Trends & Takeaways: Weather Personalization is Getting Hotter

Despite the frigid weather and the endless news about snowstorms in the Northeast, here's one personalization and segmentation trend that is, in the words of Buster Pointdexter, "Hot, hot, hot!"

Should We Talk about the Weather?
Sleeting or Scorching, Surefire Ways to Get Attention

Latest Marketing Trend:
Over the past few weeks, inclement weather has made big headlines, especially in the northeastern part of the U.S. Smart marketers are taking advantage of the timeliness of snowstorms to get the more business. This strategy involves a very specific type of content personalization – a combination of timing and location. Accurately timed weather campaigns are popping up everywhere in creative ways, cutting through mundane clutter with relevant content.

Examples Include:

* Domino’s Pizza, advertising placement on local news “school closings” page (see example)

* Oriental trading company, weather-related content emailed to subscribers in states with snow

* Bounce U, geo-specific email messages related to school closings and their extended business hours

Takeaway:
Campaigns delivering eye-catching content no doubt get higher response and conversion rates. The relevancy created by time-sensitive geographical information, such as weather or news-driven subject lines, images and discounts, is invaluable. Staying on top of what’s going on in customers’ lives, including things like the weather which might normally seem insignificant, is important. Such a strategy can mean increased sales and even strengthens customer relationships by delivering what they expect.

How To:
In order to seize weather-related opportunities, marketers should plan ahead. Create content that speaks to the unique situations of subscribers. Here are a few ideas:

• Add RSS feeds of weather reports to create a sense of urgency for “hot” seasonal products or services. Using dynamic content, feeds can be customized based on subscriber state or zip code.
   
• Create display ad campaigns featuring discounts or special events related to school closings. Sponsor or partner with local news outlets for optimal placement.
   
• Businesses in warm states often hold “if it snows” promotions. Create excitement by frequently updating customers on the status of the contest. Add mobile content to reinforce geo-specific messaging.
   
• Create an email campaign to send later, such as one that uses Gold Lasso’s One-Click Alerts. Email campaigns can be queued but not executed until an authorized user takes a simple action (such as clicking a unique, administrator-only link).