Being Virtual in the New Work Reality

At the heart of the matter is a redefinition of corporate life, one that achieves the optimal balance between flexibility and productivity. Whether you're scanning LinkedIn or reacting to the Twitter-verse, corporate news has boomeranged this year from deconstructing and solving for the "the great resignation" to tactics that combat "silent quitting." The issues and implications are layered and salient for all parties.

From June to September, The Myers Report surveyed over 2500 ad-supported media professionals about their attitudes toward virtual and live presence at work and at live events to get a baseline understanding of current sentiment that is specific to the industry. A surprising alignment was seen across buy and sell side respondents regarding continued flexibility. Asked about their current, expected and ideal work modes, respondents offered very little difference between current and expected modes in the next six months. In an IDEAL world, however, less than 2.5% of respondents want to ALWAYS be on a jobsite, while greater than 25% prefer to NEVERbe on a jobsite. The data also indicates some significant differences in responses between workers of different experience levels, ethnicities and life stages (Member Content Exclusive).

Live and In Person: Will the Upfronts Have a Live Audience this Year?

When it comes to attending live events, there is still a fair amount of skepticism in the workforce. Fifty-five percent (55%) of TMR's survey respondents agree that it is important for the media and advertising industry to meet and engage at in-person industry events. At just barely a majority of respondents, this suggests that a fair number of professionals still have reservations about co-mingling in person. In a follow-up QuickPulse study in September 2022, The Myers Report learned more about the 2022/23 events that industry professionals are planning to attend both live and virtually. Not surprisingly, Advertising Week, CES and the Upfronts/NewFronts topped our ranker of annual events:

When asked about reasons for attending the 2022 Upfronts/NewFronts virtually, nearly a third of respondents (29%) cited convenience as a leading factor, but several other factors held significance including residual COVID fears and proximity.

Where once there was robust activity in the job market, the slowing economy now portends significant headwinds for both job seekers and job keepers. As employers and employees negotiate rising costs of both real estate and labor, we expect the question of live versus virtual workforces to remain a prevalent concern through 2023.

MediaVillage Members are invited to request the detailed results from this article when available. E-mail maryann@mediavillage.com with your request. Customized results of the 2022 State of Ad-Supported Media Study are now being presented to members. Schedule your meeting with a MediaVillage representative today.