Pre-Black Friday Strategies: How to Leverage Thanksgiving for Building Anticipation

Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for family, food, and gratitude – but for businesses, it’s also the perfect opportunity to set the stage for the biggest shopping event of the year: Black Friday. As a restaurant or retailer, you can use the Thanksgiving season to create excitement, build momentum, and give your most loyal customers exclusive access to sneak peeks and early offers. 

1. Create a Thanksgiving-Themed Early Access Campaign

Thanksgiving provides the perfect moment to reward your loyal members with early access to your Black Friday deals. Rather than waiting until the chaos of Black Friday, allow your most loyal customers to start shopping a few days early with exclusive offers.

How to implement it:

1. Send personalized emails to members with a special link to a “Thanksgiving Early Access Sale” page.
2. Create a Thanksgiving countdown timer on your app or website that builds anticipation for when the early access offers will go live.
3. Offer unique, Thanksgiving-themed incentives, like extra points or free gifts, for purchases made during the early access period.
4. This not only drives customer engagement but also gives your most customers a feeling of exclusivity, which increases their connection to your brand.

2. Sneak Peek Previews for Members

Everyone loves a sneak peek, and Thanksgiving is a great time to start teasing your Black Friday offers to build anticipation. Give your members a first look at upcoming deals, new menu items, or exclusive products that will be available on Black Friday.

How to implement it:

1. Use push notifications or in-app messages to give members access to a “sneak peek” section featuring upcoming deals.
2. For restaurants, consider offering a special Thanksgiving menu preview with items that will only be available to members who pre-order.
3. Showcase limited-edition products or flash sale items that will be available first to your customers on Black Friday.
4. This helps build excitement and encourages customers to stay tuned, driving more interaction with your brand in the days leading up to Black Friday.

3. Thanksgiving-Themed Gamification to Unlock Black Friday Rewards

Adding a layer of gamification to your program during Thanksgiving can engage customers while building anticipation for Black Friday. Think of it as a fun, interactive way to reward customers and keep them coming back for more.

How to implement it:

1. Set up a Thanksgiving-themed challenge or scavenger hunt within your app or on social media. For example, offer points or rewards for completing tasks like checking in at your restaurant or making a Thanksgiving purchase.
2. Use Como’s points system where members accumulate Thanksgiving “gratitude points” that unlock special Black Friday deals once a certain threshold is reached.
3. Offer Thanksgiving-themed trivia or polls on your app, with correct answers or participation unlocking access to secret Black Friday rewards.
4. By turning engagement into a game, you can create a buzz around your brand and encourage customers to stay throughout the holiday season.

4. Bundle Thanksgiving and Black Friday Offers for a Seamless Transition

Why not extend the Thanksgiving spirit straight into Black Friday? By bundling your Thanksgiving promotions with Black Friday deals, you can create a seamless customer journey that keeps them engaged from one holiday to the next.

How to implement it:

1. Offer a special Thanksgiving bundle where customers earn double points or an exclusive reward when they make purchases both during Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
2. Introduce Thanksgiving “VIP tickets” for members – if they purchase during the Thanksgiving period, they get a special code that unlocks even better Black Friday deals.
3. Create a Thanksgiving-to-Black-Friday package for restaurants, where customers who pre-order a Thanksgiving feast get a discount on future orders or an exclusive Black Friday meal deal.
4. This strategy builds continuity between Thanksgiving and Black Friday, giving your customers a reason to keep coming back.

5. Thanksgiving-Themed Referral Program

Take advantage of the Thanksgiving spirit of giving by encouraging your existing members to share your program with friends and family. A Thanksgiving-themed referral program can help you grow your customer base in the lead-up to Black Friday.

How to implement it:

1. Reward members who refer friends or family during the Thanksgiving period with exclusive early access to Black Friday deals or additional rewards points.
2. Offer both the referrer and the new member a special Thanksgiving treat, like a discount or free item, to incentivize sharing.
3. Create a limited-time referral bonus where members who refer multiple people during Thanksgiving receive a bigger Black Friday reward.
4. This not only increases your customer base but also brings more people into your program just in time for the biggest shopping event of the year.

Thanksgiving isn’t just a time for feasting – it’s an opportunity for businesses to engage their customers, build excitement, and prepare for the Black Friday rush. By creating early access offers, sneak peeks, and Thanksgiving-themed gamification, your business can stand out during the holiday season and foster deeper customer connections.

With Como’s advanced platform, you can create engaging and effective holiday campaigns that keep your customers coming back for more. Get ready for a successful Thanksgiving-to-Black-Friday journey that leaves your customers feeling appreciated and eager for more!