Overview
In today’s global landscape, sustainability has evolved from a mere buzzword into a pivotal focus area for organisations. At the same time, consumers are increasingly assertive in demanding transparency and responsibility from brands, wielding their purchasing power accordingly.
The digital media industry has made significant strides in creating more sustainable advertising solutions. Green Media Products, for example, offer carbon neutral media, providing identical advertising inventory and performance metrics while pledging to offset the carbon footprint associated with digital media activation. This involves funding carbon removal projects such as reforestation and direct air capture technologies.
It’s never been more important for brands to uphold their accountability and showcase their commitment to reducing emissions, particularly in their marketing efforts. Sustainability is a fundamental value at Deakin University, and the institution is working to align its advertising strategies more closely with its sustainability objectives.
The solution
Deakin partnered with Adobe Advertising DSP and Index Exchange to conduct an A/B test utilising Index Green Media Products, powered by Scope3, to quantify the full lifecycle emissions of programmatic campaigns. This initiative aimed to demonstrate how these deal types effectively reduce carbon emissions compared to traditional deal products.
The test compared the top 300 sites with the lowest carbon emissions against standard inventory across Index Exchange, while Adobe Advertising’s AI-powered optimisation prioritised placements based on the lowest cost per page view.
“Sustainability is a core element of how Adobe creates a positive impact on the world. We’ve been thoughtful and deliberate in how we develop and deploy our AI models, aiming to reduce environmental impact and media waste while ensuring that marketers have innovative tools to drive growth for their business across paid channels.”
Greg Collison, head of product at Adobe Advertising
With Green Media Products, Deakin improved its environmental footprint and achieved significant enhancements in metrics like media performance and on-site engagement. The campaign showcased a reduction in carbon emissions, equivalent to planting 10 trees.
The results underscore Deakin’s environmental stewardship but also highlight the tangible impact deploying green media has on sustainability goals.
“As a leading supply-side platform, Index Exchange leverages Scope3’s Green Media Products (GMP) to help brands minimise their campaign carbon footprints by automatically removing high climate risk inventory for buyers. It’s inspiring to see Deakin University making its advertising more sustainable while simultaneously enhancing its performance. If our industry works together, we can ignite collective action to propel digital marketing towards a cleaner future.”
Joanna Georges, head of ANZ at Scope3
The results
- 32% Reduction in cost per page view
- 49% Decrease in cost per site visit
- 32% Decrease in carbon footprint (measured in gCO2PM)
- 20% Increase in click-through rate
“This campaign demonstrates the impressive efficacy of Green Media Products, delivering significant cost savings while greatly decreasing our environmental footprint. It’s a clear win-win accomplishment and we’re eager to continue working with Adobe, Index, and Scope3 as we incorporate these products into our media buying strategy moving forward.”
Lisa Le, digital media specialist at Deakin University
Deakin’s success underscores the importance of collaboration between academia and the technology industry in driving sustainability forward. By partnering with innovative companies like Adobe Advertising, Index Exchange, and Scope3 and leveraging innovative technologies, institutions like Deakin are paving the way for a greener, more sustainable future.
Find out more about our sustainability practices at Index Exchange.
