8 Black Friday Marketing Ideas That Aren’t Focused on Discounts

When you think of Black Friday, massive discounts and flash sales immediately come to mind. While slashing prices can drive quick sales, it’s not always sustainable. This is especially the case for small businesses or premium brands that don’t want to devalue their products. The good news? 

You don’t need deep discounts to make an impact. There are plenty of creative, value-driven ways to capture attention, boost engagement and grow loyalty during the busiest shopping season of the year. With this in mind, here are some Black Friday marketing ideas that focus on more than just discounts, therefore helping you to stand out from the crowd.

1. Offer exclusive products or release limited editions

Instead of reducing prices, create exclusivity. Launch a limited-edition product, a special bundle or a seasonal version of a best seller available only during Black Friday weekend. This approach taps into the same urgency and excitement as a sale, but keeps your brand value intact. 

It also gives loyal customers something fresh to look forward to that’s not money-focused. In addition, it helps customers to feel more valued, and less like a cash cow for businesses to stay afloat. An example of this would be a skincare brand that releases a Black Friday-exclusive scent or packaging that is only seen on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. 

2. Reward loyalty rather than cutting prices

Rather than discounting for everyone, make your loyal customers feel special. Offer early access, bonus points or exclusive gifts for loyalty programme members. This not only strengthens retention but also encourages new customers to join your community to access future perks. 

For example, you could run a campaign entitled: ‘Black Friday VIP Access – Members Get First Dibs on Our Limited Stock!’. By doing this, you’ll aid in customer retention and loyalty, as well as build up a new customer base and expand your business in the process. Use Black Friday marketing as a way to develop and grow your business by putting your loyal customers first. 

3. Create a gift-ready experience

During the Black Friday and Cyber Monday season, people are shopping for others, not just themselves. Make it easy and enjoyable by focusing on gift convenience instead of lower prices. 

When it comes to creating a gift-ready experience, you can offer free gift wrapping, provide personalised gift guides, bundle products into ready-to-gift sets and even highlight “gifts under £50” or “gifts for him/her” collections. 

This approach not only adds value to the buying experience, but it also shows that your customers and their experience mean more to you than cheap marketing tactics, like discounts. 

4. Support a cause or give back to the community

Consumers increasingly want to buy from brands that stand for something. Turn your Black Friday campaign into an opportunity to give back – for example, donating a percentage of each sale to a chosen charity or community project. Not only does this resonate emotionally with your audience, but it can also set you apart from competitors focused purely on maximising their profit margins.

5. Build buzz with interactive campaigns

Engagement-driven campaigns can be more memorable than discounts. Run a social media contest, giveaway or user-generated content challenge leading up to Black Friday. Encourage followers to share their stories, photos or wishlists for a chance to win prizes – not necessarily expensive ones, but meaningful to your brand. This keeps your audience involved, grows your reach and boosts excitement before your sale even begins.

6. Focus on education & value

Sometimes, the best Black Friday strategy isn’t about selling products or services at all. It’s about showing your expertise to both your existing customers and your prospective ones. This Black Friday, instead of focusing on discounts like everyone else, you should create ‘how-to’ guides, gift tutorials or behind-the-scenes content, depending on the industry you work in, to help customers make better, more informed decisions. 

When you provide value first, customers remember your brand as helpful and not pushy, which some brands can fall into the trap of. For example, this Black Friday, you could publish articles in the same remit as: ‘Our Holiday Candle Care Guide’ or ‘How to Choose the Perfect Tech Gift for 2025’. Simply tailor your ideas to your industry and to the products and/or services you sell.

7. Collaborate with other brands

Partnering with other brands that complement your own business (such as those that sell similar products or are from the same industry) can double your exposure without cutting into your profit margins. Collaboration introduces you to new audiences and adds excitement to your campaign. 

If you want to collaborate with other brands and relevant businesses, then you can get started by running a joint giveaway, creating a co-branded bundle and hosting a shared virtual event. You could also do a live stream to both of your audiences. This is a win-win for all involved.

8. Emphasise sustainability

Many shoppers are rethinking the consumer frenzy around Black Friday. Appealing to this mindset can help your brand stand out from the crowd. Promote sustainable shopping, highlight eco-friendly materials or run a “buy less, buy better” campaign that focuses purely on quality, longevity and conscious consumption. 

In addition, offering sustainable or eco-friendly products will help boost customer levels. This is because sustainability has become increasingly important to consumers, with the majority of them considering it in their purchasing decisions and a significant portion willing to pay more for eco-friendly brands, claims the same source.

Let’s summarise…

You don’t need deep discounts to win on Black Friday. As we’ve already discussed, you just need creativity and authenticity. By offering exclusive experiences, meaningful value and genuine connections, your brand can thrive during the shopping season without compromising on its worth. Black Friday is no longer about consumers saving money; it’s become more about shopping with intention and building brand loyalty. Use our aforementioned suggestions to make Black Friday marketing stand out from the crowd by not placing an emphasis on discounts. 

Kumo is a full-service digital marketing agency driven by a talented team of experts. From our Nottingham base, we proudly collaborate with clients throughout the UK, supporting businesses across diverse sectors. Our services include SEO, PPC, content marketing, web design and more. To discover how we can help your business grow, contact our approachable and experienced team – we’re always happy to chat.