| Welcome to the The Conscious Advertising Network (CAN) newsletter for June 2025. Here's what we're covering in this month's newsletter:
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New reports and resources from Brands in Motion, RISE, Adtech Juice, WACL, and The Unmistakables If you've got news related to CAN and our Guiding Principles, please do get in touch with us at hello@consciousadnetwork.org. #TogetherWeCAN | | | Last week the CAN team attended the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. This was another fantastic opportunity for us to connect with changemakers across the world, helping to shape the conversations that matter most. And even more excitingly, this year was the first time CAN was featured in the official Cannes Lions programme!
In over a dozen panels and high-profile discussions, we covered climate misinformation, inclusive leadership, creator culture, AdTech ethics, and accessibility as a creative advantage. Through each conversation, we reaffirmed our belief that advertising can be a force for good - but only if we consciously choose to make it so.
To find out more about what we got up to, read the full rundown on our blog. | | | What We Are Reading
Can marketing ever be truly sustainable? - Marketing Beat | | | Featuring commentary from CAN co-founder Jake Dubbins, this article examines the role that marketing plays towards climate change. Covering the Ad Net Zero initiative, Digital Marketing, and the industry as a whole, alongside Jake we gain key insights from other industry experts.
While some are encouraged by the growing awareness and conversation within the advertising industry, Katie Drew, Director of Born Social points out that we need to do more: "We're finally having the right conversations, but talking isn't enough; we need action. At Born Social, we are working to have sustainability baked into how we work."
On Digital Marketing, Marketing Beat asks whether it really is better for the environment when the average email produces around 0.3g of CO2. Pamela Noakes, Sustainability Director at M+C Saatchi Group shares that digital advertising can help reduce environmental impact so long as the supply chain is tracked and is increasingly powered by renewable energy. She goes on to point out that it is the messaging along with the process is just as important: "true sustainability isn't just about the channel, it's about what we're promoting".
Jake echoes this sentiment, along with the concerns over the energy that is used to power data centres for AI, he discusses the need to tackle the risk of funding climate disinformation: "The lack of transparency in the ad tech ecosystem means brands with net-zero transition plans and science-based targets are funding dangerous narratives about extreme weather, denial of climate change itself, and lies about the solutions to the climate crisis."
There is a clear consensus in the article that to be sustainable, advertisers need to prioritise sustainability – from the clients we work with to the adverts we produce. Pamela Noakes candidly points out: "Sustainability can't be the thing we bolt on at the end—it has to shape our decisions from the very beginning. Not just because it's the right thing to do (it is!), but also because it makes long-term commercial sense, it's a cliché, but there really are no profits on a dead planet."
At CAN we believe the most effective advertising is also the most sustainable and inclusive. By investing in quality news, inclusive media, and climate coverage, we can achieve this. To learn more about what you can do, read our Guiding Principles here along with our Sustainability Guide. | | Catch CAN at MAD//Fest!  We are excited to be back at MAD//Fest this year. We will be holding a session on Thursday July 3rd (10:15am, ATTENTION stage) titled: Effective Advertising That Works for Everyone: A Practical Guide for Conscious Brands.
Join CAN's Membership & Engagement Account Director, Nafissa Norris, who will be speaking with Lucy Partington - Customer Marketing Lead, Transport for London (TfL), and Alana Ballantyne - Planning Director, VCCP.
Together, they will host a practical masterclass on how to balance inclusion, safety and impact in today's complex media landscape. Featuring the 'Abuse Has Consequences' campaign, we'll unpack CAN's new Guiding Principles - a four-step framework helping brands turn good intentions into real-world results. Discover how to build an effective advertising industry that works for everyone. We hope to see you there! Learn more about MAD//Fest here | | | | New Report
Brands in Motion 2025 - We Communications | | | In their latest Brands in Motion Report, "The World Got More Complex. Communications Got More Critical," CAN member We Communications with the help of Ipsos, have found that fragmented audiences, a diversity of stakeholders, and rising expectations means that communicators require a new type of adaptability.
