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The Big Impression
The Weather Company's Dani Feore on how the elements can be a predictor of consumer behavior
00:20:55
Dani Feore, VP of Industry and Data Partnerships at The Weather Company, explains how weather-driven mindsets are helping marketers anticipate emotions, improve ROI, and move from reactive to adaptive marketing on The Big Impression podcast.
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- [00:00]
A
I'm damien fowler.
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B
And I'm ilyce lefring.
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A
And welcome to the big impression.
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B
This week, a question. What if your best performing campaign depended on the weather?
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A
Not metaphorically, literally.
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B
Today we're joined by Dani Fiore, VP of industry and data partnerships at the weather company.
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A
She leading Wired for Weather, a campaign showing how climate conditions influence consumer mood
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in real time and how smart marketers are are already using that to their advantage.
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A
So today we're exploring how marketers can use weather as more than just a backdrop and start treating it like a strategy. Wired for Weather. It sort of reframes weather from a targeting signal to an emotional one. So could you explain like the little bit of. A little bit of the fundamentals behind it?
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C
Yes. So we've always known that weather impacts consumers moods and their choices, but we wanted to back that up with hard data and also to prove just how predict predictable the connection between the two really are. And I love, you know what this research shows is, or it proves that weather isn't just something that's happening around you. It's actually happening physically in your brain. And because 90% of all the decisions we make every single day are happening in the subconscious, weather has a profound ability to help influence what those decisions are. And so having this scientific proof allows us to show marketers that weather is a reliable and accurate way for us to predict consumer behaviors and consumer intent.
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A
Could you say a little bit more about the neuroscience behind it?
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C
Yes. We literally had people's brains wired and we monitored brain activity while they were consuming advertising in different weather conditions. And from that, we can understand what parts of their brains are activating during which weather conditions. And from there, we derived four distinct consumer mindsets. The first one is creating. And so think about a beautiful, sunny, clear day. In this mindset, people's engagement was through the roof. People were open, energized, and just overall more positive. And so from a brand perspective, advertising messages that relayed more of a new product launch or a new service or a new series premiere, those are the types of messages that really resonated in that type of a consumer mindset. So the next one is relishing. This one is a little bit more of a cloudy, overcast type of a day, a little bit more neutral weather. People's mindset, they're a little bit more meh. Right. A little bit more introspective. And so brand messages that have bold colors or bold messaging around it tend to resonate more with that type of a mindset. The next one is Enduring. This one is more of that severe weather, stormy, freezing cold. Consumers also have a lot of energy in this mindset, but it's a, it's a little bit more adrenaline based. They are more concerned about their own safety, the safety of their loved ones. And so messages that convey more of a security, reassurance type of a message really resonate in that type of a mindset. And then the last one we call cocooning, this is like really hot, humid days. Think about, you know, being lazy and lethargic, a little unfocused. People want to stay inside. And so the types of messages that resonate within this mindset are those that you know, are clear and simple. You don't have to do a lot of work to understand it and maybe even a little bit of entertaining just to kind of pick them up a little bit. But I think the, the key takeaway is that the brand messaging really needs to match the emotional state that a consumer is in to, to really resonate and make an impact.
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B
You know, as someone with, who suffers a little bit from seasonal, seasonal depression, if you will, I definitely understand. Yeah, that makes sense to me.
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I would tell you that seasonal depression, it can be both cocooning and, and relishing.
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B
Right?
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You just need a sex, you need a little bit more of a pick me up to, to bring you out, but, or to just make things stand out more in general.
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A
When did you roll out this, this research?
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C
Even though the research was conducted about a year ago, the results only came out a little bit more recently. But we have worked with marketers, you know, to execute on some of these weather driven mindsets. And basically what happens is when you're matching that emotional state with a message that resonates, the results follow. And on average we're seeing about a 20% increase in ROI when they're executing on the strategy. For example, we are working with a coffee house brand that, to use weather targeting to help them reach consumers in that creating mindset, specifically reaching people in the moments when that weather is turning from summer to that fall cool weather, to help them promote their new seasonal coffee offerings. And we help them increase purchase intent for that. And then we're working with brands like McCormick who would like to promote their grilling products to that more of that relishing mindset because this is the type of person who is more likely to take the time and savor a meal. And so we've been able to help them increase both brand favorability and brand awareness metrics.
