This cold and flu season, Kleenex® Brand wanted to change the fundamental way that people buy tissues: Instead of waiting until the first sneeze to frantically grab one box, how could we make things easier by encouraging consumers to stock up before symptoms started?

After studying how people prepare for other major life disruptions —hurricanes, planned surgeries, even visits from the in-laws — we discovered that they’re more likely to take action when they’re aware of what’s coming. So we created achoo, a forecasting tool that predicts when cold and flu symptoms will reach any city in the U.S. or Canada.

Based on ZIP code, achoo combines data from sources like the CDC, bird migration patterns and social chatter to deliver a 3-week cold and flu prediction for that local area — with up to 88% accuracy. People can share their forecasts via email and social media, set alerts for when risk levels peak, see how symptoms are spreading across the country and get helpful tips for making it through the season.

Thanks to achoo, Kleenex® saw an 11% increase in purchase intent and 286% spike in social chatter, proving that insight and awareness are a powerful weapon against cold and flu.

Achoo needed only a ZIP code to deliver a three-week prediction of a location’s cold and flu risk. Based on the different data streams, we were able to provide weekly prediction updates for all U.S. and Canadian ZIP codes with 90% accuracy.

Simplicity was key, so we visualized the data in two ways: One was a high-level view using a map to show where symptoms were expected to spread. The second was more localized and provided granular risk predictions in specific areas.

The site was also mirrored in French and Spanish to provide the most relevant experience for all users.

Because of how simply we presented the data, the site was easy to digest, which led to increased social chatter and reach. Facebook posts for Achoo helped Kleenex® achieve a 289% uptick in social engagements while also driving conversation into mainstream media, including two separate features in Fast Company and a nod in USA Today.

Achoo also extended the brand’s reach beyond its typical U.S. audience, with French Canadian site visits up 643% compared to past commercial programs. Purchase intent rose 11%, cementing the brand’s decision to bring Achoo back for the 2014-2015 cold and flu season.