NERD Productions: Promoting a Sustainable Future for Advertising

At NERD Productions, the team firmly believe in the harmonious relationship between creativity and sustainability. NERD strive to minimise its environmental footprint and advocate for sustainable practices at every stage of the production process, ensuring a better and greener future.

Here are some of NERD Productions top ideas on how the production industry can actively contribute to a more sustainable world:

1. As a production company, we often influence viewers' lifestyle choices, so how can we encourage our global audiences to adopt more sustainable consumption habits?

• Create content that showcases the importance and benefits of sustainable living. This content can inspire viewers to adopt similar practices in their daily lives.
• Collaborate with sustainable brands and organisations to create content that promotes sustainable products and services. This can create a positive association with sustainability in the minds of your audience.
• Lead by example and ensure that your own production processes are sustainable, minimising your impact on the environment.
• Engage with your audience and encourage them to share their own sustainable practices and experiences. This can create a sense of community and inspire others to adopt similar practices.
• Support sustainable initiatives by sponsoring events, donating funds, or volunteering your time. This can create a positive association with sustainability in the minds of your audience and encourage them to do the same.

By implementing these ideas, we can encourage sustainable consumption habits and make a positive impact on the environment.

NERD sustainability advocate and director: Lucas Borras ‘Arrow’

2. How can we best collaborate with communities and organisations in advertising to promote sustainable initiatives beyond internal production processes?

1. Offer resources: Provide resources and support to help the community/organisation implement sustainable practices. 

2. Co-create campaigns: Collaborate with the community/organisation to co-create campaigns that promote sustainability. This ensures that the message resonates with the community and is more likely to be effective.

3. Look for sustainable opportunities: Look for parts of the story or processes that can be made more sustainable. Highlighting these aspects can inspire others to take action towards sustainability.

NERD sustainability advocate and director Rachael-Olga Lloyd ‘Everything InBetween'

3. How can we entice clients and agencies to invest in making production more sustainable, as this usually comes at a higher cost?

Investing in sustainable production is not only essential for a better future, but it can also bring numerous benefits to clients and agencies. However, it's crucial to entice them to make the initial investment. Here are some ways to make sustainability more engaging:

Firstly, highlight the long-term benefits of sustainable production. While it may require higher costs initially, sustainable practices can result in significant long-term cost savings. For instance, by reducing energy consumption, waste, and improving efficiency, businesses can ultimately increase profitability and create a positive brand image.

Secondly, showcase the business case for sustainability. Presenting research and case studies that demonstrate the financial benefits of sustainable production can help clients and agencies realise the value of such practices. This can include increased market share, customer loyalty, and an improved reputation.

Thirdly, offer incentives to encourage sustainable production. These can be in the form of reduced rates, additional services, or other perks. By offering tangible benefits, clients and agencies can be motivated to invest in sustainable production.

Lastly, encourage collaboration to identify areas where sustainable practices can be implemented without compromising production quality. Working collaboratively with clients and agencies can also help reduce costs and increase buy-in from stakeholders.

NERD sustainability advocate and director: Brett De Vos ‘World Diabetes Day'

4. How to reduce digital pollution? Our starter’s top tips for everyone:

We believe in constantly re-evaluating practices to ensure they are effective and sustainable. Simple solutions like eliminating email signature images and avoiding sending unnecessary emails can significantly reduce data usage and your carbon footprint.

Sustainable web design practices such as image optimisation and file compression can further reduce the energy required to load web pages. Using video conferencing and allowing for remote work can save time, money, and emissions from unnecessary travel.

NERD sustainability advocate and director: Hayley Morris 'Charlie Banana'