How to make December your second Black Friday

Hey, it’s Arik.

BFCM might be done, but the season’s not over yet.

Today, I'm breaking down exactly how we're helping our clients dominate December with gamified campaigns that keep customers engaged, excited, and buying all month long.


The December Opportunity Everyone's Missing
Christmas shopping doesn't stop after Cyber Monday. In fact, December is one of the biggest gifting and buying windows of the entire year.

Think about it: people are always looking for last-minute additions, stocking stuffers, and those perfect "just because" purchases.

Plus, you've got New Year's resolutions starting to kick in, which means people are already thinking about fresh starts and new purchases.

This year, one of the strategies we’re rolling out (and that we’ve seen crush before) is a seasonal campaign model we call:


The 12 Days of Christmas (or 5 Days of [Brand Name])
It’s simple, powerful, and highly customizable for any brand, whether you’re doing $20K a month or $2M.

Here's how it works:
‣ Each day features a different product or bundle with an exclusive offer.
‣ The offer is only available for that specific day (creating urgency and FOMO).
‣ Products are strategically chosen to showcase different price points and categories.
‣ Each day builds anticipation for what's coming next.

For example, Day 1 might feature your bestselling product at 20% off. Day 2 could be an exclusive bundle that has never been offered before. Day 3 might spotlight a limited-edition item, and so on.

You can run this for 5 days, 7 days, 12 days—whatever suits your brand’s capacity and inventory. The key is matching the length to your audience's attention span and your product catalog's depth.


How to Structure Your Daily Campaigns
You don't need to send an email every single day (though you can if your audience is engaged enough). Here are a few approaches that work:

‣ Option 1: Daily Emails
One email per day featuring that day's special offer.

‣ Option 2: 3 Emails Per Week
Monday, Wednesday, Friday emails that each cover 2-3 days of offers. This gives people a chance to catch up if they missed a day.

‣ Option 3: The Challenge Format
Frame it as a daily challenge or advent calendar:
"Day 5 Challenge: Treat yourself to something cozy"
"Day 12 Challenge: Find the perfect gift for your best friend"


Making It Feel Like a Game
The secret sauce is in the gamification. You want people to feel like they're participating in something special, not just receiving sales emails.

1. Create Anticipation - Tease tomorrow's featured product at the end of today's email.
2. Add Collectible Elements - "Collect all 12 featured products for an exclusive bonus"
3. Use Progress Indicators - "Day 7 of 12 - you're halfway there!"
4. Reward Participation - Give exclusive bonuses for people who purchase on multiple days.


Product Selection Strategy
‣ Start Strong
Day 1 should feature a popular, accessible product. Something that gets people excited and sets the tone, like a bestseller with a compelling discount.

‣ Mix Price Points
Alternate between higher and lower-priced items and include options for different budgets throughout the campaign.

‣ Create Logical Flow
Group complementary products near each other to build natural upsell opportunities.

‣ Save Something Special for the End
Your final day should be memorable. It could be your best discount, an exclusive bundle, or a limited-edition item that leaves people wanting more.

It’s also a smart way to gather insights:
→ Which SKUs convert best with urgency?
→ What price points or bundles resonate most?
→ Are free gifts or % off stronger in December?

That’s the data you’ll want heading into 2026 planning.


Other Ways to Win December with Email
→ Re-engage your BFCM buyers
→ Start a Gifting Guide
→ Leverage last shipping dates
→ Segment your email list by purchase behavior
→ Add value with content (Gift wrapping tips, stocking stuffer ideas, self-care reminders).

What You Can Do Right Now
If you want to implement this strategy for December, here's your action plan:

✅ Pick Your Timeframe: 
Decide on 5, 12, or 25 days based on your catalog and audience.

✅ Select Your Products: 
Choose items that represent different categories and price points (avoid repeating what you ran during BFCM).

✅ Plan Your Offers: 
Decide on discounts, bundles, or exclusive deals for each day.

✅ Create Your Content Calendar: 
Map out email send dates and content themes around shipping cutoffs and Christmas timelines.

✅ Set Up Your Infrastructure: 
Prepare landing pages, email templates, and tracking systems.


The Bottom Line
December isn't the end of the shopping season, it's the beginning of your biggest opportunity. While your competitors are taking a break, you can own the entire month with strategic, gamified campaigns that keep customers engaged and buying.

See you next Thursday,
Arik

P.S. If you already have a December strategy, reply and let me know what you're running, always curious to see what smart brands are up to.