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Companies need to prepare for a heated Black Friday in 2024

David Romeiro dos Santos
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Companies need to prepare for a heated Black Friday in 2024

Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping events of the year, providing consumers with the opportunity to purchase products and services at promotional prices. In Brazil, the date has been gaining increasing relevance, moving billions of reais and attracting millions of consumers. Although last year the Brazilian commerce experienced a downturn – in 2023, Brazil had its second worst Black Friday in history – the expectation is for better performance this year.

According to a recent survey conducted by Google, at least 62% of Brazilians intend to make some purchase – whether of products or services. At least 76% of consumers intend to buy electronics; another 59% are interested in fashion, while 44% will look for offers related to beauty and personal care. Household items are on the list for 41% of people who intend to take advantage of Black Friday this year.

And, just like in your home country, the Brazilian Black Friday occurs much more in online retail than in physical stores – even though last year’s performance was not as expected, online commerce recorded a 15% increase in online sales revenue compared to 2022, with an average ticket of R$ 676 per customer, according to data from the Brazilian Electronic Commerce Association (Abcomm). Physical retail trade recorded an increase of only 4%, according to Fecomercio.

Given this scenario, it is important that retailers prepare to serve customers online – with agility and quality, ensuring that the experience on the date does not subtract points from the company's reputation with the consumer.

CX could be the surprise factor of Black Friday in 2024

During high-volume shopping events like Black Friday, the customer experience (CX) becomes even more crucial. Several studies indicate that a good customer experience can increase loyalty, brand value, and consequently, sales. WhatsApp and email remain the consumers' preferred channels for receiving offers – as well as Instagram, which is widely used by small and medium-sized retail businesses.

Another channel that experienced enormous growth in Brazil is RCS, or the SMS of the future, which grew by 358% worldwide. With technology ensuring the security of SMS at its source, text messages can also be used to deliver personalized offers.

Online, the most important thing is to ensure that the consumer has a seamless and omnichannel experience, regardless of where they are in the journey or which channel they originated from. This means having customer service channels that operate with the same agility – there's no point in having a telesales service if the waiting line causes the customer to give up on the purchase, or a WhatsApp that doesn't provide answers at the moment of contact. Therefore, it is essential to reinforce and train the team during the promotion period – not just for one day – but extending for two weeks or the entire month of November – to ensure that the customer experience is not the reason for cart abandonment.

In addition to the team, of course, offering self-service options with chatbots and intelligent IVRs, which alleviate human support and provide quick resolutions for the most common customer inquiries. Some Brazilian companies, including, offered automated and human assistance 24/7 during the period – after all, there are many offers and promotions broadcast during the early morning hours.

Personalization is also a strategy that can bring more conversions – with offers and recommendations created based on the consumer's browsing behavior and purchase history. Artificial intelligence tools can provide a more relevant and satisfying shopping experience for the consumer, as well as trigger offers for communication channels with the customer at relevant moments in their shopping journey.

Infrastructure needs to be ready

Of course, having ready service for the demand is a key factor as long as the infrastructure and logistical processes are not a bottleneck – otherwise, you will be offering your customer an excellent complaint channel. Therefore, ensuring that the technological infrastructure meets the demand is an essential item to guarantee a successful shopping journey.

Still within this theme, it is necessary to strengthen the logistics infrastructure to ensure the demand of the period can be met—without delays in the promised deadlines, and with guaranteed delivery even in more remote locations. Coverage in delivery and a well-distributed network should ensure that there are no operational bottlenecks.

Finally, price transparency is essential. According to Google, research on desired items for Black Friday by consumers began in July – in other words, more than ever, customers are monitoring prices and discounts to determine if the store truly offers a good deal. Additionally, several websites also monitor prices, reporting pricing practices that did not reflect actual discounts.

It is important to remember that Black Friday is not just a sales opportunity, but also a chance to strengthen customer relationships. After all, a positive shopping experience is the true surprise factor that can turn occasional customers into repeat buyers.

Learn how to maintain your website infrastructure during Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas

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Learn how to maintain your website infrastructure during Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas

The surge in demand during Black Friday is a valuable opportunity for businesses, but it can also pose significant challenges for data center infrastructure, cloud workloads and cybersecurity.

