Finisterre CMO: There’s no such thing as Black Friday on a dead planet

As a consumer I’m bracing myself for the cries of BUY NOW, PRICES SLASHED, BLACK FRIDAY DEALS that will be shouted at me from every angle over the next few weeks.  And even as a reasonably savvy shopper who has no intention to participate in the “event”, by the end of it I will start thinking that yes, perhaps I do need a new air fryer/TV/electric toothbrush.  

However, this is depressing, because I don’t need any of those things, and regardless of what I end up spending over that momentous weekend, the only one really paying the price is our planet.

We have too much stuff.  The world is overflowing, and yet the system is built on us always needing more, more, more.  But at what point can we all collectively say “enough” - or at least “that’s enough for now - I’ll buy it at full price if I really need it, thank you very much”?

As marketers our job is to represent the voice of our customers - but sometimes our customers are wrong.  Do they want to buy at a discount? Of course they do.  But will it cost them even more? Absolutely.  If not now, then within the next few years as the true cost of the destruction of our planet’s natural cooling system starts to wreak havoc with our every day.  

Don’t believe me?  Just asking the residents of Asheville North Carolina, who last month experienced a record-shattering hurricane.  To quote the Guardian: “Asheville was touted as a climate “haven” from extreme weather. Now the historic city has been devastated… in a stunning display of the climate crisis’s unlimited reach in the United States.”  

But still, the naysayers say that the climate crisis had nothing to do with it, in fact there are even some on the far right who believe the government actually controls the weather.  Which—and I can’t believe I’m saying this— in a way I suppose they do, as none of the world’s governments have been forthright enough to clamp down on fossil fuel production, deforestation, waterway pollution etc., all of which are leading to our increasingly volatile weather patterns.

But that won’t always be the case - Government regulations are increasing, with the EU leading the way.  The deadline for complying with European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is fast approaching as large non-EU-based companies with significant EU operations will need to report on 2025 data starting in January 2026 – so this isn’t just about being a better business, it’s about being in business.

I get the reality that it’s a shitty market out there right now, we’ve all got bills to pay and we can’t change the system overnight.  So what can we do?

• Stop comping YOY revenue growth over that weekend - start planning margin growth vs topline demand number.  Talk to your FD/CEO/Board about driving growth through full price sales, margin improvements and better inventory management throughout the rest of the year instead, to start weaning you off of the Black Friday drug.
• Treat ‘Sale’ as an inventory exit solution, rather than a drive sales solution.  I’m not saying don’t ever go on sale, just be realistic about what you need it to do and the actual cost of it. You’re better off selling that garment/bag/beer at full price anyway, even if the sale comes later in the year
• Consider becoming B Corp - not because of its marketing potential, but because it will help you and the rest of the company prioritise the planet and the people who make your stuff/offer your services, giving you a clear set of guidelines to follow.  It is also great way to attract top talent (and to help you sleep at night).

We aren’t going to change the system overnight but we do need to change.  We are all —as businesses and as humans on this planet—going to have to make sacrifices at some stage.  We can either get ahead of the game and create a roadmap to decrease our impact, or we can wait and have our hands forced when the Governments— or Mother Nature—decide to crack down .  What choice will you make?