| Welcome to the Conscious Advertising Network (CAN) newsletter for May 2025. Here's what we're covering in this month's newsletter:
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New reports and resources from Impress, Creativebrief, Respondology, and GroupM. -
A look at a new marketing model, Effectiveness 2.0, introduced to us by WARC. -
Upcoming events including Cannes Lions and re:publica 25. -
A warm welcome to new CAN supporter member, 350.org. -
New meta-analysis from Scope3 revealing the commercial benefit of sustainable media buying in advertising. -
Podcast highlights from TheMadTechPodcast, featuring CAN co-founder Jake Dubbins.
If you've got news related to CAN and our Guiding Principles, please do get in touch with us at hello@consciousadnetwork.org. #TogetherWeCAN | | | New Resource
Effectiveness 2.0 - WARC | | | Marketers have the tools, the talent, and the individual desire to drive positive change. A new framework - Effectiveness 2.0 - proposes a more holistic and more ambitious view of marketing's role and impacts.
The framework, published by WARC, fosters brand owners' opportunity to grow by contributing positively to what the EU sets out as 'Long-Term Wellbeing for All' and helps marketers be the architects of a new model of consumption, one that is inclusive, and truly sustainable.
This has been created on the basis that marketers should not only encouraging consumers to buy more, but to drive behavioural change that will have a positive impact. The model focuses on three areas: - Commerical impact
- Environmental impact
- Social impact
The framework also covers three tiers of impact to help marketers measure their level of impact:
Marginal Impact (Tier 1): Includes initiatives that have positive but short-lived and limited impacts, typically focused on minimising the social and environmental negatives of its marketing operations.
Material Impact (Tier 2): Includes initiatives that achieve significant commercial success in alignment with the organisation's top sustainability goals, but remain within the brand's own locus of interest.
Game-changing Impact (Tier 3): Includes initiatives that drive broader systemic change within their industries and society at large.
The Effectiveness 2.0 model encourages marketers to create campaigns that drive positive change while still achieving their commercial goals. At CAN we believe advertising should inspire, innovate, and drive real results – this model provides a brilliant framework that you can use alongside our Guiding Principles and Guides.
| | CAN at Cannes Lions
 CAN is excited to be heading back to Cannes Lions this year. Previously, this event has been an opportunity to engage in important conversations. We have got a packed agenda, and we are looking forward to continuing to build an industry where effective advertising works for everyone.
CAN Co-Founders Jake Dubbins and Harriet Kingaby will be attending, along with CAN Membership & Engagement Account Director Nafissa Norris and CAN Project Director Marsha Jackson.
You can catch us on Friday June 20th at 13:15 at The Forum, Rotonde speaking about "Climate Information Integrity before COP30: Opportunities and Risks for Advertisers". Jake Dubbins will be joined by Charlotte Scaddan (Senior Adviser on Information Integrity, United Nations), João Brant (Secretary of Digital Policies - Social Communication Secretariat, Presidency of the Republic of Brazil), and Tarja Turtia (Senior Programme Specialist, UNESCO).
Keep an eye out for further announcements about our engagements at Cannes Lions.
Are you going to be at Cannes Lions? Do get in touch with our Membership & Engagement Account Director Nafissa Norris to arrange a catch-up. | | | | New Report
Climate News & Independent Regulation - Impress | | | This new report brought to us by Impress and the University of Glasgow has revealed that only 18.4% of the UK's reading population are regularly accessing reliable climate information that has been independently regulated.
The concern this raised is that the lack of access to reliable climate news and information can lead to an increase in the spread of misinformation. The report further highlights the need for us to support quality news and reliable media sources.