According to the LWSA's Black Friday 2024 Shopping Intention Survey, consumers are preparing in advance for the date and consider retailers' digital channels as the main source of offer research.

According to the survey, 57% of respondents cite the companies' websites and social media as the main way to obtain information about discounts. Other methods used include social media profiles focused on promotions (24%), promotional emails (37%), price comparison websites (25%), WhatsApp groups focused on discounts (20%), digital influencers (18%), and store WhatsApp newsletters (17%).

Therefore, early preparation is essential to ensure a positive experience for customers during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas, to protect the company's reputation, and most importantly, to avoid loss of business and sales. Additionally, having reliable partners and suppliers in the technology sector can be an important advantage.

Preparing the website infrastructure for high-demand events, such as Black Friday and Christmas, is essential not only to ensure a positive experience for customers but also to protect the company's reputation. Measures such as verifying the SSL certificate, keeping hosting up to date, and ensuring the website is responsive can make all the difference in gaining and maintaining consumer trust; says Lívia Lampert, executive manager at KingHost, a LWSA company.

To prevent issues with the infrastructure, the executive highlights some points of attention during periods of increased demand. Here are some specific measures that companies can adopt

  1. Check your website's SSL Certificate

One of the biggest objections people have to not making online purchases on Black Friday is data security, especially banking data.

Therefore, it is essential that you provide all possible security measures on your website. One of the main points you need to pay attention to is the site's SSL security certificate.

  1. Check your domain renewal

There's nothing more frustrating than preparing your entire company for Black Friday and not being able to participate because your website domain wasn't renewed, right?

To avoid this, check if your domain registration's expiration date does not coincide with the Black Friday period. You can verify this information through Whois, which will display all the domain data.

  1. Keep your website hosting up to date

Just like the domain registration, your website's hosting plan also needs attention during this period. Check if your plan payments are up to date to prevent your website from going offline during Black Friday week.

  1. Check the website for pages with errors

It is disappointing for a visitor to your website to click on a product page they liked and find out that it is offline.

To avoid this type of situation, a few days before Black Friday, perform a search on your website pages to find pages with errors. If necessary, redirect pages that no longer exist or make adjustments to put them back online.

Additionally, if you have Google Search Console installed on your site, it's worth checking out the error reporting page to more easily find problem pages..

  1. Have a responsive website

It is no secret to anyone that mobile devices are already one of the main drivers of online shopping in Brazil. Therefore, it is essential that your website is responsive, meaning that when accessed on smartphones, it adapts and allows navigation to occur smoothly.

  1. Prepare your website for increased traffic

It is very important that your website's infrastructure is prepared for the increase in traffic during Black Friday. If your hosting plan limits the number of simultaneous accesses, it's worth increasing the resources during this period.

But, if it is hosted on a Cloud structure, it may be interesting to scale the server resources.

By implementing these measures, businesses will be better prepared to handle increased demand during events like Black Friday, ensuring a positive customer experience and protecting the integrity of systems and data.

Black Friday is 15 times bigger than Consumer Week in search volume, study finds

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Black Friday is 15 times bigger than Consumer Week in search volume, study finds

Black Friday, known for offering great discounts and attracting millions of consumers in search of unbeatable deals, continues to dominate internet searches compared to Consumer Week. Although Consumer Week is gaining popularity, a recent study by Conversion Agency reveals that Black Friday is still the most searched date in search tools.

Consumer Week was created to celebrate consumers' rights and promote a fair relationship between companies and consumers. Inspired by Consumer Day, which originated in the United States on March 15, 1962, the date has become a whole week of promotions and discounts around the world. The best promotions for 2024 are in the electronics, decoration, and appliances sectors, featuring highly sought-after products such as smart TVs, attracting consumers both in physical stores and online.

However, despite the growth of Consumer Week, research data shows a significant difference compared to Black Friday, one of the most important dates in global commerce. According to the Conversion Agency study, in Brazil, the last Consumer Week in March 2024 generated a total of 241,607 internet searches. The last Black Friday recorded, in November 2023, an impressive 3,592,109 searches.

