Trending PR Campaigns
Black Friday, Without the Discount
Rather than join the Black Friday discount rush, Australian brands Slappas Thongs and Pest2Kill used charitable giving as an alternative offer. Slappas Thongs pledged $5 from each participating pair of sandals to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, while Pest2Kill donated $50 to Women’s Community Shelters for each eligible booking instead of giving customers its usual $50 discount.
Why it worked: It flipped the seasonal norm with a clean “donation instead of discount” swap, quantified per purchase, tapping Black Friday backlash and margin pressure.
The lesson: Consider pitching a “swap the discount for a donation” offer, pegged to a specific per-unit amount, during a peak promo period everyone else discounts.
Coverage over time
How this story spread across the media
| Publication | Headline | Date |
|---|---|---|
| smartcompany.com.au | “Black Friday fatigue”: Why some small businesses are ditching the discounts | Wednesday 4th November, 2026 |