This episode breaks down the key strategies that drove success for top brands during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, focusing on strategic planning over mere discounting. It highlights the importance of diversified ad channels like YouTube and Google, the necessity of building a strong brand beyond Amazon, and the unexpected rise of SMS marketing for retention. Ecommerce operators will gain actionable insights to optimize their holiday sales strategies for future peak seasons.
Key takeaways
Brands that invested in brand building and omnichannel strategies beyond Amazon saw significantly greater success during BFCM.
CPM and CPCs surprisingly decreased across several ad channels (Google, YouTube) during BFCM, indicating a shift towards efficiency over aggressive spending by advertisers. Plan for moderate spend increases next year to potentially capitalize on lower ad costs.
SMS marketing surpassed email in revenue and engagement for many brands during BFCM. Prioritize building robust SMS lists and leveraging timely, late-day messages to capture last-minute sales.
Early preparation and top-of-funnel activities in the months leading up to BFCM were crucial for success, allowing brands to be more conservative with ad spend during the actual event.
Diversifying ad channels beyond Meta, particularly into YouTube and Google, proved vital for scaling and achieving CAC targets.
Black Friday just got more interesting.While most brands were bracing for skyrocketing ad costs and fierce competition, something unexpected happened during BFCM 2025—and it's reshaping how smart brands should approach next year's holiday season.In this jam-packed episode, OMG Commerce CEO Brett Curry sits down with four of the agency's top strategists—spanning Google, YouTube, Amazon, and retention marketing—to dissect what actually worked (and what flopped) during one of the most surprising Black Friday weekends in recent memory.You'll also get the 2026 prep checklist, including why AI is about to eliminate every excuse you have for not planning year-round promos, how to break down channel silos that are costing you sales, and the exact timing strategies that separated winners from everyone else.Whether you crushed it this BFCM or are wondering where you went wrong, this episode gives you the data, insights, and tactical playbook to make next year your best yet.Featured experts:Bill Cover, Google & YouTube DirectorLuba, Amazon ABM StrategistBarry Bowman, Amazon Ads SpecialistNick Flint, Retention Marketing Director—Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today!—Chapters: (00:00) Intro(02:06) Meet the panel(05:52) Google/YouTube: weekend “plateau” + CPM/CPC drops and why it happened(08:50) Amazon: expanded event length, strong YoY, and the “off-Amazon” halo effect(12:28) SMS surpasses email + why brands still underuse it(13:47) What worked across all channels</p
What does this episode say about paid acquisition?
Brands that invested in brand building and omnichannel strategies beyond Amazon saw significantly greater success during BFCM.
What does this episode say about email & sms?
CPM and CPCs surprisingly decreased across several ad channels (Google, YouTube) during BFCM, indicating a shift towards efficiency over aggressive spending by advertisers. Plan for moderate spend increases next year to potentially capitalize on lower ad costs.
What does this episode say about amazon & marketplaces?
SMS marketing surpassed email in revenue and engagement for many brands during BFCM. Prioritize building robust SMS lists and leveraging timely, late-day messages to capture last-minute sales.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Early preparation and top-of-funnel activities in the months leading up to BFCM were crucial for success, allowing brands to be more conservative with ad spend during the actual event.
What does this episode say about paid acquisition?
Diversifying ad channels beyond Meta, particularly into YouTube and Google, proved vital for scaling and achieving CAC targets.
