(2) Full War Map: Q4 + Q5

(2) Full War Map: Q4 + Q5

• Calendar BFCM 2024: October, November, December
• 3 ways to structure your BFCM 2024
• Exceptional case 2024: The Bridge to XMAS
• Important steps in every war map phase
• Practical Exercise

1. Calendar BFCM 2024: October, November, December

October

• 8-9 Amazon Prime Days
• 31 Halloween
• Capitalize on October Salary!
  25th Oct - 5th Nov
• For sure, prepare BFCM

NOVEMBER        

• 11th Single’s Day
• “Forgotten Friday” November 22nd
  Highest Conversion Rate (META)
• 25-28: Black Week
• 29: Black Friday
• 30-1: Black Weekend
• 2 diciembre: Cyber Monday
  
  Basically, 25-2nd Black Friday
  Or if you include forgotten Friday,
  22-2nd BF = 11 days

DECEMBER

• Dec 2nd: BF is over
• Dec 3rd: Full active on XMAS
• 3-20 XMAS ads
• Cut date for XMAS shipping: this year XMAS will be on Wednesday, so we can extend the ads until the 19th approx
• 26-27: Boxing Day

2. Three Ways to Approach BFCM 2024 (long, medium, short)

Short strategy for BFCM  

We only offer discounts during the 4 days of BFCM.

We launch the offer on Thursday night.  

Push sales on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

This is 2016 style, and we don’t do it like this anymore.

• What happens if your competitors run aggressive ads during Black Week?  
• What if they start as early as November 13 with "early deals"?  

Medium strategy for BFCM

Forgotten Friday + Early Access Weekend + Black Week + Black Friday.

This would be the most typical strategy.

- 22: Forgotten Friday (CVR)

- 23, 24: Early Black Friday (for your community, VIP)

- 25-28: Black Week

- 29-2: Black Friday

Long strategy for BFCM

Early Black Friday General + Black Week + BFCM

- 11-24: Early Black Friday (like an evergreen sale)

- 25-28: Black Week

- 29-2: Black Friday

- 11-24: Early Black Friday (like an evergreen sale)

- 25-2: Black Friday

You lose the surprise effect, and the sales peak levels out.

But you have more time for testing.

3. Exceptional Case This Year: Transition to Christmas  

Something to keep in mind for later.

Typically, there’s a 1-week gap between the end of Black Friday and the real start of Christmas sales.

This year everything has shifted: Cyber Monday ends on December 2nd, and we’re already in December. So, this year it’s important to plan for an immediate transition from BFCM to Christmas.

We’ll see it later, but it’s smart to launch XMAS ads on November 25th and have them running for 1 week before fully starting XMAS.

4. What’s Important in Each Phase of the Battle Plan

- Have a period to create anticipation, desire, and hype.

- Have a period to TEST enough, but with relevant information and high demand. (Testing on November 2nd doesn’t count—it’s not significant)

- Have at least 4 days where you can scale aggressively with urgency.

- Have a branding period to clean up the brand’s image a bit.

5. PRACTICAL EXERCISE  

How will you approach Black Friday?  

- Will you follow the long, short, or medium strategy?  

- How will you transition into Christmas?