Q4 seasonal playbook
Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing
Eight plays on one page, in order. Pick a Cyber Week posture you can defend in January, run Friday 27 November through Monday 30 November 2026 on the house list without a panic discount, and fold US Thanksgiving into one dated play before the noise starts. World Vegan Day full-price buyers should not get a deeper code three weeks later.
One page to print or save as PDF. Fields for every play on this hub.
Pick your industry
Key for
Pick your posture by 30 October
Skip, value kit, seconds, give-back, or full price with a reason. One sentence you can defend in January.
Black Friday is Friday 27 November and Cyber Monday is Monday 30 November 2026. Giving Tuesday is Tuesday 1 December. If you ran World Vegan Day at public price, those buyers should not get a deeper code three weeks later unless the offer is clearly different. Pick the posture now so creative, finance, and support read from the same line.
The play
- Choose one posture and write it in one sentence: skip, value kit, seconds, give-back, or full price with a stated reason.
- Share it internally with finance, support, and whoever owns paid media before 30 October.
- Fence proof-week buyers: tag WVD and Halloween weekend segments so a panic percent does not land on people who already paid public price.
- Match the posture to inventory you can ship through Monday 30 November, not wishful SKUs.
Example
A fashion brand writes: "Cyber Week is repair and care at public price, no sitewide markdown." Email and site banners say the same line. WVD buyers see care booking, not a steeper percent. A restaurant writes: "We skip cover discounts; gift cards at face value only with bonus meals stated in terms."
What good looks like
- Before: Posture shifts per channel, support cannot quote the offer.
- After: One sentence on the brief, segments fenced, finance signed off.
- Posture is public before the first Cyber Week send, not explained after complaints.
One sentence, internal sign-off, and a fence for proof-week buyers. US Thanksgiving is next if you serve US guests; everyone else moves to inventory.
Write your one-sentence Cyber Week posture before you brief creative.
One page to print or save as PDF. Fields for every play on this hub.
Thanksgiving (US): preorder, hosts, and a quiet thank-you
US guests only. One dated SKU, order-by dates on the PDP, and a thank-you note with no code before Cyber Week.
US Thanksgiving is Thursday 26 November 2026. Canadian Thanksgiving is Monday 12 October 2026, a separate calendar. This play is for US guests and US shipping only. If you do not serve them, skip to Play 3. The job is a dated preorder or table they can book early, then a thank-you that does not sell before Cyber Week noise.
The play
- Check Thanksgiving is yours: US audience only. If you do not serve US guests or ship to the US, skip this play.
- Publish one dated SKU by early November: feast box, set menu, or hosted dinner at public price, with cutoff, pickup, or seating slots on crawlable HTML.
- Sell to the host: full ingredient and allergen list, one vegan main that works on a mixed table, scope what "vegan" covers on the page.
- Update hours and listings: Thursday closure or hours, Friday operations, preorder URL on GBP and the site.
- Send a thank-you that does not sell: one customer note before Cyber Week, one proof line, no code. State your BFCM posture in plain language if helpful.
Example
A vegan restaurant sells a Thanksgiving feast box with order-by Monday 17 November and pickup slots on Wednesday 25 November. The PDP lists allergens and public price. On Monday 24 November they send a short thank-you to buyers with a link to the kitchen policy page, no percent. Black Friday email to that segment waits until the bundle offer in Play 5.
What good looks like
- Preorder URL live on HTML menu or PDP, not a PDF only.
- Order-by date visible in cart and email footer.
- Thank-you send lands before Friday 27 November, with no countdown timer.
US Thanksgiving handled with one SKU, host-ready proof, and a quiet thank-you. Next, fence what inventory Cyber Week can promise.
If you do not serve US guests, skip this play and open Play 3.
Key for
Fence the inventory
Decide what is available to Cyber Week vs wholesale vs marketplaces. Do not promise what you cannot ship.
Cyber Week emails fail when merchandising promises SKUs that wholesale, marketplaces, or preorders already claimed. Fence inventory before banners go live.
The play
- List in-bounds SKUs for Friday 27 November through Monday 30 November sends.
- Exclude wholesale, preorder, and marketplace-only lots from the public promise unless terms say otherwise.
- Name seconds or imperfect lots if posture uses them, with scope on the PDP.
- Share the fence with support and fulfillment so macros match the site.
Example
A skincare brand sells only three in-stock bundles on Cyber Week; the wholesale line is hidden from the storefront promo. A hotel sells stay vouchers for January dates that are already on the books, not rooms OTAs control.
What good looks like
- SKU list matches the email and PDP on launch morning.
- No marketplace-only inventory in the hero offer.
- Seconds lots have their own PDP copy, not mixed into full-price bundles.
Inventory fenced, support aligned. Honest reference prices come next, especially if you sell into the EU.
List the SKUs that are in bounds for Cyber Week before you write email copy.
Honest reference prices
No inflated was prices. If you sell into the EU, check the prior-lowest-price rule before any reduced label.
From 27 September 2026, EU rules on green claims (the EmpCo directive) ban generic environmental claims you cannot prove. Inflated reference prices and vague percent-off lines are where trust breaks, especially when assistants quote your PDP.
The play
- Audit reference prices on every SKU in the Cyber Week email. Public price is the price.
- Remove or fix was lines that do not match documented history.
- If you sell into the EU, run the prior-lowest-price check before any reduced label or strikethrough.
- Match ads, email, and PDP so support quotes one number.
Example
A home goods brand runs Cyber Week as a bundle at the sum of PDP prices with no strikethrough. A fashion brand holds full price and drops the was line entirely from email templates.
What good looks like
- PDP, cart, and email show the same number.
