From planting trees to offset their carbon footprint and switching to biodegradable, sustainably sourced, recycled and re-usable packaging to investing in renewable energy sources in the manufacture of their products, many brands – at least at face value – are doing what they can for the environment.
Some take it further, getting into climate activism by backing organisations that are actively fighting to help save the environment. All great stuff that must be celebrated.
But wait…
Now, to be clear, I’m in no way an expert in all things environment and issues affecting our climate. My knowledge is of the “watched-the-documentary-saw-the-YouTube-video-read-the-article variety. I also don’t exactly have Greta Thunberg levels of environmental activism in me.
Yet even I found myself thinking: it’s all good and well that the products we sell are environmentally friendly and manufactured in an eco-conscious manner and possibly supporting environmental initiatives, but do we ever consider the impact that the marketing of these products has on the environment?
An awkward truth
There’s a certain irony in communicating what a brand is doing to help our planet using a TV ad that required days of production, with crew and talent flying and driving around the country to different locations. Or a print ad or billboards… all that paper, ink, other materials. Do we ever consider the carbon footprint of producing them?
Wait, TV and print ads? Yes, those are two very traditional media and every millennial working at a digital agency is probably rolling their eyes right now. Who still even does that, right? Well, the same goes for digital communications. It’s easy to think of digital as being inherently environmentally friendly, but is it?
The answer is: not so much. Think about the amount of energy consumed in the production of digital campaigns and how much is used in the viewing of those messages by the end-consumer. All that energy must come from somewhere, and in many cases that happens to be a coal-fired power station.
A better way
So, it’s all doom and gloom then? Actually, no. More environmentally-friendly marketing is possible, even without inventing new channels – and brands have done it. In 2015, UAE bank Emirates NBD recycled their billboards into school bags, which were distributed to children in need through the SOS Children’s Village programme. South African brand Sealand repurposes in-store advertising banners, yacht sails, tents and other materials and upcycles them into durable, high-end gear outdoor gear and bags that are sold worldwide.
Meanwhile, VW Canada spotted the irony in promoting their electric vehicles through a website that was pumping 1.7g of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per view and addressed the problem by creating a website that is super energy efficient – yep that’s a thing. The new site is entirely black and white, drastically decreasing the amount of energy it takes to transfer data when the page loads.
And here at WPP, this year on Earth Day, we announced our commitment to reach net zero by 2030. That includes finding ways to produce and place ads without taking more from the planet than we give back – a tricky feat, but not impossible.
The plight of our planet is a complex one and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. But looking at what so many brands are doing around the world, it’s evident that with a bit ingenuity, marketing can become a lot more planet-friendly. Multiple actions, whether small or large, all count. And each, in its own way, makes a much-needed difference.
As marketers and agencies, maybe it’s time we ask ourselves how we can minimise the environmental cost of making brands famous – at every step of the process. Even better, is there a way to benefit the planet, as opposed to only taking from it? Now, that sounds like purpose-driven marketing to me.
Nkululo Masiba is creative director at VMLY&R South Africa.
