Holidays Have Marketing, But Black Friday Might Be The First Devoted To It

Black Friday: A state holiday characterized by deals, sales, and a dollop of madness. Regardless of whether or not you participate in this sometimes insane tradition, it’s inescapable in the areas that celebrate it. Advertisements for it are abundant. Almost every store capable of having a sale, does. Even the ones strictly online get their due through the newer Cyber Monday. Black Friday is a day where the expectation is you, as a consumer, have to go out and buy, buy, buy.

And so, a lot of people do it. They observe the event. And the sales are usually quite good, so I don’t blame them. But it doesn’t change the fact that on that one day you can expect things to be crowded. Full of people. Sometimes dangerously so. I didn’t personally observe it this year, but I can only imagine the crowds in Countryside Mall. Or at the Best Buy on Gulf to Bay Blvd—considering a few years ago people camped outside it.

But here’s the interesting part: it’s a marketing and sales event. It’s not like Christmas, or Easter, or any of the other holidays with a deep history. It’s a relatively new thing—only existing in its current form since around the mid-1900’s.

And the reason for its success, I think, happens to be a great example of marketing. The keyword: promote. Never underestimate the power of simply letting people know about your products. Or in this case, your specialty sales.

Black Friday: An Excellent Example Of Marketing Done Right

Because to my knowledge Black Friday wasn’t formally announced, there was no nationwide declaration of its existence. It was simply a day that people wanted to shop, had the opportunity to shop, and did so in mass. And then business capitalized on it, they made it broadly known, and they advertised it. Black Friday became a term, and in its wake millions in sales. Doorbusters that are almost literal in name.

So, though this year’s Black Friday is through. The next one will be coming around soon enough, and in the meantime, who knows what your business can accomplish with enough promotion.

If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work on The Hive, or at his website: www.coolerbs.com.