Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Black Friday campaigns should be localized, not copied unchanged across markets. Shopping-event sales activity varies by region, consumers look to different channels for purchase inspiration, and local audiences do not respond to promotions in identical ways. The available evidence supports testing market-specific plans—not claiming that any particular ad creative has failed.
What the evidence says—and what it does not
Three studies point to meaningful differences across markets, but none is a controlled test of Black Friday advertisements. NielsenIQ examines technology and durable-goods sales around shopping events; Boston Consulting Group surveys shoppers about channels they expect to use for purchase inspiration; and a multi-country academic study examines attitudes toward sales promotions in eight Asian markets. Their findings can inform campaign hypotheses, but they are not interchangeable measures of ad effectiveness.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Black Friday sales activity differs across regions
NielsenIQ’s 2025 analysis of technology and durable-goods sales from 2022 to 2024 reports an 11.7% increase in its Holiday Shopping Index over that period. That is an aggregate index change, not a rise in advertising effectiveness. The index measures event-related sales activity relative to the level expected for that week without the shopping event; it does not measure ad impressions, clicks, or creative-driven lift. Read NielsenIQ’s analysis.
Within the index’s technology-and-durables scope, NielsenIQ identifies Latin America, Western Europe, and Middle East & Africa among the strongest regions for Black Friday engagement. Its reported event-week comparisons illustrate how much the pattern can vary:
#1 Best Overall
| Region | Black Friday week HSI | Christmas week HSI | Reported difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latin America | 195 | 104 | Black Friday week was 87.5% higher |
| Western Europe | 189 | 116 | Black Friday week was 62.9% higher |
| Middle East & Africa | 152 | 102 | Black Friday week was 49% higher |
These are NielsenIQ’s 2022–2024 index comparisons for technology and durable goods, not market-wide sales totals or estimates of an ad’s causal effect. The analysis describes engagement as mixed or consistently low in parts of Asia. It also notes that Singles’ Day and Diwali compete with Black Friday in several Asian markets. A campaign calendar that ignores those local shopping events may be poorly timed even if the creative itself is sound.
Purchase inspiration comes from different channels
In its October 2024 Black Friday Consumer Study, Boston Consulting Group surveyed 10,153 respondents across nine markets. For its question about channels used to “get inspired for a purchase decision” at Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Singles’ Day, the report gives an unweighted respondent count of 7,384. It asked that question of people who said they would definitely or probably shop those events. BCG reports global values weighted by age, income within country, and population. Read the BCG study.
Rank #2
BCG presents market-level differences in online and offline purchase-inspiration channels. That is useful for deciding what to investigate locally: a media mix that helps shoppers discover products in one country may not be the mix they say they will use in another. But stated inspiration channels are not the same as verified attribution, completed purchases, or conversion lift. Use the survey to frame channel hypotheses, then evaluate campaign outcomes with comparable local measurement.
Promotion attitudes depend on audience and context
A study titled “Consumer attitude towards sales promotion techniques: a multi-country study,” accepted in 2018, reports a survey of 4,125 respondents across eight Asian markets using mall-intercept and mail surveys. Its abstract says that country, education, and income significantly influence attitudes toward sales promotions. The study is not specific to Black Friday, and it does not show how a particular advertisement performed. Read the study abstract.
The practical implication is not to assume that one promotion or message will land the same way with every audience. Country-level findings can guide questions for local research, while education and income are reminders to examine who is responding—not just where a campaign ran. The cited study does not establish a universal rule about which offer or audience segment will perform best.
Quick Recap
How to adapt a Black Friday campaign by market
- Map the local shopping calendar. Check the timing and prominence of Black Friday against relevant local events and competing promotions, including Singles’ Day and Diwali where they matter.
- Check the evidence category and geography. Do not apply NielsenIQ’s technology-and-durables event-week index as if it described every product category or every country.
- Investigate local discovery habits. Use market-level channel evidence to form hypotheses about online and offline inspiration, then measure actual campaign results rather than treating stated intentions as conversions.
- Define the audience being reached. Compare responses across relevant audience characteristics, including income and education where appropriate, instead of relying only on an overall market average.
- Test the campaign locally. Treat regional sales patterns and promotion-attitude findings as context for testing creative, offer, timing, and channel choices—not proof that a particular version will succeed or fail.
How to read these studies without overclaiming
- Sales activity is not ad effectiveness. NielsenIQ’s HSI reflects event-related sales activity against an expected weekly level, not exposure or causal creative lift.
- Surveyed channel intent is not attribution. BCG’s respondents reported channels they would probably use for inspiration; the finding does not identify which channel caused a sale.
- Promotion attitudes are not Black Friday results. The 2018 study covers attitudes toward sales promotions in eight Asian markets, not the performance of Black Friday ads.
- Scope matters. The studies cover different geographies, periods, categories, and questions. They support localized planning, not a single global ranking of ad performance.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
