As we go head first into the heart of the holiday season, let’s look at what brands have swerved the big sale moments in favour of brand building on social.

Q4 is the most chaotic time on social. We’ve just  waded out of Black Friday and are already knee deep  in Christmas sales. Endless deals, ads  and then of course, the endless conversations we’re having  about the ads.

It’s an overload, audiences are exhausted and tuning out; on TikTok and X, users can mute  #ad, #sale, #BlackFriday hashtags. They are begging for fewer Black Friday posts, and comment sections of branded pages are getting increasingly cynical. And they are right to be sceptical, 8 in 10 Black Friday deals were the same price or cheaper at other points in the year (Which? ). 

This final quarter is a double-edged sword that we think brands should grab… but not by the blade. It’s a huge opportunity for brands to warm hearts and win new audiences but it’s also never been easier to get lost in the noise or worse, annoy your audience.

So who got Black Friday right? 

It was the ones who got it wrong!

Instead of shouting into the discount void, My Skin Feels used the opportunity to unload stock and whilst offering a free product for every one bought of their already sustainable skincare made from rescued food they also offered up their  “wonky” tubes (products that would otherwise go to waste) at a discount. It’s Black Friday but without the guilt one might say.

Suddenly, it didn’t feel like a con. It had meaning, and meaning is what actually sells.

 Q4 doesn’t reward the loudest brand, it rewards the most relevant one and some brands understand this

Salesmas time isn’t just about shouting your discounts the loudest though, audiences also reward those who speak simply in a language that makes sense.

Brands like The Ordinary and Never Fully Dressed declared an amnesty and decided not to join the manic rush because it didn’t align with their brand values. The Ordinary even went a step further to have a month and a half long discount instead to give people time to decide instead of grabbing everything and hoping for the best.

 If you can’t beat them, join them is the traditional response and whilst SURREAL jumped on the sales wagon they added a touch of creative license to their comms “We are the only company having a black friday today. Don’t check other websites” Not entirely true but it suited their brand persona perfectly.

What can you take from this though?

Upsell but make it meaningful – don’t move away from your ethics or social persona to please the gods in finance. Finding a promotion that works for your brand is crucial, after all, audiences are primed to spot inauthenticity and no sale is worth losing your audience. 

Remove the rush and keep your fans – If your product isn’t one that should be bought in a rush, don’t force your customers to act in this way. Capitalise on the retail trend but in a way that works for you. 

Stick to your guns – If the entire concept of discounts and mass retail opps doesn’t sit comfortably with your values hold out. Your customer base on social particularly is with you because you are a reflection of who they are and want to show to the world so remaining true is the best investment you can make.

If you have to do it, have fun with it – Everyone on social (and the rest of the world) knows the deal with Black Friday so if serious brand messages and promotions don’t suit your content style, don’t use them. Sticking to your TOV reinforces your brand message more than any discount ever will.