Do people still read the Farmers’ Almanac? Apparently so. The 2009 Farmers Almanac was just released, and the predictions are spreading across the web. Snap, I like viral news, but I don’t like old stuff.
The almanac, which has a 192 year old history, claims an 80-85 percent accuracy rate for their weather predictions which are 2 years in advance. The Farmers’ Almanac, different from the "Old" Farmers’ Almanac, has expanded their brand into merchandise and online webcasts.
This year, the publication predicted colder-than-average temperatures which will be "catastrophic for millions of people."
For those people that prefer a little thing called ‘science’ the National Weather Service uses a trends-based outlook, which suggests warmer than normal weather.
I’m gonna bet on global warming and math this year…
Undying Superstition
Farmers' Almanac Predicts Cold Weather, People Still Care
Trend Themes
1. Continued Interest in Folklore and Superstitions - Brands can innovate by tapping into nostalgia and traditional beliefs.
2. Accuracy-based Marketing - Flexibility and fine-tuning can disrupt the traditional marketing of weather forecasting businesses.
3. Online Brand Extension - Brands can create additional revenue streams through merchandise and webcasts.
Industry Implications
1. Weather Forecasting - Innovations in predicting accuracy and marketing strategies can disrupt the industry.
2. Publishing - Brands can create extensions through merchandise and webcasts.
3. E-commerce - Online shops for various merchandise related to weather can be created and marketed.