Acties.nl on how Black Friday is evolving in the Netherlands

Vince Franke, managing director at Franke Media (which operates one of the largest discount code platform in the Netherlands as Acties.nl,) shares how advertisers and publishers can take advantage of the opportunities the retail event offers, as well as advice on how to stand out this year.

What is the adoption of Black Friday in the Dutch market? What is the impact on your business?

When we look at the number of consumers searching for Black Friday deals, we see that this has doubled in the last couples of years and we are expecting the same curve to happen this year. Advertisers are more and more seeing the opportunities that Black Friday has to offer and that they can’t escape this crazy shopping phenomenon. We notice this by the high demand for promotional space on our platform Acties.nl and the number of potential partners reaching out to set up a partnership. To give you an example: in July – over four months prior to the event - we closed our first Black Friday deal with an advertiser.

Can you share your preparations for Black Friday 2018?

For us Black Friday and Cyber Monday are, without a doubt, the most important moment of the year. We all look forward to these event months in advance and inside the office – without exaggerating – we talk about it every single day. Months prior to the events we are in discussion with our partners and we look for opportunities to create maximum exposure around Black Friday and the Cyber Weekend. All of our efforts are towards making the best promotional deals for our advertisers so they can offer the best possible offers to the end consumer on Black Friday. 

What is your opinion on global retail events like Black Friday - is it a positive thing for the industry or do they make your work more difficult?

Events like Black Friday require planning and take up a fair amount of resources, both monetary and time spent preparing. Having said that, we think it is really cool to go all out during these kind of events and contribute to the happiness of hundred thousands of consumers and thousands of advertisers. As a team, we really look forward to these days, seeing that it is also exciting for our colleagues. When we compare Black Friday with other large retail events, like Singles' Day, Valentine’s Day or the days leading up to Christmas, we can clearly see the distinction and say that Black Friday is in a completely different league. Other retail events are not even close .

What can publishers contribute to the goals of advertisers during Black Friday?

Our reach gives advertisers the possibility to reach a large group of consumers. We are not just referring to numbers but also in terms of relevance. We are reaching the consumer you want to reach as an advertiser during these days; consumers that are looking for the best deals. To back this up with numbers, we are expecting over 600,000 consumers on our discount platform Acties.nl. It’s an amazing opportunity for every advertiser that has the best deals to offer, because in the end we are reaching over 600,000 consumers who are that moment looking for the best deal with their credit card in hand, looking to spend some money. Our aim is to make sure that all consumers looking for Black Friday deals will come across Acties.nl, we will do our absolute best to achieve this!

How do you think Black Friday and the wider Cyber Weekend are evolving? What do you think these events will look like in the future?

I am convinced Black Friday will grow considerably in the Netherlands. I do not expect it to rise to the level of where it is in the States, but we do recognize that each year more and more advertisers sign up, that the deals offered are significantly better and that the media attention around Black Friday and Cyber Monday is increasing. Awin’s proactive communication about Black Friday opportunities over the years contributes to the fact that advertisers and publishers realize that this event is the moment to partner up and achieve mindblowing results. Days like this are a great opportunity to demonstrate the strength of affiliate marketing. By working together with partners and leaving no stone unturned, you can achieve unbelievable results during Black Friday.

What advice can you give to companies participating in Black Friday this year?

The majority of our partners participate in Black Friday, but just being ‘present’ is not enough. We recommend to advertisers that want to participate in Black Friday, to really go all out on the deal that they are offering or at least make sure that the deals is unique. Adding a Black Friday graphic to a ‘regular’ weekly discount is not enough if you want to accomplish something. To stand out during this day and to really make the most out of it, you need to offer a truly unique proposition. Not only you as an advertiser will benefit, but also all parties involved will achieve a better result. The downside of the growing popularity of Black Friday is that the consumer has become more aware of the phenomena and is expecting the best deals and a large range of choices. Giving out a poorly deal could therefore easily backfire.