Hybrid working should be better for our wellbeing and the economy, but what about our marketing efforts?

At bbp, we’ll be doing two days in the office and the rest is up to the individual. Let’s see how it goes, but we think this will be better for our health and wellbeing, the business and for the marketing we develop.

First of all, people want the flexibility. The Boston Consulting Group’s study covering 2,000 UK employees, revealed 67% of those working remotely since Covid want to be able to split their time between the physical workplace and home working in the future.

Businesses are embracing it.

With 82% of company leaders planning to allow employees to work remotely some of the time. (www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2020-07-14-gartner-survey-reveals-82-percent-of-company-leaders-plan-to-allow-employees-to-work-remotely-some-of-the-time) And employees are coming to expect it.

For Gen Z – who will soon make up the largest proportion of the workforce – it will be a requirement if you want to employ them. 74 % of Gen Z would prefer either working from home or splitting time at home and work. (https://www.zdnet.com/article/future-of-work-hybrid-home-and-workplace/)

And what about Boomers, Gen X and Millennials?

Salesforce’s Global Workplace Study 2020, found these preferences (see image).

In Iceland, they’re taking things one step further by testing out a 4-day work week. The trial, which ran from 2015 to 2019, paid workers the same amount for shorter hours and four productivity remained the same or improved in the majority of workplaces.

Workers reported feeling less stressed and at risk of burnout, their health and work-life balance had improved, and they also reported having more time to spend with their families, do hobbies and complete household chores. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57724779)

OK, so it will make us happier, we’ll commute less, work on our own terms, take up hobbies, see friends and family. The fact it’s better for the environment and that productivity increases – even if we work less hours – means businesses are ready to back it. But, still, what about the marketing?

Does it make any difference?

The operating model we use to work on marketing campaigns has changed very little. It still starts with a client brief, then the planning team drill in for insights and distil it to a value proposition, which sparks the creative team’s imagination – campaign launches.

We know collaboration drives better output, so that’s what we’ll do during our two days in the physical office to get to those great ideas.

Quiet time with no distraction helps to focus our thoughts on the brief. That’s what we’ll do when working in the spare bedroom or the shed.

If necessity is the mother of invention, well it’s been necessary to rebalance our working model, but let’s pick the best bits, lose the distractions and invent something better.