oOh!media this week shared research data with the market entitled How Aussies Move.
The event was hosted by oOh!media chief executive Cathy O’Connor and chief content, marketing and creative officer Neil Ackland.
As an introduction, guests were told: “As out of home’s recovery gathers momentum consumers have shifted their mindset from inward to outward. They are spending less time looking down and more time looking up. The barriers and walls have gone, and their field of view is now wide open.
“There has been a post-Covid reset, transforming the way we work, live and play.
“The goal of ‘How Aussies Move’ is to help us all to better understand the way people are moving, utilising and experiencing public spaces – where they live, work and play. We want to be ahead of the curve and provide better insights to inform your campaign planning, and ultimately its success.”
Presenting the findings of the study were oOh!media’s executive group director of product strategy Bel Harper and consumer insights researcher Stig Richards.
The research was conducted by Pollinate who recruited a national panel of 2000 Australians for an online survey covering life stage, lifestyle, mindset, work, travel, habits, concerns and aspirations.
One of the key slides told about attitude to work: 71% of Australians say they “Work to Live” while only 15% say they “Live to Work” … and that 15% includes the people doing jobs that are their unbridled passion.
Cost of living and climate concerns
When polled about issues they were concerned about 80% of respondents selected “Cost Of Living” … people who are struggling financially (42% identified themselves as struggling financially) are concerned. A lot of people not struggling are also concerned either about their future or they are concerned about others.
Climate change was another fear that loomed large with 57% always looking for ways to limit environmental impact.
Just under 70% were trying to manage their mental well-being.
Viewing outdoor advertising
One slide which was getting to the point was about lifestyle – 47% of people are now spending more time outdoors post-pandemic.
58% are able to identify the positive mindset benefits of being out in public spaces.
oOh!media chief executive Cathy O’Connor welcomes guests
Experience counts
Two-thirds of people profess a preference for real-life experiences rather than acquiring more possessions … another indicator that people are seeking meaning and significance from life, rather than just more stuff!
Out-of-home entertainment has surged again with entertainment spend up 14% from where it was pre-Covid.
Travel too is back with two out of three people planning a trip in the next six months.
Parts of the presentation also detailed how in-store shopping is back in a big way and so too is local shopping.
More than two-thirds of Australians – 67% – also believe that physical stores are a crucial touchpoint, even if they buy online.
Movement: We are out and about
There was a little jab to other media platforms that commented on the decline across other traditional media, “OOH audiences are growing. It’s not a migration influx, it’s in the context of the number of trips people we are making each day.”
82% of people are out and about every day, each making an average of 4.9 trips per days across different transport modes.
People are using cars more and even using public transport more often than they used to. More trips, more local excursions, a much less linear work week and shorter commute.
oOh!media: Targeting Aussies on the move
Some useful practical advice for advertisers wanting advice on reaching consumers using oOh!media came in the presentation recap:
1. Don’t limit your thinking or budget to one location or one format. Broadcast is back, Local is loved, and the suburbs are a key part of a very multi-dimensional path to purchase.
2. OOH has taken the knock and is now back! Audiences are back and are shopping, commuting by car, using public transport, flying for work and leisure, and despite the media industry loving WFH, most people are in the office close to four days a week.
And the pitch: OOH has never been better positioned to deliver cost-effective reach, particularly as other traditional channels decline in audience and we have an audience that is growing.
Advertisers are returning to outdoor with oOh!media noting it had 41 case studies in the works in the last six months with another 35 in the pipeline.
See also: oOh!media study finds Australians prioritise happiness and wellbeing over work
Main photo: oOh!media’s Neil Ackland, Cathy O’Connor, Bel Harper and the Stig