Sylvia Chan-Olmsted, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Media Production, Management, and Technology professor and director of consumer media research, recently  presented insights on the Sustainable Media Management (SuMM) project at the Sustainable Media & Brand Management Symposium hosted by the IU International University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg, Germany, on Nov. 8-9.

The SuMM project aims to develop a sustainable media model and establish standards for industry players to safeguard valuable media in the market.  The presentation was based on explorative interviews with both consumers and media industry players (brands, media producers, agencies, experts) and focused on the importance of good and valuable media as a new sustainability paradigm for media.

The symposium, inspired by the SuMM project, was a research partnership between UFCJC’s Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology, represented by Chan-Olmsted; Lisa Wolter, professor of Online Marketing at IU; and industry partner Mediaplus, one of the world’s leading media agencies.

The event highlighted the industry’s efforts to establish standards and commitments concerning climate neutrality and sustainability. Speakers stressed the importance of abandoning “childlike naivety” and educating clients on the interconnectedness of sustainability. Collaboration between agencies and companies was emphasized as crucial to giving momentum to sustainability and making communication more sustainable.

Efforts are underway to establish common criteria for the media industry, emphasizing collaboration over competition. The goal is to make society capable of evaluating the value of media, content, and brands. Initiatives include calls for the consolidation of various individual measures in the market and the development of guidelines, such as ethical standards in marketing (Data Ethics).

Posted: November 21, 2023
Category: College News, Trust News
Tagged as: Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology, Lisa Wolter, Mediaplus, SuMM Project, Sustainable Media & Brand Management Symposium, Sylvia Chan-Olmsted