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B
It's certainly a move from more reactive to like predictive marketing. Is there any other way you're helping brands kind of like act on those weather signals before the behavior change and not even like during?
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C
Yeah, so absolutely. We use both current and forecasted conditions to help get ahead of those behavior changes. But I think one of the most interesting findings that came out of the research was this sort of moment of discovery. So when somebody is checking the weather and they see something good in the forecast, a sunny day, whether that's that day or in their 10 day forecast, there's this instant moment of positivity and openness. And brands that are, you know, visible during those moments sort of benefit from that halo effect. Right. The brain sort of creates this signature of openness. And any brand that shows up in that moment can help to influence what that consumer does next.
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A
I guess you have interesting geographical insights as well that you can potentially share.
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C
Oh, 100%. I think one of the most important things that we've uncovered is that people's reactions to the weather are very predictable and universal based on how the weather makes them feel. But how the weather feels is very relative to where they are located. So for instance, take 50 degrees in Chicago in the winter. This actually feels quite warm, right? People are outside, they're going for a run, they're walking their dogs, they're not wearing coats, they're drinking iced coffee and they're feeling energized and optimistic. Right. But that same 50 degrees here in Miami and it's like the apocalypse, it's freezing, people are wearing coats, they or they're hunkered inside and they're eating hot soup and they're binge watching their favorite show. Right? That's two same temperatures on the same day, but two very different, different sets of reactions and behaviors. And understanding those nuances down to the hyperlocal level is really the true foundation for us to be able to predict consumer behaviors and intent.
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B
How about when a campaign is actually live and maybe the weather shifts like really quickly, what happens then? Are you able to, I guess, direct the brand to on the fly, change their campaign tactic? How does that work?
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C
Yeah, absolutely. So our weather signals work in real time. And so anytime a weather signal is applied to a campaign, it will only run in the areas that are experiencing that very specific set of weather conditions. Right. Because it's not just one, it's a condition mix at that local level that causes somebody to feel a certain way. And so the signals that we have are meant to be dynamic and so they'll only run in those specific areas.
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At any given moment.
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C
It's actually a core of what we do and how we partner with brands. But I do think that there is opportunity to incorporate some more of these neurological insights and also incorporate it more holistically into their overall strategy versus just a creative execution because of the implications that it has on consumer behavior and business results. Yeah. I mean, again, we do work with many marketers to help them dynamically adjust their creative as it relates specifically to the weather. And so McCormick, did you know if it was sunny outside? They, you know, the weather messaging in the background is very relevant to what that consumer is experiencing because we also find that the more relevant the message is to the consumer, the more they're likely to act on it. I think as it relates to the mindset marketing, that is sort of that next wave. That is how we work with marketers next. Right. How do we get them to. Because these research results just came out and I think there is an opportunity for them to really incorporate these into their creative strategy to help them message more effectively to the mindsets. Right. Because the mindset findings that we have are relatively new.
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B
What has this campaign really taught you about understanding those audiences?
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C
Yes. As most marketers focus on who to target, we're saying that you also need to focus on the when and the where. Right. Because. And more specifically, when a consumer is in a mindset based on what the weather conditions are that they're experiencing. And we're not saying that you need to abandon an audience strategy. We're saying that this actually complements it. You're still reaching the target audience that you're wanting to reach. You're just reaching them in a mindset where they're more receptive and open to receiving that message and more so if you are considering the who, the when and the where, it gives you a more complete view of who that target audience is. And that can help a brand message to them more effectively. You know, it's funny, the. The example that I normally use for that. I mean, weather, listen, I've worked for weather for very many years, and I think that there's an application for every single vertical. I specifically, you know, have focused on healthcare for, you know, most of my career at weather. And there are a lot of intuitive synergies between weather and health. Right. There's the allergies, there's the cold and the fl. Anything respiratory driven, but there's aches and pains like headaches and arthritis, there's psoriasis, there's atopic dermatitis, there's mental health. Right. There's so much more applicability for weather in the healthcare space. But there's one that, you know what, what I like to talk about sometimes is around the non intuitive weather related, or I would say mindset related. Right. Because there are indications that are not related to weather, for instance, oncology. Right. And this speaks very, very, this speaks very keenly to sort of that mindset. Right. Think about the creating mindset. It's sunny, it's clear, people are positive, they're feeling more energized. Right. And so this is the time when somebody might be more receptive to a message about their care or a medicine that might help them with their condition. It might actually make them feel a little bit more optimistic about what their outlook is and more open to talking to their doctor about certain medications. Again, it's a sensitive topic, but there is really something to be said for, you know, how the weather makes somebody feel and how receptive they might be to that, to that message, even in the most severe of times.
