GumGum Sets New Standards in Digital Advertising Carbon Efficiency, Achieving Up to 90% CO2 Reduction

GumGum's Remarkable Carbon Efficiency Achievement in Digital Advertising

GumGum, a prominent global advertising platform, has recently unveiled its extraordinary success in achieving unprecedented carbon efficiency in digital advertising. By employing a contextual-first approach, the company has dramatically reduced carbon emissions, setting a new benchmark for the industry.

This achievement is highlighted by GumGum’s reported carbon emissions of only 0.48 grams of CO2 per impression, which stands in stark contrast to the industry average of 2.45 grams. This represents an impressive reduction of nearly 80%. The industry average is calculated from both programmatic and direct advertising methods, pointing to the fact that GumGum’s efficiency is far superior.

In breaking down the numbers further, GumGum's carbon emissions associated with programmatic advertising, which automatically bids for ad placements, come in at 0.67 grams per impression. This statistic reveals a stark contrast when compared to the industry standard of 4.24 grams, showcasing an efficiency boost of around 85%.

Meanwhile, the direct advertising method, which does not use automated bidding and places ads directly with publishers, demonstrates even greater efficiency with 0.06 grams of CO2 per impression, significantly lower than the average of 0.66 grams, resulting in a remarkable 90% reduction. Video ads also presented notable achievements; GumGum’s programmatic video ads emitted 1.74 grams of CO2 compared to the industry standard of 4.83 grams, while direct video ads emitted just 1.03 grams, below the industry average of 1.25 grams.

GumGum’s Senior Director of Platform Operations, Kara Petroceli, stated, "Achieving sustainability in digital advertising is not just a future goal; it is an urgent challenge we are addressing now. GumGum proves that both brands and publishers can perform effectively while achieving high sustainability. Through optimizing bidding processes, data centers, eliminating unnecessary inventory, and effectively using contextual advertising, we aim not only to reduce CO2 emissions but also to set a new standard for 'responsible advertising.'"

Furthermore, GumGum aligns its carbon footprint metrics with the Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF) set to be unveiled in June 2024 by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and the Ad Net Zero initiative, aimed at achieving carbon neutrality in the advertising industry. This new framework offers a more comprehensive and consistent approach to measuring CO2 emissions, enabling more accurate assessments than previous methods.

The carbon intensity calculations at GumGum are guided by Cedara, a carbon intelligence platform specializing in media decarbonization efforts. Cedara is affiliated with the IAB Europe, demonstrating the effectiveness of data-driven decision-making in promoting both sustainability and business performance in digital advertising.

As Eric Shee, Chief Operating Officer of Cedara, remarked, "The advertising industry is shifting toward more sustainable media practices. GumGum has markedly showcased the viability of this shift, successfully reducing emissions by over 90% compared to industry standards. This accomplishment robustly supports the potential for data-driven decision-making to advance both sustainability and business interests."

Looking into the future, sustainability continues to be a top priority for brands and advertisers alike. GumGum remains committed to developing solutions that reduce environmental impact without sacrificing performance, particularly through the promotion of contextual advertising. By adhering to global industry standards and optimizing ad delivery, GumGum aims to further decrease CO2 emissions in the digital advertising space, paving the way for a more efficient marketing future.

In line with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), GumGum pursues advertising solutions with well-founded sustainability objectives, including emission reduction targets backed by scientific findings.

About GumGum

GumGum is a digital advertising platform that connects people and brands through the power of context. Utilizing advanced natural language processing and image recognition technologies, the platform provides a healthy advertising environment without using personal data. Founded in 2008 in California, GumGum operates across 19 countries and has been active in Japan since 2017, focusing on enhancing brand value through effective advertising strategies.

About Cedara

Cedara is a leading carbon intelligence platform focused on media industry decarbonization. The platform supports media companies in accurately measuring and reducing their CO2 emissions in everyday operations and advertising campaigns, leading the way for the advertising sector to achieve net-zero emissions. Headquartered in New York, Cedara operates in the US, UK, France, Germany, and Australia, providing essential insights for sustainable decision-making across the media supply chain.

For inquiries about this topic, please contact:
GumGum Japan, Inc.
Email: japan-marketing@gumgum.com
Website: GumGum Official