Black Friday, held on the last Friday of November, has its roots in the United States and has become a crucial date for global commerce. In Brazil, it started in 2010 and quickly gained popularity. Consumers eagerly await this date, as it offers the opportunity to purchase desired products, ranging from appliances like microwaves to technological items like a laptop. With significant discounts, the date usually prompts early holiday shopping.

Advantages of Black Friday

The expressiveness of Black Friday in searches reflects its importance in the commercial calendar. This date is marked by flash sales and limited stock, which leads consumers to conduct prior research to secure the best deals and avoid scams. Furthermore, the term "Black Friday" has become synonymous with great shopping opportunities, attracting both consumers and retailers.

Advantages include:

  • Significant discounts:Many stores offer significant discounts, often between 20% and 50%.
  • Anticipating end-of-year shopping:The ideal time to buy Christmas gifts, or even a Christmas tree, at lower prices.
  • Variety of products:From electronics to clothing, furniture and home items.

The popularity of this date can also be attributed to the wide variety of discounted products. Promotions fall into categories such as fashion, technology, and appliances, making the date stand out as the ideal time for Christmas shopping and other desired items.

Despite the growing success of Consumer Week, it is evident that Black Friday still holds significant power in search tools and in the consumer's mind. The difference in search volume not only indicates a preference for the promotional Friday but also reflects its popularity, established for over two decades in the country.

In summary, while Consumer Week is becoming an important date for promotions and discounts, Black Friday maintains its prominent position, being widely sought after and anticipated by consumers. The expectation is that both dates will continue to grow and complement each other in the commercial calendar, offering consumers various opportunities to take advantage of great deals and discounts.

As Black Friday approaches, retailers and consumers are preparing for yet another shopping event that promises to be huge, reinforcing the idea that, in the Brazilian commercial scenario, it is still the most sought-after date in searches and sales.

ANPD accuses TikTok of irregular processing of minors' data

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ANPD accuses TikTok of irregular processing of minors' data

The National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) has determined that TikTok make changes to better protect the data of children and adolescents. The decision results from an inspection process initiated in 2021, which enters a new phase with the measures announced this Monday.

The ANPD requests the end of the "feed without registration," allowing platform use only with age verification, and the strengthening of verification mechanisms and account deletion. TikTok has 10 business days to disable the feed without registration and 20 business days to implement the other measures. If the determinations are not followed, TikTok may face fines and new actions from the ANPD.

“Under the LGPD, the processing of personal data of children and adolescents must have the consent of a legal representative for minors under 18 years of age. Furthermore, Brazilian law does not override the Statute of Children and Adolescents, the same occurs in other countries that have their own legislation regarding the rights of children and adolescents,” explains Aline Deparis, CEO of Privacy Tools.

For Aline, protecting the privacy of children and adolescents is essential and as important as ensuring their physical safety. Born in a digital environment, one of the first challenges for parents and guardians is to provide education for the safe use of the internet. "A foundation of trust is necessary for our youth to safely enjoy the digital environment. This healthy development is essential so that both young people and their parents and guardians can have peace of mind when accessing the internet," he concludes.

5 impacts of digital advertising in Latin America

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5 impacts of digital advertising in Latin America

According to a Cenp study, R$ 57.5 billion was invested in media in 2023, a 10% increase compared to the previous year. Mainly due to digital advertising, the data shows that the sector is being increasingly scrutinized by Brazilian companies. And, throughout Latin America, the trend has been the same.

Bruno Almeida, CEO ofUS Mediamedia solutions hub emphasizes that this acceleration began to occur after the Covid-19 pandemic. "When digital became the main communication and marketing channel, many local companies quickly began to adapt to sustain continuous growth and innovate in their strategies," he says.

Looking at this scenario, the executive listed the 5 biggest impacts of digital advertising in Latin America. Check it out

  • Cultural adaptation and flexibility

The cultural diversity of Latin America requires digital advertising campaigns to be culturally relevant and tailored to local preferences. For this reason, the adaptation of messages, images, and even platforms to reflect the nuances of each country began to intensify, including collaboration with partners and regional teams.

