With America’s Cup in San Francisco, sailing is pretty visible these days. For me, a long-time sailor, it is especially exciting to have the world’s most prestigious sailing event held in my hometown, on the crazy waters that I also race upon.
The conditions around the San Francisco Bay are fairly well known in the sailing community for being difficult to sail. Winds can be very strong and change in different areas of the Bay. Sailing offshore, beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, can also be very challenging with heavy winds and huge waves that require vigilance and caution.
No matter your level, sailing requires planning. Recreational sailors need to know the forecasts to understand whether the conditions will permit them to go out and how it may affect their course. Additionally, competitive sailors use the forecasts of current, waves, wind, and more to plan the best approach to the course.
Without the forecasts, sailing can be dangerous: our environment is fluid. Safety and success depend on understanding the environment.
There are some great parallels to marketing here. The digital media markets are also fluid environments. They have peaks and valleys of volume and inventory: just like waves in the ocean. Understanding those waves and having access to forecasts of the conditions is critical to success in today’s competitive markets.
With a reliable forecast of the market conditions, the most successful marketers are able to steer their program budget to take advantage of opportunities and also avoid risks.
Similar to how a sailing tactician uses knowledge of the surrounding environment to plot the best course for a boat, marketers can use forecasts to make the best investments in the marketplace. Skai has a number of forecasting tools available to help our clients navigate the digital seas. And we’re continually finding new ways to leverage machine-learning to chart new courses.
Come sail away with us!