BCorp Brunch
Electric Glue CEO Pippa Glucklich, speaking this morning at an event for B Corps in media, stated that the ad industry has reached a tipping point where sustainability was concerned.
“Yes, there's a growing awareness among clients and agencies about the broader implications of advertising campaigns,” she said. “We're beginning to see sustainability criteria being incorporated into briefs and becoming a consideration during the pitching process. This shift reflects a broader understanding that the impact of our work extends beyond the immediate message it conveys, touching on how and where ads are delivered.”
Moving Media Forward was a B Corp Month Brunch and Learn event co-hosted by Electric Glue and Open Media. Glucklich was joined on stage by Open Media CEO Mike Smith, Julie Richards, Director of Sustainability and Operational Transformation at The Guardian, Elle Chartres, UK Director of Ad Net Zero UK at the Advertising Association and James Skirrow, Head of Customer Sustainability at Futureproof.
The event focused on the complex challenges faced by media companies seeking to balance profit with environmental and social responsibilities. Key takeaways included the notion that transparency and collaboration are vital. The panel agreed that you shouldn’t allow progress to be halted by fears that you may be unjustly accused of greenwashing.
Equally, the industry needs to be open to initiatives like Ad Net Zero’s standardised emission measurement methodologies – in other words, do the research and back up sustainability claims with evidence.
Glucklich pointed in particular to EG’s partnership with Sky, notably its Sky Ocean Rescue initiative and the Footprint Fund, aimed at promoting sustainability. Glucklich was recently one of the scheme’s judges – and it was founded by Paul Barrett, who has subsequently left Sky to join EG as Director of Partnerships.
It’s important, said Glucklich, to “collaborate intimately with media owners to gain a deep understanding of their environmental footprint and initiatives they are doing to help drive positive change.”
