Admetrics releases 150-page Black Friday playbook after record 2024 sales

Admetrics announced on October 9, 2025, the release of its comprehensive Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 playbook, a 150-page strategic guide designed for direct-to-consumer brands preparing for the shopping season. The timing comes after 2024 set records with more than $24 billion spent online during the two-day period.

The announcement targets e-commerce marketers who face intensifying competition during peak shopping periods. Black Friday 2024 generated $10.8 billion in online sales, representing a 10.2% increase from the previous year. Cyber Monday reached $13.3 billion, marking a 7.3% increase and establishing itself as the largest online shopping day in U.S. history, according to the guide.

Buy Now, Pay Later options contributed significantly to the 2024 totals. The payment method generated $991 million on Cyber Monday and approximately $686 million on Black Friday. These figures underscore the scale of opportunity available to brands that execute effective campaigns during this concentrated period.

The playbook addresses what Admetrics identifies as a persistent problem: most brands lost margin despite record spending because planning and data infrastructure proved inadequate. The guide draws from campaigns conducted by brands including Paul Valentine, ESN, SugarGang, Alpin Loacker, and Kitsch.

Strategic framework and content structure

The document organizes marketing approaches across the full customer funnel. Pre-event preparation sections cover inventory management, budgeting frameworks, and tracking implementation. The guide presents multiple budgeting methodologies including incremental budgeting, activity-based budgeting, rolling budgets, flexible budgeting, cash flow budgeting, and project-based budgeting.

For inventory management, the playbook emphasizes predictive analytics for demand forecasting. It recommends calculating safety stock levels to buffer against supply chain uncertainties and delayed shipments. Walmart established November 28 for Black Friday 2025 and December 1 for Cyber Monday, with October 1 representing the final enrollment deadline for Walmart Fulfillment Services.

The guide incorporates Objectives and Key Results frameworks for goal setting. It advises brands to establish SMART goals - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound - rather than vague targets. One example provided: aim for a 20% increase in sales compared to the previous Black Friday period rather than simply "increased sales."

Key inventory metrics highlighted include Stock Turnover Rate, Gross Margin Return on Inventory Investment, and Days Sales of Inventory. The playbook warns against insufficient planning, irregular inventory monitoring, and lack of performance metrics as common pitfalls.

Platform-specific advertising strategies

The playbook dedicates separate sections to Meta, Google, and TikTok advertising strategies. For Meta platforms, the timing aligns with recent API updates that changed how advertisers manage campaigns. Facebook advertising costs increased 21% for lead generation campaigns in 2025, with cost per lead reaching $27.66.

Google strategies appear particularly relevant given platform changes to holiday shopping tools. The search giant introduced AI-powered features in August 2024 and emphasized that 34% of shoppers had started holiday shopping by July 2024, up from 27% the previous year. The guide addresses how brands should adapt to extended shopping periods rather than focusing exclusively on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

TikTok advertising receives dedicated coverage in the playbook. The platform introduced Search Ads Campaign in September 2024, enabling keyword-based advertising that reaches 57% of users who utilize search functionality. Measurement studies show TikTok campaigns generate 35% higher incremental impact when evaluated through marketing mix modeling compared to last-touch attribution.

The document covers conversion rate optimization tactics and consumer psychology principles. It examines how brands can structure offers and discount strategies to maximize profitability while maintaining competitive positioning during intense promotional periods.

Technical infrastructure and measurement

Accurate data tracking forms a foundational element of the playbook's approach. The guide emphasizes establishing proper measurement systems before campaigns launch. This prevents situations where brands generate sales but cannot accurately attribute them to specific marketing activities.

The measurement section addresses performance tracking across multiple channels. It covers how to establish baselines, set realistic targets, and adjust campaigns based on real-time data during the fast-paced Black Friday period. Dynamic KPI adjustments using machine learning algorithms receive mention as methods for automated optimization.

Attribution modeling receives detailed treatment. The playbook explains differences between various attribution approaches and how they affect budget allocation decisions. This becomes critical when coordinating campaigns across Meta, Google, TikTok, and other platforms simultaneously.

Influencer marketing and community strategies

The guide includes frameworks for influencer partnerships and user-generated content campaigns. It addresses how brands can leverage creator relationships during Black Friday when competition for attention intensifies. Meta introduced tools for integrated creator campaigns through Advantage+ Catalog, enabling more efficient influencer collaborations.

Community-led growth strategies form another component. The playbook examines how brands can activate existing customers as advocates during peak shopping periods. This approach aims to generate organic reach that complements paid advertising efforts.

Creative testing methodologies appear throughout the document. It recommends systematic approaches to testing ad variations before the Black Friday rush begins. This allows brands to identify top-performing creative assets and scale them during the actual promotional period.

Post-event retention systems

The final sections address post-event strategies for converting one-time buyers into repeat customers. Black Friday traditionally attracts deal-seekers who may not return at full price. The guide presents retention frameworks designed to maximize customer lifetime value beyond the initial transaction.