"Every successful advertising strategy depends on understanding the cultural values of each country," emphasizes Almeida. "Many Latin American brands realized that they could only achieve this goal if they were flexible, allowing quick adjustments in response to changes in consumer habits and the environment they are in," he/she/they concludes.

  • Significant returns in various sectors

Several different sectors have been significantly benefiting from digital advertising in the Latin American territory. The CEO cites some examples: "E-commerce experienced explosive growth, driven by the ability of digital ads to connect consumers to products and services quickly and personally. The entertainment market, such as music, movies, and series, is also thriving due to the boom in digital video formats and CTV. We can also talk about tourism and retail, which optimize the return of their campaigns through targeted audience segmentation," he states.

  • SME growth

Another characteristic of digital advertising is the democratization of market access, allowing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to compete on equal footing with large corporations. This has been positively impacting Latin American economic growth, improving entire GDPs.

"As SMEs adopt digital strategies, they are able to optimize their resources and reach consumers who, in theory, would be out of their reach," the executive points out.

  • Digital multimedia

Digital multimedia, that is, all channels are in one way or another digital, combining digital advertising with traditional media. This integration helps brands achieve a stronger and more consistent presence.

Almeida exemplifies: “A digital campaign can be complemented by digital TV or radio ads, or even by strategically positioned digital billboards/OOH, amplifying the impact and engagement of the target audience.”

  • Development of new technologies

According to the 2024 State of Marketing Report, over 60% of marketing professionals plan to increase their investments in artificial intelligence. The number highlights that the enhancement of new technologies must continue happening in the advertising market, including in Latin America.

“New formats are emerging all the time, from global apps like Uber and Netflix to regional platforms, so innovation is only set to grow,” concludes Almeida.

Digitalization of most large and medium-sized Brazilian companies is incomplete”, says platform founder

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Digitalization of most large and medium-sized Brazilian companies is incomplete”, says platform founder

Economist Fernando Cymrot – Forbes Under 30 in 2017 in the Business category – and business administrator Vinicius Dias started their entrepreneurial journey in their early twenties, and now, twelve years later, they are revolutionizing traditional e-commerce in Brazil and are now aiming for international markets. By revolution, it is understood the approach that the company founded by the two in 2012 adopts to boost the digital sales of large and medium-sized companies to an exponential growth level. A CWS Platform, which enables companies with complex sales processes toscan100% of your sales, has provided its clients with improvements in key indicators, such asincrease of up to 30% in sales capacityand up to4 percentage points in operating margin. For this year, the estimate is to exceedR$1 billion in volumes transacted in digital sales by its customers.

The company is in full expansion:for 2024, it predicts 300% growth in GMV(Gross Merchandise Volume), and began its internationalization in Europe, with initial steps in Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland. With 100% proprietary technology, the CWS Platform has built a robust portfolio, serving over 50 Enterprise clients across diverse sectors such as agribusiness, automotive, and building materials, including names such asLeo MadeirasandWürth. The company's know-how in digitizing complex sales processes and its proprietary technology were key to its rapid rise in the market.

Thinking about digital sales only as e-commerce is an old mindset

Unlike the traditional market concept, where the e-commerce platform is seen as a new customer service channel, the CWS Platform promotes a deeper understanding of the topic. According to the company's approach, the digital platform is an essential pillar in the digitalization of companies' relationships with their customers, with the sales and customer service team being the main pillar in this process. The digitization of commercial processes promotes closer customer relationships, integrating sales, marketing, logistics, and finance departments.

According to Vinícius Dias, founder and CEO of the company, this combination allows for the optimization of steps that would traditionally require a lot of time and effort from companies. It makes the sales process less operational and more strategic. "The digitization of a large part of Brazilian companies is incomplete, and they lose competitiveness every day because of it. Thinking of digital sales only as e-commerce is an outdated mindset that can cost an organization its life. It is not enough to gather Artificial Intelligence, data analysis automation, and other innovative technological solutions. At CWS Platform, these solutions are integrated into a single software, enabling teams to know what is happening with sales and to make the best business decisions quickly," explains Dias.

The executive believes so strongly in the concept of sales unification that he dismisses common market terms such as omnichannel or multichannel. In your analysis, everything is part of the digital way of transacting, which makes sales teams less "order takers" and more consultative, prepared for the new demands of complex sales journeys.

