WTF is weather targeting? A video explainer

Sponsored by The Weather Company • January 27, 2026 •

As precise targeting and personalization become table stakes for marketing, variations of contextual targeting signals are emerging, offering teams impactful and privacy-forward methods for winning consumer attention. While product features certainly lead consumers to purchase products, it’s really how advertisers tap into a consumer’s mindset, motivation and emotional state at a given moment that moves the needle.

And one signal that universally drives behavior, impacting what people try, buy and how they feel is weather. From weather comes weather data, which can then power weather targeting — predicting the moments when weather shifts a consumer’s mindset toward purchase, delivering deeper emotional resonance that drives both immediate sales and long-term brand growth.

Weather data is one of the most durable, globally available and persuasive indicators accessible to marketers. This makes weather targeting a tactic advertisers can leverage to influence consumer behavior and, ultimately, action. Weather is the new evolution of contextual targeting; it predicts product relevance, inspires action and connects with consumers during emotive moments to provide brands with more relevant, privacy-compliant information.

“There’s so much in your own personal life that changes with the weather, and the same applies for businesses,” said Mandy Kageff, head of data partnerships at The Weather Company. “So, with your business in mind, when these conditions are present or expected to occur, sales can go up or down; in-store foot traffic can go up or website traffic go up. Weather as a decisioning signal ensures your messaging is only present when and where your audience is most receptive and going to take action.”

Learn more about weather targeting in this explainer video.