Email marketing, remarketing campaigns, and loyalty program integration receive coverage as methods for nurturing Black Friday customers. The playbook emphasizes that brands should view the event as customer acquisition opportunity rather than solely focusing on immediate revenue.

Live shopping events and omnichannel strategies round out the content. The guide examines how brands can coordinate online and offline touchpoints to create cohesive customer experiences. Shopping behavior data from Cyber Monday 2023 showed mobile usage reached 55.3% on Black Friday while desktop usage dominated Cyber Monday at 52.4%, indicating device preferences vary by shopping context.

Market implications

The playbook's release reflects broader preparation patterns in the e-commerce sector. Amazon established strict inventory deadlines with August 29 serving as the Amazon Warehousing and Distribution deadline for fall promotional events. September 10 represented the minimal FBA shipment deadline for Prime Big Deal Days preparation.

These compressed timelines force brands to complete planning significantly earlier than in previous years. The Admetrics guide acknowledges this reality by providing frameworks that support accelerated decision-making processes.

Platform algorithm changes add complexity to Black Friday planning. Meta's advertising revenue grew 22% to reach $46.6 billion in the second quarter of 2025, driven by AI-powered recommendation systems and creative tools. Brands must navigate these algorithmic environments while maintaining campaign efficiency.

The shift toward AI-powered optimization affects how marketers approach Black Friday campaigns. Automated bidding strategies, dynamic creative optimization, and predictive analytics now form standard components of competitive campaigns rather than experimental features.

Data privacy regulations continue influencing measurement capabilities. The playbook addresses how brands can maintain effective tracking within privacy frameworks that limit traditional attribution methods. Marketing mix modeling emerges as an important complement to last-touch attribution as third-party cookie deprecation proceeds.

Strategic positioning

Admetrics positions the guide as addressing problems that persist despite increasing overall spending. The company argues that many brands approach Black Friday reactively rather than strategically, leading to margin compression even when revenue increases.

The document attempts to shift focus from short-term sales maximization to sustainable profitability. It presents frameworks for evaluating promotional depth, calculating true customer acquisition costs, and projecting lifetime value from Black Friday cohorts.

By incorporating case studies from brands across categories, the playbook provides concrete examples rather than theoretical frameworks. This approach aims to make the strategies immediately applicable for marketing teams preparing campaigns.

The 150-page scope indicates comprehensive coverage. Most platform-provided guides focus narrowly on their specific advertising products. The Admetrics document spans inventory management, consumer psychology, platform tactics, creative strategy, and retention planning in a single resource.

Timeline

• October 9, 2025: Admetrics announces 150-page Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2025 playbook for e-commerce brands
• September 2024: TikTok launches Search Ads Campaign feature with keyword-based targeting capabilities
• August 27, 2024: Google unveils AI-powered tools for retailers during Think Retail event
• August 31, 2025: Walmart confirms November 28 Black Friday and December 1 Cyber Monday dates
• September 1, 2025: Amazon establishes critical inventory deadlines for 2025 holiday season
• October 2, 2024: Meta releases Graph API v21.0 and Marketing API v21.0 with platform changes
• 2024: Black Friday generates $10.8 billion in online sales, up 10.2% year-over-year
• 2024: Cyber Monday reaches $13.3 billion, establishing record as largest online shopping day in U.S. history

Summary

Who: Admetrics, a Frankfurt-based marketing analytics company, released the playbook. The target audience includes direct-to-consumer brands, e-commerce marketers, and CFOs preparing for the 2025 holiday shopping season. Case studies feature Paul Valentine, ESN, SugarGang, Alpin Loacker, and Kitsch.

What: A comprehensive 150-page Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 playbook covering pre-event preparation, paid advertising strategies for Meta, Google, and TikTok, conversion rate optimization, consumer psychology, influencer marketing, creative testing, and post-event retention systems. The guide addresses inventory management, budgeting frameworks, measurement infrastructure, and omnichannel strategy.

When: Announced October 9, 2025. The timing comes months before Black Friday on November 28, 2025, and Cyber Monday on December 1, 2025. This early release allows brands to implement recommendations before peak season begins.

Where: The digital playbook targets e-commerce brands operating online, with particular focus on direct-to-consumer companies in the United States and international markets. Strategies apply across Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram), Google Search and Shopping, TikTok, Amazon, and Pinterest.

Why: The 2024 Black Friday and Cyber Monday period generated more than $24 billion in online sales, yet Admetrics identifies that most brands lost margin despite record spending due to inadequate planning and data infrastructure. The playbook aims to help brands scale profitably during concentrated shopping periods by providing actionable frameworks built from real campaign data. Buy Now, Pay Later options contributed $991 million on Cyber Monday 2024, indicating changing payment preferences that brands must accommodate.