Climate change is being felt everywhere. The worst is being felt on Canada’s ski hills. At the end of the last year, CBC reported that the country was experiencing an “historic drought” that led to snow-barren hills in British Columbia’s interiors. While us citizens are affected by the shift in weather patterns (and our penchant for adventure sports), does it have an impact on media advertising and ad demand, particularly when it comes to OOH placements?
Jennifer Bidwell, VP business solutions for Horizon Media, says climate change will have a substantial impact on how Canadians live and how Canadian companies will market their products. For example, she says the recent lack of snow from Whistler to the Laurentians delayed the start of a very busy and high demand ski season, forcing resort owners to rethink strategies for revenue including increasing daily rates and long-term investments in snowmaking.
Western Canada-based Rec Media works in partnership with ski resorts and recreational facilities to connect brands and their agency partners with the audiences in these facilities through advertising, sponsorships and experiential/activations. The agency’s president, Troy Sedgewick, says he’s thankful the shift in weather patterns hasn’t impacted its client’s activities. That’s due to several non-weather dependent indoor facilities such as ice arenas, soccer and curling centres being busier than ever, due to a boom in recreational activity and participation.
Sedgewick says, “In the aftermath of Covid, we’ve seen significantly strengthened interest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and activities related to Environment, Social & Governance (ESG). There’s a substantial CSR/ESG aspect to partnering with the facilities we work with, because many of them are not-for-profit societies, community associations, or towns and municipalities. Advertising within these venues offsets costs passed onto users, which enhances the quality of life in the communities where these facilities are located.”
With ski resorts, Sedgewick says most of the agency’s agreements are booked in the summer or early in the fall before the weather is known. “Our media agreements are structured such that some bonusing is already built-in, so we remain confident that our clients will get all or more of the eyeballs they paid for, even if skier participation is reduced by milder or, in the case of Western Canada, severe weather. In the end, we’ve found people still play hockey, soccer, ski and golf, irrespective of economic or environmental/weather conditions. We’re fortunate in this regard and remain bullish on the outlook for our place-based OOH networks in the years to come.”
Tropical storm seasons are also lingering longer, and air travel turbulence is worsening which may impact the post-Covid returns for airline and vacation travel categories but may also open new opportunities to market rail travel, for example, says Bidwell. Where she has seen some direct impact of climate in Canada has been on food and beverage with both QSR and CPG advertising.
“Seasonal releases of hot and or cold beverages can be thrown off by an unforecasted heat wave or chilly summer days, forcing companies to rethink their menu planning and potentially offer both cold and hot options of new and existing flavours. Advertisers will need to include this type of strategic thinking in their marketing plans and look to opportunities such as DCO (dynamic creative optimization) to allow for creative pivots when the temperature takes a turn to ensure sales targets are met.”
Amanda Dorenberg, president of COMMB (Canadian Out-of-Home Marketing and Measurement Bureau), says that COMMB closely monitors and analyzes various factors that influence OOH advertising, including environmental changes and the resultant shifts in traffic patterns.
“It’s true that certain weather conditions, like the milder winters or extreme heatwaves… can lead to changes in outdoor activities and traffic flows, it’s important to recognize the adaptability and resilience of the OOH medium,” says Dorenberg.
“Our industry is adept at evolving with changing circumstances, leveraging technology and data to optimize the reach and effectiveness of campaigns, regardless of external conditions. In times of less outdoor activity due to weather extremes, digital OOH platforms can pivot to target areas with higher foot traffic, such as shopping malls or transit systems. The flexibility of digital displays allows advertisers to adjust their messages in real-time, ensuring relevance and engagement even during unusual weather patterns.”
