Sustainable media agency – pipe dream or priority?
Laura Wade VP, EMEA content and innovation at Essence offers three key areas adland needs to focus on for sustainable transformation
The latest assessment of climate science from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released in early August made headline news around the world and generated commentary from global political figures. A clear wake-up call, the incredibly detailed report warns that human activity has warmed the planet to unprecedented levels and the impact will be catastrophic.
Meanwhile, bold targets have been set and applauded, but the work is yet to be done.
Many brands, including WPP and GroupM, are making sustainability commitments with hard deadlines. The recently launched IPA Media Climate Charter is one of many practical first steps on the pathway for sustainable transformation.
Measuring and reducing the impact of media investment through GroupM’s carbon calculator for media plans, something we already offer at Essence, keeps us all accountable.
With the world’s wealthiest democracies – the UK, the US, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and the EU – reaffirming their intention of holding global heating to no more than 1.5C, plus more vital UN climate talks later this year at Cop26, businesses now, more than ever, are under pressure to deliver on sustainability commitments.
At least half of our clients in EMEA have net zero goals in place already – and it’s important to reflect these in marketing decisions. Climate, society, and the global economy are intrinsically interlinked. Media agencies aren’t exempt.
In my personal opinion, it’s likely the intermediary function of agencies has led to slow adoption of sustainability practices and policies, compared to those of advertisers and media owners.
Coupled with the fact that according to the WPP Sustainability Report in April this year 98.3% of agency emissions fall within Scope 3 emissions, which is predominately made up of the advertisements we place on behalf of clients. There are no easy fixes for media agencies.
Sustainability isn’t only about reaching net zero. If, and it’s a big if, we achieve net zero but do not address societal inequalities or biodiversity loss, we will have entirely missed the point. Sustainability means creating a world where all living inhabitants can thrive now and in the future.
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As we consider how to meet our targets, we have started asking ourselves difficult questions, many for which we don’t have answers. The advertising industry as a whole is slowly waking up to the realisation that a systemic cultural shift is required. But where do we start?
In my view, there are three key areas the advertising industry needs to focus on as a starter-for-ten, these include:
1. Changing our metrics of success
Our obsession with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a metric of success is restricting our ability to make better and more valuable contributions. The Ad Association Advertising Matters report championed the value of agencies based on their GDP contribution, quoting a 6:1 return on client investment.
By placing a disproportionate focus on GDP, agency growth strategies and investments run parallel. Subsequently, they often contradict wider considerations such as the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, which include metrics on poverty, hunger, education, gender equality and affordable clean energy among others.
We need to redefine what sustainable and positive growth looks like and start to use other metrics of success.
For example, tracking long-term prosperity for all stakeholders including the wider community, not just shareholders. We’ve seen this embraced by both Unilever and its Sustainable living brands.
For example, Danone’s shareholders switch to an ‘enterprise a mission’ – or to a purpose-based organisation. We’re now seeing this as standard among the ever-growing B-corp community from Brewdog to JoJo Mama Bebe.
2. Combining digital acceleration with sustainable solutions
According to a BBC article by 2025 digital technologies will contribute 8% of all greenhouse gases (GHG), that’s twice the volume generated by the airline industry.
In 2024, digital advertising will account for over two-thirds (66%) share of global advertising revenue as estimated by GroupM’s 2020 This Year, Next Year report.
So, we need to think fast about how we prevent digital media from becoming a sizeable polluter.
What innovations and strategies can we adopt to ensure digital ad campaign optimisation is founded in emissions reduction? How can we ensure the formats and creative developments we use are low carbon?
Sustainable web design is an increasing conversation, as is sustainable e-commerce design.
We recently met with the team at ‘It’s Nice That’ who had started on a mission to declutter our inboxes. Its ‘Thanks in Advance’ project discovered ways to make web pages more efficient by being hosted on a ‘green server’, to the colour palette and type of imagery employed.
Another great example are the developments we’re seeing in outdoor advertising.
Increasing use of innovative digital screen designs enable easy access for pedestrians to smart screens, wifi, USB chargers and defibrillators. They can also utilise solar panels for lighting and to power screens.
Some are eco-friendly ‘living’ bus shelters, which have mini gardens on the roof to encourage biodiversity and wildlife corridors. These future-proofed screens run on 90% renewable energy – and are designed to be long lasting – reducing the need for regular replacement.
By looking beyond the format, and collaborating with broader social and environmental impacts, brands can have an even bigger impact through OOH.
If an ad campaign is designed for sustainability from the outset – even if the messaging isn’t about sustainability – it can positively impact the environment by considering zero waste with all builds and creative.
3. Moderating consumerism
By design, advertising efficiency combined with an increasing global urban population will drive increased demand for products and services. This ultimately places pressure on primary materials and emissions.
With aspirational images still firmly held around ‘carbon heavy lifestyle’ signals and behaviours, the task is sizeable, and we need to acknowledge just how much we need to shift our thinking, not being restricted by what has gone before and pushing the boundaries of our thinking.
Shift from products to service, from the extraction of primary materials to the circular economy model, and ultimately for sustainable behaviours to be socially desired cues versus materialism.
We’ve recently seen positive news about the resurgence and ‘bounce back’ in the advertising industry following the Covid-19 pandemic, but more advertising spend equals more consumption.
Arguably, we need to shift from seeing audiences as ‘consumers’ to ‘people and communities’. This will allow brands and businesses to constructively build longer and more meaningful relationships, and to help steer them towards positive behaviours.
Perhaps the biggest question we need to ask ourselves is, ‘what does an agency of a sustainable future look like?’ Who does it serve and what is its impact on the world?
At Essence, we recognise sustainability should not be a work-stream, we need to walk the talk. It must be core to our business strategy and a thread woven through everything we do.
We are at the start of a long and difficult journey. We need to accelerate our ambitions and our actions, as an agency and wider industry.
In line with WPP, Essence has committed to net zero operationally by 2025 and across our supply chain by 2030. Beyond this, we are applying a sustainability lens across our whole business from product innovation, consumer behaviour strategies and media planning – and we are excited about where this will take us.
We all need to be committed as people and a community – because at the end of the day we want a future that is sustainable for everyone.
Now is the time for meaningful action – what step are you going to take today?