Here are the marketing trends you need to know to capitalize on BFCM wins now, so your future marketing strategy is set up for success.

Another BFCM is in the books, which means it’s time to reflect on the wins, the challenges, and the lessons learned. We brought together a powerhouse panel of industry experts to share their insights and strategies. Their priorities in 2025 include nurturing newly-gained subscribers, unique ways to look at data before segmenting audiences, and having a unified campaign strategy. Our panel of experts included:

• ​​Tara Petre, VP of Solution Engineering, Simon Data
• Jade Simon, Lead Client Success Manager, Bazaarvoice
• Ryan Caviston, Director of Loyalty & Strategic Accounts, Friendbuy
• Tony Lam, Enterprise Customer Success Manager, Gorgias
• Angeli Rodriguez, Senior Customer Success Manager, Attentive

Their strategies can help you capitalize on the momentum gained during BFCM—as subscribers who join lists during Cyber Week are 2.1x more valuable over the next year. 

So here’s everything we learned from BFCM 2024, and some insight into how these wins can inform your marketing strategy in 2025. Read on for the highlights or watch the webinar recording.

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Build trust and affinity with triggered journeys

BFCM success story: The Art of Shaving created an Attentive-hosted landing page before Cyber Week where customers could sign up for SMS messages to score savings of up to 75% off. They had an increase in SMS sign-ups and BFCM campaign revenue compared to last year. The Art of Shaving has a lot of opportunities ahead of them to nurture these new subscribers. 

Like the Art of Shaving, you also gained new subscribers during BFCM, and now is the time to nurture them and turn them into loyal, repeat customers with triggered journeys. 

Think about the nurture flow of every interaction your customer has with your brand. Attentive CSM Angeli Rodriguez recommends integrating your reviews platform with Attentive to reward customers for leaving their first review or nurture 5-star reviewers with promotional content to encourage repeat purchases and reviews. 

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Drive a higher subscriber value by segmenting based on behavior and engagement data

BFCM success story: Leading up to Cyber Week, Purity Coffee used Attentive’s Product Detail Page Price sign-up feature to turn high-intent website visitors into subscribers. This sign-up unit was strategically placed next to the product price, making it easy for shoppers to subscribe without disrupting their browsing. As a result, Purity Coffee saw an increase in subscribers, with minimal drop-off between email and SMS sign-ups. This approach provided Purity Coffee with valuable product-specific information about their subscribers, so they could personalize their experiences in the future. 

You too, can collect this level of data to better segment campaigns in 2025. Start with natural groupings in your data. Tara Petre from Simon Data noted that this time of year, you have a lot of data around your discount hunters, full-price loyalists, and gift buyers. Then, look to your product-specific segments—you probably have first-time buyers versus repeat shoppers—abandoned browsers or abandoned cart segments. Each segment needs its own retention approach.

Start with these segments based on browse and purchase behavior and then layer in engagement data to understand how to market to them in 2025. Using these insights, you can tailor your winback campaigns to specific segments by offering the right incentive to the right audience.

To prevent churn, Petre recommends tracking disengagement signals in high-value segments. These signals could be a 20% drop in email engagement, browse abandonment patterns, or decreasing purchase frequency. Trigger personalized omnichannel retention campaigns when customers hit two or more of these signals within a 30-day window.  

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Boost efficiency and retention with a seamless, cross-channel marketing strategy and AI

All the panelists agreed that exceptional customer support around BFCM is crucial. And using tools like AI chatbots, self-service help centers, and automating the process for returns and exchanges can alleviate that strain on customer support. 

Jade Simon from Bazaarvoice recommends responding to all 1-3-star reviews and answering questions within 48 hours—no matter the time of year. Provide a personal, thoughtful, and timely response. 

After BFCM, the focus needs to shift to unifying your marketing campaigns. When you connect your data and channels into a unified strategy, you’re not only solving for efficiency—you’re setting the stage for deeper customer relationships and long-term success. 

Many teams are struggling with disconnected efforts as we move into 2025. Email is doing one thing, and SMS another. Social media is off in its own world. Campaigns need to feel seamless and connected from the customer’s perspective. 

Simon from Bazaarvoice says using your high-quality reviews and visual UGC across all marketing collateral will drive click-through and conversion rates. On the social front, if customers @mention and hashtag your brand, repost it on your social stories or highlights. Not only does this build community, but it also helps increase follower engagement and FOMO. 

Tony Lam from Gorgias recommends using onsite display and chat campaigns to create segmented onsite shopping experiences. Using a shopper’s data, you can strategically engage with your customer segments and offer unique discount codes for returning customers or cart abandoners, product bundles for first-time visitors, and personalized recommendations for repeat customers.

Petre adds that AI is making personalization faster, sharper, and more dynamic. 2025 will be about creating moments that feel relevant without adding complexity for marketing teams. AI needs to be a part in executing a unified marketing strategy.  

This BFCM, we saw an 86% YoY growth in revenue from AI-powered messages, and a 14x higher revenue growth from brands using AI Pro and AI Journeys. This reaffirms the need to focus on nurturing customers with triggered journeys, but letting tech manage ‌segmentation and personalization. 

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Want to see how Attentive AI™ can improve campaign performance in 2025? Schedule a demo with our team.