Being fully integrated into a single solution with highly interactive tools, the CWS Platform software is capable of generating two-way data: seller-client and client-seller, with real-time commercial action suggestions, such as flexibility in the offered commercial conditions and remote support during the sale. It also works with experimentation in Generative AI across different areas, such as improving product registration, predictive sales suggestions, and others.

12-year trajectory began with experience in the automotive sector

After a career started by Vinicius Dias and Fernando Cymrot in the financial market, with stints at renowned companies such as Goldman Sachs and JK Capital, respectively, the entrepreneurial journey began with the launch of Canal da Peça, the first marketplace specialized in the automotive sector. By identifying the potential of digitalization to optimize the auto parts distribution chain, they developed a platform that facilitated the buying and selling of products, creating a more efficient and connected environment.

In 2016, major brands in the automotive sector, such asSKFandCofapthey sought the CWS Platform to develop customized portals that brought their brands closer to their distributors and customers. This demand was the basis for the company's evolution, which began to offer solutionswhite-label(SaaS format), connecting distributors' and retailers' inventories directly with their customers. This strategy not only improved the user experience but also strengthened the relationship between the brands and their partners.

“When we initially conceived of the CWS Platform, we didn’t want to serve just one market. It was designed to work in a wide range of industries and ensure scalability to digitize 100% of companies’ sales, meeting international security criteria and with lower implementation costs. We were also born digital, which makes all the difference when it comes to operating our software, with solutions that were already prepared for this environment, without the need for additional features and adaptations. The idea with technology is to empower the sales team,” adds Fernando Cymrot, founder and CFO.

The CWS Platform business model has also attractedattention of investors, resulting in three rounds of investment totaling R$60 million, the last in 2020. This capital was crucial for the expansion of operations and for the enhancement of the platform's technology.

Research reveals the main reasons that lead entrepreneurs to hire partners

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Research reveals the main reasons that lead entrepreneurs to hire partners

The dream of entrepreneurship and having one's own business is the goal of many Brazilians. However, the reality of entrepreneurship can be challenging, especially for those who are just starting out. According to a report from the Federal Government, 2,153,840 companies closed in Brazil in 2023. In this scenario, many managers seek the help of a rental partner to overcome difficulties and boost their businesses. A study conducted by Runb, a company specialized in rental partners, revealed the main reasons that lead executives to choose this partnership model.

According to the study, sales growth is the main pain point for entrepreneurs in general, cited by 38.28% of respondents as one of the main problems. Next, 19.14% highlighted marketing as a complication, while 10.53% pointed out that financial organization is a challenge in the business.

When analyzing the specific scenario of companies that generate more than R$ 100,000 per year, sales growth remains the main reason for 63.64% of participants to seek a rental partner, followed by marketing, cited by 36.36% of respondents. Financial organization, as well as the definition of metrics and indicators, was highlighted by 27.27%.

Among businesses that are just starting out, 57.69% of participants selected sales growth as one of the most important challenges, followed by marketing, according to 23.08% of those interviewed, and financial organization, mentioned by 19.23% of entrepreneurs.

“These data reveal that entrepreneurs recognize the importance of a rental partner to overcome the obstacles of everyday corporate life. Sales growth is a constant concern for entrepreneurs, and having a strategic partner can be the key to overcoming challenges and achieving success,” he highlights.Lana Wigand, marketing and communications specialist, CMO and founding partner of Runb.

The research also indicated that issues such as process organization or product development are less prominent among entrepreneurs' difficulties, raising questions about the market's perception of business growth without considering whether what is being sold is truly relevant. "The lack of votes in some options is also an important indicator of the focus that some managers need to have to ensure competitiveness in the market."Wigand commented.

Research reveals that 70% of consumers stopped buying from a place again due to a negative shopping experience

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Research reveals that 70% of consumers stopped buying from a place again due to a negative shopping experience

THEBanking, a complete digital bank in financial services and payment methods, elected the best business account by the iDinheiro portal and one of the main digital banks in Brazil, launched PagFriday, with offers available throughout November. Known for being one of the most anticipated shopping dates, Black Friday 2024 will be on November 29th, but at PagBank, the advantages last all month.

