Ep #47 - We Ruined Black Friday: Death by discount spam and fake urgency.

Black Friday is dead – and honestly, it deserved it.
In this episode of The Cynical Marketers, we tear apart the yearly circus known as BFCM: the fake urgency, the endless “early access,” the brands running 30% off for 47 straight days, and the customers who now treat Black Friday emails like spam from extended-warranty scammers.

If you work in marketing, ecom, retention, or you’ve ever had to write “FINAL FINAL CYBER DEAL,” this one is basically a support group session.

We walk through why Black Friday doesn’t work anymore, how marketers (yes, all of us) ruined it, and what brands need to stop doing before customers collectively unsubscribe from the entire internet.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Black Friday Is Dead – Let’s pay our respects
01:10 – How “Early Access” Became “Why Are We Doing This in October?”
03:42 – Customers Don’t Believe Your Discounts Anymore
06:55 – Fake Urgency: The Greatest Marketing Lie Since “Limited Stock”
10:22 – Discount Fatigue: Everyone Is Tired, Including Us
14:09 – Brands Are Panicking And It Shows
17:48 – What Smart Marketers Are Doing Instead
21:30 – Retention Over Desperation: The Only Real BFCM Strategy
25:12 – How Small Businesses Can Still Win Without Selling Their Souls
28:40 – The Harsh Truth About BFCM in 2025
32:18 – Final Take: Stop Running Month-Long Cry-for-Help Promotions

#marketing #blackfriday #bfcm #ecommerce #thecynicalmarketers #retentionmarketing #emailmarketing #dtc #smallbusinessmarketing