With growing customer awareness of climate change, Black Friday isn’t what it used to be. More and
more, customers are grouping the ultra-consumerist holiday with unofficial holidays (like Valentine’s
Day) that create nothing but mountains of plastic wrapping, and thousands of tons of CO2.
Critics
point to the fact that holidays like these just serve to deepen the black hole of consumerism and
speed up the pace of planet’s destruction - and that more often than not end up with last year’s m
ust-haves being thrown in the trash.
Today’s consumer is looking for solutions that not only meet their daily requirements, and carry
meaning, but which also have less of an impact on the environment. We are seeing brands embrace
this trend by turning discounts into charity contribution and companies providing deals that
exchange materialism for meaning, in order to help consumers invest in themselves and their
futures– whether through education, charity, personal experiences or even helping their
communities.
Here’s a few Black Friday deals that are really breaking the mould:
HyperionDev, Southern Africa’s largest tech educator, has released a money-back "job guarantee
after you graduate" deal to all students enrolling during Black Friday (November 29).
It’s a novel concept, and one
where
HyperionDev
commits to refund all tuition payments during Black Friday to any student who
does not get a given a job offer within six months of graduating from one of their coding bootcamps
on time (T&Cs apply).
HyperionDev will assist with the career support, recruitment, and job
placement part of the deal, effectively placing the graduate in his or her first job.
And this money-
back guarantee is on top of the traditional Black Friday discount: HyperionDev is offering 20% off
tuition costs on registrations between 11 and 24 November 2019.
Digital insurance brand
Sanlam Indie
has turned Black Friday on its head with a deal that effectively
pays you back the money you spent on the day.
The company says that they’re hoping the campaign
will inspire South African consumers to be responsible on Black Friday and look after their most
important asset first, themselves.
Sanlam Indie matches up to 100% of every customer’s monthly life
insurance premium into an ever-growing investment account, called Wealth Bonus. Get any Sanlam
Indie policy from Friday 29 November (Black Friday) to Monday 2 December (Cyber Monday) and
they'll kickstart your Wealth Bonus with up to R5000.
The Western Cape Blood Service is encouraging consumers to skip Black Friday altogether and take
the time out to donate blood.
“With the upcoming Festive Season, the demand for blood increases.
T
he Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) therefore appeals to all eligible donors to escape the
Black Friday rush and any guilty feelings about shopping too much – come and do the ultimate
selfless act - put your feet up and donate blood,” says Irene van Schalkwyk, Head of Marketing and
PR.