Among the main offers are: an exclusive 88% discount on the purchase of the "Pro Card Machine" and 3% cashback on the multi-purpose card bill and various products and services offered by PagBank. Black Friday is a very important period to boost business growth, and for PagBank customers, we made a point of providing even more advantages, offering solutions that will truly make a difference. These initiatives reinforce ourtaglinePagBank, your money earns more," comments Raphael Farias, Director of Marketing, Communication, and CRM at PagBank. Check below the main actions of theBlack Friday PagBank 2024:

Unmissable discount on the Pro Machine- For merchants and self-employed individuals, PagBank is offering the "Maquininha Pro" with an unbeatable discount. From 12 installments of R$ 69.90, the card reader can now be purchased for just 12 installments of R$ 8.33, an 88% discount, making it the best offer on the market for merchants seeking an efficient payment acceptance solution.

3% cashback on your PagBank Multiple Card bill- During Black Friday, PagBank customers who request the Multiple Card for credit use will receive 3% cashback on the first invoice, an exclusive advantage for those looking to save and maximize benefits on all their purchases during the most advantageous period of the year. It is worth remembering that the Multiple Card combines the functions of credit and debit in a single product and can be requested by new PagBank customers and current ones who do not yet have the card with the credit function.

FGTS Withdrawal Advance with Cashback of up to R$40- During the month of November, PagBank customers who make early withdrawals of FGTS amounts exceeding R$ 400 will receive cashback proportional to the amount withdrawn. For advances between R$ 400.00 and R$ 500.99, the customer receives R$ 20 cashback; between R$ 501 and R$ 899.99, the cashback will be R$ 30; and for amounts above R$ 900, the customer receives R$ 40 cashback. The amount will be credited to the PagBank Rendeira Account within 20 days of the contract date (provided the contract has not been canceled) and can be used for bill payments, mobile top-ups, among other things..

INSS Loan with 5% CashbackRetirees and INSS pensioners can take advantage of a special offer during the month of November. When taking out a payroll loan through PagBank, they will receive 5% cashback on the net amount credited directly to your Rendeira Account. The hiring can be done quickly and easily through the PagBank app or via Tele-sales.

Cashback for transferring Variable Income assets- Clients who request the transfer of custody of their Variable Income assets (totaling at least R$ 1,000.00) to PagBank during the entire month of November will receive a 1% cashback limited to R$ 400.00. With the asset transfer, the client will still enjoy benefits such as: better management of their investments by having everything centralized in one place, services on the same app, a complete portfolio of products, research content on the financial market, and free advisory services.

Life and Home Insurance with cashback of up to R$40- For clients who purchase Life or Residential insurance from November 18 to December 18, they will receive cashback according to the plan contracted. When purchasing the Life Insurance, the customer will receive R$ 15 cashback for choosing the Bronze Plan, R$ 20 cashback for the Silver plan, and R$ 40 cashback for those who select the Gold plan. For Home Insurance, the cashback will be R$ 10 for the Bronze plan, R$ 15 for the Silver plan, and R$ 30 for the Gold plan.

In addition to all these benefits, PagBank emphasizes to the customer the importance of doubling security when making purchases during Black Friday. "An important tip is to use the"PagBank app's 'Secure Wi-Fi' featureWith it, our clients can determine which Wi-Fi networks are secure for their transactions and, when leaving home, set daily spending limits. In this way, by using public or unknown networks, your accounts will be protected, minimizing risks in untrusted environments., concludes the executive. To find out how to activate, clickhere.

One of the largest digital banks in the country in terms of number of customers, PagBank offers tools for in-person and online sales, a complete digital account for individuals and legal entities, automatic investment and CDBs certified with a brAAA rating by S&P and an AAA rating.brfor theMoody's, with returns of up to 130% of the CDI – with the ability to redeem at any time and investments tailored to objectives, as well as features that contribute to financial management, such as Payroll. At PagBank, the credit card has a guaranteed limit, and investments become a limit for the card itself, enhancing customers' earnings.

