Metrics that Matter: The carbon impact of digital advertising.
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Most brands will already be familiar with understanding and reporting on their scope 1&2 emissions, publicising their ESG strategies, aligning with circular economy models, streamlining their supply chains and sustainable production methods to name a few.
However, when it comes to their marketing campaigns and scope 3 emissions, it’s a very different story. The initial focus, rightly so, has been on creative messaging and content, which has incurred its own challenges. Green claims have been under scrutiny, with the ASA releasing their Advertising Guidance report that advocates for absolute claims to be supported by a high level of substantiation with verifiable evidence of environmental benefits.
Only recently has the measurement of carbon emissions associated with digital marketing campaigns taken centre stage.
This shift couldn't have come at a more crucial time.
The industry’s journey so far.
When it comes to CO2 reductions for brands and agencies across the digital marketing industry, there is a varying degree of progression. Some have begun their journey to understanding their environmental impact, by measuring and running more sustainable media campaigns. Others are still at the very beginning of their journey.
Expanding your knowledge will be crucial for 2024 and making sure you are taking steps to kickstart and prioritise your digital campaign’s carbon measurement journey.
So, let’s take a deeper dive into the impact of where and how emissions in advertising appear.
A complex supply chain.
Typical digital display campaign ads involve data centres, servers, and user devices, but there are many other elements that contribute to emissions such as:
Ad production (from photo shoot to design every step carries a carbon load)
Ad transmission (data centres and servers) based on creative weight.
The platform where it is delivered (social media, publishers' site on the open web, each has its carbon footprint)
Reception (Carbon emissions vary based on the device used to view the ad)
Location or Date/ time of day affects the energy mix of electricity sources, i.e. less solar at night, power surges during peak hours
Website traffic generated by the campaign
Product sales uplift generated by the campaign
In a complex supply chain, multiple technologies are involved in the creation, delivery, and verification of advertising.
Collaboration and measurement in action.
There is an urgent need for knowledge sharing across the industry and the development of best practices to facilitate meaningful action towards creating a more sustainable advertising ecosystem. Universal frameworks are on their way!
Some markets like France are far more advanced, having already adopted a more unified approach. However, the lack of a universal framework should not be holding you back. When it comes to measuring your digital campaigns, you should be poised and ready to pivot when these come into play.
The key is to start.
Start gathering data and insights and implement optimisations.
However, meaningful action requires accurate measurement.
Look out for part 2, where we take a deep dive into what utilising accurate measurement actually looks like.