How to reduce the environmental impact of digital advertising

Let me caveat this article by saying that the most environmental campaign is the one you do not publish. Nevertheless, digital advertising is a vital means through which businesses can stand out from their competitors in congested markets. Delivering and displaying ads depends on digital infrastructure, and that infrastructure uses energy. The precise footprint varies by campaign, format and delivery system.

As a marketer who has been leading the creation and implementation of digital advertising strategies for numerous businesses across multiple markets over a number of years, I wanted to give an insight into my approach. Below, you’ll find an outline of the ways in which I minimise the environmental impact of my clients’ ads. It’s important to say that my approach is not only for sustainably-minded brands—it’s for all businesses. If a digital advertising strategy is executed with more care, consideration and nuance, we will ultimately build an advertising ecosystem that’s not only better for the environment, but for the consumer too.

Optimise your ad creative

Optimising ad creative includes using the correct file type and reducing its size, without sacrificing its quality. By following these simple steps, you will instantly minimise the data required to load the ad. Not only will the speedier load times improve the user experience, but also decrease the energy required to display the ad in the first place. I use JPEG for images and WebM or MP4 for videos.

I opt for simpler ad creative. My style is reductive, by nature. I avoid repetition and do not use unnecessary graphics, images or videos that do not add value to my content. By reducing the overall size of the ad creative, you will reduce the server load for delivery, streaming and storing.

Upcycle your ad creative

This is my go-to for reducing the environmental impact of my clients’ ads. By upcycling existing ad creative, I’m essentially reducing the carbon footprint associated with the set-up process.

I always try to modify existing graphics, images or videos instead of creating new ones. Repurpose your ad creative from last week, last month—even last year! This can reduce the need for new production and help make better use of work that already exists. The emissions benefit needs to be assessed rather than assumed.

In addition to upcycling ad creative, I’m big on digital cleansing. Please remember to regularly audit your file libraries and remove irrelevant, unused, duplicated or outdated files. Keep the library purposeful, while recognising that deleting files does not establish a measurable emissions saving on its own.

Set specific targeting criteria

If you’re scheduling a campaign to run for two weeks, you can choose how that ad manifests itself through the ad platform’s network. These include, but are not limited to:

Choosing specific day(s) and time(s)

Schedule ads around when they are useful to the audience and when the business can respond. There is no general rule that running ads at weekends or off-peak hours reduces their emissions; that depends on how and where they are delivered.

Specifying a fixed internet connection

Consider the file weight and the experience on a range of connections. Wi-Fi, Ethernet, 4G and 5G do not provide a reliable shortcut for judging campaign emissions. Make the creative efficient rather than assuming a particular connection is always better.

Targeting appropriate devices

I always base the targeting of devices on my ad creative’s format. If I’ve created a 9:16 video ad, I don’t need to run it across all placements. Though the ad platforms want you to run ads across their entire network, you don’t need to do this.

Measure your environmental impact

If you use an advertising emissions measurement provider, understand what its estimates include, how they are calculated and where the gaps sit. Compare total estimated emissions as well as intensity measures, using the same methodology across campaigns. A lower figure per impression does not necessarily mean lower emissions overall.

Read those estimates alongside the business outcome. More efficiently delivered impressions are of little value if they were never useful in the first place. The aim is to reduce wasted activity while keeping the campaign focused on what it needs to achieve.