Welcoming words from Tom Firth, Chair, IPA Sustainability Action Group, UK Group Managing Director, M&C Saatchi London
"Welcome to Agents for change: The plan, a toolkit which has been developed by the IPA Sustainability Action Group as part of our 2024 sustainability best practice project.
It captures the perspectives of 28 advertising industry specialists and stakeholders, who told us about their efforts and experiences to make the industry more sustainable, and how they believe we can drive change.
The experts we spoke to share our view that advertising industry leaders must move fast to keep pace with clients and respond to changing legislation and regulation. Advertisers want to work with suppliers who understand the issues and can support them in reducing risk and maximising emerging opportunities. Simply put, if an agency can’t help them do that, a client will find one that can.
All of us recognise that advertising has a powerful influence on how people think and behave, and the significant part it can play in designing a better world.
Practical advice from industry specialists has been captured in this blueprint for action. It is designed for the many agency leaders who want to support the transition to a more equitable world, but feel they are held back by a lack of knowledge and expertise.
If you’re one of those people, this toolkit is designed to help you kick-start or accelerate your journey on the road to sustainable business.
It is accompanied by a separate report, Agents for change: The expert view, which summarises the experiences of the experts we consulted, and defines the environment that industry professionals find themselves in.
This project is our first step in providing practical help and advice to other IPA members, which we will iterate and build on, together.
We’re now at a tipping point for action on climate change and biodiversity loss, and have a unique opportunity to act.
Together, let’s capture the passion and ability of our amazing industry to drive change for future generations."
Tom Firth, Chair, IPA Sustainability Action Group, UK Group Managing Director, M&C Saatchi London
Sustainability means different things to different people.
In Agents for change: The expert view, the report that accompanies this toolkit, we have provided a useful definition of sustainability, which is often adopted by major brands. It brings together actions on environmental, social and financial sustainability, as a platform for strategy and reporting.
While we touch on other areas, this guide is specifically focused on environmental sustainability.
It has been designed as a practical resource for agencies and brings together best practice from the industry in a four-step model.
It identifies that agencies currently fall within three groups, according to their approach to sustainable business:
We recommend that agency leaders should be honest about where they want to take their business, in order to provide a north star when setting targets and taking action. Even those that are happy to take a passive stance need to fully understand current and future legislation and regulation (and there’s a lot on the horizon, both for agencies and their clients).
It then explains how to build the foundations for change, including understanding context and risk, establishing a business case, leading the agenda and engaging colleagues.
It encourages you to take action in two ways. Optimising agency impact through the work you do, which involves making clear choices on clients and briefs. And, at the same time, assessing how you work, to improve your efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of operations, production and delivery.
To help track progress as an agency, and an industry, 10 top-line KPIs are proposed for the work you do, and two for the way you work.
Finally, it focuses on how you can help to grow a movement for change, through inspiration and collaboration.
The first important message from the industry leaders who contributed to this toolkit is
… don’t panic!
When you start to understand and appreciate the scale of the challenge that climate change, biodiversity loss and social inequality presents to business as usual it can seem overwhelming.
But the reality is that the future of your business is at stake if you don’t take this seriously – simply because your client’s business is at risk. Client needs are now changing very quickly. Advertisers want to work with suppliers that can support them. So, if you can’t help them, they will ultimately find someone that can.
Secondly, don’t doubt your ability to make a difference. The advertising industry employs some of the world’s brightest, most creative minds. Agencies are already starting to see new opportunities to help clients think through new ways of doing business to drive positive change, but to do that well in the future, you need to understand the agenda and be equipped to add value.
And thirdly, you need to recognise that you can’t let perfection get in the way of progress. Big journeys begin with small steps. There are many quick wins and small changes that can make a big difference. And, if your agency is small and resource constrained, you also have the advantage of being able to make decisions quickly.
The final important message is that you don’t need to tackle everything all at once. You can lean into the areas that make more sense for your business. So, if that is through exceptional creative work that shifts the movable middle, then do that. The moveable middle, sometimes referred to as the persuadables, are the majority of the population who are on a scale from indifferent to mildly interested when it comes to sustainability. They are happy to make changes, whether that's behavioural or purchasing decisions, if they can see the benefit and you can make the actions clear and easy for them. Or if that is making sure that your production has the lowest carbon footprint possible, then do that.
The framework in this guide is here to help you, giving you a structure to follow, and points you to a multitude of existing resources and collaborative networks that can give you the advice, support and guidance you need to take your first steps. Take advantage of these and embrace the fact that this is viewed as a pre-competitive issue for most companies, so collaboration is possible.
With that being said, we’ve outlined four steps that the leading advertising agencies are taking that can help you to level up and align your business for a sustainable future.
Next: The four-step plan for sustainable action
The inclusion to external links does not imply IPA endorsement.
Please be aware that the inclusion of links and references to external guides and tools in this document does not imply that the IPA endorses them. We have simply listed resources that your peers in the industry are using and have themselves found useful. Some of these tools are co-produced with input from the IPA, but many are not. Every organisation should evaluate the tools and guides referenced in this guide on their own merit and decide if they are right for them.