How to build BFCM demand without discounting your brand

How can premium brands drive Black Friday sales without training customers to wait for discounts?

Brands that protect their margins during Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) usually don't win with the deepest discount. They build demand early, keep the offer simple, and give shoppers reasons to click that have nothing to do with price.

That idea ran through a recent Champion Coaching session led by two Klaviyo Community Champions: Shannon Jorgenfelt from Tatcha and Taylor Almond from Far Niente Wine Estates. Here's what any brand can apply this season.

Should you send a save the date before your BFCM sale?

Yes, even though it can soften sales in the days before the event. Tatcha finds that the dip evens out once the sale opens. Pair your save the date with build-your-bag or wishlist prompts so shoppers browse before the sale starts. Then use that browse and wishlist activity to personalize your first sale emails.

How do you make early access feel exclusive without a deeper discount?

Limit early access to email subscribers, or start with your VIPs or loyalty members and widen access in stages. This does two things. It rewards your most loyal customers, and it grows your list when you promote "subscribers shop first" in sign-up forms and paid social in the weeks before.

Then give early access its own perk instead of a bigger discount, like a gift with purchase (GWP), free shipping, or merch you don't normally sell. Tatcha's early-access-only merch item gave shoppers a reason to buy right away, and the brand didn't need to add a discount.

How complicated should your BFCM offer be?

Simple enough to understand at a glance. Taylor's team at Far Niente has learned that tiered, stacked offers are fun to plan and hard to shop. BFCM inboxes are crowded, and most people skim. Far Niente manages several wine clubs and loyalty tiers, and every audience still gets one clear offer structure.

How do you personalize BFCM emails when everyone gets the same offer?

Keep the offer the same and change the message. Build segments around what makes each group different, like loyalty tier, product preferences, purchase recency, or the discounts they usually use. Then use conditional splits in your flows to tailor content for each group. Taylor's team credits this focus on personalization with growth in a category that's declining overall.

How do you keep engagement up during a long BFCM sale?

Match your audience size to the moment. Send to your broadest audience on the big days, like launch day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, and send to narrower, highly engaged segments on the days in between. Watch unsubscribe rates, and pull back as soon as you see fatigue.

Vary the reasons to click while the offer stays the same. Gift guides, product roundups, and shop-by-need modules below the hero image give shoppers more ways into your site than a single call to action.

Do you need to discount every customer?

Maybe not. Build a segment of customers whose past orders used no discount and send a small group the product at full price. The revenue risk is low, and you'll learn whether those customers needed an offer to buy.

What should BFCM reminder emails say?

Lead with what the customer gets, not what's on your calendar. "Today is the last day for gifts to arrive by Christmas" gives shoppers a reason to act. "Early access ends today" only tells them your schedule.