New research carried out amongst Irish consumers show that 77% of those surveyed believe that “the advertising industry should help people lead healthy, sustainable lives” while 45% believe that “the world would be better off without advertising in its current form”.
The findings are contained in a new report called Good Life 2030 Ireland, the first ‘citizen vision report’ designed to uncover insights into what Irish people believe a ‘good life’ looks like for them in the year 2030 and the role of advertising in supporting this.
The report was funded by Creative Ireland as part of the Creative Climate Action Fund, and was created by Purpose Disruptors and the Dublin-based agency Thinkhouse.
The report highlights that the modern advertising industry has played a key role in driving an emphasis on a “good life” of “more stuff, status & wealth”. For its part, the Purpose Disruptors has claimed that the industry has, so far, “taken the world in the opposite direction of where it needs to go.”
The research also shows that citizens are divided on their view of advertising and its influence. According to the report many shared negative feelings toward the industry with 45% saying that they agree that “the world would be better off without advertising in its current form” while 42% say that ‘the advertising industry promotes an image of life that is harmful for people in Ireland”. Some 39% of people were unsure, neither agreeing or disagreeing with the statement while just 19% disagreed.
When thinking about the industry’s influence on a ‘good life’, 45% of citizens disagree with the statement “the advertising industry promotes an image of life that is in line with what I want for myself” while 32% of people neither agree nor disagree with it. Overall, however, 77% agree that ‘the advertising industry should help people lead healthy, sustainable lives.” Some 19% of people neither agree nor disagree with just 3% disagreeing.
“It’s clear that people believe that there is a responsibility for the industry to play its role to facilitate the necessary culture, behaviour and system change needed to halve carbon emissions by 2030. This project aims to bring the advertising industry closer to citizen’s real needs, to create a new narrative, informed by real everyday people, that improves human and planetary wellbeing for all,” the report notes.
“It’s time for our industry to realise its true potential – to shift our focus in service of a thriving future. As architects of desire, the advertising industry shapes our cultural understanding of a life worth wanting. Science states we need to halve emissions by 2030. But 2030 has an image problem. People aren’t emotionally connecting to the future we need to create. The invitation now is for those in the marketing, advertising and media industry to embrace our unique expertise and our responsibility to rethink what’s being sold and imagine a new ‘good life’ story that serves all living systems. A 2030 Good Life is ours to create,” she adds.
Costello points to the growing awareness within the advertising industry for the need to do better. A recent IAPI survey, in support of the Good Life 2030 Ireland project, shows that 57% of Ireland’s advertising industry, don’t believe that the industry ‘is currently doing all it can to create a sustainable world,’ with just 18% of the industry believing that they are “doing all they can.” In addition, 90% of the industry recognises that Ireland’s advertising industry “has an important role in changing consumer behaviours.”
“I agree. Who better to shape a new image for 2030 than Ireland’s advertising and marketing industry?” adds Charley Stoney, CEO of IAPI. “ Supporting initiatives like this, and Ad Net Zero, are an important part of our industry’s response to Ireland’s Climate Action Plan and Ireland’s Digital Creative Industries Roadmap – ensuring our industry is front and centre of Ireland’s transition to a sustainable economy. We must harness the superpower of the ad industry, generating a desire for ways of living and working that supports a good life for everyone.”
A full copy of the Good Life 2030 Ireland report can be downloaded HERE
