As pandemic restrictions are lifted, Irish consumers are spending more on eating out, holidays and concerts than before the pandemic, new research by Radiocentre Ireland, the new industry body for audio indicates. Some habits that are set to change for good as one in three people who currently work from home want to continue to do so, the report adds.
One in four people are currently working from home and only five per cent of this group want to work in the office full time in the future. There is also a strong preference for hybrid working (56 per cent), typically two or three days a week in the office. In a sample of 1,000 adults interviewed during February 2022, nine in ten adults listen to the radio every day.
During the pandemic, over a third of people changed their listening habits, largely due to working from home. This included listening to more radio, listening to more stations and at different times and on different platforms. Podcast listening also increased with half of all adults saying they listen to podcasts, rising to 76 per cent for people in the 18-34 age group.
A large percentage (27 per cent) said they listened more to news (27 per cent), current affairs (23 per cent) and talk shows (20 per cent) as the pandemic unfolded. A large portion of those surveyed said when working from home, radio kept them company (46 per cent), lifted their mood (28 per cent) and even helped them focus and be more productive (18 per cent).
Ciaran Cunningham (pictured), CEO, Radiocentre Ireland, said not only was radio a trusted source of news and information during the pandemic, it has proved a real comfort for people working from home. The research also shows that post Covid-19 restrictions, people are keen to spend their money on things that they missed most, namely leisure and travel.
The study was conducted by Gerard O’Neill from Amárach Research.
Radiocentre Ireland was established by RTE and IBI. It is managed by three representatives of RTE and three from Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI), which represents 34 independent local, regional and national stations. Radiocentre Ireland is chaired by John Purcell. RTE is represented by Geraldine O’Leary, Dan Healy and Debbie Kennedy.
Sean Barry, Simon Myciunka and Tim O’Keeffe are the IBI representatives.