- No countdown timer tied to a fake reference price.
- EU SKUs documented if a reduced label ships.
Reference prices honest and aligned. Now shape an offer that is not a panic discount.
Open the storefront and confirm every Cyber Week SKU shows a real public price.
One page to print or save as PDF. Fields for every play on this hub.
Key for
An offer that is not a discount
In-stock bundle at the sum of public prices, a named value add, or a gift card with plain terms.
A percent off is not the only Cyber Week move. Bundles, named value adds, and gift cards at face value can match a full-price posture and still give buyers a clear yes.
The play
- Pick the offer shape that matches Play 1: bundle sum, named inclusion, seconds lot, or gift card with plain bonus terms.
- Write terms in one line: dates, caps, eligible SKUs, and what happens after Monday 30 November.
- Dining: gift cards at face value; any bonus meals stated with dates, not a cover-price cut.
- Publish on crawlable HTML before the house list send.
Example
A product brand emails an in-stock trio at the sum of PDP prices with no code. A hotel emails a named inclusion on direct bookings through Monday 30 November, rate unchanged. A restaurant sells gift cards at face value with a bonus appetizer noted in terms through December.
What good looks like
- Offer line matches posture from Play 1.
- Terms visible on the PDP or gift card page, not only in email.
- No fake scarcity or countdown timers on the offer page.
Offer named and terms visible. Calendar the house list before you turn paid back on.
Name the Cyber Week offer in one line that is not sitewide percent off.
Key for
House list first, paid second
Thursday to Monday send calendar, suppression rules, and a CPM guardrail that pauses prospecting when crossed.
Black Friday is Friday 27 November 2026. Cyber Monday is Monday 30 November 2026. Your house list should hear from you on a calendar you can defend, not random blasts whenever CPMs spike.
The play
- Plan one send per day from Friday 27 November through Monday 30 November, or fewer if posture is skip.
- Suppress segments: WVD proof-week buyers, Thanksgiving thank-you recipients, and anyone who just purchased at public price.
- Mail the house list first; paid supports with creative that matches the offer, not a different percent.
- Set a CPM guardrail for prospecting and pause when crossed; route budget to retention or creative refresh.
- Startups: use the week to grow waitlist and house list, not to launch a v1 into peak noise.
Example
A vegan product brand pauses cold prospecting when Meta CPMs cross their guardrail, sends three house emails with the bundle offer, and refreshes one creative before re-enabling spend. A startup runs one waitlist email on Sunday 29 November with a proof link, no launch discount.
What good looks like
- Calendar written with dates and segments.
- Suppression rules live in the ESP before Thursday.
- Paid pause rule documented, not improvised on Friday morning.
House list calendar set, paid fenced. Claim-check every asset before banners go wide.
Draft the four-day house list calendar before you raise paid budgets.
Claim check every asset
Green Friday, carbon neutral shipping, and vague banners need proof under EmpCo, or they come out.
Cyber Week creative is full of seasonal shortcuts. Under EmpCo, banners and subject lines need the same discipline as PDP copy.
The play
- Review email, ads, site banners, and SMS for Green Friday, carbon neutral shipping, offset, or vague planet claims.
- Keep only lines with proof on file, scoped to what you sell and ship this week.
- Align support macros with the live offer and claim set.
- Remove countdown timers and fake urgency lines that do not match inventory.
Example
A DTC brand replaces a carbon neutral shipping banner with plain delivery dates and a link to the packaging spec page. A hotel removes a vague eco stay line and sells a named breakfast inclusion instead.
What good looks like
- Creative matches substantiation folder or the line is gone.
- Support macros updated before Friday sends.
- No banned filler claims in subject lines.
Assets claim-checked and aligned. Plan the Tuesday after Cyber Monday before inboxes go cold.
Open the hero banner and delete any line you cannot substantiate today.
Key for
The Tuesday after Cyber Monday
One thank-you page link, a second-order plan, and the Giving Tuesday or Travel Tuesday decision for 1 December.
Cyber Monday is Monday 30 November 2026. Giving Tuesday and Travel Tuesday share Tuesday 1 December 2026. Pick one public moment for that day, not both in the same email. Christmas is Friday 25 December 2026, and January resets follow.
The play
- Monday send: include a thank-you page link and restate public price or bundle terms, no new panic code.
- Plan the second order: gift-recipient insert or self-reorder at public price before fulfillment rush.
- Choose Giving Tuesday or Travel Tuesday for 1 December, with recipient, mechanism, and report date if you give publicly.
- Hand off to Christmas marketing: name the owner for the December calendar and gift product at full price.
Example
A product brand sends a Monday order-track email with a thank-you page and a single-SKU reorder link at public price. On 1 December they run a fixed per-order donation with a cap and named recipient, not a second Cyber reminder. Travel posts one departure freeze recap and points to January booking dates.
What good looks like
- No stacked Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday asks in one email.
- Thank-you page live before Monday 30 November.
- Christmas marketing is the next playbook, so the handoff has a home.
Cyber Week closes with a thank-you, a second-order plan, and one clear 1 December choice. Open Christmas marketing when you are ready to plan December at full price.
Decide now whether Giving Tuesday or Travel Tuesday gets the 1 December send.
Your niche
One or two angles per vertical. Each line names the play it changes.
Dining
Travel
Hospitality
Product and DTC
Fashion
Startups
Wellness
Torn between skipping Cyber Week and matching every competitor percent?
On a growth audit call we pick one posture, one fence for proof-week buyers, and one offer shape you can repeat on support calls.
Want Cyber Week scoped to your niche?
Book a call with fisagency to pick one BFCM posture, one house-list calendar, and one offer you can defend under EmpCo.