The report reveals the top 5 drivers for complexity that brands need to navigate:
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Increasing number of channels -
Fast-paced spread of information online -
Expansion of AI -
Misinformation -
Increasingly polarised beliefs and opinions
Throughout their research they have found that the key to working through these complexities is to prioritise humanity and empathy over headlines. People do not want cliches, they want something real – when companies are revealing change, people respond better when their feelings are acknowledged.
Along with this, audiences appreciate the voices of real people and individuals over a generalised corporate 'voice' - the report reveals 60% of employees prefer to hear from an individual leader over a corporate entity.
With the economic uncertainty so many people are facing, the report has found that people do not want vague statements and information – they value honesty, direction, and clarity. 49% have said they want to hear more about a company's values and social impact.
"We have to be great storytellers, and stories only work when there is human emotion in the stories that can cut through you and make you believe, this is my story, or this has happened to me, or this could happen to me. And that for me is humanizing communication." - Chief Marketing Officer Consumer Lifestyle Company
By prioritising clear, open, honest, and empathetic communication, brands can lead through these complex challenges and build trust. | | Spotlight: The Outvertising Advocacy Playbook
 The Outvertising Advocacy Playbook is a vital resource for any organisation wanting to ensure both their internal processes and advertising is LGBTQIA+ inclusive, which CAN was proud to partner on.
The Advocacy Playbook equips advocates and allies with insights, tools, and best practices informed by hard economic and political evidence, and serves as a top-to-bottom action plan for all shapes and sizes in the marketing ecosystem. It also clearly outlines the commercial case for inclusion. It explores: -
How organisations can lay the foundations for inclusion, from policy assessments to LGBTQIA+ talent acquisition, retention and empowerment; understanding peoples' value; building inclusive work cultures, with the resources and tools that strengthen them; and engaging in active allyship through supporting local LGBTQIA+ communities and sharing learnings. -
How individuals- whether you're an Account Planner, Creative, Finance Lead or a CEO- can create queer inclusive work that addresses the diverse experiences and identities within the LGBTQIA+ community and beyond.
Download the Advocacy Playbook here | | | | New Report
2025 RISE Trend Report – Creativebrief | | | Creativebrief have now launched the Creative Equals RISE 2025 Trend Report which includes insights from industry leaders and some of the most successful inclusive advertising campaigns.
This year, the report focuses on how advertisers can apply inclusion, sustainability, and social impact across the entire value chain.
"Though not necessarily front of mind for consumers, when prompted, the vast majority recognise the important role that advertising has to play, most notably regarding diversity and inclusion, public health messaging and increasingly, environmental sustainability." Ali Hanan, CEO at Creative Equals
Featuring speakers from this year's RISE summit, the report gives valuable guidance to advertisers on how they can build trust with their consumers through authentic representation that drives profitability as well as creativity. | | | New Resource: Adtech Juice | | | This month The Digital Voice have launched their new learning hub – Adtech Juice. The online portal has been designed to help brands, agencies, and adtech partners informed with trends, insights, and important updates.
The learning hub includes the adtech university, a useful glossary, and the Legends of Adtech Podcast which takes a deep dive deep dive into what makes the industry tick and face the future of adtech.
Adtech is a complex industry – this free portal has been designed to make the information clear and accessible for anyone that wants to learn more, or those who want to brush up on their knowledge.
"Despite being in the adtech industry for nearly three decades, even I can find it a beast to navigate. Adtech is complicated and because of this, there's still huge knowledge gaps for many people. It's time we made it simple. The launch of Adtech Juice aims to work as the industry's all-access pass to new trends, conversations, and jargon-busting knowledge to help fill those gaps and become the 'uni of adtech'. Whether you're a first-time adtecher, a seasoned pro, or just trying to keep up with the industry landscape, Adtech Juice has the resources, and expert voices you need." - Julia Linehan, Founder and CEO of The Digital Voice | | | Upcoming Event
Behave Live: Unlocking the RenAIssance | | | AI is everywhere, but true adoption is still out of reach for many organisations. That's not a tech issue. It's a people issue. Join Mediaplus UK on 2nd July, bringing together leaders from Microsoft, Future Marketing, The Coach House Ltd and Hiscox to launch their latest whitepaper: The RenAIssance: Closing the gaps to unlock AI's full potential.
