We're officially in the Q4 death match.
Most brands are about to light their money on fire in a costly war for new customers. They'll pay insane CPMs just to acquire a one-time, low-AOV buyer. It's a losing game, and it's why so many brands are "growing" but never actually making a profit.
The smartest operators aren't playing.
We spend all year testing offers and cohorts for our partners so we know exactly what levers to pull when it really matters. The real, sustainable edge isn't just in your ads; it's in your cart.
The game is no longer about acquiring more customers. It's about acquiring more profitable customers. This isn't about sleazy sales tactics; it's about behavioral economics. As one expert put it, "When shoppers see bundled offers, they perceive greater value. It's the magic of behavioral economics".
Here’s how to use that magic to win the holidays.
The Anchor Flip: How to Frame Your Price
Humans are terrible at knowing what something is actually worth. We rely on the first price we see (the "anchor") to decide if something is a good deal.
Most brands get this backward. They list prices from cheapest to most expensive, hoping to "upsell" you.
The winning move is to flip it. Jimmy Kim shared this powerful pricing framework:
"Complete System": $197 (Positioned first as the anchor)
"Core Bundle": $97 ("Just the essentials")
"Starter": $47
By anchoring the customer at $197, the $97 "Core Bundle" suddenly looks like an incredible, reasonable deal. You've psychologically reframed "expensive" and guided them to the exact option you wanted them to choose.
The Decoy Effect: The Easiest Way to Win
This is one of the most powerful pricing hacks ever. It involves introducing a third, slightly worse option (the decoy) to make your target option look like a no-brainer.
The classic example is The Economist's subscription model:
Web-Only Subscription: $59
Print-Only Subscription: $125 (The Decoy)
Web + Print Subscription: $125 (The Target)
No rational person would ever choose "Print-Only" when they can get both for the same price. The decoy's only job is to make the "Web + Print" option look like an irresistible deal. In CPG, this looks like an expensive, oversized bundle making your mid-tier bundle look like a steal.
Your Q4 AOV Toolkit (And the Trap to Avoid)
Beyond the pricing page, you need to implement this psychology across the entire customer journey.
Product Bundles: This is the easiest win for BFCM. It simplifies shopping by leveraging convenience and perceived value.
Custom Bundle Builders: Give the customer control. "Build Your Own Bundle" (BYOB) features increase engagement and AOV by letting customers create their own packages, often with tiered discounts that incentivize adding more.
Post-Purchase Upsells: One of the highest-converting tactics. Present a relevant, one-click offer after the initial transaction is complete. This is far more effective than an aggressive upsell at checkout.
But avoid the "Bundle Trap."
Felipe Michelin warns against overwhelming customers by offering frequency, quantity, and product selections all on the same page. The best brands use a 2-step commitment. Step 1: Choose your products. Step 2: Choose your frequency. Don't make them do all the work at once.
The Contrarian Take: When to Unbundle for 10x Revenue
While bundling is powerful, Lincoln Murphy shared a counterintuitive strategy for advanced operators: strategic unbundling.
He noted you can sometimes achieve "10x revenue" on the same feature if you "stop bundling it into the initial sale".
The play?
Keep your initial purchase price lower by unbundling a high-value feature (like shipping insurance or a premium add-on).
This converts more customers upfront in the noisy Q4 environment.
Then, offer the unbundled, high-margin add-on as a post-purchase upsell to customers who have already committed.
This dramatically increases the overall Lifetime Value (LTV) of that customer.