Thinking
November 28, 2025
Read time:
3 Minutes


Hello and Happy Black Friday!
We hope you’ve had a successful sale so far.
Right now, your dashboards are likely lighting up. But the million-pound question is…
What happens when the dust settles next week?
Usually, what follows the biggest sales weekend of the year is the dreaded sales depression.
The natural instinct is to keep pushing after Cyber Monday, but doing that without changing your angle will cost a fortune.
The market is about to cool down very fast for Christmas and conversion rates will naturally dip.
If you pour money into next week using the same strategy you are running today, you are just setting yourself up to fail.
Here is what usually happens - brands see incredible data from Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They leave budgets high with an aggressive strategy on Tuesday. But the consumer mindset shifts almost overnight, and the CPAs skyrocket.
To sustain momentum, you need to have a pivot plan ready for next week.
The 'Cool Down' Phase (Post-Cyber Monday)
Do not scale your ads next Tuesday based on Cyber Monday’s data.
The frenzy will be over unless you extend with a genuine new offer. So you'll need to slightly lower your budgets and aggression to protect your efficiency. You are moving from a high-volume sprint to a marathon.
The Mindset Shift From ‘Me’ to ‘Them’
The biggest mistake brands make in December is keeping the same creative running.
Right now, people are buying for themselves. From December 1st, they are buying for others.
Stop selling features and specs. Start selling the reaction the gift will create.
We transition our client accounts to focus entirely on the 'Joy of Gifting.' We launch gift guides and messaging that highlights why this product is the thoughtful choice. If you don't make this pivot, your ads will feel tone-deaf to a market that is stressed about Christmas shopping.
The Shipping Cut-Off
This is where most brands lose revenue, but it is actually a massive opportunity.
Your ads will work well until your last shipping day (usually Dec 15th-20th). You must be transparent about shipping cut-offs to avoid angry customers.
But the moment that cut-off hits, don't just turn the lights off.
Switch to promoting Gift Cards.
There is a huge segment of 'panic buyers' who have left it too late. They know delivery won’t arrive in time, but they still need a present. Positioning a digital gift card as the instant solution captures revenue that most brands walk away from.
Don't Sleep on 'Q5'
Finally, there is the period between Christmas and New Year (Dec 26 - Jan 1).
We call this 'Q5.' CPMs historically crash because big brands pull their spend, but consumers are still in buying mode - especially in the UK for Boxing Day sales.
This is an arbitrage moment. While your competitors are sleeping off the Christmas dinner, you can acquire customers cheaply before the 'New Year, New Me' rush starts in January.
The Bottom Line
You do not have to accept a sales crash next week.
By adjusting your strategy, pivoting your creative to 'gifting,' pushing gift cards when shipping closes, and ramping up for Q5 - you can turn December into a very profitable period.
Want us to review your strategy before 2026?
If you want to enter the new year with a solid plan, we are offering a completely free growth audit.
Our team who run these accounts day-to-day will deep dive into your platforms and give you honest feedback on exactly what needs to change to scale.






