Join for a breakfast event exploring the barriers - motivation, proficiency, and ethics - holding AI back, and how behavioural science can close them. Expect exclusive insights, practical takeaways, and honest conversation.
This is an invite-only event - if you'd like to attend, please contact Madeleine Ware or e-mail enquiries@behave.co.uk. | | | New CAN Member Initiative
Up To Good Fund – giffgaff, MG OMD and Ecologi | | | CAN member giffgaff, along with MG OMD and Ecologi have announced their new initiative, the Up To Good Fund. The Fund encourages agencies, brands, and media owners to contribute to climate and ecological goals at scale. With a collective commitment to nature of just 0.1% of UK media spend per year, as much as £200 million could be raised by 2030. Large scale, sustained investment could fund the equivalent of planting 25,000 hectares of mixed broadleaf woodland in the UK – an area equivalent to around 35,000 football pitches, or approximately the land area of the city of Birmingham. The Up To Good Fund represents a bold step towards making that vision a reality.
The model works by committing a voluntary percentage of campaign spend, ranging from 0.1% to 4%, to Ecologi's high impact nature recovery projects in their industry leading UK Climate and Nature Impact Fund. Each member of the ecosystem contributes, including the brand, the agency and the media owners.
"Our members have highlighted the importance of protecting and restoring nature as part of the broader fight against climate change. Alongside reducing emissions across our business and value chain, our members expect us to look at the bigger picture of what it takes to sustain a living planet. By working with media and advertising partners, we can use our creativity, reach and influence to unlock investment in climate and nature, going beyond net zero to secure a thriving planet for all." - Georgina Bramall, Director of Marketing Strategy at giffgaff
The launch will feature an interactive panel with giffgaff, MG OMD, Ad Net Zero, Mobsta and Ecologi discussing how the media ecosystem can collaboratively participate in nature recovery. Key issues include the new Media Carbon Levy, the integration of nature KPIs into traditional media performance metrics, transparency and accountability in nature-based climate solutions, the commercial and reputational case for responsible media investment, pathways to scale and the future regulatory landscape.
This growing movement to redefine how media and advertising can be both commercially effective and environmentally restorative is set to boost a renewed sense of collective responsibility and direction, with ready-made solutions to help us get there. | | | New Campaign
#ChangeTheStats Campaign - Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership | | | Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership (WACL) have launched their new campaign, #ChangeTheStats. Designed to help organisations and advertisers accelerate gender equality, the campaign includes a playbook which provides practical ways you can help make this change.
The Playbook is both evidence-led and action-focused to make it easier for organisations to follow. Revealing that women are 23% underrepresented in C-Suite roles compared to their overall industry presence, this is an enlightening and encouraging resource.
"It can feel like there's a lot to do. But if each of us just does what we can, in the areas we can control, then together we can create huge change. And that will bring benefits to all of us." - Claire Sadler (WACL President 2025-2026 and CMO British Heart Foundation) | | | New Report
The Grow Up: DEI's Coming of Age – The Unmistakables | | | The Unmistakables have launched their new report The Grow Up. In 2025, DEI has become a central conversation for both businesses and the public, this report has been created to help businesses understand how to respond and grow.
The report's findings include: -
Who DEI matters most to: 81% of Black respondents, 72% of mixed-race respondents, and 62% of Asian respondents agreed that companies that prioritise DEI are more likely to grow and succeed than those deprioritising it - 53% of white respondents shared the same belief.
Prioritising DEI in our organisations creates opportunities for innovation and better representation, bolstering information integrity and economic performance. Along with this report, read our Inclusion Guide here to learn more about how advertisers can create both social and commercial impact. | | | 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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