Understanding Weather-Driven Consumer Behaviour
Weather's Impact on Moods
People tend to feel better and have more energy on bright days, which motivates them to spend more money on outdoor activities. On the other hand, because they feel drowsy or short on energy, people are more likely to stay indoors when it’s dreary or rainy outside. Comfort food consumption may rise as a result, or a desire for entertainment options available at home may develop. By recognising these mood swings, marketing professionals can adapt their strategies to the present environment and better cater to their target audience’s preferences by changing product recommendations and promotions.
Understanding How Weather Affects Social Media Engagement
How Weather Affects User Engagement on Social Media
Facebook and University of California researchers teamed up to investigate how status updates affect the emotions of those who read them.
With the inclement weather, there was a 1.16% increase in negative Facebook posts and a 1.19% decrease in good posts. A person’s friends’ dissatisfied posts increased by 1.29% with every unfavourable update. Happier status updates also have the same effect as a spike in Facebook posts, so it’s not simply lousy weather that causes this phenomenon. It was discovered that positive updates caused an individual’s friends to post an extra 1.75% of their own happy moods.
These statistics demonstrate how emotional states can “emotionally contagion”—or ripple effect—within social circles via social media, with weather serving as a potential trigger. It appears that positive posts have a little higher viral impact than negative posts, which is something that marketers should be aware of. However, how can businesses and organisations use this data to better utilise social media marketing? The answer may lie in the following study:
Bad Weather Actually Increases Social Media Engagement
An analysis of the average interaction with 1500 German Facebook pages in 2013 was conducted. Fanpage Karma assessed interactions on the 1500 pages, the weather was scored for each day of the year in 2013. There was a clear relationship between the quantity of post interactions and the weather, with fans responding 42% more frequently when there was no sunshine. Social media engagement increased significantly on rainy summer weekends, with post interaction rising by 90%. There is still a noticeable difference between the three seasons—spring, autumn, and winter—with 39% more reactions on wet days compared to sunny ones, even though the increase in post reactions during the rainy season in summer was less pronounced.
Weather-Based Marketing Strategies
Tailoring Ads to Weather
Consumers are more inclined to interact with advertisements that depict their local surroundings. For instance, a clothes store might advertise umbrellas in the event of a rainstorm and sunglasses in the case of bright days. This degree of customisation raises the possibility of instant sales while also making the advertisement more relevant. Modern technologies, like weather apps, enable advertisers to dynamically modify their advertising content according to current meteorological information, guaranteeing that the appropriate goods are promoted at the appropriate moment. Email campaigns that are driven by the weather can also notify subscribers of offers that are opportune, such as sales on heating systems during a cold spell. Businesses can develop responsive marketing efforts that connect with customers more deeply by utilising weather data, which can increase engagement rates and boost sales success.
As a marketer, you need to equip yourself with the right tools to create successful weather-based marketing strategies. This is why we recommend the Strategic Brand Management online course offered by the IMM Institute. This course explores the foundation of strategic brand management, brand positioning and brand contact management, managing brands over time, and designing marketing programmes to build brand equity in the digital world. Amongst other things, marketers would learn how to use new perspectives in marketing, integrated marketing, key issues for branding in the digital era, social media marketing and measurement. Follow the link to find out more: https://www.immonlinecourses.co.za/courses/Strategic-Brand-Management
Engaging CTAs for Seasonal Campaigns
To have the greatest possible impact, timely, relevant, and weather-appropriate CTAs are essential. CTAs like “Stay Warm with Our Cosy Sweaters” or “Prep for Snow with Our Winter Gear” are a couple examples of what might be included in a winter campaign. These customised communications not only draw attention to the items’ seasonal relevance, but they also instil a sense of urgency in the audience, encouraging them to act right away.
Conclusion
Comprehending the complex correlation between meteorological conditions and consumer conduct presents marketers with a significant prospect to refine their approaches and stimulate involvement. Marketers can monitor the weather to influence their ads and marketing plans to take advantage of the customer’s emotions brought on by the weather. Consider enrolling in the IMM Institute’s Strategic Brand Management short course to build your skillset and take advantage of every opportunity offered to you.