"The news media, regulators, and, crucially, the online platforms all have an overriding imperative to sort truth from fiction to counter misinformation, take down disinformation, promote accuracy over propaganda, intelligence over ignorance, and public honesty over political opportunism." Richard Ayre, Chair at Impress
CAN's Guiding Principles call upon advertisers to support quality news and media through the placement of their ads. By adopting our Conscious Media principle, not only will advertisers help improve information integrity, but they will build brand reputation and trust from consumers. | | | New CAN Supporter Member: 350.org | | | We are thrilled to share that 350.org have become a CAN Supporter member this month. 350 is a growing global movement working alongside communities hit hardest by the climate crisis - those least responsible but most affected. Their purpose is to campaign for a future rooted in justice and renewable energy.
Their name is a reference to 350 parts per million (ppm) - the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere considered the safe limit to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. With the current level being 423 ppm, 350.org's name is a reminder that their mission is to stop this number increasing further is more important than ever.
"We are honoured to join this inspiring community that's reimagining what advertising can be - rooted in integrity, impact, and inclusivity. At 350.org, we know the power of storytelling to drive change, and I'm excited to bring that energy to a network committed to reshaping the industry for the better." Namrata Chowdhary, Head of Public Engagement, 350.org
We look forward to collaborating with 350.org to help work towards a sustainable advertising landscape and support a future where advertising works for everyone. | | | CAN co-founder, Harriet Kingaby will be guest speaking this year's re:publica event to discuss how healthy incentives for content production can lead to online information systems that benefit everyone.
"Protecting human rights and fighting lies - they highlight the delicate balance between free expression and information reliability. They're not just aspirational—they're practical guardrails, pushing governments and companies to build resilient information ecosystems through education, algorithmic transparency, and meaningful enforcement." Harriet Kingaby, CAN co-founder
Taking place 26-28 May 2025 at STATION Berlin, re:publica25 will cover important topics relating to the internet, its communities and the challenges that lie in the digitalisation of society. | | | New Report
Curious Behaviours – Creativebrief | | | Creativebrief's recent Curious Behaviours report, provides an up-to-date picture on senior brand marketers' beliefs around curiosity alongside the actual behaviours in marketing teams today. The results are from survey insights from over 50 brand CMOs and Marketing Directors.
Creativebrief have found that although there is a collective belief that curiosity is an essential trait for the modern marketer, it is not being reflected in marketing teams behaviours. The survey found that only 30% of marketing leadership teams encourage curious behaviours at all levels.
It also revealed that 100% of responders said they are not currently measuring the impact of curiosity on the overall quality and effectiveness of their team's marketing output. When asked what the biggest barrier was to achieving a truly curious marketing culture in their organisation, 80% said it was time and resource.
"I'm a big believer in encouraging teams to be actively curious and keep their eyes open. Without looking outwardly to other industries and sectors, marketers can get stuck with a narrow, introspective view; after all, well-trodden paths are easier to navigate. By Cultivating a culture of curiosity, teams can find new ways to reference, recognise and strive for exceptional creativity." Katie Jackson, Chief Marketing Officer at Channel 4
| | | New Report
Shaping the Nation – GroupM and Mindshare | | | The Shaping the Nation report has been brought to us by CAN member, GroupM, in collaboration with its media agency, Mindshare. Also contributing are CAN members Mobsta and Blis.
The report explores how understanding where people are from and where they live can help advertisers create nuanced brand stories that deeply resonates with their audience. Some key findings of the report include:
"By exploring the nuances of local lives and experiences, a deeper understanding can be reached that will enrich brand storytelling and ensure that wider-scale media solutions truly connect." Shaping the Nation Report | | | New Resource
Social Media Brand Protection Planner – Respondology | | | Respondology, an organisation who are 'dedicated to using technology for good and cleaning up social media' have just launched their new resource, the Social Media Brand Protection Planner.
The planner has been designed to help businesses identify the unique risks they face across their social media presence and develop a plan to tackle them strategically. It also helps to:
- Connect with customers without risking your reputation.
- Craft a brand protection policy that works within your unique internal workflows.
- Design an approach that moves at the speed of social.
