Insights from Ben Radack at the Foxwell Meet-Up at NYC
Why It Matters
Black Friday gets treated as a revenue sprint, but Ben Radack argues the bigger opportunity is acquiring new customers who keep buying after the sale. His playbook starts with auditing last year’s new-customer CAC and LTV to see what you can afford to pay this year. From there, he lays out a structure that stops existing customers from soaking up budget: one CBO campaign with separate ad sets for existing customers (capped at 25% of spend), new customers with offer-led ads, and new customers with evergreen winners. A duplicate highest-value campaign reaches fresh audiences, and AI helps speed up creative production. Brands that default to retargeting past buyers, who can be reached for free via email, risk filling peak season with sales they would have gotten anyway.
Who This Is For
Built for Founders members running Meta ads for DTC brands heading into Black Friday, especially media buyers and agencies who need a campaign structure, offer ideas, and a plan for what to do if sales slow mid-event. Most useful if you haven’t yet reviewed last year’s Black Friday CAC and LTV, or if your campaigns tend to over-spend on existing customers.
When you think of Black Friday marketing, you might picture a mad dash to squeeze every last dollar out of the year’s biggest sales event. But according to Ben Radack, founder of a boutique Meta ads agency and creative studio, the real opportunity lies in acquiring new customers and setting up long-term retention.
At the Foxwell NYC meet-up, Ben broke down his whole playbook for crushing Black Friday with Meta ads. We’re talking everything from picking your offer to making high-performing creative. Let’s get into the good stuff.
1. Rethink Your Black Friday Goals
Everyone says Black Friday is all about squeezing out as much revenue as you can. But if you’re paying attention, you know it’s also the perfect time to bring in a bunch of new customers and turn them into loyal fans.
Ben recommends shifting some of your focus from pure sales to acquiring as many new customers as possible and ensuring your campaign structure supports that goal.
2. Audit Last Year’s Offer (and Results)
Before you even think about launching new ads, take a minute to look back at what worked last year.
What was your new customer cost per acquisition (CAC) during Black Friday?
Can you afford that same CAC this year, considering any changes to your margins or costs (tariffs, supply chain, etc.)?
What was the lifetime value (LTV) of customers acquired during Black Friday compared to those acquired during regular months?
If your Black Friday buyers don’t stick around as long, you’ll want to keep your CAC lower. But if they’re super valuable, you can afford to spend a bit more to get them in the door. Tools like Lifetimely on Shopify make it easy to break this down by product and cohort.
The email marketers actually read.
Actionable ideas you can put to work the same day you get them.
3. Craft This Year’s Offer
If last year’s main offer isn’t going to cut it this time, or you just want a backup plan in case things slow down, here’s what Ben suggests:
Smaller discounts
Free gifts with purchase (adds perceived value)
Tiered offers (e.g., spend $75, get a travel wash; spend $100, get a bundle)
Bundling products for a higher-value deal
Test and select an offer that’s compelling but sustainable.
4. Build a Smart Campaign Structure
Here’s how Ben likes to set up his Black Friday Meta ads:
One CBO (Campaign Budget Optimization) campaign using highest volume (not cost or bid caps)
Three ad sets:
1 for existing customers (730-day pixel, plus email list uploads)
1 for new customers with offer-focused ads
1 for new customers with evergreen “winner” ads, just adding Black Friday banners or text
Exclude recent purchasers (last 30 days) from seeing Black Friday ads
Set maximum spend limits on ad sets. Start with 25% for existing customers to avoid cannibalizing new customer acquisition
This split keeps spend from overrunning existing customers (who you can reach via email) and prioritizes new customer growth.
5. Duplicate for Highest Value Campaigns
To tap into new audiences, duplicate your Black Friday campaign and switch the objective to highest value. Remove the ad set targeting existing customers, and focus the two remaining ad sets solely on new customer acquisition. Exclude all past purchasers and website visitors to avoid overlap.
Keep an eye on your CPMs, who’s actually seeing your ads, and which creatives are getting the most love. That’s how you’ll know if you’re hitting a new crowd.
6. Attribution, Management, and Optimization
Attribution: Ben recommends the default 7-day click/1-day view setting. Compare attribution settings for a more “honest” view if needed.
Management: Adjust spend limits as needed to keep the campaign focused on new customers. Use audience segment breakdowns in Meta to track where your spend is going.
Optimization: Use cohort analysis tools (Lifetimely, Shopify, ChatGPT plugins) to measure LTV by product and offer type. Lead with high-LTV products.
7. Leverage AI for Creative Production
Streamline ad production by connecting ChatGPT to tools like Motion and Higgsfield. Have AI review last year’s ads and performance, then generate new images and even video edits for Black Friday offers. But don’t be afraid to do manual tweaks for speed and quality.
8. What If Sales Slow Down?
If your main Black Friday offer starts to fizzle out after a week or two, don’t freak out. Instead of switching up your main deal (which can annoy people who just bought), toss in a limited-time bonus or a free gift on your landing page. It bumps up the value without messing with your whole campaign.
9. Don’t Ignore Evergreen Winners
Don’t turn off your evergreen winners during Black Friday. Keep them running and keep testing new creative. When the Black Friday rush is over and things slow down, use cost caps or bid caps to keep your results tight.
10. Final Q&A Insights
Flighting Periods: Start Black Friday when your competitors do. Use AI to monitor their promos for real-time adjustments.
Budget Split: Aim to spend no more than 25% on existing customers; put the rest into new acquisition.
Email vs. Paid: Remember, you can always reach existing customers via email for free.
Post-Event Efficiency: After Black Friday, cost caps help manage spend as demand wanes.
Takeaway:
Use Ben Radack’s Black Friday Meta ads strategy to focus on new customer acquisition, optimizing offer structure, and leveraging AI for creative and analysis. In so doing, you’ll build a campaign that pays off long after Black Friday.
Ready to plan your own winning campaign? Start by looking at last year’s numbers, set up your ads for growth, and keep testing. Ben’s blueprint is something you can use again and again.
Replay · Foxwell Founders NYC 2026
Watch Ben Radack's full talk, "Black Friday on Meta"
His exact BFCM campaign build, the ad set spend limits that stop Meta from chasing easy revenue, and what to do when the offer loses steam. It's one of 8 sessions in our Q4 Media Buying Crash Course, built to get your account ready before Black Friday.
