Benefits From Extreme Weather? Making

¶ … Benefits from Extreme Weather?

Making Weather a Selling Event

Heavy rains, tornados, massive snowfall amounts and the change of seasons can be a marketer's best friend. The use of weather as a means to change consumer behavior has been a practice many consumer products goods manufacturers rely on to increase the sales of their products. The best known is Campbell's Soup Company, which has successfully engrained rainy weather with consuming more soup to stay healthy (Dobson, 2003).

Weather Can Be a Marketers' Best Friend

Retailers located in the Midwest and Northern U.S. states also rely on the "stock up" metaphor during changes of seasons, as there are often major downpours, tornados, and in the winter, snow storms. This continues to be a very effective strategy during the winter months, when snow and ice can make travel just down a local street treacherous. The use of these metaphors and the appeal to consumers' being prepared for these events can led to up to three months or more of dried food provisions and paper goods being stockpiled in anticipated of a weather emergency (Schwartz, 1992). The use of weather as a marketing strategy has also been seen in the southern U.S., were the temperate climates are conducive to bugs and pests. Sales of bug repellents are greatest in these states as high humidity has been successfully linked with the threat of flying insect outbreaks (Schwartz, 1992).

There are entire companies devoted to studying the interrelationship of weather and consumer purchasing patterns. These companies include Automatic Forecasting Systems and Weather Predict, Inc. (Sivillo, Reilly, 2004). The services they provide include assisting food and beverage providers with demand planning based on weather patterns in critical demographic markets. These companies work with beer companies Anheuser-Busch for example to predict peak demand for their beverages in the late July and August time periods when temperatures are the highest throughout all regions of the U.S. These companies complete assessments and analysis of brand perception and also test new advertising programs that underscore the refreshing experience of drinking cold beer at events and when socializing with friends. Heineken has used these firms to plan out entirely new marketing campaigns that stress the reward aspects of their beers while consumers are engaged in fun events. The concept Heineken is trying to create is one of shared victory and reward for being at a social event when it is hot outside.