Getting prepped for peak: 6 lessons from our DTC leaders panel

Peak starts loooong before November.

That was the overwhelming message from the latest edition of Elevating the Game, where ecommerce leaders from Bradshaw Taylor, fourfive, Kavee and The Mothership joined a panel to share how they prepare for BFCM.

From offer strategy and profitability to operational planning, CRM and customer experience, one thing became clear: the brands that win peak aren't scrambling in October - they're making decisions now.

Here are 6 of the biggest lessons from the discussion.

1. Peak is so much more than the BFCM weekend

Black Friday is no longer a single shopping weekend. Today's customers are researching products, comparing offers and filling their baskets weeks in advance, making it more important than ever for brands to start planning - and launching - earlier.

For Damian Gosling, Head of Performance Marketing at fourfive, getting ahead before the market becomes saturated is one of the biggest opportunities brands have.

"Black Friday isn't just a day anymore. Go as early as you possibly can and take advantage of the cheapest CPMs. Maybe don't have your Black Friday offer live the whole time, but start building momentum early."

Stefania Del Zotto, Digital Director at Bradshaw Taylor, shared a similar view. Last year, her team achieved success by launching ahead of competitors and focusing on keeping campaigns fresh throughout the month, rather than relying on one promotion to do all the heavy lifting.

"Going early was key to generating immediate interest and then, throughout peak, emphasising newness in the messaging and in the creative was also very important to keep people coming back and keep the momentum."

The consensus: peak doesn't begin on Black Friday. By then, the brands seeing the strongest results are often the ones that have been building momentum for weeks.

2. Peak customers want value, not just discounts

While discounts remain an important part of Black Friday, the panel agreed that brands can stand out by thinking beyond simply increasing the percentage off.

At fourfive, Damian explained that the team is already testing a range of promotional mechanics ahead of peak.

"We're testing everything at the moment. Is it merch? Is it just a percentage discount? Is it a charity contribution with every purchase? We're trying to understand where we see the biggest uptake."

"Giving perceived value [with bundling] over just a percentage discount seems to be doing a lot better for us as a brand."

Abby Ratnasothy, Head of CRM at The Mothership, shared a similar approach, explaining that her team is analysing which bundles are the most profitable - not just the most popular - as they shape client Solace Jewellery's peak strategy.

"Bundles work particularly well for us... we're thinking about what our most profitable bundles are and how we can alter those bundles to meet both our business goals and what the customer needs."

The key takeaway was that the most appealing Black Friday offers aren't always the biggest discounts. They're the ones that create genuine value for customers while supporting your commercial goals.

3. Q4 success demands operational readiness

While marketing often takes centre stage during Q4, the panel agreed that many of the biggest successes (and failures) happen behind the scenes. 

For Tiphaine Cheveau, COO at Kavee, operational readiness starts with honest forecasting and clear communication across the business. Inflated sales projections might look optimistic on paper, but they can create major problems for fulfilment partners who staff and plan around those numbers.

"Forecast what you actually think is going to happen, regardless of what you want to happen. Don't over-inflate your forecast... your 3PL may have planned for much bigger resource, and that boomerang could come back to you."

She also shared one of the panel's most memorable pieces of advice: don't make major operational changes just before your busiest trading period.

"Do not move your 3PL during peak! Keep your partners as they are... sit with the pain. It will not be worth it."

Others echoed the same theme. Abby spoke about warehouse backlogs and customer service teams becoming overwhelmed after a surge in orders, while Stefania highlighted the importance of protecting stock levels on best-selling products.

Great marketing can drive demand, but operational readiness is what turns that demand into a successful Q4.

4. The real value of peak customers comes afterwards

Peak is one of the biggest customer acquisition opportunities of the year, but for Abby, it's also one of the biggest learning opportunities.

Working with Solace Jewellery, her team analyses customer cohorts to understand which customers become the most valuable over time - and why.

"We acquired about 10,000 customers last November... how profitable were they for us six months later? We saw an uplift of about 10-13% in lifetime value, and that's what we're now using to inform this year's strategy."

Looking beyond the initial purchase has helped the team identify which products encourage repeat purchases, which bundles acquire the highest-value customers and how quickly different customer groups return.

These insights enable the team to continually refine retention strategies while making smarter decisions for future peak campaigns.

Stefania encouraged brands to take the same approach once peak is over:

“Consider doing your post-peak analysis sooner rather than later, because that's your first Black Friday plan for next year."

5. Define success early - and make sure every team is working towards it

Before peak begins, the panel discussed that every team should know what success looks like - and how they're contributing to it.

For Stefania, that starts with defining clear KPIs the whole team understands.

"Have clear objectives for your Black Friday activity. What are your KPIs? Are they aligning with the overall business? Make sure your team is also aware of them and they understand how they can impact them."

For Bradshaw Taylor, that means looking beyond revenue alone. Metrics like profitability, margin and new customer ratio all play a role in measuring success.

Tiphaine shared a similar perspective from an operational standpoint. Rather than allowing teams to work in silos, Kavee is focused on ensuring everyone - from marketing and content to customer service and fulfilment - has visibility of the overall plan and how their work impacts others.

"Internal transparency is going to be the massive focus... making sure everyone has clear visibility of who's doing what, who's influenced by whose deadlines, so there are no moments where you launch a campaign and nothing's ready everywhere else."

Great peak strategies don't live in marketing alone - they're understood, owned and executed across the entire business.

6. Keep it simple

And finally, with so much competition during Q4, it can be tempting to add more offers, more messaging and more complexity. But the panel's final piece of advice was the opposite: keep it simple.

For Damian, that means resisting the urge to overcomplicate your Black Friday campaign.

"Have a plan and stick to it... Never call Black Friday anything other than Black Friday. People know what Black Friday is - they just want to know what the offer is."

Tiphaine agreed, encouraging brands to focus on what makes them unique rather than trying to do everything at once.

"Know what your brand is good at. Find the one thing that makes you different and make sure you're communicating it as much as possible."

Customers don't need more complexity during peak. They need a clear offer, a clear message and a clear reason to choose your brand.

The key takeaway

If there was one message that came through louder than any other during the panel, it was this: the brands that succeed during peak don't leave it until peak.

Whether it's testing offers, forecasting demand, aligning teams or analysing customer behaviour, the decisions made in the months leading up to Black Friday have a far greater impact than the decisions made on the day itself.

A huge thank you to Stefania Del Zotto, Damian Gosling, Tiphaine Cheveau and Abby Ratnasothy for sharing their honest experiences and practical advice. We hope these lessons help your team prepare for a successful (and profitable) Q4.