Surprises can often be found in everyday data analyses. A group of consumers labeled as “climate doers” by Doug Rubin’s startup, Northwind Climate, exemplifies this. These individuals are concerned about climate change and prioritize eco-friendly purchases, often associated with buying organic foods or supporting local businesses.
According to Rubin, climate doers are the consumers who most frequently visit fast-food restaurants. Additionally, he noted that approximately 30% of climate doers are Republicans. Northwind Climate originated from Rubin’s political background, where surveys play a key role in understanding public sentiment and identifying potential voters. The startup has secured $1.05 million in a pre-seed funding round, exclusively reported to TechCrunch, with contributions from angel investors, including Tom Steyer, former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, and Alexander Hoffmann of Susty Ventures.
Rather than categorizing individuals based on demographic factors such as political affiliation, generation, or region, Northwind Climate classifies consumers based on behavioral insights gathered from survey responses. Besides climate doers—who make up about 15% of the U.S. consumer base—Northwind Climate has identified four other behavioral categories, ranging from “climate distressed,” individuals who are somewhat less concerned about climate change and financially less secure, to “climate deniers,” who tend to be retirees skeptical about the media’s portrayal of the issue.
Rubin highlights that even within the climate denier category, there are effective communication strategies. Northwind Climate conducted an analysis on electric vehicles, suggesting automakers present EVs as a matter of consumer choice to climate doers and the climate distressed. The proposed messaging emphasizes reducing pollution, saving money on gas, and addressing climate change. For climate doubters and deniers, less inclined to purchase an EV, the emphasis shifts to individual freedom: ensuring that electric vehicles are clean, affordable, and practical for those interested.
The startup has developed a growing database comprising 20,000 survey respondents across eight different surveys, with an additional 2,500 respondents added monthly. Northwind also conducts industry-specific surveys every three months to offer deeper insights for its clients.
Companies subscribing to Northwind Climate’s service pay $10,000 per quarter or $40,000 annually, which includes adding up to four custom questions each quarter. This service is reportedly more cost-efficient than commissioning a single annual survey. Subscribers access the accumulated data, survey questions, and basic analyses, such as cross-tabulations. The startup is also developing a chatbot to facilitate more specific analyses through plain language queries.
Some consumers express concern about the potential use of such platforms for greenwashing. However, Rubin argued that consumers can identify exaggerated or false claims, as evidenced by survey findings indicating risks to brands and reputations from inaccurate messaging.
Northwind is also creating a “virtual focus group,” an AI model trained on survey responses, which will evaluate marketing materials like TV ads or social media content and offer feedback similar to human focus groups. Rubin anticipates the focus group will be available within four to five months and will be regularly refined using new data.
Rubin believes companies are missing opportunities to connect with environmentally conscious consumers. “If you examine the data and consumer preferences, extending beyond just Democrats or Independents, there is a clear demand. Companies that approach this with strategic intelligence will be rewarded,” he remarked.
