Every day, communication and marketing shape the way we consume and interact with the world. Whether it's advertising, digital marketing or branded content, these strategies influence our choices and condition much of our behaviour. In France, more than €20 billion is invested in advertising every year, with an increasing share devoted to digital. While these tools have become essential for businesses, they are not neutral: between the environmental impact of digital technology, message saturation and loss of consumer confidence, there is an urgent need to rethink practices.
Today, communication is no longer just about capturing attention. It must be meaningful, transparent and ensure that communication is not only effective... but also responsible. At Magina, we are convinced that communication can be a driver of positive change. But how can we combine impact, ethics and performance? We asked Mathieu Maréchal, co-founder of the Fertilidée cooperative, which supports companies in their CSR initiatives, to answer this question for us in this article!
The bottom line: aim for authentic and ethical communication!
Greenwashing, social washing, diversity washing... these pitfalls undermine a brand's credibility.
Communication has immense power: it can enlighten, raise awareness and inspire. But when misused, it can also mislead, mask realities and hinder real change.
Greenwashing is undoubtedly the most well-known example of this. It involves artificially greening a brand by highlighting misleading or exaggerated environmental commitments.
An example? A company that boasts ‘100% recyclable’ packaging, even though its production cycle remains highly polluting.
But this is not the only form of ‘washing’ that threatens the authenticity of brands. Here are some others that are becoming increasingly common:
- Social washing: this involves promoting superficial social commitments without any concrete actions behind them. For example, claiming to be committed to quality of life at work without any real internal policy.
- Diversity washing: here, the offending company displays a façade of diversity in its communications, when in reality it has no internal inclusion programme or policies promoting diversity in its recruitment.
- Purpose washing: in this case, the company claims to have a ‘societal role’ solely for marketing reasons, with no real impact on the company's practices.
And these practices are not insignificant: they undermine consumer confidence, which is becoming increasingly demanding. Today, your audiences are no longer satisfied with empty promises: they want proof!
A good reflex? Replace vague slogans with measurable commitments.
‘Our brand is committed to the planet!’ → ‘We have reduced our CO₂ emissions by 35% in 3 years thanks to optimised logistics and responsible materials.’
The pillars of responsible communication
To avoid these pitfalls and build solid communication, five fundamental principles should guide each of your messages:
✔ Authenticité : dire ce que l’on fait, faire ce que l’on dit
Responsible communication begins with aligning words and actions.
Example: A company that highlights its environmental commitments must be able to prove its actions with precise figures and verifiable data.
Avoiding vague and misleading wording is essential:
‘Our products are environmentally friendly!’ → ‘Our products are made from 70% recycled materials, and we have reduced our carbon footprint by 25% in 5 years.’
✔ Transparency: acknowledging one's strengths and limitations
No brand is ever 100% perfect, and consumers understand that change takes time. Being open about areas for improvement strengthens your credibility and avoids suspicion.
Here are some best practices:
- Publish regular impact reports to share progress on commitments.
- Acknowledge the challenges that still need to be addressed (e.g., ‘Our packaging is not yet fully recyclable, but we are working on an alternative solution.’).
- Encourage open dialogue with stakeholders (customers, employees, suppliers).
✔ Inclusivity: communication that speaks to everyone
A brand that only targets a portion of the population misses out on a large and diverse audience.
Inclusivity is not limited to image; it must be conveyed in the message and practices:
Here are some best practices to adopt:
- Diverse representations in visuals and content.
- Inclusive language that avoids stereotypes based on gender, age, origin, or social status.
- Digital accessibility (video subtitles, screen reader-friendly text).
Beware of false pretenses! Inclusivity must be genuine and not just a marketing ploy (see ‘diversity washing’).
✔ Ethics: rethinking the role of communication
Responsible communication should not only seek to increase sales, but also have a positive impact on society.
Here are a few points to bear in mind:
- Avoid messages that encourage overconsumption (‘Buy now before it's too late!’).
- Do not convey toxic messages (e.g., ‘Be perfect, perform well at all costs’).
- Ensure that professions and values are accurately represented in corporate communications.
The idea? To put communication back at the service of the public interest, rather than using it as a mere tool for manipulation.
✔ Environmental responsibility: limiting the environmental impact of communication itself
Did you know that digital advertising accounts for a significant proportion of digital CO₂ emissions?
Responsible communication must therefore also take into account its environmental impact by limiting digital pollution and energy-intensive practices:
Here are a few examples of best practices:
- Optimise advertising formats (reduce video file sizes, avoid unnecessary looping campaigns, etc.).
- Host your website on servers powered by renewable energy.
- Limit intrusive marketing campaigns (mass emailing, excessive retargeting).
- Choose sustainable physical media for printing (recycled paper, eco-friendly inks).
The challenge is simple: effective but understated communication that does not generate a disproportionate carbon footprint.
Why avoid encouraging overconsumption?
In a world with limited resources, encouraging people to buy more and more no longer makes sense.
And many consumers themselves are searching for meaning and are gradually turning away from brands that play on urgency and frenzy to buy.
