Between juggling client deadlines, holiday campaigns, and one too many airport coffees, this newsletter might be a touch late, but it’s packed with the usual marketing musings (who in their right mind thought a fortnightly newsletter was a good idea to add to the to-do list?! 🙃). And with Black Friday now stretching into Black November (and creeping into October – argh), I send my general thoughts and prayers to all of you navigating the chaos. May the marketing gods be on your side.
Let’s dive right in.
Black Friday 2024: People Running with Posters + Some Inspo from Microsoft Paint
So I actually did a post about this last week after seeing what felt like every single brand pushing a similar Black Friday creative. I’m sure you’ve seen the style I’m talking about – people running with posters, people writing their discount on a piece of paper and sticking it on a street lamp post, the Microsoft paint vibes creative that looks like a 5 year old wrote 50% off with the pencil tool – they’re everywhere.
And what’s really interesting – is that any marketer I’ve spoken to LOVES them (including me). Every single time I see an ad in this style it stops me in my tracks and makes me pay attention. But then I taught a workshop – and when talking about the importance of ad creative, one of the participants asked “why is everyone running around with posters now?! I don’t get it???”. I’ll be totally honest – the question hit me by surprise. Especially when the rest of the class jumped in with agreeance, all kind of confused why every brand was doing this.
It reminds me of a similar topic in a newsletter a few weeks back around marketers making ads that speak to marketers, but sometimes missed the mark for their customers/the average consumer. And the truth is that I feel like I have fallen into this trap too with this style of creative. I’m not saying it doesn’t work for some brands and their customers (putting myself into the customer shoes, Poppy Lissiman did this style for their November sales and it worked a TREAT. My bank account is in grieving – well done to their marketing team). But the issue arises when all brands jump on this trend without thinking whether it’s right for their customer. Will your customer love the creative, or – like my students – be confused as to why you’re running on the beach with a poster? It’s a good reminder to think customer first, and not just see something everyone else is doing and jump on board.
Case and point: Sam Wood’s Black Friday creative. I don’t work for them, nor do I have all the info on their customers – but based on the testimonials and photos I see on their socials, I’m not sure the creative they’re pushing would cut through with their customer. I showed this to an older family member, and all they thought was that they didn’t have a very good design team (clearly, they don’t know the latest marketing trends of making things look like you didn’t try). If anyone’s been testing this type of creative, I’d love to know how they’re performing against your usual sale ad styles!
Creating Offers That *Actually* Speak To Your Customer
With every Sales period that comes along, I see brands having to up their discounts. 10% off? No one cares. 20% off? Meh. 30% off? I’ll take a look…maybe. It’s getting so hard to stand out, and by simply discounting – we’re just making it easy for customers to compare our offer to others. I know a cheeky discount can be a quick and easy thing to implement, but no matter what time of year you’re running a promotion, you can get a lot more creative with the way you approach it.
For me, a good promo that stands out should address three things (If I had the time, I’d make a cute little venn diagram with a sweet spot right in the middle):
- Why Your Customers Buy from You
- What Your Customers Care About
- What Makes Your Business Unique
If you know these things – you can start to create promotions and offers that are tailored to these drivers. If you know your customer really values convenience, maybe the best promo is a free express shipping offer. If they love unique/different products, why not offer a limited-edition gift with purchase? Exclusivity a big motivator for them purchasing from your brand? Put together a “VIP” preview sale for your mailing list. If sustainability/charity matters, donate a portion of your proceeds to a related cause (If you’ve never seen Patagonia’s approach to Black Friday, take a look – it’s killer). I could go on forever – but it all comes back to what your customers care about, and what your USPs are.
I know this isn’t really a thought – maybe more of a mini-lesson – but as we come into the biggest promotional period of the year, I think it’s really important for brands to think outside the box and go beyond the simple discount and come up with something that is going to motivate your customers specifically. A reminder also to think about the “value” of what 30% off actually looks like to your business. If you were going to cop that loss on your sale, how can you take that same loss but execute it in a way that gives a positive brand experience, builds loyalty and doesn’t just train your customer to buy on sale.
