It’s internationally known that the British are obsessed with the weather. It’s used millions of times daily as a conversation starter between strangers and can be accurately used as a barometer to gauge the nation’s mood and wellbeing. When the sun is out there is an overwhelming sense of happiness as people are more upbeat and positive. But when it rains people are mostly depressed, grumpy and negative.

Rejoice! After two years of miserable, wet summers the UK Met Office recently announced that the UK is set to enjoy one of the warmest, and most importantly, driest summers in recent years.

So what is the expected sunshine effect upon the average credit crunched consumer ? Can the sun really lift us out of the economic gloom long enough to let us appreciate a proper summer? Early reports of search behaviour on Live Search for March and April 09 indicate so!

Below are three key trends which are being driven by the unseasonably warm spring...

The Great British Staycation

The word ‘staycation’ was coined earlier this decade to describe a day-trip to a place of interest or a short trip away to a place not too far from home, such as a weekend camping or caravan trip to the seaside or a festival. Staycations have achieved high popularity in the current difficult economic climate in which unemployment and petrol prices are high.

Live Search has certainly seen searches for camping and caravan accessories surge during the unseasonably warm and driest April for years.

If you are an outdoors advertiser, consider adding more keywords to your account around tents, travel kettles, camping stoves, sleeping bags and cooler boxes.

Need More Space? Move into the Garden

For similar reasons as mentioned above people are focusing a lot more on their financial decision-making this year. Families who previously would have been interested in moving house or extending their homes throughout the summer months are staying put and making the best of what they already have.

A hot summer will mean families will invest more in their outdoor living spaces, no matter the size. Think lawnmowers, garden tools, easy-grow fruit plants (strawberries and raspberries) and decking. New al fresco dining sets for the garden, along with barbecues, fire pits and chimneas, are creating a lot of search interest as people look to save cash and entertain at home. To entice the kids out to play in the sunshine, safety-conscious parents are investing in swing sets, trampolines and playhouses for the garden to keep the little ones entertained and to discourage them from playing in the street.

Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere

No, I’m not referring to the classic 70s Martini adverts or the song by former 80s pop princess Kim Wilde, but for the hunger for technology that enables us to be connected and entertained wherever we go.

Young adults and kids today have been born into a world where internet and mobile phones are a normal and essential part of everyday life. This enthusiasm for everything online and ‘always on’ is not only second-nature to the young, but is also proving pretty contagious amongst the older generations.

For the lucky people who do get away this summer, it won’t just be the suncream and passport they will be packing. They will probably include their mobile phone, MP3 player, digital camera and netbook too! Be it checking the weather forecast (I said it was an obsession!), Tweeting about the hotel pool or uploading the latest holiday pictures of the day to Facebook, people need to be connected wherever they go.

Technology is getting cheaper and the competition between tech brands and the electronics stores is competitive, which in turn is fantastic for the cash-strapped consumer. If you are a consumer electronics advertiser, think about the enticing offers you carry on your website and integrate them into your pay-per-click (PPC) ad copy. Also consider introducing additional keywords to do with smart phones (Windows Mobile, iPhone, BlackBerry) camcorders, laptops and the all important mobile broadband internet dongle.

So let’s hope the sun has indeed got his hat on this summer and keep us happy long enough to give us all and the economy a much needed bounce.

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Cheers,

Kate