How to adapt your advertising strategy during heatwaves and extreme temperatures

Summer heatwaves radically transform consumer buying behaviour. When temperatures rise, priorities and needs shift, influencing how people respond to offers and advertisements. 

During heatwaves or periods of intense heat, advertisers can either suffer from these changes or adapt by adjusting their strategies to capture their audience's attention.

According to a study conducted by Mastercard, consumer spending in European cities has shown a clear adaptation to temperature variations over the past two summers.

The study confirms that as the heat intensifies, shopping behaviour changes dramatically, with consumers particularly turning more towards online shopping, leaving physical stores behind.

As climate becomes a key factor influencing consumer choices, businesses and advertisers must know how to rethink their advertising strategies based on weather forecasts to maximise their sales.

The impact of rising temperatures on consumer spending in Europe: Insights from the Mastercard study

Changes in shopping behaviour caused by rising temperatures

By analysing retail sales data across all types of payments, the Mastercard study reveals that European consumers adapt their spending according to weather conditions, a behaviour particularly evident during recent summers.

The study highlights several behavioural changes when temperatures rise:

• Strong summer tourist seasons and a record number of visitors in 2023 benefit the European economy, a trend observed since the pandemic.
• European consumers adjust their spending according to summer temperatures.
• At moderately warmer than normal temperatures (2-3°C above the 1991-2020 average), spending increases in several sectors, particularly in Northern Europe.
• Northern European cities see a increase in spending in restaurants and petrol stations on slightly warmer than normal days.
• In cases of extreme heat (5-8°C above average), consumers turn more to online shopping, especially for jewellery, electronics, furniture, and household items.
• The shift to online shopping on extremely hot days varies by sector and city, influenced by e-commerce penetration and consumer preferences.

Shift in spending towards online shopping during extreme heat days (varies by city)

The Mastercard study also shows that when summer temperatures reach extreme levels, consumers shift their spending online. 

Paris: Online spending during extreme heat days:

This chart shows the deviation in spending from the trend in Paris on extreme heat days. There is a significant drop in online spending in restaurants, while other categories (total retail sales, electronics, clothing, and furniture) show slight or near-zero positive deviations.

London: Online spending during extreme heat days :

In London, online spending increases on extreme heat days, particularly in the jewellery, home improvement, and electronics categories. Restaurants, furniture, and clothing also show an increase, but to a lesser extent.

Madrid: Online spending during extreme heat days :

In Madrid, the chart shows a strong increase in online spending for jewellery and a moderate rise for electronics. Conversely, spending on furniture and total retail sales are slightly down on these extreme heat days.

Extreme heat days are defined as having temperatures 5 to 8 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average, depending on the city. This range was determined by taking temperatures corresponding to 2 standard deviations above the mean for each city. 

The deviation in spending from the trend represents the difference between the growth rate of spending on a given day compared to the previous seven days.

For example, if spending increases by 6% on a day that is slightly warmer than normal, and the average growth rate for the previous seven days was 5%, then the deviation is 1 percentage point, indicating an increase in spending that day.

This Mastercard study highlights significant changes in European consumer shopping behaviour during periods of intense heat. These insights are important for advertisers looking to optimise their advertising campaigns, particularly in the field of DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home).

Key takeaways:

1. The variable impact of heat according to its intensity: behaviours differ between moderately hot days and periods of extreme heat.
2. Geographical disparity: consumer reactions vary by city and region in Europe.
3. The shift to e-commerce: during extreme heat, there is a clear trend towards favouring online shopping for certain product categories.
4. Sectoral opportunities: certain sectors, such as restaurants and petrol stations, see their sales increase on warmer-than-normal days.

These behavioural changes pose both challenges and opportunities for advertisers using DOOH. How then can you effectively adapt DOOH advertising strategies to capitalise on these heat-related trends?

How to adapt DOOH advertising strategies during periods of intense heat

During periods of intense heat, it is essential to adapt DOOH advertising campaigns to maximise their effectiveness.

• Highlight refreshing products: Create impactful visuals showing how your products or services help cope with the heat.
• Incorporate urgency and relevance messages: Respond directly to current weather conditions.
• Raise awareness among your audience: Communicate on precautions to take during periods of intense heat and, where applicable, on the benefits of your products.

• Move from offline to online: Use DOOH to remind people of online shopping options during extreme heat days, particularly for categories experiencing an increase in online spending.
• Integrate your channels: Align DOOH campaigns with other channels (social media, mobile advertising) for a cohesive marketing strategy.

• Launch seasonal promotions: Offer special heat-related deals (discounts on refreshing items, happy hours on cold drinks).
• Manage your stock: Take advantage of heatwaves to clear out seasonal product inventories.

•  Adjust your ads according to specific weather conditions in each region.
• Optimise frequency: Increase the airing of relevant ads in hot areas.
• Choose strategic locations: Target places that maintain high traffic despite the heat (busy roads, car parks, cinemas).
• Optimise timings: Adjust broadcasts to target cooler times of the day during heatwaves.

Restaurants:

• Moderately hot days: Increase DOOH visibility near restaurants, especially in Northern Europe.
• Extreme heat: Promote delivery services or takeaway options.

Petrol stations and mobility:

• Intensify DOOH campaigns in these places on warmer days.
• Highlight travel-related products and refreshments for drivers.

Retail:

• Moderate heat: Emphasise in-store promotions.
• Extreme heat: Redirect to online shopping platforms, particularly for electronics and jewellery.

• Create impactful visual design: Design creative and visually engaging content tailored to urban and outdoor environments.
• Add interactivity: Incorporate interactive elements such as QR codes to facilitate consumer engagement.

• Leverage data: Use real-time data to adjust your campaigns according to weather conditions and consumer behaviour.
• Use optimisation tools: Employ DOOH platforms like Glooh to dynamically adjust your campaigns.
• Track performance: Analyse the effectiveness of your ads and adjust your messages and locations accordingly.

By applying these strategies, you can not only maintain the effectiveness of your DOOH campaigns during periods of intense heat but also leverage them to strengthen your brand image and optimise your sales.

Examples of DOOH campaigns adapted to periods of intense heat

Perrier Campaign

Wall's Campaign

link to the article 

Neutrogena Campaign

Sunscreen campaign when UV index is high 

Other examples 

Conclusion

Summer heat significantly alters consumption habits in Europe, offering DOOH advertisers an opportunity to capture consumer attention effectively and relevantly.

By understanding changes in shopping behaviour and adapting your advertising campaigns accordingly, you can maximise the impact of your ads and proactively meet consumer needs.

For a successful DOOH strategy, it is crucial to remain agile and use the available data to refine your approaches in real-time. By considering these tips and insights, you can not only improve the performance of your campaigns but also offer added value to your audiences during periods of intense heat.