Carbon-neutral: It’s a term that seems to be popping up more and more in corporate marketing efforts as companies face pressure to address their roles in the climate crisis. (Just look at your napkin next time you’re on a Delta flight.)

But as Morning Consult found in a recent survey, most Americans don’t even know what “carbon-neutral” means.

• When asked to select the definition, only 41% of respondents chose the right one: “A company that produces carbon emissions but uses carbon-offset programs to remove as much carbon as they produce from the atmosphere.”
• Even the majority of respondents who said they’ve changed their behavior due to climate-crisis concerns either didn’t know or selected the wrong definition.

Looking ahead: With many terms floating around—from carbon-neutral to net zero to carbon-negative—and a carbon-offset industry in its infancy, experts said there needs to be more transparency and accountability when it comes to the claims companies are making.

The offset onset

In an effort to achieve carbon neutrality, companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Disney, JPMorgan Chase, and Royal Dutch Shell have all turned to carbon offsets in recent years. In 2021, 40% more offsets were issued than in 2020, according to analytics firm Ecosystem Marketplace.

But what is an offset, exactly? Essentially, it’s a credit that can be bought to compensate for carbon dioxide (or other greenhouse gas) emissions elsewhere. So, in theory, if a company burns a lot of fossil fuels, it may invest money in preserving a forest or funding a solar farm to essentially cancel out its emissions.

The problem, MIT Sloan professor John Sterman told us, is that offsets are “mostly bunk.” In order to truly be effective, he said offsets need to meet four criteria. Click here to read them and see what other experts told us about the issues that come with offsets.—KH

How many times have you gone to the doctor’s office and felt compelled to post a photo of the waiting room on your Instagram Story? For most people, the answer is likely never. Then again, most people’s doctor’s offices probably don’t have 52k+ followers on Instagram.

Tia, a growing women’s healthcare network (both IRL and virtual) founded in 2017, was designed for the whole you, from physical care to mental health to gynecology. It charges patients a membership fee to join and access its services.

Perhaps it was also designed with social media in mind. The waiting and exam rooms are complete with houseplants, bookshelves with feminist literature, and geometric prints. It’s a far cry from the washed-out pastel palette and old Highlights and Men’s Health magazines found in many a doctor’s office.

“I can’t tell you another example of a doctor’s office where people share and post on social media about their visit,” Deborah Singer, SVP, marketing and communications at Tia, told Marketing Brew.

Zoom in: That behavior inspired Singer and her team to craft the brand’s first coordinated influencer marketing campaign. In total, Tia worked with seven influencers to not only promote its Soho office that opened in September but also help it spread the word about the company’s mission and growth. It will work with seven more to promote its forthcoming Williamsburg, Brooklyn, office in November.

Click here to read about how the influencer push came together.—PB

There are a lot of bad marketing tips out there. These aren’t those.

Snap out of it: A how-to guide for anyone looking to get acquainted with Snapchat Ads Manager.

Gotta start somewhere: 15 Facebook ads to take a look at if you’re in a creative rut.

Meet your goals ️: An overview of key social stats for World Cup influencers, like engagement rate and follower count.

Going private: With new regulations zeroing in on online privacy, do marketing leaders need to double as legal experts? See how CMOs are thinking about new privacy restrictions in our latest article, available right here.*

^{*This is sponsored advertising content.}

Attention Marketing Brew readers! Have you heard? On November 15 in NYC, we’re convening the industry Brew-style for a full-day affair of content and connections you don’t want to miss. Consider this your formal invitation to The Brief: A Summit Presented by Marketing Brew.

Join your favorite editorial team and leaders from Vans, McDonald’s, Wieden+Kennedy, and more for a full day of exploration and navigation of all the dizzying industry topics we love so dearly. We’re talking rebranding, pushing creative boundaries, keeping that spark alive, and oh-so-much more. Grab special pricing right this minute by clicking here.

IAB’s annual Brand Disruption Report went live this week. The research outlines “four key disruptions” that brands could face in the coming year.

H-commerce: Or hybrid shopping.

• The IAB defines H-commerce as “the fusion of online and offline shopping,” noting a difference between this term and “omnichannel.” Brands will likely have to adjust their go-to-market strategies and invest in new tech to provide the H-commerce experience some consumers have grown to expect.

Creator economy: Readers, you already know what it is.

• “Brand investment in creator content is growing faster than investment in TV and streaming content,” according to the report.

Metaverse: Yes, it’s already a thing.

• Even so, the IAB expects it to become a “shopping medium,” pointing out that “brands, retailers, and platforms are already capitalizing on current day, metaverse commerce opportunities.”

Privacy: As we wrote yesterday, navigating privacy regulations and changes will likely become an increasingly important aspect of a marketer’s job.

• “Ongoing privacy legislation will not only further challenge brands’ ability to assess advertising performance but also increase the likelihood of lawsuits and penalties,” per the report.

Catch up on a few Marketing Brew stories you might have missed.

• How CMOs are thinking about new privacy restrictions
• Advertisers are split on whether they’ll spend less in 2023, according to survey
• For influencer marketing, Instagram isn’t the only show in town anymore