ilt around strong creative that cuts through and launches with the right timing and structure – It takes time to get those elements right, especially when competition is at an all-time high,” she continued. The overwhelming sentiment at the summit was that planning should start in August, testing should commence in September and a full funnel rollout should launch in October. Research by Shopify last year revealed that 53 per cent of Australians expected to finalise their shopping lists by October and 58 per cent expected to do the bulk of their BFCM shopping by November. The stakes couldn’t be higher for brands’ BFCM marketing strategies this year as they look to stand out in a cluttered virtual landscape. “BFCM isn’t just another sale – it’s the most critical moment in the retail and e-commerce calendar,” said Van Zwol. “If you want to win BFCM, the time to start is now.”  Inside Retail spoke to representatives from Pinterest and TikTok to understand how retailers should approach marketing on their platforms. Pinterest  The opportunity to influence shoppers early is on Pinterest – the platform reaches 8.9 million Australians each month, and the average scroll time on Pinterest is said to be three times slower than on other social media platforms. “Pinners are planners. We recommend starting early to ensure you’re present when shoppers are researching and making a decision about what they want to buy,” Natasa Tintor, Independent Agency Lead of Pinterest ANZ, told Inside Retail.. According to Tintor, the most common mistake brands can make in the lead-up to the sale season is not activating early enough.  “Pinners are active on the platform right up to BFCM, researching and planning for their next purchase,” she stated. “If brands aren’t visible when shoppers are making their decisions, then they will miss the opportunity to become part of the consideration set.” To ensure creative effectiveness in campaigns, brands are recommended to follow Pinterest’s four “Cs”: context, embrace mobile-first design; content, tell relevant stories that blend art, words and sound; craft, use high-performing layouts and adopt tips such as decentering the layout and using movement; and colour, use brightness and colour. “Pinterest is a visual search and discovery platform, so the best-performing organic content is high-quality, visually compelling, and optimized for search,” Tintor said. Tintor encouraged brands to utilise eye-catching Pins, relevant keywords in Pin titles, post consistently so the account is ‘always on’ and tap into the Pinterest Trends tool to create seasonal and in-demand content. TikTok The opportunity to engage with a new audience is on TikTok – the platform has over 9.5 million users whose average age is 33 years old and spend 90 minutes a day in the app. TikTok recommends that if brands want to win in Q4, retail’s peak trading season, planning and execution start now. “The most common mistake brands make is underestimating how early the consumer journey begins,” Nhi Le, head of agency partner at TikTok AUNZ, told Inside Retail. “While many brands launch campaigns in November, our data shows that consumers on TikTok are already in a discovery and research phase as early as October,” she added. Since the platform is one of the best platforms for customer growth, acquisition is one of the best tools at brands’ disposal for BFCM campaigns. “To maximise success, brands need to start building their strategy and momentum early,” Le shared. “By engaging with our community and capturing intent in October, they are far better positioned to convert that demand effectively during the peak season,” she continued. For fashion brands, this means quick visual demonstrations like customer testimonials, clothing hauls, and store reviews. For beauty brands, it’s about building trust through authentic demonstrations. Top-performing content includes skincare routines, product reviews, and makeup tutorials.