eCommerce Evolution BFCM Breakdown: How Top Brands Won Black Friday with Strategy, Not Just Sales
Dec 29, 2025
Bill Cover, Google & YouTube Director at OMG Commerce, shares data-driven insights on CPM trends while Barry Bowman, Amazon Ads Specialist, discusses the benefits of off-Amazon advertising during the extended shopping event. Nick Flint, Retention Marketing Director, emphasizes the significant rise of SMS marketing over email. They explore the importance of year-round planning, effective promo timings, and overcoming common pitfalls. The trio reveals strategic playbooks for brands looking to elevate their performance next holiday season.
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Unexpected CPC/CPM Decline
- CPMs and CPCs dropped noticeably year-over-year during this BFCM weekend across YouTube and search channels.
- Bill Cover links the drop to advertisers ramping earlier and being more conservative during the weekend, reducing auction pressure.
Off-Amazon Marketing Creates Halo
- Amazon sales were strong year-over-year despite expanding the event window, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday still the peak days.
- Barry Bowman notes brands running marketing off-Amazon saw a significant halo effect on Amazon performance.
SMS Overtakes Email
- SMS surpassed email in revenue and engagement for the first time this year across OMG clients.
- Nick Flint highlights many brands still underuse SMS despite its higher visibility and response late in the day.