How Programmatic Deals Are Leading the Way to Sustainable Advertising

We can safely say that in 2023, we live in a time of growing global awareness and concern about environmental issues, including climate change, pollution, and resource depletion. Consumers are increasingly conscious of their ecological footprint and actively seek products and services that align with their values for sustainability. 

In this context, green programmatic advertising is becoming more crucial because it is a powerful tool for businesses to communicate their commitment to environmental responsibility. It allows brands to showcase eco-friendly practices, highlight sustainable products, and share initiatives to reduce environmental impact. This not only resonates with environmentally conscious consumers but also builds trust and loyalty among a growing segment of the market that prioritizes sustainability.

Sustainable Programmatic Deals 

Right now, the need for green advertising is not driven by regulatory requirements. But as we see a broad global shift toward sustainability, it is a strategic imperative for businesses to participate in an environmentally conscious advertising marketplace.

Programmatic deals were always on the leading edge of any changes and developments in the programmatic industry. After all, they allow various additional features to be added by the publishers or the supply-side platforms (SSPs), which are not accessible if the transactions are done on the open exchange.

This includes the shift toward more sustainable marketing practices. By leveraging programmatic deals, advertisers can strategically target audiences on eco-friendly platforms, such as marketplaces for used clothing and accessories. But they can also optimize their media buying process to minimize their carbon footprint. This not only enhances the visibility of sustainable products but also aligns advertising efforts with environmental consciousness.

The essence of programmatic deals lies in their ability to optimize ad placements, ensuring they resonate with eco-conscious consumers. These deals facilitate a seamless connection between advertisers and consumers focused on environmentally friendly products and services. For example, in the case of a news publisher, the programmatic deal can only target specific ad units in articles about sustainability, renewable energy, circular economy, etc. The result is a win-win situation – advertisers reach a targeted audience genuinely interested in sustainable products while consumers discover products aligned with their values.

Furthermore, programmatic advertising allows for precise campaign impact measurement, including calculating carbon footprints. This feature was made available by two leading SSPs Marketplaces: Equativ (formerly known as Smart) and Adform. This level of transparency was unavailable previously. Now, it empowers advertisers to assess and refine their strategies, minimizing environmental impact while maximizing reach and effectiveness.

Carbon Footprint Measurement in Programmatic Deals

Let’s go with an example. The programmatic deal set up in Equativ SSP allows the buyer to calculate and get a report of the carbon footprint of each part of the media delivery process: from the campaign set up to the reporting. Several factors are considered into the carbon emission calculation, such as devices, deal type, creative size, format and duration and much more.

The Equativ Campaign carbon impact report allows us to check which device categories were the most energy efficient or which creatives caused the most footprint. In the preliminary information supplied by Equativ, we see some interesting conclusions. 

There were no surprises regarding the specific creative footprint: the lighter the creative, the less negative environmental impact. The worst were the longer video creatives and the heaviest display or rich media ads. In regards to the device categories, the most efficient were the mobile phones: smartphone < TV < tablet < PC. 

In a first test campaign, Equativ’s methodology reduced the carbon impact by 64%, generating 37g of CO2 emitted per 1k impressions versus 103g as a benchmark. The environmental impact of the campaign represents the equivalent of driving 27.76 kilometers, compared to 76.8 kilometers for a non-optimized campaign.

“In the digital advertising ‘value chain,’ which encompasses the journey from conceptualizing an idea to the moment when an advertisement reaches the user and the subsequent reporting of results to the advertiser, multiple stages are involved. Each of these stages needs the use of energy. Hence, we meticulously examine the entire campaign delivery process to initially quantify the energy consumption associated with each step. Subsequently, we focus on reducing this energy consumption by optimizing the path and refining the underlying processes while guaranteeing the meet of expected performance from our partners.”,

says Marcin CZACHOROWSKI, Senior Manager, Demand Partnerships at Equativ.

For detailed information on green programmatic deals, check the presentation from our recent event.

Go For Responsible Programmatic Advertising

In essence, programmatic deals are not just revolutionizing the advertising landscape but steering it towards a greener, more sustainable future. As brands increasingly prioritize eco-friendly messaging, programmatic deals are a key enabler, paving the way for a more environmentally conscious and responsible advertising ecosystem.

If you’re interested in sustainable programmatic deals, contact our team to get to know the offer.