Black Friday has established itself as an unmissable highlight for brands across all sectors. 71% of French people say they intend to take advantage of it to make purchases. This is a major commercial opportunity that is driving retailers to redouble their creativity in order to stand out in an utlra-competitive environment.
Beyond simple discounts, the most effective marketing campaigns are those that capture attention, generate engagement and collect qualified data. Black Friday competitions are one of marketing tools that can activate, convert and retain your audience.
In this article, we will present the most relevant mechanics for running a Black Friday marketing campaign. We will focus on five marketing games that are in line with consumer expectations and brand business objectives.
Why use gamification in a Black Friday competition?
Black Friday sees thousands of promotional messages concentrated into just a few days. Standing out from the crowd therefore becomes a major strategic challenge in order to reach and convert buyers.
Competitions are a powerful tool for standing out from the crowd, creating experiences that are both distinctive and memorable.
- Capture attention in an ultra-saturated environment. Gamification mechanics exploit universal triggers: surprise, challenge, reward. In an intense promotional environment, games are therefore more effective than traditional promotional content at capturing and retaining attention.
- Accelerate the doscoverability of offers. A game allows products to be showcased in an immersive way, for example via an interactive wish list or a memory game. Gamification thus improves the memorisation of offers and encourages the discovery of new products or secondary ranges.
- Activate conversion while collecting data. By integrating incentives (discounts, vouchers, exclusives), the game effectively directs consumers to sales channels while collecting qualified CRM data. The result: a better conversion rate and personalised product recommendations.
- Prepare upcoming marketing campaigns (winter sales, Christmas). The Black Friday competition is also becoming a loyalty driver. Collecting product preferences and purchase history, particularly through loyalty program sign-ups and CRM enrichment, will then enable effective segmentation and retargeting of users throughout the year.
5 examples of Black Friday competitions
The success of a playable marketing campaign depends on choosing the right mechanics. Each strategic objective – visibility, conversion, loyalty – and marketing target – B2C, seniors, luxury – requires a specific approach. A well-designed Black Friday competition allows you to activate the right audience, at the right time, with the right message.
Here are 5 effective formats for maximising the performance of a Black Friday campaign.
1. A photo contest to boost your reputation
For Black Friday, a marketing game can be designed to go viral. A Photo competition focusing on products or the brand universe encourages the creation of authentic content and sharing on social media. This format generates UGC (User Generated Content), increases the organic reach of the campaign and allows you to reach qualified communities through digital word of mouth.
For example, the retailer could invite participants to share a mood board of their “Black Friday wish list” or post a photo of their favourite look and tag the brand.
3 best practices to remember :
- Facilitate participation by offering a simple model or theme to follow.
- Highlight the best creations to showcase the participants.
- Integrate an opt-in form with each entry to enrich your CRM.
2. A Psychoquiz to qualify leads and enrich your CRM
Ideal for collecting detailed data and improving the personalisation of future campaigns, the quiz to 4-5 questions so as not to discourage participation
3. An instant win to boost your conversion rate
Instant Win mechanics (scratch cards, wheel of fortune, one-armed bandit) create a sens of urgency, ideal for Black Friday competitions. Offering immediate incentives encourages quick purchases, especially during exclusive promotions. Combining the game with a prize draw for an exclusive prize (high-tech product, trip, gift voucher) will further boost engagement.
Inspiring example: E-Motors boosted its Black Friday marketing campaign by offering a €1,000 gift voucher to be won via a digital wheel. The result: nearly 1,000 entries generated.
3 best practices to remember :
- Add a premium prize in the final draw to extend engagement.
- Focus on 100% success to maximise participation.
- Include a strong call to action to redirect participants to your sales channels.
4. A drive-to-store game to attract online shoppers to stores
A Black Friday competition can also be used to convert digital audience into physical visitors. Mechanisms such as Gift Rain allow you to distribute rewards that can be collected in-store, boosting traffic at your point of sale.
3 best practices to remember :
- Create a sense of urgency with a short validity period
- Locate allocations (vouchers per store).
- Use the game to effectively re-engage your contacts by targeting their nearest stores.
5. An interactive game to build customer loyalty
3 best practices to remember :
- Set realistic and attractive targets
- Tease upcoming events (French Days, sales, etc.) to maximise participant engagement over time.
- Follow up with participants after the event with personalised offers.
Stand out from the crowd during Black Friday by sharing a competition with your audience. This format will help you capture their attention and boost your conversions while enriching your contact database. This year, don’t settle for traditional promotions: offer an experience that will leave a lasting impression. With Socialshaker, you can create a tailor-made, original and effective campaign to achieve your marketing goals.
