- Weather data can help marketers understand better how to reach consumers, according to Randi Stipes, CMO of The Weather Company.
- Seasonal weather is no longer predictable, and consumers want more information than ever before.
- Stipes spoke to Insider during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Even though people might have been stuck at home during the early days of the pandemic, weather enthusiasts still wanted to know what was going on outside.
“There was a segment of audience who was craving more information,” said Randi Stipes, CMO of The Weather Company. “Which prompted us to get into the subscription business.”
Stipes spoke to Insider during the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. She said that brands can learn a lot about reaching consumers from weather data. “We’re creating mechanisms that more dynamically help a brand reach the consumer depending on where they are, depending on how they are experiencing weather,” she said.
For example, in Miami, a temperature of sixty-two degrees is basically a cold snap, causing consumers to behave in a certain way. “But sixty-two degrees in Omaha, Nebraska might be a little bit warm,” she said, “Which is going to prompt people there to behave and consume things differently.”
It was those types of data insights that prompted IBM to acquire The Weather Company six years ago. “When we were acquired, a lot of people scratched their heads, [asking]”Why is IBM buying a weather company?” Stipes said. “It’s really about the power of the data. We now have the technology and the resource from IBM to supercharge our business and to evolve from a very reputable and trusted publisher, to a technology company.”
The climate crisis has increased the relevance of reliable weather information, she says. “There are no longer predictable seasons. It used to be there was a set tornado season, a set hurricane season. We’re seeing a thirty-degree swing in temperature in some cities.”
