How weather can make or break your spring break travel campaign

Look no further than The Weather Channel’s winter 2024 outlook to discover how the season is shaping up across the country. And as those chilly temperatures arrive, so does something else: spring break weather wanderlust. For marketers, this presents a golden opportunity to showcase exactly what travelers need to turn their daydreams into reality, from short-term packing decisions to long-term destination planning.

Strike while the iron is hot, but the temperatures are not

Nearly half of consumers admit that winter weather fuels their desire to escape to warmer destinations.¹ To help travel-related brands deliver real-time, personalized relevance, they can tap into weather’s proven influence on mindsets and behaviors. Bringing weather data together with impactful first and third-party datasets can enable better decisions for consumers, and a competitive edge for brands and businesses. So, when decision-making kicks in for the ultimate spring break travel adventure, we’ll help you reach consumers at the optimal time and place.

Weather impacts travelers emotionally and physically, making it a key factor for brands to consider. Because weather intelligence allows brands to reach people during specific conditions and when they are in the right mindset, marketers can use this valuable tool to influence consumer behaviors.

From choosing a beach or ski resort to deciding what to pack, the forecast plays a role throughout the entire travel journey. And let’s not forget the impact of weather on air travel — because nothing says “vacation vibes” like a surprise snowstorm canceling your flight. In fact, a recent Expedia Group report named “weather” as the top influencer of trip destinations for travelers considering multiple destinations. It’s no wonder 67% of people use The Weather Channel, the world’s most accurate forecaster, to research or plan their trips.²

Take it from Mother Nature: Real-time weather drives winning campaigns

Weather doesn’t only come into play when planning the perfect vacation during spring break, it shapes the trip itself. Nearly two-thirds of people say weather and travel conditions impact their enjoyment of a trip while more than half of travelers are open to trying new product brands during their travels.² This means all brands can benefit from using weather data to reach those travel-savvy consumers at the right moments.

Capturing that moment when consumers are in the right mindset, at the right time, is precisely the use case for Weather Targeting’s predictive and performant capabilities driving relevancy, action, and effective messaging. For instance, when a hotel brand wanted to increase awareness and consideration of its beachfront resorts, they leveraged Weather Targeting to efficiently reach consumers when cold, wintry, and rainy weather was present in their local area. Compared to third-party cookie targeting, using Weather Targeting to engage travelers and loyalty members helped their campaign break through the clouds:

Remember, the daily forecast isn’t just a local phenomenon; it’s universal. As the ultimate contextual signal, it influences every aspect and decision of people’s lives – consciously or not. It affects how we feel, what we do, where we go, and what we buy. In this late-winter limbo, kickstart spring travel campaigns by integrating weather targeting solutions and data into marketing plans to drive relevance, awareness, and ultimately, conversion.