Climate change—how brands can close the gap between intent and action

The advertising industry is poised to play a part in solving the most serious problem we face—climate change.

And it is a challenge, with a formidable gap—71% to 26%—between consumers who say climate change is as big a risk as COVID and “eco actives,” consumers who actually turn their environmental concerns into action. Closing that gap is the vital marketing challenge of our generation.

Our starting point is to relentlessly articulate climate solutions as growth opportunities, not as purpose programs—as if Tesla and its original purpose of growth and innovation in sustainable transport isn’t proof enough. So, we need to stop presenting vague trends and identify the financial value of meeting audience demand in sustainable products and services.

It’s also worth looking at the startup space for breakthrough business ideas. There is almost a perfect example on YouTube: The Little Loop is a children’s clothing company that rents the clothes that kids grow out of so quickly, but still caters to their individual identities. One potential investor failed to understand the concept and said fast fashion would never change. Another (Stephen Bartlett of Social Chain) compared it to the music industry and said that change was inevitable. This is a strong analogy around how the shift to more sustainable consumption—where growth can still be achieved through buying different kinds of services and products—will evolve.

 What do Tesla and The Little Loop have in common? Both improved consumer experience and improved impact on people and planet are both at the center of growth thinking. We can drive growth not by eliminating consumption, but by changing the type and nature of consumption and by acting with clear intent to deliver benefits for people, business and planet. This takes you to some interesting places in terms of marketing thinking which is not all about volume, abundance and deliberate waste.

No one gets out of bed and thinks, “Let’s pollute the planet.” They instead prioritize how they can live in the easiest, most convenient and most affordable way. It’s about access and affordability. Sustained and enduring growth lies in working with scientists and engineers, influencing public policy–and then designing products, services and experiences that deliver both outcomes. Ikea, for example, recently published a chart comparing its growth to the decline in its emissions per dollar—which shows what success looks like when these elements function successfully together.

So, how do brands start growing by turning intention into action?

Set aggressive goals

Set aggressive and ambitious 12– to 24-month targets that are specific, time-sensitive and linked to executive KPIs. How about measuring the share of the green market in the same way we measure the share of e-commerce? As it will be the fastest-growing segment in most markets, it will be a strong predictor of future growth.

Make it a priority

Position initiatives in the same way that digital transformation has been positioned for the last 10 years: If you are not doing it, you’ll be left behind. This helps balance longer-term potential alongside quarterly earnings expectations. Financial markets have been comfortable with the long-term growth offered by digital transformation despite sometimes meager short-term profits. And the one investment area that hasn’t yet dipped in 2022, according to Bloomberg, is climate tech.

Champion innovation

Get the best talent to think of new and inventive ways to position sustainable products and services. What we have learned from marketing around healthy eating is that the worst way to sell the idea is through loss or sacrifice. One key automaker in the EV space recently showed an image of an electric truck powering a house, potentially switching the thought process from range anxiety to a mobile generator at a time when power outages are a rapidly growing issue. Genius.

Sell the investment

Build the business case to drive more investment. The most progressive financial investment firms are actively shifting investments towards companies best prepared to address climate risks—because they believe they will offer greater growth. In the media world, we believe clients will move investment to publishers and platforms that decarbonize fastest. That’s why the industry needs to align on a single measurement approach that provides visibility and enables this shift of investment.

All of us are only part of the solution but playing our part in whatever way possible has never been so important. We need to articulate the potential growth opportunity to encourage investment, provide the consumer insight to inspire and guide new products and services and find ways to understand the triggers to close the huge gap between intent and action.