Black Friday 2025: Was It Worth It? 

Now that the dust has settled, one question keeps surfacing: Was Black Friday 2025 worth it? 

For many brands, the answer is less clear than ever. With ad costs rising and margins tightening, Black Friday feels more like a high-stakes gamble than a guaranteed win. And after this year’s campaign cycle, our clients are asking the same thing: Does Black Friday still make sense, or is it just a margin trap? 

The Data Says: Spend Up, Margins Down 

According to Optmyzr’s analysis of over 1,000 Google Ads accounts: 

• Ad spend rose 17% across eCommerce and lead-gen brands. 

• Ad impressions actually dropped year-on-year. 

• Clicks and click-through rates increased, showing higher intent – at a cost. 

From our own portfolio, we saw ad investment climb at least 15% compared to 2024, with nearly every advertiser experiencing a higher cost-per-click. 

So what does that tell us? Even if performance metrics look healthy, profitability is under pressure. 

Why Discounting Can Hurt More Than Help 

In a recent article in The Drum, Mark Ritson didn’t mince words: Black Friday still “screws brands today.” 

His argument is that deep discounts don’t just hit your margins, they can erode perceived value and train consumers to wait for sales. You’re not attracting loyal customers; you’re feeding deal hunters who might never return. 

We saw this ourselves. While sales volumes were often up, profitability was down, and a growing number of our clients, especially in eCommerce, are questioning whether Black Friday is still a strategic play. 

What the Winning Brands Got Right 

Not everyone lost. The brands that thrived in 2025 weren’t the ones shifting sales from other periods. They were the ones winning new customers through a thoughtful, disciplined approach. 

Here’s how they did it: 

• They focused on post-click experience. With traffic more expensive than ever, they doubled down on landing pages, checkout flows, offers and follow-up journeys before increasing spend. 

• They were selective with deals. Instead of slashing prices, they created room for margin. Discounts were used strategically to protect perceived value and brand health. 

• They understood their customer. Brands known for quality or storytelling avoided mass discounting altogether, aligning promotions with long-term positioning. 

• They timed offers strategically. Instead of a one-week blitz, they staggered deals, offered loyalty rewards and gave early access, prioritising retention over reach. 

• They used data and forecasted with precision. With rising ad costs and unpredictable reach, Black Friday became a calculated investment, not a default decision. 

In short, they didn’t just swap out creative. They treated Black Friday as its own campaign, designed with intent and built with care. 

Planning for Black Friday 2026? Ask This First. 

If you’re already thinking about next year, start here: 

Do you have the resource to plan and launch a full-scale, tactical Black Friday campaign, or are you just going to swap in seasonal assets? 

If you’re ready to go all in, start early. Learn from what worked this year. Invest in data, UX, forecasting, and customer strategy. 

But if all you’re doing is changing visuals and headlines, ask yourself if it’s worth the margin risk. Your creative team’s time and your agency’s resources might be better spent on higher-value, evergreen campaigns. 

Bottom line: Black Friday can still work. But only if it’s done deliberately, not reactively. 

Want to make next year’s Black Friday work harder for your brand? Let’s chat about how to plan smarter, protect your margins and build campaigns that go beyond the discount.