In the fifteenth article in ExchangeWire's 2022 Predictions Series, experts assess the current impact that digital advertising is having on the environment, and how the industry will respond to this issue in the year ahead.
2022 will see more agencies take steps to reduce their emissions
Once advertisers have determined the impact of their digital advertising, the next steps are then to work to reduce it, which we will see more agencies implementing in 2022. In the short-term, there are two key methods brands and agencies can employ. Firstly, simplifying your tech stack by cutting down the layers between creating and delivering an ad. Fewer partners means fewer reports to integrate, but also less indirect emissions.
Secondly, reduce your data load. Shorter ads are lighter than longer ads, as are certain ad formats and compressions rates. Optimising asset size is not just good for user experience, but also reduces the emissions involved in serving an ad and conserves the battery power and overall lifespan of a device receiving it.
In addition, the higher the level of attention paid to ads, the less ads a brand needs to run, which in turn results in a reduced environmental impact. In 2022, our industry will need to establish specific reporting standards so we can effectively measure, understand and then reduce our impact. Creating a framework for measuring attention will help advertisers to deliver not just more engaging content but also more sustainable advertising as a result.
Caroline Hugonenc, VP global research & insights, Teads
Vendors' sustainability efforts will influence those of advertising and media
Let’s focus on how advertisers can achieve their goals through greener advertising, reducing the CO2 footprint and taking responsibility for our industry – one which has been too wasteful, and relied on poor metrics, for too long.
Simon Kvist Gaulshøj, CEO, Adnami
Advertising must make sustainable practices the default
Janicke Eckbo, CMO, Cavai
2022 could mark a shift to an 'ecology of attention'
Just think of all that wasted electricity spent delivering trillions of ads that never get looked at, or just get in the way. If advertisers want to make a small but positive step to reduce their carbon footprints, they would do well to use attention data to target their advertising towards low clutter, high attention sites, with better results for the consumer experience, brand sales and energy consumption. Perhaps in 2022, we’ll be moving from an ‘economy of attention’ to an ‘ecology of attention’?
Mike Follett, managing director, Lumen Research
2022 will be the year of action with the emergence of more green solutions
Next year, we’ll see the launch of many green solutions designed to help advertisers measure and offset the carbon cost of their campaigns, plus research that will look more closely into the carbon footprint of the programmatic ecosystem. We’ll also see advertisers adopting simple practices to reduce the environmental impact of their campaigns, varying from reducing the size and type of their creatives to a greater focus on the green credentials of the servers and supply partners they use. As an industry, we need to use our creativity and influence to actually change consumer behaviour and save our planet.
Ryan Cochrane, COO, Good-Loop