Guerilla Marketing with a Smile
Ahhhh, Smile. They absolutely crushed it with their guerrilla marketing for the first movie, and Smile 2 is proving they’re not a one-hit wonder when it comes to stunts. Random, very creepy people popping up at baseball games in the US, and even sneaking into video screens at EDM concerts, have once again got TikTok (and the wider internet) buzzing. It’s giving The Ring meets Black Mirror, and I’m obsessed.
Here’s what I love most: it’s a reminder that in a world full of digital noise, sometimes it’s the most analog, low-tech ideas that cut through. Yes I’m a digital marketer, but nothing will ever beat a cleverly executed guerrilla campaign that gets people talking in real life and online. Honestly, the best part of this campaign is how it makes you feel uneasy without trying too hard. It’s subtle, it’s creepy, and it’s so on-brand for Smile. These stunts didn’t just turn heads – they created a shared experience, both in the stadiums and online, making fans feel like they were part of something bigger (and more terrifying).
But what I love most is that it reminds me of the power of physical stunts in a digital world. When everyone else is flooding Instagram and TikTok with paid ads, a simple IRL moment can cut through the noise and get people talking. It’s a masterclass in letting your creative do the talking rather than relying on a massive ad budget. And the best part? It’s memorable – people will be telling their friends about those creepy smiles for weeks.
Hootsuite Taps Into LinkedInfluencers (and people were kiiiiiinda annoyed?)
Hootsuite absolutely swamped the LinkedIn newsfeed this week with the release of their 2025 Social Media Trends Report (well, mine anyway) – and they did so by tapping into a whole heap of influential voices in the marketing world. This is probably the first time I’ve seen a B2B company successfully execute an influencer strategy for something like a report release, and I loved it. The large newspapers were so on trend. And by working directly with top voices in the industry, Hootsuite started the conversation with an already highly engaged audience of professionals who value thought leadership and peer recommendations.
But it was really interesting to see the feedback on my feed. None of the influential voices sported a #sponsored tag, no one said it was a paid partnership, no one said anything. With influencer guidelines being so clear and the laws coming down so heavily in the D2C space, should they have been made to be more clear about the partnership? Were these people paid by Hootsuite? Is it ethical?
If I’m really honest – I have no issue with it whatsoever. It’s aimed at marketers, and is all about making marketers aware of the fact that the new report is out. It does the job. The influencer guidelines are there to make sure consumers are not “tricked” into thinking reviews/endorsements are genuine when they’re paid for – that doesn’t really apply right? Surely no marketer saw their newsfeed full of these posts and thought somehow, organically all these marketers posted at the same time about the same thing? It’s an interesting debate of how we apply the laws and what they’re actually there for.
Digressing a little bit – I actually thought this was an AWESOME influencer campaign. I so often get asked for more examples of how brands can use influencers in the B2B space, and I’m so glad I’ve now got an example to show. They thought about who influences their audience, thought about who people go to for news and updates in the marketing world – and they made those people do the talking for them. Plus, they did so in a way that felt cool, on trend and disruptive. Had they just got these influencers to post a designed tile about the report from Hootsuite, this wouldn’t be in my newsletter. But the big newspapers made for some epic content, and I think they nailed it.
A Reminder That B2B is Actually H2H
Lately, I’ve been knee-deep in crafting 2025 strategies for clients, and I keep running into the same pushback: “We can’t be funny, we’re B2B” or “We need to keep it strictly professional.” Every. Single. Time. And honestly, it drives me up the wall.
Yes, you’re selling to businesses, but let’s not forget that behind every business is a human. And spoiler alert: humans actually like to be entertained and engaged.
The reality is, the world is flooded with robotic B2B content that no one wants to read. Somewhere along the way, people decided that “professional” had to mean “boring.” But here is your reminder: B2B buyers are also scrolling through TikTok, laughing at memes, and getting influenced by what they see on their feed just like everyone else.
The brands that win are the ones who aren’t afraid to inject a bit of personality into their messaging. I’ve seen it firsthand: a little humuor, a touch of relatability, and suddenly your content isn’t just another bland LinkedIn post – it’s the one people actually remember. You can still be credible and have personality. You can be authoritative and relatable. It’s about showing that there’s a real person behind your brand.
So, my advice for 2025? Let’s stop writing like we’re robots pitching to robots. Instead, write like you’re having a conversation with your favourite client over coffee. Because at the end of the day, whether you’re B2B or B2C, you’re always H2H: human to human.
