Here’s How Commuting Habits Have Changed For Marketers.

Marketers and media agencies are increasing their commutes and spending more days at the office, according to a brand-new Advertiser Perceptions study of media agencies and brands commissioned by the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group. While the number of ad professionals back in the office has grown, it has narrowly eclipsed the proportion of everyday Americans who are commuting to work.

To take the commuting pulse of AdWorld, Advertiser Perceptions interviewed 301 marketers/agencies from April 1-13, 2026, and compared the results to eight prior studies conducted since April 2022. The broadcaster’s insights team also commissioned a Quantilope nationally representative consumer study in April 2026 among 1,601 adults 18+. These results were compared to the same questions asked by Nielsen and MARU/Matchbox over the past five years.

In April 2026, 64% of marketers and agencies were working in the office “all/most days,” nearly triple the number from 22% in April 2022. The portion who only work from home plummeted from 37% in April 2022 to 7% in April 2026.

Meanwhile, 28% of media agencies and brands say they are “commuting to work some days,” a drop from 2025 (32%). Overall, 92% of buy-side executives commute to the office, up from 63% in April 2022.

How does that compare with the commuting habits of everyday Americans? Among average Americans who commuted to work prior to the pandemic, the April 2026 Quantilope study found 85% are currently working outside of the home.

“In early 2022, average Americans were much more likely (+23 points) to be working outside the home versus those in the media and marketing industry,” says Cumulus Media/Westwood One Audio Active Group Chief Insights Officer Pierre Bouvard. “In Spring 2024, the ‘back to the office’ gap between average Americans and brands/media agencies converged. As of April 2026, marketers/agencies are more likely to be commuting to a workplace (+7 points).”

Compared to April 2025, those in the advertising business working five days at the office increased from 50% to 53%. Currently, marketers and media agencies report spending 4.4 days in the office, holding steady from October 2024 and April 2025. Average Americans, meanwhile, are clocking more days at work (4.7) compared to the advertising industry (4.4). “Compared to ad industry workers, typical Americans are more likely to be exposed to outdoor ads and AM/FM radio commercials since they commute more days.”

The studies offer an updated definition of what constitutes the working week and how that differs between the two groups surveyed. While marketers/agencies and average Americans are most likely to work in the office Monday through Thursday with Friday seeing the lowest weekday attendance for both groups, there are differences between the two. Marketers/agencies are most likely to work in the office Tuesday through Thursday while average Americans are more apt to put in some weekend working hours.

Other key findings:

• 73% of marketers and agencies have resumed in-person media vendor meetings; 76% have resumed in-person conferences and events

• AM/FM radio’s share of ad-supported audio in the car has been consistently dominant at an 83% share, according to Edison Research’s Q1 2026 “Share of Ear” report