We are now more than halfway through the decisive decade, and it has never been more important for brands to act on sustainability. However, in today’s climate of scrutiny and ‘greenhushing’, many are scaling back, with some avoiding communicating their green credentials for fear of saying the wrong thing, and others quietly retreating from their purpose commitments altogether. At the same time, consumers are becoming more discerning, increasingly able to distinguish between brands that merely say the right things, and those that actually do them. With over half (54%) of consumers admitting that they would stop buying from a company were it found to have been misleading in its sustainability claims, according to KPMG, authenticity is now both a moral and a business imperative.
According to a 2022 report from Purpose Disruptors, advertising is responsible for up to 32% of the carbon footprint of an average person in the UK - around 208 million tonnes. This is an uncomfortable reality that places advertisers in a precarious position. How do we reconcile an industry built on driving consumption in a world that urgently needs to reduce it? Acknowledging this tension means we can also recognise the potential for our advertising to create change. Advertising has a powerful role to play in the transition to a net zero economy, with the ability to shape culture and influence behaviour. Campaigns such as Hubbub’s Find Your Oooh, which encouraged 7 in 10 consumers to switch to plant-based choices, demonstrate how this influence can be harnessed to normalise more sustainable choices and shift everyday behaviours.
Purpose messaging is most effective when it becomes integral to the core of a business. It shouldn’t be treated as merely a communications tactic or short-term campaign. When integrated throughout a brand’s operations, commercial strategy, and communications, purpose becomes a driver of trust, resilience, and long-term growth. Within this, media planning has a critical role to play. Done well, great media planning can deliver both business results and environmental progress.
Increasingly, ‘green media’ is also efficient media. By reducing emissions across media plans, whether through smarter channel selection, more targeted delivery, or more conscious formats, we can reduce wastage across the media ecosystem. Efficient trading allows spend to flow exclusively through sustainable partners, safeguarding brand safety while reducing carbon across the supply chain. Further, tools like the7stars’ Gravity Connect mean we can use data to optimise delivery and reduce duplication, cutting carbon without compromising reach or effectiveness. For brands including Gousto, these efficiencies have delivered significant uplifts in ROI, minimising wasted impressions.
Sustainable advertising isn’t just about what we say. It is also about how we say it, where we say it, and the impact of the media itself. Purposeful planning only sharpens our ability to reach the right audience, with the right message at the right time. Pushing brands to be more conscious of their media impact, by nature, also results in more impactful media.
The future of purpose marketing lies in integration, not isolation. When sustainability is built into businesses, reflected authentically in their communications, and delivered through smart, efficient media planning, it becomes a powerful driver of both growth and progress. A green business can be a successful business. And increasingly, the two will become inseparable.
