How to take advantage of Black Friday to win loyal customers for the whole year --- This translation maintains the original tone, context, and intent of the text. It accurately conveys the idea of leveraging Black Friday to build long-term customer loyalty.

Black Friday 2024 is approaching with enormous business potential, confirmed by estimates from the confidential data intelligence ecosystem Geotrust, which predicts a turnover of around R$19.3 billion this year.

Traditionally associated with aggressive discounts and high turnover of products, the date has become a strategic opportunity for brands in various sectors, which seek not only to boost sales but also to retain customers. Data from Bain & Company reveals that loyal customers account for 67% of a brand's revenue, reinforcing the importance of cultivating this relationship. Thus, while consumers await the discounts, companies prepare to offer positive and memorable shopping experiences as well, from ease of navigation on websites to quick customer service.

A strategy that has been growing considerably in Brazil to foster a long-term relationship between brands and consumers is the loyalty programs, which offer various opportunities to strengthen this bond, such as access to exclusive promotions, as well as attractive cashbacks to encourage purchases even after the promotional period.

Experts give tips to stimulate customer purchases on Black Friday this year

"The consumer, generally, uses Black Friday to discover new brands. However, it is important for retailers to also pay attention to the fact that 51% of people only shop at stores where they have shopped before. In this sense, the date is important not only for acquiring new customers, but also for retaining them and recovering inactive customers," explains Pedro Ivo, a professor at Fundação Dom Cabral and a partner and director of Dito CRM.

Deborah Daloia, a loyalty and partnerships specialist, recommends that companies take advantage of these opportunities to reactivate customers and strengthen loyalty. "Well-segmented campaigns during these occasions can generate a positive impact and demonstrate to consumers the value of being part of a loyalty program," she highlights. 

For Marco Leite, Partnerships Manager at Azul Linhas Aéreas, the date provides an opportunity to run promotions to value active customers, reinforcing the commitment to appreciation and loyalty. “Take the opportunity to offer greater discounts to those who are already making their second, third, fourth purchase, for example. It is important to offer promotions to new customers, but don't forget to value those who are already part of your ecosystem.” 

Businesses seek customer loyalty solutions to increase revenue

In the quest to find the path to efficient customer loyalty, companies like Alloyal provide the market with a technological solution capable of generating more sales for businesses, through user engagement and retention.

"Black Friday proves to be not just an opportunity to sell, but also to build a stronger customer base," says Aluísio Cirino, CEO of Alloyal. "With good engagement strategies, brands can turn that first purchase into the beginning of customer loyalty."

With the Alloyal platform, it is possible to utilize features such as points programs, cashback, raffles, discount clubs, and customer segmentation to increase engagement. The operation is simple: the company joins the app, which allows the creation of a fully customized loyalty club with the brand's identity. Instantly, customers have access to over 25,000 affiliated establishments with exclusive discounts, including Booking, iPlace, Kabum, Boticário, Nike, and C&A. With each new transaction, customers accumulate benefits for future purchases, encouraging their loyalty.

In this way, the CEO of Alloyal comments that Black Friday is not just an opportunity for immediate sales, but also a chance to plan customer relationships for future editions. "It is important to think now about selling to these customers in next year's Black Friday."

Furthermore, with technology, it is now possible to understand the behaviors of your audience and, thus, offer attractive discounts and a differentiated shopping experience. "A loyalty program, in this context, is a strategic resource for winning loyal customers," says the CEO.

And everyone comes out winning. It is estimated that Alloyal's platform has already provided R$ 68 million in savings for its 8 million users, in addition to over R$ 100 million in sales for the client companies.

Currently, the startup has also already distributed more than R$$3 million in cashback. The largest percentage increases in cashback between Black Friday 2023 and 2024 were granted by Leroy Merlin, which went from 5% to 8%, by Vivara, which had a significant increase from 3.5% to 6%, and by Booking, rising from 1% to 3%.

The platform projects that the sale of home appliances will once again lead sales during Black Friday 2024, as it did in 2023, when it accounted for 78.3% of the volume of online purchases.