But beyond the ecological impact, is the model of overconsumption still economically viable? To put it simply, the answer is clearly no. Here's why:
- Resource depletion: excessive production leads to rapid consumption of raw materials, with costs skyrocketing.
- Consumer saturation: the proliferation of promotions and ‘limited-time’ offers eventually wears thin and reinforces feelings of mistrust.
- An unsustainable model for brands: in the long term, ‘all marketing’ is no longer enough: only companies that build genuine relationships based on trust and quality will retain their audience.
So, what are the alternatives to overconsumption in communication? Here are a few:
- Emphasise quality and repairability: rather than encouraging people to buy a new product, offer maintenance guides or spare parts.
- Promote transparency about production cycles: explaining how a product is made can strengthen customer loyalty.
- Focus on messages promoting responsible consumption: some brands are now openly encouraging consumers to ‘buy less, but better’ and are gaining public trust as a result.
The form: concrete actions for sustainable communication
While the basis of responsible communication lies in authenticity and ethics, its form should not be left to chance. The environmental impact of digital and printed media is very real, and businesses have a role to play in limiting their footprint!
Here are some practical ways to make your communication materials more sustainable and environmentally friendly, while also increasing their effectiveness.
Digital eco-design: optimise your digital media
We often tend to believe that digital technology is immaterial. However, every email sent, every video viewed and every web page loaded consumes energy and requires physical infrastructure (servers, data centres).
Some key figures:
- The digital sector accounts for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than civil aviation. And it is growing rapidly!
- A single Google search generates between 0.2 and 7 grams of CO₂ depending on the type of search.
- Sending an email with a 1 MB attachment is equivalent to the electricity consumption of an energy-saving light bulb left on for one hour.
To reduce the impact of digital technology without compromising the performance of your communication tools, here are a few measures you can take:
✔ Optimise your websites
- Assess their footprint using tools such as EcoIndex or Website Carbon Calculator.
- Limit the number of server requests and streamline HTML/CSS/JS code.
- Avoid unnecessary videos and animations that slow down loading and consume more energy.
✔. Choose responsible accommodation
- Opt for servers powered by renewable energy.
- Reduce data redundancy by avoiding unnecessary storage of large files.
✔ Limit the resource consumption of emails and newsletters
- Reduce the size of attachments by using file-sharing platforms rather than sending them directly.
- Opt for plain text emails or emails with images that have been optimised in terms of size and weight.
- Regularly clean up your databases to avoid unnecessary emails and reduce the impact on mail servers.
A lighter website also means a better user experience! Faster loading times, better accessibility and reduced environmental impact... everyone wins.
Consider using responsible labels for your printed materials
Even though digital technology is becoming increasingly prevalent, printing on paper remains essential for certain uses (brochures, posters, business cards, etc.).
Please note that not all printing is created equal.
To limit the environmental impact of your printed materials, choose recognised certifications:
✔ Imprim’Vert
This French label:
- Ensures the limitation of pollutants and responsible waste management.
- Encourages printers to reduce their energy consumption and toxic emissions.
✔ FSC® and PEFC labels
These international labels:
- Ensure that the paper used comes from sustainably managed forests.
- Enable traceability of the origin of the wood and the paper manufacturing processes.
✔ Responsible ink and finishes
Here are the key actions to consider:
- Choose vegetable-based inks rather than inks containing chemical solvents.
- Limit the use of plastic finishes (varnish, lamination) that make recycling more difficult.
In summary: less but better! Responsible paper communication does not mean zero printing, but a thoughtful and optimised approach.
Reduce the environmental impact of visual formats
Digital videos and visuals have become cornerstones of digital communication. However, they account for a significant proportion of digital emissions.
Online videos have an underestimated impact:
- Streaming accounts for 60% of global Internet traffic.
- One hour of HD video consumption emits approximately 100 g of CO₂, which is equivalent to a 500 m car journey.
But then, how can we reduce their footprint while maintaining their impact?
✔ Optimise video formats
- Compress videos using suitable formats (MP4, WebM, high-performance codecs such as H.265).
- Limit the resolution when full HD or 4K are not essential.
- Host videos on platforms that allow adaptive loading, rather than systematically sending them in high definition.
✔. Promote alternatives to heavy videos
- Use interactive infographics rather than overly long explanatory videos.
- Opt for GIFs optimised for short, dynamic content.
- Choose lightweight HTML5 animations rather than looped exported videos.
✔ Lighten static visual aids
- Avoid overly heavy banner ads (unnecessary animations, complex visuals).
- Reduce ink consumption by using clean designs and optimised flat colours.
- Choose fonts and contrasts that improve readability without weighing down graphic files.
Adopt sustainable communication as a lever for innovation
Limiting the environmental impact of communication does not mean sacrificing its effectiveness.
On the contrary, these best practices often improve performance by simplifying content, making it more accessible and optimising the user experience.
And this offers a double advantage for your company:
- More responsible and ethical communication.
- Optimised digital performance (faster websites, improved conversion rates, reduced costs).
As a digital agency, Magina supports its clients in adopting a more sustainable approach to communication. As Mathieu from the Fertilidée cooperative points out, ‘Responsible communication is not a constraint, but rather an opportunity to innovate and differentiate oneself by drawing on strong values.’
