Over two-thirds of leaders in advertising, across the UK (72%) and US (67%) considered sustainable advertising to be important to their business, but many are not likely to hit their targets, according to new research.
The study, from production and marketing solutions company CLICKON, found that only 10% of UK respondents claimed their brand does not have any carbon neutral goals, and in the US 21% are yet to set them.
Key findings:
● A third (32%) of UK brands plan to be carbon neutral this by the end of 2023, with almost a quarter (24%) of US advertisers looking to reach the goal by the end of 2021
● Over two-thirds of leaders in advertising consider sustainable advertising to be important for business success
● Four fifths (80%) of UK and US brands agree that delivering sustainable advertising is an important message for customers
● In the US, 21% claim their brand doesn’t have any carbon neutral goals, dropping to 10% in the UK
In the UK, 71% said their brand aims to deliver carbon neutral advertising in the near future (next five to 10 years), with a third (32%) planning to achieve this goal by the end of 2023.
For the US, the numbers show a similar story with 68% having a goal for their brand to deliver carbon neutral advertising in the near future (next five to 10 years). Over half of US ad executives plan to achieve carbon neutral goals by the end of 2022 (25%) and 2023 (26%), with almost a quarter (24%) looking to reach their goal by the end of this year.
Carbon neutral advertising opportunities
Over four fifths (82%) in the UK agreed that offering sustainable advertising delivers an opportunity to their brand, and almost four fifths (79%) said their brand considers production and creative as part of its sustainability activity.
Most US respondents (90%) claim that their brand considers production and creative as part of its sustainability activity, and 83% agree that delivering sustainable advertising is an important message to relay to their customers, with almost a third (29%) strongly agreeing.
In the UK, almost four fifths (79%) agree that delivering sustainable advertising is an important message to relay to their customers, with almost a quarter (23%) strongly agreeing.
Over one third (32%) in the US strongly agreed that offering sustainable advertising delivers an opportunity to their brand, with 87% agreeing.
Pressures on advertising
Almost three quarters (74%) agree that there is pressure for ad campaigns in the UK to be carbon neutral. Two thirds (61%) thought sustainable advertising was important to their customers, with almost a third (27%) citing it as very important.
Over four fifths (81%) in the US agree that there is pressure for ad campaigns to be carbon neutral, with almost a third (28%) strongly agreeing. As in the UK, two thirds (60%) thought sustainable advertising was important to their customers, with almost a third (32%) citing it as very important.
Leading the way in new-era creative and marketing production solutions, sustainability conscious business CLICKON has committed to being carbon neutral by 2025. It has a goal to plant over one million trees over the next five years, as well as supporting many environmental groups, including African charities protecting species on the brink of extinction.
“Our survey shows that brands are under incredible pressure to deliver on sustainability goals within the next couple of years. It was also a surprise to discover that there is a small percentage of advertisers which have not yet set clear carbon neutral goals,” said Richard Wilson, CEO at CLICKON.
“We’re already seeing a lot of demand from brands for sustainable ad production solutions. By enabling remote ad production and harnessing high quality creative talent based in local markets, our Sustainable Studios can cut carbon emissions dramatically. This combined with industry-leading technology and clever use of data can give the advertising industry an opportunity to create quality content delivered at speed, sustainability and cost effectively. The opportunity for brands to deliver on their commitments, and make a significant and long-lasting positive environmental impact has never been better.”
Offering brands the opportunity to enhance creative output, while delivering on carbon neutral commitments, CLICKON’s Sustainable Studios significantly reduces project costs and minimises the environmental impact of travelling production crews.
