Marketing Mayhem: Exploring the Impact of Black Friday

Image credit: Tamanna Rumee via Unsplash

Black Friday stands out not just as a day of unprecedented sales but as a colossal wave of content creation. Did you know that in the run-up to Black Friday, content output surges by an astonishing 20%, pushing teams to expand by 10% to manage the deluge? 

This isn't just about offering the best deals; it's a battle for attention in an increasingly crowded digital space. As the demand for captivating, engaging content doubles with each passing year, brands and marketers are faced with a pivotal challenge: How to stand out and connect with consumers without breaking the bank or burning out teams?

This is where AI and technology are not just tools but essential allies in crafting winning strategies for this high-stakes period.

Content Demand Explosion

It’s true that the demand for content is continuously rising, with the volume of content expected to double by 2025. In fact, it's a little more worrying than that, it's reported that out of the $4.7 trillion spent on marketing each year an amazing 85% is being spent on assets that aren't truly distinctive, so during an event like Black Friday this does really pose a problem and one that must be resolved.

Team Expansion and Budget Constraints

On average, Black Friday sees a 20% increase in the volume of content over this period as well as a 10% increase in the team sizes to manage the campaigns. However, a lot of the time these additional team members are chasing down content and assets, updating spreadsheets, and re-keying data from one system to another losing precious time that they don't have. With smaller budgets, brands and agencies need to streamline content creation processes and optimise outcomes.

Leveraging AI in Content Creation

With smaller budgets and the need to improve speed to market and local relevance, brands and agencies need to streamline content creation processes and optimise outcomes. AI-powered tools can help automate tasks such as content generation, image and video editing, data analysis, and even content distribution. By leveraging AI, brands, and agencies can reduce the time and resources required for content creation while maintaining or even improving quality and speed to market. Overall, the combination of AI technology and strategic planning can help brands and agencies navigate the challenges of increased content demands, tighter budgets, and high-pressure events like Black Friday more effectively. 

However, in my experience having the ability to re-use and have access to content that has already been used is a missed opportunity and one that can significantly improve ROI.

Strategies for Maximising ROI

Reusing and repurposing content is a crucial aspect of maximising ROI in content creation. With the increasing demand for content and limited resources, brands and agencies need to find ways to leverage existing content effectively.

AI and technology can play a significant role in identifying opportunities for content reuse and repurposing. Natural language processing (NLP) algorithms can analyse content libraries to identify pieces that can be repackaged or updated for different platforms or target audiences. Image and video recognition technology can also assist in identifying reusable visual content.

By repurposing existing content, brands and agencies can save time and resources while still maintaining relevance and engagement with their audience. Additionally, repurposing content can help reinforce key messages and branding, improving overall consistency and impact across different channels and campaigns.

Strategic planning and content systems that facilitate easy access to and organisation of content assets are essential for maximising the ROI of content reuse. By implementing effective content data strategies and leveraging AI-driven insights, brands and agencies can optimise their content creation processes and achieve greater ROI.

Future-Proofing with AI and Technology

Here are a few ways AI and technology can help in this context:

• Automated Content Generation: AI can generate content across various formats, significantly reducing the time and resources needed for manual creation. This includes product descriptions, social media posts, email campaigns, and more.
• Content Personalisation: By analysing consumer data, AI algorithms can personalise content to cater to different audience segments, enhancing engagement and conversion rates.
• Data-driven Insights: AI-driven analysis of vast datasets provides valuable insights into consumer behaviour, trends, and preferences, empowering brands and agencies to optimise their content strategies for maximum impact.
• Content Curation: AI assists in curating relevant content from diverse sources, saving marketers time and ensuring a continuous stream of engaging content for Black Friday campaigns.
• Predictive Analytics: AI-powered predictive analytics forecast trends and consumer behaviour, enabling brands to plan Black Friday campaigns more effectively and allocate resources efficiently.
• Workflow Automation: AI-driven automation tools streamline workflow processes from content ideation to publishing, allowing marketers to focus on strategy and creativity.

Conclusions

Many brands face increasing difficulty in effectively managing their content. While the temptation to start afresh each time is understandable, it poses several significant challenges:

Cost: Continuously reinventing content incurs substantial expenses.

Time: Crafting content from new for multiple channels consumes valuable time.

ROI Impact: Frequent re-origination diminishes the potential for achieving a strong return on investment across campaigns.

Furthermore, in my experience, many brands lack a well-structured Digital Asset Management (DAM) solution. Such a system should empower marketers to efficiently access and repurpose existing content, thus saving time and costs while enhancing brand consistency.

MedialakeAI offers a solution that transcends specific processes or technologies. It consolidates all content and provides comprehensive metadata through a unified dashboard, regardless of the number or type of DAMs or storage systems in place.

An exemplary illustration of how AI should be used during events like Black Friday. AI can alleviate mundane tasks, furnish crucial data insights, and ultimately elevate content effectiveness, benefitting both brands and agencies by enhancing the likelihood of campaign success.