Whoa… When it comes to holiday sales strategies, brands love sending SMS marketing messages. That’s because SMS marketing is preferred as it is a spam-free channel, has a 99% open rate, and 90% of SMS marketing messages are opened within 3 minutes!
How does SMS marketing on Black Friday compare SMS marketing on other holidays?
- Memorial Day – 19 brands had an SMS marketing strategy.
- Father’s Day – 19 brands had an SMS marketing strategy.
- 4th of July – 24 brands had an SMS marketing strategy.
Get this: almost TWICE the number of brands had an SMS marketing strategy during previous Black Fridays compared to other holidays. Below is a roundup of past SMS marketing strategies used on Black Friday.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out these other SMS marketing examples.
Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond is an American chain of domestic merchandise retail stores primarily focusing on household items like kitchen wear, bedding, and bath essentials. This retail store utilizes SMS marketing by sending a text-only message to advertise its time-sensitive 20% off Black Friday promotion.
Hibbett
Hibbett is an American publicly traded holding company for Hibbett Sporting Goods, a full-line sporting goods retailer headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. This brand takes advantage of the hyperlink feature within text message marketing by providing a mobile coupon to save $30 off $100.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is a City in Nevada known for the infamous Las Vegas strip, full of luxurious casino hotels, and a wide range of nightlife themed activities. Las Vegas uses SMS marketing to promote tourism with a Cyber Monday deal to save 25% on hotel rooms. Additionally, they provide a hyperlink to explore hotel room options.
Babies “R” Us
Babies “R” Us is an international toy, clothing, and baby product retailer owned by Tru Kids, Inc. and various others. This store kicks off Black Friday savings on Thanksgiving Day and utilizes the hyperlink functionality of SMS marketing messages to send a preview of the deals.
Belk
Belk is an American department store chain founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, North Carolina, with nearly 300 locations in 16 states. This department store utilizes text message marketing quite abundantly to make sure subscribers are aware of the variety of savings, when they’re happening, and of course include a coupon code. Belk utilizes a combination of SMS messages and MMS messages, which includes a graphic of the Black Friday savings.
Caribou
Caribou Coffee Company is an American coffee company and coffeehouse chain. This coffee chain takes advantage of SMS marketing by encouraging mobile subscribers to stock up on coffee beans, refill gift cards, and get some free perks while doing it on Black Friday.
Dunham’s Sports
Dunham’s Sports is a regional sporting goods superstore chain owned by Dunham’s Athleisure Corporation, with stores located in the Midwestern to Southeastern United States. This sporting goods retailer utilizes text message marketing to send multiple reminders about their upcoming savings and a hyperlink to view various coupons.
Gilly Hicks
Gilly Hicks is a lingerie brand owned by Abercrombie & Fitch, specializing in women’s intimates and loungewear. This lingerie brand utilizes SMS marketing to send subscribers a “Happy Thanksgiving” message and a post-turkey pick-me-up hyperlink to shop.
Kwik Trip
Kwik Trip/Kwik Star is a chain of convenience stores founded in 1965 with locations throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota under the name Kwik Trip, and in Iowa under the name Kwik Star. This convenience store kicks off the Black Friday savings on Thanksgiving Day and utilizes text message marketing to spread the word. Additionally, they entice their subscribers to show the SMS message to the cashier and get a free coffee — a great way to get folks in the door.
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing and accessories retailing company owned by American multinational corporation Gap Inc. This retailer sends a very simple Black Friday SMS marketing message that highlights huge savings, 50% off the entire store.
Jamba
Jamba, formerly known as Jamba Juice, is a company that produces blended fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, and similar products. Jamba utilizes text message marketing to send subscribers a Black Friday gift card promotion, which includes a free drink with a $25 gift card purchase.
Office Depot
Office Depot, Inc. is an American office supply retailing company headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The office supply store utilizes SMS marketing to notify subscribers that its Black Friday deals are extended beyond in-store shopping, and additional savings can be found by following the provided hyperlink.
Payless Shoes
Payless Shoes is an international discount footwear chain. Payless Shoes has a wide range of savings for Black Friday, that’s why they send multiple SMS marketing messages to outline all of the deals. Additionally, they provide a convenient hyperlink to the Black Friday coupons.
Pet Supermarket
Pet Supermarket is a pet supply store with a wide variety of pet foods, toys, and treats for all pet types. This pet supply store utilizes text message marketing to remind subscribers to grab a holiday treat for their furry friends with a special 10% off coupon code.
