The advertising industry has to take more responsibility

Do you know how much negative environmental impact your last campaign really had?

Marketing and advertising are all about a better world. Better products, better solutions, a better life. But what if we took a look in the mirror - do we practice what we preach? Marketers and advertisers might already be saving energy and recycling their waste at home, or working against sexism and racism privately, while their actions in business tell a whole other story. Without hesitation, plenty of us book international flights to meetings and trade shows, not even thinking about alternatives or emission compensation. Many executives wouldn’t dream of taking public transport and insist on their favorite brand of coffee, no matter the waste it produces.

Still, the world is changing: Environmentalists are starting to call for change in advertising. In cities like Hamburg and Berlin, vocal interest groups want to get rid of (Digital) Out of Home Displays to reduce light pollution and CO2 emissions. Customers are starting to ask how and where campaign materials are produced. The German consumer researchers from GFK have found that even in times of energy crises, war and inflation, consumer consciousness for these topics is on the rise.

So, what about YOUR last campaign, YOUR mediaplan? Could you have done more?

Our panelists will discuss why and how media have to rethink environmental, ethical and social factors as major KPIs in advertising strategies: The question "How many people can I reach?" could read "How can I reach people with minimal ecological consequences?". "Who can do it cheaper?" should become "Who pays their staff fairly and who can do it sustainably?"
Meedia will host this roundtable with well-known personalities from advertising, media and publishing. It will be an open, honest discussion on a topic that affects all of us, all the time.

Our full panel will be disclosed in the coming weeks, but we can already share a few commitments:

• Daniela Tollert, Chief Growth Officer of Group M.
• Norman Wagner, Head of Group Media Deutsche Telekom (not finally consented yet)
• Anja Fricke, Senior Manager Communication, Lichtblick