ADVERTISING AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Environmentally, the advertising industry is increasingly being chastised. Do you believe that a company could survive without advertising today? These complaints should be taken with a grain of salt because environmental organisations are spreading misinformation.
However, claiming that advertising has a lower environmental impact would be deceptive. As a result, it is critical to comprehend the repercussions and compare them to advertising solutions and their economic implications.
WHAT ARE THE ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS?
The environmental impact is a fairly hazy concept. It is sometimes referred to as environmental impact or ecological footprint. According to Wikipedia: environmental effect refers to all the environmental changes induced by one or more species and one or more goods, from their design through their “end of life”.
We realise that this refers to the effects on the earth and its ecosystems, but how can we evaluate them? Many people also try to limit the environmental impact of their energy consumption. However, additional factors must be considered, such as raw material usage, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions.
This is why determining the ecological impact is so challenging. This is especially true for advertising because it affects multiple media. Each of these media has distinct qualities. Print advertising differs from outdoor, television, and Internet advertising. One will generate more garbage, whereas the other will mostly consume electricity.
ADVERTISING’S ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES
As previously said, there are various advertising industries, each with a unique impact. Advertising is not neutral, and knowing the influence of each medium will help you make better decisions.
Printing, for example, is a significant source of paper and ink waste. Some ecological organisations estimated that 31kg of leaflets were thrown away yearly per letterbox. Similarly, Oxialive discovered that the upkeep of a 4/3 panel produced 7,640 kg of carbon emissions in 2010. (Versus 323.1 for giant SMD Screens).
This is explained by the repeated appearance of visual supports, the urban journey associated with their installation, and their eventual removal.
Other industries will mostly focus on energy consumption. We are specifically thinking of advertising screens, TV broadcasts, and online advertising. For instance, KPMG research on DOOH found that advertising screens accounted for 0.1% of the energy consumed by the information and communication technology sector in France.
The DATA Center networks, which house certain advertisements, account for 50% of this consumption. Televisions and audiovisuals consume 28% of the energy consumed by other distribution methods, while computers and cell phones consume 22%. Advertising screens are thus 1.5 to 3 times less energy-intensive than online or television advertising when measured by audience volume. However, according to Ademe, this screen usage still amounts to 20,477 kWh over ten years.
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
Advertising has evolved into a social growth engine. It is a byproduct of our consumer society and free competition. Indeed, advertising is a crucial tool for a company’s visibility. This includes anything from pre-signs to business cards to web ads. It isn’t easy to envisage a company being sustainable if it does not try to ensure its visibility.