Ray of hope for future forecasts

Iain Murray’s recent article about summer holiday insurance “Will we dive for cover?” (MW November 19) sheds a little sunshine on the use of weather cover to add value to promotions and marketing.

PIMS, the insurance broker, has pioneered the harnessing of weather to maximise sales, for example, by analysing weather patterns which trigger sales, or lack of them, and then using long range forecasts to time activity around future trigger points.

This can be carried out perhaps eight months in advance, so that the campaign has maximum impact combined with an insurance policy to reimburse the promoter if the trigger is not pulled.

The company, which represents many marketing services businesses, has access to forecasts offering up to 80 per cent accuracy many months in advance, and also uses this information to help film production companies locate and schedule shoots.

Charles O’Reilly

Director

PIMS

London W1