Black Friday + Cyber Monday 2025 Hit New Highs – What’s the Takeaway for Brand Storytelling?
The numbers are in, and they're staggering.
The short answer is yes — consumer brands just experienced their biggest holiday shopping weekend ever.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 shattered previous records. Online spending hit $11.8 billion on Black Friday alone, up almost 10% from last year, while Cyber Monday reached a historic $14.25 billion in sales. Total holiday weekend spending surpassed $44.2 billion (reported by Adobe Analytics), with consumers shopping earlier and more intentionally than ever before.
However, record sales are only part of the story.
What the Surge Really Tells Us
The real insight behind these numbers? Shoppers aren't just chasing discounts; they're gravitating toward brands they know, trust and feel connected to before the sales even start.
The brands that benefited weren’t just the ones offering the deepest discounts; they were the ones that built anticipation, owned the conversation and showed up in the right places at the right time.
These were brands with narratives already in motion because they’d already invested in consistent visibility and brand affinity long before Black Friday. They entered Cyber Week with momentum, not urgency, because they’d been cultivating awareness and conversation all year long.
Beyond the Weekend
The bigger takeaway: PR isn’t about a single holiday moment or one promotional push. It's a sustained strategy designed to build brand recognition and consumer trust long before key shopping moments arrive.
Unlike paid advertising that stops as soon as the budget does, earned storytelling keeps working – shaping perception, driving demand and influencing purchase decisions long after the weekend is over.
Leveraging PR for Lasting Impact
With the right PR partner, consumer brands can capitalize on moments like these with strategies that drive real ROI – not just during the sale, but in the critical weeks and months leading up to it.
Integrated, always-on PR strategies can help brands to:
Build pre-holiday buzz through strategic gift guide placements, trend features and strategic product launches that prime consumers before they start shopping.
Own their category with thought leadership and brand stories that position products as must-haves, not just another discount.
Extend momentum beyond the weekend with campaigns and authentic storytelling that convert seasonal shoppers into year-round customers.
Stand out in crowded markets where visibility and credibility drive purchasing decisions as much as price.
Working with a PR firm is a commitment, but it's one that pays dividends in visibility, opportunity and brand equity, especially when the stakes are highest.
Let's start the conversation. Contact us to discover how we can help your brand own the next big retail moment.