The Ultimate 2025 BFCM Early Launch Strategy (+NYC event)

The Phased Offer Strategy (Don’t Running One Offer for 14 Days)

Most brands kill their Q4 with offer fatigue. Here's the winning timeline:

Phase 1: Early Access (Nov 13-24)

Offer: Similar to Black Friday but slightly less value

Positioning: Exclusive early access, guaranteed shipping, guaranteed stock

Psychology: "Get Christmas gifting done early, skip BFCM chaos"

Phase 2: Black Friday (Nov 26-29)

Offer: Your BEST and most sitewide deal

Duration: 4 days (launch day before Thanksgiving)

Focus: Simple, clear, easy to understand—the main event

Phase 3: Cyber Monday/Week (Dec 1-3)

Offer: Change angle or add twist (free gift, extra % off, bundles)

Target: People who ignored/missed Black Friday

Focus: Gift-giving for holidays

Phase 4: Holiday Gifting (Dec 4-14)

Offer: AOV boosters, upsells, gift bundles

Focus: Christmas shopping with urgency

Phase 5: Last Chance Gifting (Dec 15-21)

Urgency Drivers:

• Dec 15: Standard shipping cutoff

• Dec 19: Priority shipping cutoff

• Dec 21: Express shipping cutoff

• Free shipping offers work best here

Real Brand Examples: What Actually Worked

Breeze

• Early Access: $15 store credit + lifetime supply giveaway

• BFCM: $25 credit + free shipping on $100+

• Gifting: Holiday bundles up to $180 off

• Key: Simple offers, clear urgency, positioned as "biggest ever"

Dr. Squatch

• Pre-BFCM: Holiday bundles (Oct 27-Nov 27) with double loyalty points

• BFCM: Custom markdowns + tiered discounts (automatic at $40/$55/$70 levels)

• Last Chance: Free 2-day shipping on $65+ orders

• Key: Browse-the-store strategy with automatic tiers

Gymshark

• Early Early Access: Up to 70% off markdowns (Nov 14-21)

• Early Access: 70% + extra 20% off (72 hours)

• BFCM: 70% + extra 25% off (Nov 29-Dec 5)

• Key: Stacked percentage discounts on markdown items

Scaling Strategy

When performance exceeds targets:

1. Set columns to compare attribution windows (p.s. we talked about this in our last newsletter)

2. Focus on 7-day click data

3. Scale 2-5x immediately when CPA is significantly below target

CPM Reality: Don't save everything for Black Friday weekend.

• CPMs increase daily from October 1 through Black Friday

• Early spending = lower costs, higher margins

• Start NOW while CPMs are manageable

The Email & SMS Execution Plan

Pre-BFCM Preparation (Do This NOW):

1. Grow Your List Aggressively

• Install killer pop-ups (recommend Alia platform)

• Run paid ads to capture traffic

• Bigger list = more profit (it's that simple)

2. Fix Your Deliverability

• Target: 60%+ open rates

• Only send to engaged segments until deliverability improves

• Stop burning your list with 20% open rates

3. Warm Your Audience (Don't Burn Them)

• Send high-value non-discount content

• Product education and social proof

• Tease what's coming but save big discounts

4. Unsuppress Past Profiles

• Past buyers and window shoppers may be suppressed

• Reactivate as many profiles as possible for biggest list

The Sending Schedule That Wins

Early Access (Nov 13-24):

• Email: Every other day, ramp up to daily at end

• SMS: 3-4 total (launch, reminders, last chance)

Black Friday (Nov 28-29):

• Email: 2-3 per day minimum (AM launch, PM reminder, urgency)

• SMS: 1-2 per day

• Why: Email lifespan during BFCM is 2-3 hours max

Cyber Monday (Dec 1-3):

• Email: 2 per day

• SMS: Launch, midpoint, final hours

Gifting Period:

• Email: Every other day

• SMS: 2 per week + shipping cutoff urgency messages

Sample November Calendar:

• Nov 1-10: 3 emails/week (warm-up)

• Nov 11: Veterans Day email

• Nov 13-24: Early Access (email every other day + 2-3 SMS)

• Nov 26-29: Black Friday (2-3 emails/day + 1-2 SMS/day)

• Dec 1-3: Cyber Monday (2 emails/day + daily SMS)

• Dec 4-14: Gifting (email every other day)

• Dec 15, 19, 21: Shipping cutoff urgency (email + SMS)

Critical Truth: This is NOT the time for 1-2 emails. Inbox competition is brutal. Frequency = visibility = sales.

Update Your Flows & Pop-Ups

Pop-Up Strategy:

Create different pop-ups for each phase:

• Early Access pop-up (Nov 13-24)

• Black Friday pop-up (Nov 26-29)

• Cyber Monday pop-up (Dec 1-3)

• Gifting pop-up (Dec 4-21)

Why: You're getting MASSIVE traffic. Capture emails/SMS with relevant offers. You'll get unsubscribes but need new people coming in.

Flow Updates:

Turn OFF all flows except:

1. Welcome flow

2. Site abandoned

3. Browse abandoned

4. Cart & checkout abandoned

5. Immediate post-purchase

Adjustments:

• Welcome: Quick email with discount explanation + bestsellers

• Site Abandoned: Wait only 45 min (not 24 hours) + BFCM offer + urgency

• Browse/Cart Abandoned: Email 1 immediately showing product + offer, Email 2 after 2 hours with extreme urgency

• Post-Purchase: Thank them + push to add more ("Best offer all year, get gifts for friends")

Critical: Every abandonment email must mention the current BFCM offer. People are shopping multiple brands and forgetting deals.

Now execute. Q4 waits for no one.

🗽 Don’t miss our first NYC event for DTC brands!

📅 Wed, November 19 | 🕕 6 PM | 📍 The Yard at Herald Square

Featured Panelists:
Yiqi Wu - Founder & CEO of Aimerce
Sabir Semerkant - Founder & CEO of Rapid 2X™
Mason Cohen - Serial E‑commerce Entrepreneur

Seats are limited 👉 RSVP to secure your spot here

📅 Next in the BFCM Academy

• Today: The Ultimate 2025 Early Launch Strategy

• 11/18: The Ultimate 2025 BFCM Klaviyo Practical Hacks

• 11/20: The Ultimate 2025 Meta Ads Targeting & Product Promotion Strategy

• 11/25: The Ultimate 2025 BFCM Last-Minute Klaviyo Segmentation

• 11/26: The Ultimate 2025 Expert Advice – Tactical BFCM Insights from Operators

• 12/03: 2025 BFCM Hot Takes & Founder Social Highlights

📚 Other helpful resources from the Aimerce team: