Key findings in Sinch’s European Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) survey include:
• 63% of European customers expect to spend more or about the same as last year
• 54% of European customers would not trust AI recommendations over human recommendations for their BFCM shopping
• Sinch’s survey also found that email remains the leading engagement channel in Europe, with 58% of customers choosing it as their preferred way to interact with brands
• 40% of European consumers say they’re likely to engage with brands through RCS (Rich Communication Services) this year
Sinch recently unveiled the results of a new European survey ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM). The survey found that while 44% of customers believe AI would make their BFCM shopping easier, 40% said privacy and data use were their biggest concerns about using AI.
This comes as AI is quickly becoming a core part of customer engagement strategies across Europe. According to Sinch’s earlier State of Customer Communications report, 97% of global businesses plan to use AI in customer interactions, including chatbots and AI voice assistants.
The BFCM survey reveals that there is enormous potential and room for optimism for marketers. Practical use cases for other AI-powered customer communication are gaining traction, with 53% of consumers wanting AI-powered chatbots for order tracking, and 38% open to chatbot-based support.
The survey also found that while most Europeans (68%) are open to personalisation this Black Friday and Cyber Monday, fewer than half (47%) only support it if the personalisation is relevant. Globally, there has been a 43% year-on-year increase in consumers who say personalised messages feel invasive.
“With 97 percent of brands planning to embrace AI, our BFCM findings show that while consumers are open to specific use cases, they still have reservations,” said Anna Jäger, VP Marketing Europe, Sinch. “Brands must focus on when and where AI truly adds value, and communicate that clearly. Value, relevance, and transparency are essential to building stronger customer connections, not just automating processes or cutting costs.”
Other key takeaways: Unsurprisingly, email remains the preferred channel of choice
Black Friday and Cyber Monday remain a critical trading period for brands, with 58% of customers selecting it as their top choice, and 63% of European customers expecting to spend more or about the same as last year. To capture this opportunity, Sinch’s BFCM survey highlights the importance of building an omnichannel strategy that gives consumers choice and reflects evolving customer preferences.
Sinch’s survey found that most European respondents also want to hear about BFCM promotions through more than one channel, including
- Websites (36%)
- TV and radio ads (27%)
- WhatsApp (23%)
- Social media ads (28%) and
- SMS text messages (20%).
The results signal that while trusted channels continue to anchor customer communication strategies, emerging technologies are steadily reshaping expectations.
