L’Oréal Canada’s Youth To The People brand achieved a 46% reduction in carbon emissions during a recent marketing campaign by integrating carbon tracking into every stage of its media strategy, according to François Burra, a digital decarbonization consultant who advised on the project.
The campaign, executed with the agency Cosmo5, focused on optimizing media investments by reducing wasted impressions and refining audience targeting. Sustainability criteria were also incorporated into the creative briefs, aligning content with the brand’s environmental commitments. A key element was the use of short-form content created by influencers, tailored for specific platforms to minimize digital footprint even as maximizing engagement.
“The strategy relied in large part on short-form content produced by influencers, adapted to platforms and designed to limit the digital footprint while maximizing engagement,” Burra explained. The approach not only significantly improved marketing performance but also boosted advertising return on investment.
Burra, who has 13 years of experience in the tech industry and pivoted his career to focus on climate change in 2021, advocates for a careful evaluation of needs before deploying artificial intelligence in marketing. He cautions against the “hype” surrounding AI, particularly generative AI, given its substantial environmental impact.
“The priority lever, in my opinion, is to properly assess your needs and become truly expert in the problems you are trying to solve,” Burra stated. “You shouldn’t start with the solution and then appear for problems to apply it to.”
He argues that AI is not a universal solution for marketing challenges and that clarifying objectives, constraints, and success metrics is crucial. This allows for the targeted application of AI only where it delivers genuine value, thereby limiting its overall usage and associated environmental costs. Burra currently offers training programs to help businesses measure and reduce digital emissions, and builds low-carbon digital experiences.
Burra is also involved with several organizations focused on sustainable digital practices, including Climate Product Leaders, Sustainable Digital Collective, and the W3C Sustainable Web initiative. He recently spoke at an event hosted by Le Wagon Montréal, discussing the environmental impact of AI and strategies for reducing its carbon footprint. He co-wrote the “Climate Product Management Playbook” in 2023.
