Campaign’s Marcomms360 – Sustainability kicked off at the Fairmont, The Palm with a packed audience and a focus on the most pressing topics around sustainability. A group of expert practitioners came together to discuss how the industry is tackling the subject.
From sustainability challenges, green financing to AI and media sustainability, the conference started strongly leading to optimism on how collaboration across industries can spearhead change and influence consumer behaviour towards sustainable choices.
Here are some of the highlights:
Marwa Kaabour, Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Communication, Al Masaood Group, said: “Our future generations are basically at risk because the world has seen an enormous amount of migration due to climate crisis. We have to come to a point where we need to understand that we can no longer argue the case for the business impact and the economies of scale of sustainability. We have to lead the conversation to environment and social impact. Every time we have a conversation on what’s the ROI of going sustainable, of going green, it’s going to be slower.
“Start with the small things. Cut out the plastic. Use smart and green extra mic services. Go to energy saving lights. Go to the UN page and learn about the UN SDGs and think of how you want to do your ESG courting. Look at your supply chain. Find vendors that are more green. Maybe rewrite the narrative on marketing. There is so much that you guys can do as marketeers because you are a profitability center for your brands.”
Srikanth Rayaprolu CEO & Co-Founder, ADscholars, discussed rising digital media investments in gaming, “The number of gamers across the world are almost 3 billion, which is 40 percent of the population on this planet who play games on a daily basis. When it comes to the MENA region, it’s a 3 billion industry in 2021 and in six years of time, it’s going to double and become a 6 billion industry. Saudi is going to invest as big as huge as 38 billion dollars in the gaming market. Marketers and the investors have potentially found three places, Saudi, UAE, and Egypt as the very huge potential markets when it comes to the gaming.”
Kim HardakerCEO & Founder, Hardaker & Co, said:”A relevant example, which is nice in the marketplace right now is Adidas and Parley, an ocean plastics company. Together they pioneered how to make shoes out of completely recycled ocean plastic. So I think that is a really nice way that brands have also come together because Adidas has such a big platform.”
Fady NakouziSustainability Lead MEA, Uber, said: “In 2020, we made a commitment to get to become a net zero platform by 2040. That is millions of rides a day, zero emissions. We’re partnering with cities, with public transport agencies, and other mobility providers to get to our vision. Globally, we’re investing 800 million to make it easier and more affordable for drivers to go electric, while also leveraging our platform to drive awareness and increase consumer appetite for more sustainable modes of transportation.”
