Nearly Half of Gen Z Are Dumping Brands Over This One Black Friday Mistake

The send costs almost nothing, but it’s spending the trust that makes your next email worth opening. Why your holiday calendar needs a reality check.

EXPERT OPINION BY TEMILOLA AGBEDE

What does a brand actually spend when it adds one more email to its Black Friday calendar? The send costs almost nothing, which is why holiday calendars keep filling up. The expense lands later, in a customer’s willingness to open the next one, leaving your brand with a big marketing mistake.

In its Holiday 2026 Consumer Survey, released in September 2026, the email software company Validity found that 47 percent of consumers say already trusting a brand factors into whether they open its holiday email, ahead of the 39 percent who cite discounts or promotions. Trust earns the open. The offer only gets its turn after that.

That........

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