In an era of interconnectedness and shared responsibility, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations have risen to the forefront of global organisational priorities. Beyond profit margins, businesses now recognise the imperative of sustainability, acknowledging their impact on the planet, society, and ethical governance. ESG initiatives are crucial for mitigating environmental risks, fostering resilient communities, and ensuring ethical practices. Embracing these principles aligns businesses with evolving societal values and safeguards long-term viability. As stakeholders demand transparency and ethical behaviour, organisations leveraging robust ESG strategies contribute to a more sustainable world and enhance their resilience and reputation.
In digital advertising, data powers everything—and we leverage it not only for commercial success but also to contribute positively to the world. A global organisation should aim to mirror their ESG initiatives with their business practices. Recently, Integral Ad Science (IAS) released our inaugural Responsibility Report outlining the tangible progress the company is making to strengthen its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives. ESG are the three categories of factors for measuring our company’s sustainability and societal impact. Let’s take a look at how IAS’s ESG efforts can be a blueprint for global organisations determined to impact the planet, people, and profit-often referred to as the "triple bottom line" approach.
People- Enhancing Brand Safety and Consumer Trust
The foundation of a company is its employees. The dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion ensures an environment where every team member can thrive and the business can excel. By focusing on ESG objectives and turning them into tangible actions, workplaces can attract and retain the best talent. The advantages of a diverse workforce inevitably benefit the customers and stakeholders.
Diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences create a unique team which can fuel innovation. A diverse workforce — comprised of team members who bring a wide variety of skills, abilities, experiences, and perspectives — can fuel innovation and is essential to an organisation's success.
One of the evaluating parameters of an organisation's success has to be its ability to evolve with changing times. Workplaces should be committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity, diversity, inclusion, and respect to attract the best talent and retain them. Below are a couple of suggestions organisations can use to attract and retain the best talent:
- Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): To drive forward inclusion efforts, the introduction of ERGs in a workplace can play the role of a catalyst. These are employee-led groups that foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with your corporate mission, values, and goals.
- Employer Surveys: Given how important feedback is to improve and understand the makeup of our workforce, employees can be encouraged to participate in surveys. With these insights, you can understand how your workforce represents the world we live in and make informed decisions that support our employees at every stage of their career journeys.
- Employee-focused Development Programs: Organisations can invest in their employees through training and development programs too. These programs can be introduced in addition to Mental Health Awareness Month workshops, wellness rooms, office happy hours, company-paid events, and corporate gifts. In addition, employees benefit from flexible work hours, one volunteer day per quarter, and the opportunity to work remotely or from green-friendly offices.
Profit- Maximising Return on Investment (ROI)
IAS's suite of ad verification tools, including viewability, fraud detection, and engagement metrics, help advertisers optimise their campaigns for better performance. This ensures that ad spend is allocated efficiently, maximising ROI while minimising
waste. Providing detailed analytics and insights, IAS enables advertisers to understand the effectiveness of their campaigns in real-time. This data-driven approach allows for continuous optimisation of ad spend, targeting strategies, and creative execution, leading to improved profitability.
Investors, increasingly valuing a responsible business, drive market demand for companies with strong ESG credentials, translating into enhanced stock performance and financial gains. Far beyond compliance, ESG becomes a powerful catalyst for profitability, positioning organisations to thrive financially while contributing to a sustainable future. Moreover, companies with strong ESG credentials often attract a growing segment of conscious consumers, translating into increased sales and brand loyalty. Beyond revenue, these organisations are better positioned to navigate regulatory landscapes, avoiding potential legal and financial pitfalls. In essence, the intertwining of ESG efforts with business strategies not only aligns with societal expectations but also becomes a powerful engine for sustained financial success.
In digital advertising, trust and transparency issues continue to plague the industry. Since IAS’s mission is to be the global benchmark for trust and transparency in digital media quality, accreditation from industry bodies has a massive impact on establishing fairness and reliability with our stakeholders and upholding our mission. With these trusted accreditations and certifications, marketers and publishers can rest assured knowing IAS products are unbiased, consistent, and meet established industry standards.
Planet- Supporting Sustainable and Responsible Advertising
Organisations must continue to evolve their impact strategy and goals to be specific, measurable, and accountable and to grow with our business over time. For example, implementing a new sustainability reporting software that enables one to better measure, understand, and communicate an organisation's global environmental performance and impact will provide a solid foundation to build on. At Integral Ad Science, our approach to ESG is structured around four Cs: Colleagues and Culture, Customers, and Community. For each “C,” IAS aligns its work across each pillar of ESG.
Partnerships with Ad Net Zero, Scope3, and Good-Loop help to monitor IAS’s carbon footprint and take decisive steps to reduce the carbon emissions made across planning, buying, and activation. A recent study by Good-Loop revealed the significant carbon footprint associated with powering digital advertising worldwide. A typical online advertising campaign emits 5.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to driving a vehicle over 20,000 km. Such partnerships provide marketers with reporting insights to have data-driven conversations with their partners on how to decrease their carbon footprint and optimise campaign spending to reduce emissions.
Focusing on managing carbon emissions, electronic recycling, energy usage, environmental operations, and new real estate’s sustainability credentials are great starting points for organisations committed to making a change. It becomes crucial that at the end of each year, we review the previous year's carbon emissions and determine ways to reduce and/or offset carbon emissions.
By removing waste from media (poor quality impressions) and partnering with industry bodies like GDI, MRC, TAG, MMA, IMAA, Jicdaq, JAA, IABs, etc. Our growing list of accreditations has a massive impact on establishing fairness and reliability with our stakeholders and ensuring marketers that IAS products are unbiased, consistent, and meet established industry standards.
IAS is helping to create a more responsible digital media ecosystem. When advertisers are confident that real people see their ads in safe and suitable environments, they are more likely to invest in digital and evolving media. This investment will help support the creation of high-quality content and responsible journalism and build trust in the digital media industry. Poor quality impressions that get little or no attention are a waste, both from a marketing perspective and a carbon perspective and should be eliminated.
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