Adapt your digital marketing strategy to post-pandemic consumer behavior

Not long ago, from Monday to Friday, many consumers went to the office to complete their “work-life” activities. Then they went home, where they immersed themselves in the activities of their “private life”. On weekends, I did housework and went shopping.

Advertisers can consider this behavior a status quo until the pandemic hits. Suddenly, many people started working from home. As the pandemic eased, hybrid work became the norm and life became a blur. For many people, tasks that were previously done in the office are now done at home. Even as society reopens, this shift has caused a fundamental, and perhaps permanent, shift in how we spend our time online, giving rise to the “Workday consumer.”

The merging of work and personal life has changed consumer buying behavior, but many brands are at risk of getting caught up in the digital marketing autopilot.

A Forrester study commissioned by Microsoft Advertising found that Workday consumers switch relentlessly between employee, personal, and consumer modes throughout the day, with 59% equating work and personal tasks during workdays. I believe it is important to¹

Just over half (51%) of survey respondents say they have made more online purchases during work hours since the start of the pandemic. Nearly two-thirds (62%) regularly research or purchase goods and services during work hours, even more than those who regularly browse social media. . And 44% expect to make more purchases during work hours in the next 12 months.¹

Your PC is your primary touchpoint. 56% of Workday consumers use work tools for personal tasks. The categories that are likely to come to mind during working hours are usually carefully considered purchases such as financial products, vacations, electronics and luxury goods.

This research reveals the full extent of this shift in consumer behavior and what it means for employers and marketers who are not ready to adapt to this new reality. Advertisers risk missing out on this important audience. This shift should prompt a reassessment of platforms, personas, and budget allocations to take into account business, brand, and acquisition goals.

“Digital marketing has to work at the intersection of work and life. Marketers can no longer continue to use demographic targeting the way it is now. “It’s a case of throwing away strategy and no longer running a digital marketing autopilot.

PC boom

With 63% of consumers spending more time on their PCs and completing more personal tasks on those PCs than they did before the pandemic began, this change in consumer behavior will be with them. provide a competitive advantage to advertisers who are changing to

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the PC market has seen its biggest growth in a decade. Worldwide PC shipments will exceed 340 million units in 2021,² Canalys reports 27% growth compared to 2019.³ Microsoft Windows, the largest PC operating system by market share, powers over 1.4 billion active devices.² 10% increase over pre-pandemic levels each month. Despite the rapid growth of mobile commerce, it is predicted that in 2024, 56% of his online retail sales will occur via his PC.^Four

Meet Workday Consumers

The more advertisers can understand how customers think and act in their decision-making process, the more likely they are to reach them.

Savvy marketers know that considering new consumer mindsets and behaviors will drive better strategies, but many marketers have yet to seize this opportunity. It still relies on traditional customer personas that use demographics and purchase history, but rarely consider more subtle cues. These brands struggle to turn customer data into actionable insights. Rated as a novice, 60% of brand decision makers indicated that their organization does not take mindset into account when developing personas.

“Marketers must address this shift in consumer behavior and adapt their approach, or risk being left behind,” says Cosley. “They need to redefine their target consumer personas to account for Workday’s new consumer mindset.”

To engage with Workday consumers, brands can communicate using platforms and tools that connect them with millions of unique monthly PC searchers who consume native advertising in a brand-safe experience. It’s more important than ever.

Workday consumers have a task-oriented mindset, have high purchasing power, spend more time and money online, and are more likely to use advertising to try out new offers.^Five This gives marketers the option to continue on the digital marketing autopilot or meet audiences they may have missed.

Learn more about how to attract, convert, and retain Workday consumers.

¹ Base: 1,301 corporate marketing and digital advertising decision makers in North America, Europe and APAC. Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester on behalf of Microsoft, November 2021.

² “The New Era of the PC,” Microsoft Windows Blog, 26 Jan 2022.

³ “Global PC Shipments to Exceed 340 Million in 2021, 2022 Will Be Even Stronger,” Canalys, 12 January 2022.

^Four “Forrester Analytics: Search Marketing Forecast, 2019 to 2024 (US),” Forrester, March 4, 2020.

^Five Purchasing Power Index, comScore Custom Report, June 2021.