Offices and airports have become key hubs for social connectivity and brand engagement for today’s affluent business professionals, exclusive new research from oOh!media has found.
In the post pandemic era, the study ‘A Professional Perspective’ by strategic consumer insights consultancy Nature, revealed 83 per cent of business professionals say while hybrid work is the new normal, the office remains a nexus for community, productivity and connection.
Two-thirds of professionals fly for business, with most expecting this to remain steady or increase. More than nine in ten (93 per cent) of C-level executives are more likely to travel for work, dropping marginally to 84 per cent for senior managers.
Qantas is the preferred choice for the majority of business travellers, followed by Virgin. More than a third of these travellers enjoy access to an airport lounge, a figure that rises to 80 per cent among C-level executives. Seven in ten prefer spending their time in lounges over other airport locations. They stay for 40 minutes on average, drawn by the valuable opportunities to connect with fellow business professionals and indulge in the amenities on offer.
Bel Harper (main image above), executive group director, product strategy, oOh! said: “Our working world has changed. 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. This social connectivity extends to airports where business travel integrates with work and leisure time, with 70 per cent enjoying the time they spend in airport lounges, using them to speak with their peers because of extended dwell times.”
Although most have adapted to the new hybrid way of working, C-suite executives typically spend an average of 78 per cent of their week in the office (or 3.9 days), 71 per cent believe that businesses function better with everyone working in the office, compared to 34 per cent 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 per cent) enjoy going into the office.
Harper added: “Through this major piece of research we can provide invaluable insights to our clients and agencies by giving them a clearer understanding of how business professionals spend their time on their commutes, when they are in the office and when they travel for work, enabling brands to more effectively capture this affluent audience.”
oOh! recently created an expert 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’ surveyed 997 business professionals and business owners in key metropolitan areas across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane who earn more than $100k. The research is being presented to marketers and agencies at oOh! events in Sydney and Melbourne.