Avenue
Avenue Stores LLC is a specialty retailer in the United States offering plus-size clothing to women. Avenue utilizes SMS marketing by sending subscribers an MMS message with a catchy title, a festive image, and text that outlines the savings as well as a hyperlink to shop.
TGI Fridays Restaurant
TGI Fridays is an American restaurant chain focusing on casual dining. This restaurant sends SMS marketing messages to subscribers that include a delicious deal on $10 Endless Apps and Drinks and a hyperlink to learn more about this Black Friday special.
Kiehl’s
Kiehl’s LLC is an American cosmetics brand retailer that specializes in skin, hair, and body care products. It started as a single pharmacy in Manhattan at Third Avenue and East 13th Street in 1851. This brand utilizes text message marketing to send an alert about all the various savings that customers will benefit from starting Black Friday and through the end of the month.
Family Dollar
Family Dollar is an American variety-store chain that has over 8,000 locations throughout the United States and is the second-largest retailer of its type. Family Dollar sends a series of SMS marketing messages throughout Thanksgiving and the Black Friday weekend highlighting all the savings and providing a hyperlink to view the ad.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is an American professional baseball organization and the oldest of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. This sports league takes advantage of text message marketing by notifying subscribers that they can receive 25% off suites and a $25 credit, redeemable through the end of May. They also provide a hyperlink with all the offer details.
MGM Grand Hotel
The MGM Grand Las Vegas is home to the biggest names in hotels, concerts, comedy, and sports. MGM uses SMS marketing by sending an MMS message that highlights its 20%-off promotion and free upgrades in honor of Black Friday. Additionally, they send an image of a hotel room to entice subscribers to book a stay.
NY&C
New York & Company, Inc. is an American wear-to-work retailer for women. NY&C has a wide variety of Black Friday deals that start Thanksgiving Day. This brand utilizes text message marketing to send a series of alerts to subscribers outlining the deals and a hyperlink to shop.
Kohl’s
Kohl’s is an American department store retail chain, operated by Kohl’s Corporation. With 1,158 locations, it is the largest department store chain in the United States as of February 2013. Kohl’s sends a series of SMS marketing message alerts both before and after Black Friday, notifying subscribers of store hours and savings.
Michaels
Michaels is an art supply store that also features home decor, framing, scrapbooking, and more. Like many retailers, Michaels kicks off the Black Friday deals on Thanksgiving day and takes advantage of text message marketing by sending a series of messages to notify their subscribers of the savings and hyperlinks to shop.
Redbox
Redbox is an American video rental company specializing in DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD rentals, and formerly video games via automated retail kiosks. Redbox offers a great Black Friday deal! SMS marketing message subscribers can get a free DVD rental when they rent any DVD, by utilizing the provided coupon code in the body of the SMS message.
Stage
Stage Stores is a department store specializing in retailing off-price brand name apparel, accessories, cosmetics, footwear, and housewares throughout the United States. Stage takes advantage of text message marketing by sending an MMS message with a catchy subject line, video, and text that outlines all the Black Friday savings.
Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer is a chain of hypermarket superstores founded in 1931 in Portland, Oregon, by Fred G. Meyer. This chain utilizes SMS marketing by sending a series of messages throughout the Black Friday weekend, which includes hyperlinks and details on all of the savings.
Macy’s
Macy’s is an American department store chain founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. Macy’s uses SMS marketing messages to let subscribers know that they can start shopping before Black Friday kicks off by sending them a hyperlink to shop online. Additionally, Macy’s sends several other SMS messages during the Black Friday weekend with promo codes, details, and hyperlinks.
Kirkland’s
Kirkland’s, Inc. is an American retail chain that sells home decor, furniture, textiles, accessories, and gifts. This brand sends multiple SMS messages to notify subscribers of Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals that include promo codes and hyperlinks to all of their festive savings.
MAC Cosmetics
MAC Cosmetics, stylized as M·A·C, is a cosmetics manufacturer founded in Toronto, Canada in 1984 by Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo. This makeup brand features a special Black Friday Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow Palette in the SMS message above. Additionally, MAC sends a special Cyber Monday SMS marketing message with a hyperlink to shop and free overnight shipping.
Toys “R” Us
Toys “R” Us was an international toy, clothing, and baby product retailer owned by Tru Kids, Inc. and various others. This toy store sends a series of SMS marketing messages wishing subscribers a “Happy Thanksgiving” and provides details on savings, store hours, and hyperlinks to shop.
SMS marketing is a wonderful tool to get your brand’s message across! Let’s talk about how text message marketing can help you better connect with your customers; click here to chat with an expert.