Offices and airports have become key hubs for social connectivity and brand engagement among affluent business professionals, according to research from oOh!media.
Eight out of ten (83%) of business professionals say while hybrid work is the new normal, the office remains a nexus for community, productivity and connection in the post-pandemic era, the study by strategic consumer insights consultancy Nature revealed.
Two-thirds of professionals fly for business, with most expecting this to remain steady or increase. More than nine in ten (93%) of C-level executives are more likely to travel for work, dropping marginally to 84% for senior managers.
Although most have adapted to the new hybrid way of working, C-suite executives typically spend an average of 78% of their week in the office (or 3.9 days), 71% believe that businesses function better with everyone working in the office, compared to 34% of non-managerial roles.
However, three quarters said being in the workplace gives them a sense of community and connection and almost six in ten (58%) enjoy going into the office.
oOh!'s executive group director of product strategy, Bel Harper, said offices and airports are more than workplaces or places to catch a plane - they’re social and informational hubs that are proven to influence media consumption, shopping behaviours and brand perception.
“Half of business professionals get brand recommendations from colleagues in the office and a quarter shop for luxury brands each month in CBD locations," she said.
"This social connectivity extends to airports where business travel integrates with work and leisure time, with 70% enjoying the time they spend in airport lounges, using them to speak with their peers because of extended dwell times.”
oOh! recently created a team of specialists to maximise advertising engagement across airport and office environments to help connect brands with unique and targeted business audience.
The A Professional Perspective study surveyed 997 business professionals and business owners in key metropolitan areas across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane who earn more than $100,000. The research is being presented to marketers and agencies at oOh! events in Sydney and Melbourne.
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