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A
Now, was there anything else in the findings that challenged assumptions that marketers may have held for years?
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C
So less so about challenging old assumptions, but more about the discovery that emotions can be predicted before they even happen and how real world signals like the weather can really help influence what that decision making process is before a purchase is even made. And then brands can understand the receptivity of their brand message even earlier than they ever realized. Right. And I think we're really just starting to scratch the surface in terms of how powerful weather can be as a contextual signal.
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A
All right, let's do this. One learning.
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B
So Danny, what's one learning from this initiative that you think will stick with you as the industry evolves?
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C
Yes, I think that emotions can be predicted more reliably and accurately than most people realize, especially marketers. And this work shows that real world conditions, especially the weather, can give us very tangible ways to understand it and anticipate it. And that has huge implications for how marketers or how marketing evolves from reactive to adaptive.
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B
So looking at the bigger picture, we, I mean we've been talking a lot about how data has been affecting marketing and marketers. There's obviously a big thing on marketers minds right now, and that's AI. And how do you see that then accelerating what you do when it comes to the weather, especially when it comes to that predicting behavior?
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C
Yeah, I mean AI is foundational to every single thing that we do. It's what powers the scale and the accuracy of our forecasting. And that accuracy is what enables us to provide stronger behavioral predictions. It also helps us process huge amounts of data, both atmospheric data as well as research, which helps us better understand how the weather is impacting consumer behavior. And, you know, our weather, if we can consider our weather is the signal, but AI is what helps make it more actionable for marketers.
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A
Yeah, that's interesting. It's absolutely speeding everything up. But it also, is it able, I guess it can help optimize all sorts of things feeding into that off track of that data?
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C
Yes, we use, I mean, obviously we have over 40 years of historical weather data, but we also use first and third party data sets to help us really understand what that means for specific industries and verticals.
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Right.
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We talked about healthcare before. Right. We use not only medical research to understand what the weather's relevance are on symptoms for different conditions, but we also use third party research in terms of medical claims data to help understand what weather condition mixes drive people to go see their doctor or hospital visits and, you know, prescription refills and just insurance claim, insurance claims in general. And so being able to extract those insights and develop a signal to help a marketer, you know, target that audience in real time is really foundational to what AI is helping us do. In terms of weather. We provide the context and that says a lot about the intent versus using solely some of the, you know, more invasive audience based models. So as weather becomes more volatile and seasonal patterns become less predictable, it's becoming more commercially important and brands really can't afford to ignore it.
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B
Do you think marketers are actually underestimating just how much weather and the environment in general really kind of drives consumer choice?
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Okay. There's a stat from the NRF that says that there is no other external factor that influences consumer demand more frequently or as meaningfully as the weather. And I think many marketers mistake a true weather strategy for simple seasonal planning, like, you know, promoting iced coffee during the summer. But it's so much more nuanced than that. Weather influences mood, mindset, timing and readiness to act. And that makes it a much bigger lever than many people realize.
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What is one thing marketers misunderstand about data?
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C
I think that more data is better. That is absolutely not true. I think relevance and quality of the data matter more than the quantity.
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What's more powerful today, Audience targeting or moment based targeting?
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Moment based targeting, hands down, because it really helps to capture the mindset that people are in when decisions are actually being made.
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What is one signal brands should be paying more attention to right now?
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I think it's that moment of discovery I talked about earlier, that willingness and openness, the moment they see, you know, good weather in their forecasts, where their emotions are heightened and brands have a real opportunity to influence consumers decisions.
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Well, what's one trend in marketing you think is over complicated?
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The over reliance on complex audience targeting methods when context can tell you so much more about consumer intent.
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What is one word you'd use to describe where marketing is headed next?
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Adaptive.
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A
And that's it for this edition of the Big Impression.
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This show is produced by Molten Heart. Our theme is by Love and Caliber, and our associate producer is Sydney Cairn.
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And remember, weather influences mood, mindset, timing, and readiness to act. And that makes it a much bigger lover than many people realize.
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A
I'm Damian.
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And I'm Aylase.
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And we'll see you next time.