The biggest mistake brands make is trying to copy another company's Black Friday playbook, especially a unicorn like Montana Knife Company. The real key isn't their specific offer, but understanding the principles that make that offer work for their unique brand and audience.
It’s tempting to search for a silver bullet. You hear about Ezra Firestone's "Million Dollar Black Friday Blueprint" on The Unofficial Shopify Podcast or Nik Sharma's comprehensive "Black Friday Playbook" on Limited Supply and think you've found a plug-and-play solution. Many marketing plans are built on this premise: create an offer, build a funnel, and blast it out. The guys on eCommerce Uncensored even broke down a $2 million campaign, showing how a well-oiled machine can produce huge results with the right offer and flexibility.
But this overlooks the foundational work. A brand like Montana Knife Company likely doesn’t run a massive, 40% off site-wide sale because they don’t have to. The value is built into the product and the brand equity they've cultivated all year. Their promotions are less about discounting and more about access, scarcity, and community. This aligns perfectly with what Nik Sharma and Hattie Gilpin of Wellbel discussed on Limited Supply: you have to question if a blanket discount for everyone is the right move, as it can devalue your brand over time.
Instead of hunting for Montana Knife Company's specific tactics, you should be focused on answering the questions they already answered for themselves. As the hosts of Ecommerce Playbook point out, you need to have unique offers that serve different functions for early birds, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. It’s not a single event, but a campaign with chapters. This means digging into your own brand strategy. Are you trying to acquire new customers, reward loyal ones, or clear out inventory? The right promotion depends entirely on that goal. Start by building a brand people want outside of a sales event; then, you can design a Black Friday promotion that accelerates your mission instead of just temporarily boosting your revenue.