Get out your magical 8 ball, we’re making some Black Friday predictions. With the season presenting significant opportunities for brands doing it right, this global billion dollar weekend is one that benefits from careful planning – in this blog, we’ll be covering all the trends we expect to see come Black Friday.

AI

AI content creation has seen a boom in the last year, improving in leaps and bounds; being adopted by brands the world over, and becoming more and more difficult to discern from real content. But our conscious social media consumer is becoming averse to AI-generated content, with eagle-eyed AI-busters looking for em-dashes, Americanised spelling, and extra fingers in every post. 

With significant questions around AI usage and ethics a common talking point, making your content appear as far from AI-generated as possible is likely to work in your favour. Authenticity, real humans, some real effort – if you’re wanting people to purchase from you in this highly competitive period, you’ve got to earn it. For brands needing to make content on a budget, successful Black Friday ads needn’t be red-taped. Step away from that AI image generator and make some scrappy, organic content – we’ve seen these do numbers across sales periods.

‍(And yes, I just used an em-dash; as a grammar nerd I can comfortably say it was part of my arsenal for a long time before Chat GPT was around).‍

Aside from content, expect to see a lot more brands leveraging AI in interesting new ways across Black Friday as it integrates into the technological landscape. Think hyper-personalised product recommendations, seamless customer service chatbots, visual search and augmented reality enabling consumers to virtually ‘try before they buy’, all focused on a more frictionless shopping experience.

The Creator Economy

Our savvy modern consumer is getting more averse to traditional advertising. The era of one-off influencer endorsements is waning, replaced by a demand for long-term, authentic partnerships, votes of confidence from trusted sources, and people who look just like them. 

Over recent Black Fridays we’ve seen the rise of de-influencing and anti-haul content, where creators advise followers on what not to buy, emphasising mindful consumption over impulse buys. For brands wanting content collaborations, this will require a focus on creators who genuinely align with their values and can foster a sense of community and trust.

Conscious Consumerism

Fueling demand for authenticity is a broader cultural shift towards sustainability and conscious consumerism, which we see resonating more and more across social media influencers. Shoppers in 2025 are expected to be more interested in a brand’s ethical and sustainable practices. 

While many are still feeling the pinch economically (leading to a value-action gap), transparency in sourcing, production, and environmental impact will go a long way to communicate value over the Black Friday period. In content, this should also translate to not just selling what people want, but giving them what they need; making your product their new must-have.

How can your brand leverage conscious consumerism in a meaningful – and not tokenistic – way over this period of hyper-consumerism? Our eagle-eyed customers are looking for brands who walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

Authenticity Wins

Short-form video content is still the winner on social media, with social media platforms no longer just providing entertainment, but also becoming powerful search engines and discovery tools. The raw and unpolished nature of short-form video lends itself to the authentic content that our consumers now crave, a win-win for brands given that it's often significantly more affordable and easier to create than traditional advertising shoots. 

As well as scrappy, UGC and ‘native’ feeling content, we also expect to see a surge in live-stream shopping events and in-store pop-ups advertised on social. Interactive and personalised experiences that leverage unique brand voice, as well as something fun and unexpected, will garner a lot more attention than traditional graphic ads.

Purchase Behaviour 

The concept of Black Friday as a single day of deals is no longer relevant, with the sale period now being lended the term ‘Grey November’. The trend of early bird and extended sales are set to continue, transforming the event into a month-long affair. This prolonged promotional period will require brands to maintain engagement and offer compelling, personalised deals and refined content throughout the season. Omnichannel strategies, integrating online and in-store experiences, and nailing the timing of your brand’s sale period will be important.

In conclusion, this Black Friday period is likely to see a continuation of the trends that have been developing over the last year; with consumers caring more about conscious consumerism and brand ethos while minding their wallets. We’re likely to see more brands leverage the use of AI both in content development and the shopping experience, though they must tread carefully if they want to avoid irritating their customers. 

What have you got planned for this Black Friday? For more tips, check out our blog on Black Friday 2024 here.