Ensuring your brand is safe ensures greater trust from your customers. With the pace that the online world and social media is changing, this is an incredibly helpful tool.
| | | New Training
Digital & Information Resilience – Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) | | | CCDH has launched its Digital & Information Resilience Training - a free, interactive session designed to help individuals and organisations gain practical strategies to recognize, resist, and address digital threats, fostering a safer and more informed online presence.
The programme explores the mechanics of social media platforms, explaining how algorithms amplify harmful content and fuel divisive narratives. The training includes: CAN's Information Integrity & Hate Guide encourages members to ensure their teams seek training and build internal policies to help combat this.
| | | Children AI & Design Code: 5Rights Foundation | | | Whilst attending the World Forum on the Future of Democracy, AI and Humankind, 5Rights Chair Baroness Beeban Kidron unveiled the Children & AI Design Code.
The Code sets out a process to identify, evaluate, and mitigate the known risks of AI to children and prepare for the known unknowns. It requires those who build and deploy AI systems to consider the foreseeable risks to children by design and default. "The decisions we make today will define the economies, societies, and generations of tomorrow. If we truly believe in a democratic, sustainable and innovative future society, we must stop eroding our children's development and invest now in their creativity, critical thinking, and resilience. The Children & AI Design Code provides guardrails that are urgently needed."
Leanda Barrington-Leach, Executive Director at 5Rights
The Code provides a detailed protocol covering the whole lifecycle of an AI system, setting a clear framework for developers and regulators to ensure responsible innovation. Built on the expertise of academics, AI professionals, and legal experts, this Code is not just a set of principles: it is a demand for action.
5Rights Foundation calls on tech companies to pro-actively integrate the Children & AI Design Code into their systems and processes, and on legislators and regulators to swiftly embed its provisions into AI legislation and regulation.
| | | New Analysis
The Measurable Impact of Sustainable Media Buying – Scope3 | | | New meta-analysis from Scope3 has revealed how closely sustainability and performance are linked in advertising. The analysis evaluated over 500 million impressions from live campaigns to understand how carbon emissions correlate with media effectiveness.
What they found was more than encouraging – as emissions decreased, the click-through-rates rose and spend efficiency metrics like eCPM and CPA held steady or improved. Here are some of the key figures from the analysis:
These findings prove just how effective advertising can be while still being sustainable. By eliminating waste and prioritising a high-quality and low-emission media supply, advertisers can gain higher performing outcomes. | | | What We Are Listening To
TheMadTech Podcast: Google's Ad Tech Monopoly Case and AI Search Engines | | | CAN Co-Founder Jake Dubbins features on this podcast episode, hosted by ExchangeWire editor Aimee Newell Tarín. The discussion examines Google's ad tech monopoly case in the US, Mark Zuckerberg's plans for Meta's AI app, and Google expanding access to conversational AI in Search.
When discussing the effectiveness of Meta's AI Chatbot and what it could mean for advertisers, Jake raises the issues that this could bring when it comes to monetised content. He points out that if the AI model is there to keep people on there for longer, it has already been proven that this does not lend itself to create a credible and truthful environment for information.
He continues to discuss that if engagement is the main metric – this could cause further risk to children's safety online. For example, if a teenager searches for potentially harmful information or content, what is the chatbot going to give them, and what kind of advertisements will be next to that information?
Jake goes on to discuss supply chain transparency, and while advertisers should be exploring different technologies, including AI – they need to ensure it is aligned with their values and include human oversight: "There has to be human oversight and demands for transparency through the supply chain, because this could get a lot more opaque and a lot more money can disappear in this entire supply chain in the meantime." | | | Watch out for more news on all things CAN related via LinkedIn. For any other questions or concerns, or if you would like to know more about joining, please feel free to contact us at hello@consciousadnetwork.org.
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Thank you for your ongoing support, The Conscious Advertising Network | | | | |
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