How Retailers are Sharpening Their TV Ad Strategies for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

A version of this was originally featured on Ad Age.

Even before the last autumn leaves hit the ground, millions of shoppers hit the pavement searching for the perfect holiday gifts. And while some consumers do their shopping before Halloween, Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) remain pivotal opportunities for brands to make the most of their advertising dollars with sales expected to rise 5% year over year to $75 billion for the first time ever. 

For Saatva, a luxury mattress retailer, and MANSCAPED, a leading name in men’s grooming, TV advertising represents a critical piece of their holiday strategies. “The holiday season presents a unique opportunity where the potential return can justify higher ad spend - but only if we keep our cost-per-acquisition in check,” says Jessica Carlson, Sr. Director of Brand Marketing at MANSCAPED. From driving urgency to leveraging TV’s vast reach, companies are sharpening their TV advertising strategies to maximize returns during the biggest shopping season of the year without letting their cost-per-acquisition (CPA) skyrocket. 

Manage Spend Without Sacrificing CPA

Manscaped’s approach to balancing CPA and ad spend focuses on gradual, data-informed increases, which are calibrated based on historical performance to ensure strategic timing. “What we've learned over time is that not all days in the BFCM window are equally valuable,” said Carlson. “For example, we often see a spike in performance on the days right before Black Friday, so we ramp up our spending to capture early demand while still maintaining a manageable CPA.”

This phased approach keeps the brand from over-investing during low-performing periods, allowing them to allocate more budget when performance is predicted to peak. Carlson notes that response rate, similar to click-through rate in digital marketing, is especially critical during Q4. By tracking CPA and ROAS, MANSCAPED can monitor efficiency, reallocating budgets to top-performing publishers or creatives on a daily basis. 

Balance Linear and Streaming TV

While managing CPA is critical, understanding the media mix is equally important. Both Saatva and MANSCAPED rely on a well-planned blend of linear and streaming TV to capture audiences during BFCM. “Linear TV is cost-effective for broad reach, while streaming offers a boost in response rates and extends unique reach,” said Casey Jones, Sr. Paid Media Manager at Saatva. This balance ensures that TV plays a pivotal role in Saatva’s holiday campaigns, particularly when over 70% of American households still have traditional cable or satellite subscriptions, a large audience segment that streaming-only advertisers might overlook.

MANSCAPED echoes the importance of linear TV, especially during high-viewership tentpole events like sports. Linear TV’s low cost-per-thousand (CPM) makes it efficient for broad reach, while streaming allows them to hone in on specific demographics and interests. 

Secure Inventory Early to Avoid Holiday Crunch

With the high demand for TV inventory during the holidays, early planning is crucial. As Jones explains, Q4’s crowded media landscape—fueled by events like the 2024 Presidential Election, The World Series, and Thanksgiving happening so close together— it was essential to lock in premium placements as early as September. Saatva secures a portion of its media spend early to guarantee critical spots, using non-preemptible (NPE) buys to help mitigate risk and ensure their ads run even when demand peaks. “We also try to remain flexible by balancing guaranteed buys with more opportunistic last-minute deals,” said Jones. Saatva will lock in a portion of their spend early on, but leave some room to take advantage of last-minute fire sales or floaters, which can be cost-effective reach-drivers if available.

Segment for Maximum Efficiency

During the BFCM period, both brands doubled down on audience segmentation to manage costs effectively. For MANSCAPED, this means directing resources to high-intent segments like repeat customers and shoppers most likely to convert, which helps keep CPA within a manageable range. Additionally, the brand adjusts messaging, using urgency-driven offers closer to Cyber Monday to improve conversion rates.

Leverage Diverse Creatives

Even before BFCM gets underway, brands are putting the magic touches on creative assets that consistently deliver. MANSCAPED emphasizes rotating top-performing creatives tied to seasonal promotions and product launches. This keeps campaigns fresh and engaging while capitalizing on creatives that have previously resonated with audiences. According to Carlson, identifying your highest-performing creatives from previous campaigns and incorporating them into your BFCM strategy can help drive greater interest and engagement.

When it comes to TV advertising, especially during the highly competitive BFCM season, employing a structured, data-backed approach can be the difference between enjoying a holly jolly holiday and getting a lump of coal in your proverbial marketing stocking. From managing CPA with targeted spend increases to carefully segmenting audiences, advertisers can harness the power of TV to reach consumers during the biggest sales period of the year.

Visit Tatari.tv to learn how easy it is to launch a TV campaign this holiday season!