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13 Jul
Adapt Your Digital Marketing Strategy to Post-Pandemic Consumer Behaviors


Adapt to The “Workday Consumer”

As the pandemic eased, hybrid work became the norm and life became blurred. For many, tasks that were previously done at the office began to be done at home, triggering a now possibly permanent shift in how we spend our time, as well as how we shop. This created The “Workday Consumer”.

A study by Forrester commissioned by Microsoft Advertising found that the Workday Consumer unapologetically switches among employee, personal, and consumer modes throughout the day, with 59% considering their work and personal tasks equally important during their work time.

Nearly two-thirds (62%) of the survey respondents regularly research or purchase products and services during work time, and 44% expect to increase their purchasing during work time in the next 12 months.

The categories that appear to be top of mind during work time are usually high-consideration purchases, including financial products, vacations, appliances, and luxury goods.

This shift must prompt a reevaluation of platforms, personas, and budget allocations, taking into consideration business, brand, and acquisition goals.

“Digital marketing must operate at the intersection of work and life. No longer can marketers continue using demographic targeting the way it’s used today—they must now incorporate consumers’ mindsets into the advertising strategy,” John Cosley, senior director at Microsoft Advertising, says. “It’s a case of throwing out the playbook and no longer running on digital marketing autopilot. Your customers have moved on, but have you?”

The PC Boom – Meeting the Workday Consumers Where They Are

Since the pandemic began, the PC market has seen the most significant growth in a decade. Global PC shipments surpassed 340 million in 2021, with growth up 27% over 2019, Canalys reports.

Microsoft Windows, the largest PC operating system by market share, powers over 1.4 billion active devices monthly, with time spend up 10% above pre-pandemic levels. Despite the rapid growth of mobile commerce, 56% of online retail sales are predicted to occur via PC in 2024.

“Marketers must address this change in consumer behavior and adapt their approaches, or risk being left behind,” says Cosley. “They must redefine their target consumer personas to account for the new Workday Consumer mindset.”

To engage with the Workday Consumer, it’s more critical than ever for brands to communicate using a platform and tools that connect them with millions of monthly unique PC searchers who consume native advertising on brand-safe experiences.

The Workday Consumer is in a task-oriented mindset, has higher buying power, spends more time and money online, and is more likely to engage with ads to try new offers. That gives marketers a choice—continue on digital marketing autopilot or meet the audience they’ve been missing out on.

Source: Harvard Business Review

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