Hey Deja,
It might still feel like summer camp out here with this heat, but you’re totally right—now’s the time to crank up the strategy for Black Friday and Cyber Monday! I’m all in on creating campaigns that are not only effective, but genuinely engaging. Here are my thoughts from the Iterable Plaza Hot Take:
1. What outdated BFCM tactics have you stopped using—and why?
We’ve moved on from generic, one-size-fits-all blast campaigns. Sending the same message and deal to everyone without any segmentation or behavioral data behind it? Outdated and ineffective. We're also stepping away from “Buy X, Get X” promos. Instead, we’re leaning into more tailored, interest-based campaigns that are engaging and aligned with our brand. It’s about creating meaningful interactions—not just driving high purchase volume.
2. What role does AI play in your BFCM strategy today—beyond just efficiency?
AI is helping us get smarter about who we talk to and how. We’re identifying customers who are already primed to purchase and targeting them with stronger offers. For those who need a bit more nurturing, we focus on education and value-building before prompting conversion. We also use AI to personalize frequency—sending more content to brand loyalists and fewer (but higher-impact) messages to less engaged users.
3. How are you avoiding ‘discount fatigue’ and standing out in the BFCM noise?
We’re giving our members control—letting them opt into BFCM-specific communications and reminding them they can opt out anytime. This permission-based approach reduces fatigue and builds trust. We're also spacing out sends, using Send Time Optimization (STO), and silencing non-essential triggers during quiet hours to avoid overwhelm.
4. What channels are most effective for real-time engagement during peak periods—and how do you decide where to show up?
Mobile continues to be our top performer for real-time engagement, so it’s a key focus. That said, we’re using Journey analytics to understand individual user behavior and engagement tendencies. That helps us meet people where they’re most likely to take action—whether that’s SMS, push, or email.
Can’t wait to see those Spirit Halloween stores crop up 
! We don’t have traditional BFCM campaigns that I’m aware of, but thought through question 4!
4. What channels are most effective for real-time engagement during peak periods—and how do you decide where to show up?
For us, it’s being active in developer-focused platforms like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and Discord. This tends to be where the real conversations happen for us and the key is really tracking where our developers are actively seeking solutions. If someone's posting database performance questions on Reddit, that's where we try to engage with helpful insights vs. trying to funnel them to email.We also time our outreach around hackathons, our .local events, and open-source contribution periods when developers are most receptive to exploring new tools! It really depends on your community calendar and what feels authentic to your brand.
