Behaviour changes are here to stay, says oOh!media’s Brendon Cook as his company finds creative ways to use its Out of Home network to support people and the property industry during the pandemic.
Two-thirds of Australians are likely to continue social distancing and 86 per cent think they’ll maintain heightened personal hygiene.
These are just two of the headline findings from a survey conducted by oOh!media in early May.
The survey found a massive 77 per cent of people are more appreciative of the outdoors than they were pre-pandemic. Three in five people (57%) are keen to return to the office and just under half (44%) intend to do more shopping in bricks and mortar stores.
“Millions of people have been cooped up for some time now and are eager to get going and take steps back towards normality,” oOh! CEO, Brendon Cook says.
As people shift their habits and more people work from home, local and suburban areas are seeing increased “hyperlocal behaviour,” Cook adds. Ten per cent of Sydneysiders are making daily visits to the supermarket, and almost half are shopping at least twice a week, he explains.
“This is all good news for assets in neighbourhood retail and road environments, as well as street furniture such as bus shelters, which people walk by on their way to the local shops or parks.”
While this is counterbalanced by reduced media spend available in the market, Cook says clients are “planning creative approach to the changed consumer environment”.
A campaign with Greater Bank, for example, was recently rolled out to recognise and thank local heroes across New South Wales, with their names “literally put up in lights”.
Cook says oOh! is using its national network to amplify government health messages and spread good news stories.
“We launched a digital bear hunt campaign here and in New Zealand to help keep kids entertained and boost community spirit. We also supported ANZAC Day through our participation in the RSL’s national ‘Light up the Dawn’ campaign,” Cook explains.
These campaigns demonstrate the power of Out of Home media to make public spaces better.
“Our property partners are also seen by their patrons as supporting the community – and history tells us that continued promotion can result in increased market share in recovery,” Cook says.
“There is no rulebook here, but humans are an adaptable species, and I have no doubt we will continue to prosper even through the toughest and most unpredictable challenges.”