from people navigating the same industry.
Because the best holiday strategy isn't always found in a template. Sometimes it's the idea you get from another marketer who's already been there.
