Inside DTC National: Weather Intelligence is the hidden driver in your pharma marketing strategy

The air was buzzing with fresh ideas and forward-thinking conversations at the 2025 DTC National Conference. Our team at The Weather Company was on the ground picking up on important themes, and connecting with industry leaders who are shaping the future of pharmaceutical marketing. We left energized by the clear opportunities we see for weather intelligence to revolutionize patient engagement.

Top takeaways: 3 themes transforming pharma marketing 

The Weather Company team identified these industry-wide transformations. Discover how weather intelligence serves as the hidden connector that can provide a crucial edge: 

1) Taking the pulse of regulation shifts

Jim Potter of the Coalition for Healthcare Communication highlighted the potential threats of discontinuing direct-to-consumer advertising. While DTC issues are challenged in courts, maintaining current, effective strategies is paramount.

2) Breaking down silos: The need for cross-channel connection

A recurring challenge voiced by agency leaders: the fragmentation of marketing teams working in silos across different channels. There’s a clear need for better integration between omnichannel, integrated media, search, social, digital out-of-home, and more — across both DTC and HCP efforts. The Weather Company offers a unique advantage by providing a cross-platform approach that bridges targeting capabilities across these very channels.

As both media publisher and data provider for DTC and HCP teams, The Weather Company Pharma team can be your connective tissue. Specifically, we bring together insights across teams to help you deliver consistent, contextually relevant messaging wherever your patients are.

3) From data rich to insights poor: The power of actionable analytics

Many agency partners expressed the difficulty of turning vast amounts of data into actionable insights for targeting and marketing decisions. In the pharma industry, where data compliance and audience quality are critical, this challenge is even more pronounced.

That’s where weather-based insights from The Weather Company shine. The Weather Company doesn’t just provide data. Predictive insights can help anticipate patient needs, based on the proven and predictable impacts of environmental conditions on health outcomes. We combine over 40 years of accurate,¹ granular weather data with health-related datasets — from partners like IQVIA and Merative — to reveal crucial “micromoments of influence” that drive healthcare actions.²

Weather calling the shots: The real impact on healthcare behavior

It’s easy to think of weather as merely something to check before heading out the door. But the reality is far more profound, especially when it comes to health. Weather patterns act as an universal, scaled signal impacting health symptoms and actions for a wide range of conditions. Consider this: 85% of migraine sufferers report weather as a key factor in symptoms.³ This isn’t just anecdotal; it’s a scientifically-backed connection that creates a powerful opportunity for more precise and impactful marketing.

Our session: Unlocking the power of weather in pharma marketing

We were thrilled to lead a session exploring how pharma marketers can leverage weather intelligence to improve engagement and efficiency. We delved into consumer behavior research, the scientific connection between weather and health — like migraine, for example — and showcased how innovative brands are already seeing significant results.

As Patrick Gipson, Pharma Senior Strategic Account Lead, noted in our session, “We’re not just working with partners when it comes to running creative on weather.com and The Weather Channel app, we’re also helping brands take our predictive healthcare targeting and deploy it across the full digital ecosystem. This targeting is ultimately going to help your campaigns become more intelligent, more efficient, and reduce your media waste.” Consider this: Understanding when, where, how, and why patients are taking key actions — it’s often driven by local weather conditions, allowing for hyper-relevant and timely communication.

As Patrick emphasized during the session, “Weather is really just another tool in a lot of these consumers’ and patients’ belts to help them take better control and better understand their health and what environmentally is impacting their health.”

The competitive advantage is clear

The conversations at DTC National underlined the increasing complexity of the pharma marketing landscape. Evolving regulations, fragmented media, and the constant pressure to connect with patients in meaningful ways demand innovative solutions. 

Weather intelligence is no longer optional: It’s an essential, privacy-forward signal that provides a unique lens into health outcomes. Are you ready to tap into this powerful connection? The competitive advantage for those who incorporate weather into their pharma marketing strategy is not just clear — it’s waiting to be seized. 

Explore how The Weather Company can help you unlock a new era of patient engagement and marketing impact.