Brand safety in advertising: How the world’s most accurate weather forecaster builds consumer trust at scale

A single misplaced ad can cost your brand more than just money – it can seriously erode consumer trust. In fact, 71% of consumers believe the content surrounding a brand’s ad is a reflection of its values.¹ That’s where The Weather Company’s digital properties, like The Weather Channel app and weather.com, stand apart.

Powered by the world’s most accurate forecast data,⁴ The Weather Channel digital ecosystem helps people live safer, smarter, healthier lives. That same purpose drives how we support brands. Through trusted, science-based insights and contextual precision, we create an environment that empowers both people and advertisers to make a meaningful impact, grounded in brand safety in advertising.

A must-have for millions = a must-have for marketers

We power over 25 billion personalized forecasts daily⁸ across 2.2 billion locations around the globe.⁹ As a result, our digital ecosystem attracts one of the largest weather audiences worldwide, but the real story is the depth of engagement. Our users spend quality time with our content, return daily, and almost 90% opt in to share their location data with us.¹⁰

Why The Weather Channel is brand safe

Science-first approach to content

Weather is uniquely safe because it’s rooted in science-based facts, not opinions. For decades, The Weather Channel has taken a science-first approach to everything we do. Our forecasts are built on real-time data from over 100 global models, powered by proprietary systems like GRAF^TMand our AI-optimized multi-model ensemble, WxMix. A rigorous process, augmented by expert meteorologists, allows us to create forecasts on demand tailored to specific locations and moments.

Privacy-forward

Our platform respects user privacy while maintaining the contextual relevance that drives performance. Premium Experiences are delivered based on real-time weather conditions through Weather Targeting, not intrusive tracking. This means marketers can align campaigns with the weather, not controversial or risky user-generated content. You can reach your audience in ways that feel timely, relevant, and genuinely useful.

Proven accuracy, transparent results

The Weather Channel’s forecasts are built on proof, not promises. Through Human-over-the-Loop (HOTL) intelligence and our proprietary Forecasts on Demand (FOD) engine, we combine human expertise with advanced AI to deliver hundreds of thousands of personalized, real-time updates every second – forecasts grounded in science and transparency.

Collaboration and innovation

Our partnerships with organizations like the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and technology leaders such as NVIDIA drive the future of AI forecasting and visualization. By sharing methodologies and advancing scientific understanding, we build the openness and trust that define our brand and the safe, reliable environment advertisers value.

Advertising safety by design

Brand safety at The Weather Channel doesn’t stop with our content. It guides how we review, manage, and deliver advertising across our digital ecosystem. In doing so, we support ad compliance and responsible advertising aligned with industry standards, such as those of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM). With straightforward policies, trusted verification partners, and contextual intelligence powered by weather, we help your campaigns run confidently and safely.

Strict client-facing ad guidelines

Our Advertising Content Policies outline which ad categories are allowed, restricted, or prohibited across our platform. These rules protect both users and advertisers by keeping out high-risk categories such as violence, adult content, political advocacy, and misinformation. Sensitive categories – such as alcohol, financial services, or certain health-related messages – follow extra requirements and review so campaigns run safely and appropriately. Additionally, our Global Blocklist helps make sure your ads never appear next to content that could undermine brand trust

These exclusions apply universally across inventory to maintain a consistently safe environment.

Global Blocklist protections

Our Global Blocklist prevents ads from appearing alongside sensitive or unsafe content categories. The blocklist includes categories such as:

• Violence and weapons
• Politics and polarizing topics
• Adult or sexual content
• Misinformation and sensationalism
• Certain health claims
• Gambling, drugs, and other sensitive verticals

These rules are enforced across all placements to safeguard brand environments and user experiences.

IAS & DoubleVerify inventory filtering

We also work with Integral Ad Science (IAS) and DoubleVerify to add an independent layer of protection. These partners help review and classify our inventory in real time, giving advertisers more control over the sensitivity and risk levels their campaigns run against. It’s an extra level of transparency and confidence built right into the platform.

Contextual relevance without intrusion

We use real-time weather conditions – not personal identifiers or behavioral tracking – to make ads more relevant. Weather Targeting, a data privacy-forward messaging approach, reaches people based on mindset and moment, like getting ready for rain, heat, or seasonal shifts, without relying on intrusive data. It’s a simple way to deliver timely messages while preserving the trust users place in our platform.

The power of trust in brand-safe advertising campaigns

When campaigns appear in high-trust environments, they naturally see stronger engagement and deeper consumer connections. Studies show that advertising and trust are closely linked to consumer behavior:

By placing your ad on our platform, you’ll be present during critical decision-making moments entrusted to us – from deciding what to wear, where to go, or what to buy.

Marketers are also recognizing that same connection between trust and performance. Recent research highlights how it shapes media investment decisions:

• 96% of marketers evaluate a platform’s safety and data practices before investing in ads²²
• 78% say trust is now a true competitive advantage²³
• 60% let a platform’s core values guide where they spend²⁴

Trust is the new ROI, the defining metric for long-term brand growth.

Take the brand safe route to high-performing campaigns

Today’s advertisers need more than reach. They need the right balance of safety, performance, and trust at scale. With a foundation rooted in science, a commitment to user trust, and a proven ability to deliver opportunities in advertising that are both relevant and effective, The Weather Channel advertising solutions provide an environment where brands can grow with confidence.