Ads in a low-clutter environment are more effective at driving brand trust and are more memorable for consumers.
And a bonus? We get to course-correct while we’re at it. We have a tremendous opportunity now to transform the way we execute advertising and ensure balanced success for all stakeholders.
According to Scope3 and Ebiquity data, one programmatic impression for a banner ad equates to 0.67g of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). A million ad impressions equal a metric ton of CO2e. (That’s one roundtrip flight from Boston to London per passenger.) Now that we know the impact of ads on the environment, let’s do what we can to minimize our footprint by reducing clutter.
Keeping the creative clean
In addition to addressing cluttered environments, how about rethinking our creative formats?
Low-bandwidth formats (i.e. static ads that are nonintrusive, clearly labeled and do not occupy more than 15% of the visible portion of the webpage) generate lower emissions. Those types of ads in a low-clutter environment can help publishers and advertisers lower C02e emissions by around 11.5 times compared to high-clutter webpages. And if you’re asking how this change can benefit the way you create and present ads, let’s put it this way: Formats and creative choices are a direct way for advertisers to reduce or limit energy consumption/carbon emissions and can have a lasting impact.
While we may be used to seeing ads that leverage animation and other rich media features, low-bandwidth creative offers a unique opportunity to pinpoint the messages and visuals that truly connect with consumers. Cutting away the special effects and motion-heavy graphics and distilling the creative into something clean, light and powerful could be a win on several fronts.
By keeping the focus on minimizing clutter and making more sustainable creative choices, the ad industry can lessen the carbon footprint of digital advertising across platforms and serve user demand. At the same time, we will be creating a new breed of premium ad offerings that will ultimately drive more money for the industry.
And with consumers placing more emphasis on sustainability, there may be a “halo effect” that positively impacts brands that advertise in this new sustainable manner. That too could provide new incentives for revenue generation.
The benefits of decluttering the online environment
Brands and consumers can both benefit from less clutter, as findings from the Magna study suggest. Ads in a low-clutter environment are more effective at driving brand trust and are more memorable for consumers, which goes to show that brands can remain competitive in today’s sustainability-focused landscape and improve on costs by listening to what their consumers want.