The Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO) has held its first live Black Friday event with almost 30 talent managers, content creators and AiMCO partners in attendance.
Held at JCDecaux’s Sydney office, the event explored the continued rise of Black Friday’s popularity, with much of its hype and interest being driven online by influencer marketing.
The panel of speakers included Hypetap MD Bryce Coombe, Amazon APAC head of growth marketing and creator partnerships Lena Zak and Optus senior director of media, operations and performance Lauren Dawber.
The event explored the evolving dynamics of Black Friday marketing, emphasising the growing importance of creators, retail media, and data-driven strategies in shaping retail outcomes.
The panellists provided insights into the shift towards content creators as essential channels for audience engagement during the Black Friday sales period, the promotion of which shifts earlier and earlier each year.
Coombe said creators are engaging their audiences earlier each year.
"Our research shows that in 2021 online discussions about Black Friday started from the beginning of November, this year it started during September," he said.
"This underscores the need for brands to adopt long-term strategies rather than focusing solely on the weeks immediately preceding the event.
"The conversation addressed the increasing consumer shift from Boxing Day sales to Black Friday. While mentions of Black Friday were up 20% year-on-year, Boxing Day has seen a 10% decline."
The panel also discussed how companies leverage this trend by integrating creator partnerships and emphasising gifting, as well as sharing strategies for balancing creativity with practicality in extended campaigns, ensuring sustained audience engagement without fatigue.
The discussion pointed to how online shopping continues to dominate Black Friday mentions, as in-store shopping interest declines year-on-year.
AiMCO MD Patrick Whitnall said Black Friday sales are gaining in popularity with each year that passes and content creators are playing a crucial role in that growth.
"I would like to thank our panellists for delivering such valuable insights and also their own reflections on the things that make a content creator effective in building trust and driving results," he said.
"Authenticity, audience alignment, and the ability to adapt messaging to consumer needs are critical attributes in any campaign, but certainly during the busy Black Friday campaign period.”
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