Earth Day 2021 and the power of the media

In light of world Earth Day on Thursday 22nd April, digital marketing experts at Embryo have been looking into search trends and the questions that people are asking surrounding sustainable diets and clothing and their purchasing choices, as these sustainable lifestyle habits have become increasing trending topics being talked about across media platforms.

With climate awareness at its height and sure to continue to rise, now more than ever we are seeing a rise in conversations about sustainable fashion and diets as we adjust to the new ‘normal’. The third national lockdown saw people engaging with news stories, articles, and social media as a key source to stay connected with what is happening. Documentaries such as Seaspiracy which aired on 24th March this year have also played a huge part in raising awareness across its viewership into the wider issues of climate change and creating conversations about how people can engage with a sustainable lifestyle as we become more health aware and eco-conscious.  

Search Data from Embryo 

The PR team at Embryo used findings from media databases and search tools and found a spike in topics around sustainable living being widely discussed across media platforms as people are becoming more interested in where their food and clothing is being sourced. Findings from pinpoint on media database, Roxhill, revealed that ‘fish’ and ‘plant-based’ were the most commonly used keywords when it came to discussions in the press about sustainable diets, while ‘shop local’ and ‘sustainable fashion’ were the most used terms since more people are choosing to invest in more sustainable clothing and support local businesses. Embryo also engaged with Ask the Public, which collated what consumers were asking google when it came to marine life and found that there was a rise in questions being asked surrounding the issues raised in the documentary, with questions such as ‘what is sustainable fish?’, ‘where can I buy sustainable fish?’, and ‘how to find sustainable fish’ most commonly asked.

The media’s ability to influence readership 

The media is a powerful platform to reach and engage with a worldwide audience in order to create change by raising awareness through reports, posts, and circulating imagery of these wider climate issues. Embryo predicts that we may see a rise in the number of people changing their diets to include meat and fish alternatives, perhaps even converting to plant-based diets, and will see more and more people searching for and engaging with articles around second-hand clothing in order to reduce unnecessary waste from the retail industry as the number of media articles around these topics continues to rise. 

Seaspiracy brought awareness to issues facing our marine life. As well as our high demand for fish with dwindling resources, there has also become a demand for affordable clothing with a short lead time and quick delivery, the retail industry has played a part in creating an overconsumption culture. We also saw a worldwide rejuvenation of wildlife in lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic as imagery of wildlife returning to tourist-free spots was widely circulated across media platforms. With this powerful imagery circulating our mainstream media, people are becoming more aware of the effects that our unsustainable habits have on our ecosystems.

The future of eco-consciousness in the media 

These discussions surrounding our ecosystems have evolved from being contained to a niche demographic of activists to wider discussions being had in the national press and social media where everyone has a voice. Where leading voices, such as David Attenborough’s, have previously started the conversation about wider climate issues, gen Z are expanding these discussions across these platforms, with Greta Thunberg as a prime example of the younger generation utilizing the power of the media to reach people with fresh knowledge and understanding from previous behaviours and to implement changes. Experts at Embryo predict that these wider climate issues will continue to be trending topics as people become more concerned with living sustainable lifestyles and doing less harm to our planet.