Every year, there’s a moment when the digital marketplace transforms into a buzzing, blinking bazaar: a global rush of carts, clicks, and conversions.
That moment is BFCM, short for Black Friday Cyber Monday, and it’s not just a weekend. It’s retail’s Super Bowl, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve rolled into one.
But what exactly makes BFCM the most powerful shopping period of the year, and how can brands ensure they make the most of it? Let’s break it down.
What Is BFCM And Why It Matters
BFCM is a five-day retail shopping bonanza, from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday that represents the highest-intent shopping window of the entire year.
And 2025 is set to be one of the biggest yet. According to Adobe’s 2025 Holiday Shopping Forecast and Coveo’s 2025 Holiday Shopper Report, 88% of global shoppers plan to buy during BFCM, with $43.7bn forecasted in online sales. That’s 17% of all holiday revenue in just five days!
(Sources: Adobe 2025 Holiday Shopping Forecast, Coveo 2025 Holiday Shopper Report)
The Cost of Attention is Rising
With 88% of global shoppers planning to buy during BFCM (source: TripleWhale, Coveo), brands are increasingly on the hunt to capture consumer attention amid rising noise and escalating ad costs. Last year alone, brands spent 70% more on tier-1 ad channels such as search and social during BFCM.
It’s a simple equation: more competition = higher CPCs.
As a result, even well-planned campaigns can struggle to break through – especially when everyone is targeting the same audiences in the same places. And simply outspending competitors isn’t a sustainable strategy.
So how can brands make the most of this season without simply outspending their competitors? The answer lies in reaching audiences in places others aren’t looking – incremental channels that complement your existing campaigns.
(Source: TripleWhale 2024 BFCM Retrospective Report)
The Rise of Browser Advertising
The browser start page might be one of the most valuable (and incremental) spots online that goes overlooked by a large chunk of marketers. Every online journey begins here, making it a prime opportunity to connect with high-intent shoppers before they even search or scroll social feeds. These users open their browser with the intention to take action.
By engaging users here, brands can drive discovery earlier in the customer journey and connect with audiences in a brand-safe environment, long before competitors appear in the search results.
This is where VEVE helps brands win BFCM.
How VEVE Helps Brands Outperform During BFCM
At VEVE, we specialize in helping brands reach high-intent audiences through browser-based ad solutions, giving marketers access to a truly incremental channel that complements their existing digital mix.
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Our Impact and Tiles formats are purpose-built for the browser environment:
- Impact ads are high-impact banners, doodle creatives and dynamic formats to drive awareness
- Tiles are quick-access icons that provide users with one-click access to the brand website
Together, they help brands achieve incremental reach, measurable performance, and sustainable growth, especially during high-stakes moments like BFCM.
Case in Point: PcComponentes Saw a 400% BFCM Sales Lift
When top European tech retailer PcComponentes wanted to break through the BFCM noise, they turned to VEVE’s browser advertising solutions.
The results were a 400% surge in BFCM sales, by successfully leveraging premium placements on the start pages of mobile and desktop browsers at the precise moment shoppers were ready to act.
Their campaign showed that attention at intent beats spend at scale.
(Read the full story in our PcComponentes Case Study)
Your Next Step for BFCM 2025
BFCM is a chance to connect with shoppers who are motivated, attentive, and eager to buy.
This year, focus on being visible where intent begins.
Reach people before the scroll. Meet them on the browser start page and turn that intent into real results.