Fortinet Survey Finds Nearly 70% of Companies Say Their Employees Lack Fundamental Security Awareness

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Fortinet Survey Finds Nearly 70% of Companies Say Their Employees Lack Fundamental Security Awareness

A Fortinet, a global cybersecurity company driving the convergence of networking and security, today launched its2024 Global Cybersecurity Awareness and Training Survey, highlighting the crucial role a cyber-aware workforce plays in managing and mitigating organizational risks.

Key findings from the global survey include:

  • As malicious agents use AI to increase the volume and speed of their attacks, leaders believe these threats will be more difficult for their employees to detect.

More than 60% of respondents expect more employees to be victims of attacks where cybercriminals use AI. However, the good news is that most respondents (80%) also state that the company's overall awareness of AI-enhanced attacks has made their organizations more open to implementing security awareness and training.

  • Employees may be an organization's first line of defense, but leaders are increasingly concerned about their employees' lack of security awareness. 

Nearly 70% of respondents believe their employees lack critical cybersecurity knowledge, up from 56% in 2023.

  • Leaders recognize the importance of security awareness training, but believe that specific attributes make some training programs more effective than others. 

More than half of the leaders say they plan their awareness campaigns on safety, delivering content monthly (34%) or quarterly (47%). Executives also point out that high-quality content plays an important role in the success or failure of the program.

“As threat actors leverage new technologies like AI to increase the sophistication of their attacks, it is increasingly crucial that employees act as a robust first line of defense. Fortinet’s new research underscores the importance of creating a culture of cybersecurity and the need to establish security awareness and training across the organization. These findings reinforce the importance of our award-winning security awareness and training service for businesses, including the free educational version available to K-12 schools worldwide, and its role in strengthening cyber resilience.”John Maddison, Chief Marketing Officer da Fortinet.

The latest threats employees must combat:

One of the main ways cybercriminals use AI is to make phishing schemes more reliable and harder to detect. Since phishing targets individual users directly, organizations are heavily focused on teaching employees to recognize and avoid falling victim to these attacks.

  • End users remain attractive targets.More than80% of organizationsfaced attacks last year, including malware, phishing and password attacks that directly targeted individuals.
  • As attacks evolve, security awareness and training will become increasingly vital.Nearly all (96%) respondents say their leadership team supports employee security awareness training.
  • Nearly all respondents (98%) say phishing prevention is a component of their programs and training plans.Other training priorities include data security (48%) and privacy (41%).

Employees can act as a strong first line of defense against attacks

While security and IT teams are crucial to protecting organizations from cyber threats, a company's employees also play an important role in preventing breaches.

  • Employees are open to cybersecurity awareness and training opportunities.Most leaders (86%) say their employees view security awareness and training positively.
  • Organizations see positive results when they implement security training and awareness programs.The overwhelming majority of leaders (89%) state that their organization has seen at least some improvement in its security posture after the implementation of security awareness and training. No interviewee claimed not to have seen any improvement.

Cyber awareness training is vital, but not all programs are created equal:

Most organizations are motivated to introduce security training and awareness based on their experience with breaches or knowledge of threats in their sector and/or industry. Almost all decision-makers (96%) say that their leadership team supports the implementation of training to increase employee awareness of cybersecurity.

According to this year's survey, 97% of leaders believe that increasing employee awareness would strengthen the company's cybersecurity stance. However, the interviewees also agree that there are key attributes of training programs that are important for effectiveness.

  • Attractive content is essential.While 86% of decision makers say they are satisfied with their current security awareness and training solution, the biggest complaint among those who are not satisfied was the lack of engaging content.
  • Consider the time commitment required.Avoid training fatigue by considering the amount of time required from students. Requiring too much time from employees can overwhelm them. Between 1.1 and 2 hours is the most commonly proposed time, with an average of three hours.

Develop a cyber-aware workforce with Fortinet's security awareness and training service:

A single breach incident has significant repercussions for a business. It is vital to builda three-pronged defense strategythat includes security awareness and training for all employees, cybersecurity technical skills for the IT team, and advanced security solutions for the network.  

