How To Create A Sustainable Ad Campaign for 2023

With the growing effects of climate change, sustainable practices become increasingly important for everyone, and advertisers are no exception.

Create A Sustainable Ad Campaign for 2023

According to a recent survey by Media Post, 67% of people believe that the advertising industry has an important responsibility to reduce America’s carbon footprint. 

Other responses were that advertisers should “create public service ads promoting decarbonization, discontinue campaigns that greenwash the reputations of fossil fuel companies, and shift ad budgets to media proven to reduce their carbon footprint.”

As more brands publicly promote an eco-friendly approach through digital advertising, how much are these ads actually costing the planet? Here’s how to get started with creating a carbon neutral campaign for 2023. 

Consider Your Options 

Almost every advertising option out there has a negative impact on the environment. As an advertiser, it’s important to consider these impacts and compare with the intended goal of your campaign. 

According to Insider and Fifty-Five Marketing Agency, “a typical digital-ad campaign for a single advertiser produces 323 tons of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent of 160 round-trip flights between Paris and New York.” 

Additionally, one double-sided digital bus stop can consume 17,000 kWh of electricity a year. An LED digital billboard: 41,000 kWh. These two signs alone release nearly 22 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere annually.

Also, according to New Scientist, even newspapers “emit the potent greenhouse gas methane when they rot in landfill sites, and for each one that isn’t recycled, another newspaper’s worth of new paper has to be made.”

Considering this data, what’s the most sustainable option? 

Soofa Signs are the only carbon neutral option that allows advertisers to share messaging without hurting the planet. Our signs are made from recyclable aluminum and run on e-ink screens powered by the sun. Sustainability is always on Soofa’s mind, so we make sure to promote carbon neutral practices with our signs and within our company culture. 

What Other Brands Are Doing 

If you’re a brand looking for guidance on sustainability, these companies have made some major strides in reducing their carbon footprint through advertising. 

According to a blog from The Business of Story, brands like Patagonia, FritoLay, and Method have started a carbon neutral conversation within their companies and its led to a larger sustainability movement for their businesses. 

Patagonia has an entire page on their website dedicated to what efforts they’re making to reduce their carbon footprint, and recently the company’s founder Yvon Chouinard gave away the company to the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective in order to help fight the climate crisis. 

Though Patagonia can be considered a business leader in sustainable practices, there are plenty of small steps a brand can take to become as eco-friendly as their advertising portrays. 

For a list of other sustainable companies, click here. 

Look Internally 

Although the advertising industry still has a long way to go to drastically reduce their carbon footprints, being conscious of advertising and internal practices is the best way to start moving toward Net Zero. 

Overall, start with researching how your ad campaign will affect the environment and determine if it's worth it for your brand exposure. Look into sustainable platforms like Soofa or ones that are actually determined to reduce their carbon footprint. Lastly, look internally at your own company’s practices and if you’re making a noticeable effort towards sustainability, include that in your outreach messaging! 

Make the switch to Soofa for sustainable advertising by clicking below, or email sales@soofadigital.com to get started. 

Written by: Ally Peters

Ally is a Content Marketing Specialist at Soofa and spends her days researching and reporting on current trends in smart city infrastructure and OOH media.