How Starting Early Paid Off: 2024 Black Friday-Cyber Monday Trends for Outdoor Brands

Why Starting Early Worked in 2024

This year, many outdoor brands embraced a new trend: kicking off their holiday promotions earlier in November. The result? An impressive boost in revenue and efficiency, especially when compared to the traditional Black Friday-Cyber Monday (BFCM) weekend.

Our clients’ success stories illustrate the power of starting early and taking a strategic approach to advertising spend. Here's what the numbers say.

Ad Revenue and ROAS Comparisons: Early November vs. BFCM 

By analyzing data from November 3rd through December 2nd (the 30-days prior to Cyber Monday), we saw significant incremental revenue generated during the earlier weeks leading up to BFCM:

  • Pre-BFCM (Nov 3 - Nov 28):

    • Meta + Google Ads Spend: $262,318.68

    • Total ROAS: 9.13 (Meta) and 16.76 (Google)

    • Drove over $3.2M in ad attributed revenue.

  • BFCM (Nov 29 - Dec 2):

    • Meta + Google Ads Spend: $65,494.02

    • Total ROAS: 11.67 (Meta) and 25.89 (Google)

    • Revenue during BFCM exceeded $1.17M in ad attributed revenue.

Starting early allowed brands to capture sales from eager shoppers while maintaining strong efficiency during the peak shopping weekend.

Year-Over-Year Performance: 2023 vs. 2024

When comparing ROAS year-over-year, we saw strong gains in efficiency and returns:

  • 30-days Window (Nov 3 - Dec 2):

    • 2023 Meta ROAS: 7.21, Google ROAS: 14.80.

    • 2024 Meta ROAS: 9.13, Google ROAS: 16.76.

  • BFCM (Nov 29 - Dec 2):

    • 2023 Meta ROAS: 7.55, Google ROAS: 11.55.

    • 2024 Meta ROAS: 11.67, Google ROAS: 25.89.

This improvement reflects the effectiveness of more strategic campaigns and the value of early sales momentum.

Success Across Industries

Several industries stood out for their performance, with impressive results across both early sales and BFCM:

  • Cycling across 13 brands:

    • Pre-BFCM: $766,924.00 in ad attributed revenue at a Google ROAS of 11.52 & Meta ROAS of 5.77.

    • BFCM: $240,044.79 in ad attributed revenue at a Google ROAS of 13.09 & Meta ROAS of 12.62.

  • Apparel across seven brands:
    • Pre-BFCM: $741,953.13 in ad attributed revenue at a Google ROAS of 10.66 & Meta ROAS of 6.86.
    • BFCM:  $268,103.87 in ad attributed revenue at a Google ROAS of 17.04 & Meta ROAS of 6.96.

  • Camping & Hard goods across four brands:

    • Pre-BFCM: $692,157.79 in ad attributed revenue at a Google ROAS of 25.48 & Meta ROAS of 23.79.

    • BFCM: $252,034.19 in ad attributed revenue at a Google ROAS of 54.79 & Meta ROAS of 44.47.

This demonstrates the value of sustained campaigns that build momentum and capitalize on peak buying times. With a longer sale period, customers have additional opportunities to shop for the best deals and products. By going early, there is an added benefit of getting in front of customers early and having them convert during BFCM, which we saw with higher ROAS numbers.

Outperforming Benchmarks

Using Triple Whale Trends benchmarking data, we found that our clients consistently exceeded industry average. We used the Sporting Good industry, with an AOV over $100, and annual revenue between $1-10M as our benchmark. 

  • Meta ROAS: Clients averaged 11.67 during BFCM, compared to the benchmark of 3.39.

  • Google ROAS: Clients achieved 25.89, far surpassing the benchmark of 5.66. 

These results highlight the effectiveness of our tailored strategies in driving efficiency and revenue.

Celebrating Client Success

At Akers Digital, we’re proud to work with some of the best brands in the outdoor industry. This year’s success is a testament to their dedication to providing exceptional products and their willingness to embrace innovative marketing strategies.

From cycling to hardgoods, our clients have shown how a proactive approach—combined with smart advertising—can yield exceptional results. Congratulations to everyone on a successful holiday season!

Planning for 2025

The holiday shopping season continues to evolve. Starting early, leveraging both Meta, Google Ads, & Programmatic Ads and aligning strategies with consumer behavior are essential for success. Let’s talk about how we can help you prepare for 2025.

 

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