In addition to teaching people what to do when they encounter threats, awareness and training lay the foundation for creating a cybersecurity culture throughout the organization. Fortinet offers thesecurity awareness and training servicefor companies seeking to develop a workforce with cybersecurity knowledge. Designed by world-class instructors from the Fortinet Training Institute, this service covers a wide range of topics, offers content customization opportunities, and reinforces learning with reminders and periodic checks. Organizations using the service also have access to a variety of dashboards to track student progress and generate reports to meet cybersecurity insurance and compliance needs.

Artificial Intelligence Black Friday – and how to use it to your advantage

Florian Bessonnat
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Artificial Intelligence Black Friday – and how to use it to your advantage

Retailers already know: the five most anticipated days of the year are coming, and to make Black Friday the 13th month of 2024, it won't be enough to just prepare your websites in advance against slowdowns, lack of a good history of landing pages, and last-minute trend research. We are facing a Black Friday that promises to be a watershed moment in terms of the effective application of artificial intelligence by companies. In a recent event, Google Brazil directors stated that the use of AI to optimize processes is very likely to boost this year's edition, indeed.

Let's consider some possibilities for utilizing technology and how they can benefit sellers and their businesses, thinking about the entire customer journey within e-commerce. There are several steps that the consumer goes through until reaching checkout, and how companies optimize each of them makes a difference in the short and long term, considering that the brands' main interest is customer loyalty. AI is a tool that can facilitate this end-to-end journey, as we will see below.  

Real-time demand forecasting

The use of the tool can prevent one of the problems that most afflict retailers during periods of high demand: stock shortages. With AI, demand forecasting happens in real time, ensuring product replenishment.

According to a study by McKinsey consulting, AI-based demand forecasting can reduce inventory costs by 10% to 40%. Brands like Walmart already report saving billions of dollars by optimizing their supply chains with technology. Furthermore, AI can predict logistical disruptions, ensuring on-time deliveries.

Greater personalization in offers

Trend research is also a crucial aspect of Black Friday, which requires SEO to pay close attention to consumer habits in order to anticipate demand.It is from this that the company is able to prepare its stock strategically for the period. This movement is not new to retailers who keep an eye on what's trending every year.

However, when we talk about generative AI, it allows analyzing large amounts of customer data, such as purchase history, searches, and demographic information, creating highly personalized offers based on browsing habits, and suggesting much more accurate results. The consequence is a higher conversion and sales rate for the brands.

Rapid landing page generation and instant pricing

To increase conversion and lead generation, creating landing pages is also a fundamental element. And good returns are proportional to the volume of pages created. With AI, it is possible to automatically optimize this creation process, generating a huge amount of pages in a short time. And to optimize competitiveness, AI also enables prices to adjust instantly.

Efficient customer support and fraud protection

In addition to potential logistical bottlenecks and other issues I mentioned above, one of the biggest challenges of Black Friday is definitely managing orders and providing efficient customer support. There are common reports from overwhelmed and stressed teams that result in problems in the consumer's purchasing journey, which ends up frustrated and often abandoning the product.

The good news is that AI chatbots handle mass requests much more quickly, ensuring a higher level of customer satisfaction and loyalty. And you, retailer, should remember that excellent service and an efficient problem-solving channel will yield results beyond November.

Another constant headache for both buyers and sellers are the increasing attempts of fraud in the country. On Black Friday 2023, they totaled R$ 10 million, according to Clearsale data. And although AI has been an instrument for scams, it can also offer protection against them. Generative AI algorithms are capable of preserving retailers' revenue by identifying risk situations and pattern deviations in transactions that suggest counterfeit profiles or products, thus preventing fraud occurrences.

Automated checkout and reduced waiting time

Finally, we arrive at the checkout. Many customers abandon their carts due to the slow queues at the payment stage. Data from a survey conducted by Salescycle in 2021 revealed that over 80% of users abandon their online shopping carts. Investing in automated checkout systems can solve this problem, speeding up the purchasing process and reducing wait times.

In short, betting on AI improves real-time decisions for sellers, simplifies product searches, personalizes experiences, and speeds up checkout for buyers. And remember to learn lessons this year, because AI is an irreversible path. We can expect an even more accelerated application of technology on Black Friday 2025, which will elevate competitiveness among retailers to another level.  

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