Send in the clouds: do we over use digital storage?
Emma Horton, XR Global’s Head of Impact suggests that while the ad industry is attempting to address sustainability in production, the growing carbon cost of infinite asset storage remains largely ignored.
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In an era where digital storage is virtually limitless, the advertising industry has embraced an unprecedented scale of asset creation, archiving, and retention. Every campaign iteration, every cut-down, every localised version of a video, stored indefinitely in the cloud, remaining accessible at the click of a button.
As advertising continues its digital acceleration, we must confront the environmental consequences of storing everything, forever.
But as we push the boundaries of production and asset storage without constraint, a crucial question emerges: Just because we can, should we?
The reality is that the convenience of infinite storage comes at an invisible but significant cost, carbon emissions. Cloud computing, while intangible to the end user, relies on vast physical infrastructures.
Data centres consume immense amounts of electricity, much of it still sourced from fossil fuels, contributing significantly to global carbon footprints. As advertising continues its digital acceleration, we must confront the environmental consequences of storing everything, forever.
Data centres consume immense amounts of electricity, much of it still sourced from fossil fuels, contributing significantly to global carbon footprints.
The hidden carbon cost of unlimited storage
The ad industry is no stranger to sustainability discussions, particularly when it comes to production and media placement. Ad Net Zero and similar initiatives have driven focus towards reducing emissions in content creation, media buying, and distribution. However, the growing environmental toll of long-term asset storage and archival practices remains largely ignored.
Why aren’t we asking more critical questions about the necessity of perpetual storage? Do we really need to keep every version of a campaign stored indefinitely?
Consider this: every second of high-resolution video stored in the cloud requires multiple backups across geographically distributed data centres. The redundancy built into cloud storage ensures reliability, but it also means that each asset is replicated across multiple servers, exponentially increasing energy consumption. Multiply that by thousands of video versions across brands, agencies, and publishers.
Why aren’t we asking more critical questions about the necessity of perpetual storage? Do we really need to keep every version of a campaign stored indefinitely? Are there smarter, more efficient ways to manage digital assets without compromising access and creative flexibility?
A mindset shift: infinite to intentional storage
As the industry moves toward sustainability commitments and net-zero targets, a shift is paramount. Instead of treating storage as an unlimited resource, we must move toward intentional management.
Every second of high-resolution video stored in the cloud requires multiple backups across geographically distributed data centres.
Key considerations and suggestions:
Implementing intelligent retention policies
Brands and agencies should define clear storage lifecycles. Not every asset needs to be kept indefinitely. Establishing guidelines around what is archived, for how long, and at what resolution can significantly reduce unnecessary data loads.
Optimising compression & file efficiency
Advances in AI and file compression technology allow for smaller, more efficient storage solutions without compromising quality. Leveraging these tools can minimise energy consumption per asset.
If we can demand efficiency in ad delivery, we should demand efficiency in how we store the creative itself.
Carbon labelling for digital storage
Just as carbon footprints are measured in media planning, storage also needs to be assigned a carbon impact. If brands and agencies understood the emissions associated with their archived assets, they might reconsider their storage strategies.
Encouraging a ‘Use It or Lose It’ Mentality
Instead of defaulting to perpetual storage, there should be a standard practice of regularly auditing and purging outdated, redundant, or low-priority assets. If an asset hasn’t been accessed in five years, does it truly need to remain stored at full resolution across multiple servers?
There should be a standard practice of regularly auditing and purging outdated, redundant, or low-priority assets.
The Role of the Advertising Industry in Driving Change
Advertising shapes behaviours; not just for consumers, but within the industry itself. If agencies and brands begin prioritising sustainable digital asset management, the ripple effect could influence how cloud providers, production companies, and publishers handle storage practices.
We are already seeing shifts in media buying with carbon-conscious programmatic strategies; why not apply the same level of scrutiny to digital asset storage?
We are already seeing shifts in media buying with carbon-conscious programmatic strategies; why not apply the same level of scrutiny to digital asset storage? If we can demand efficiency in ad delivery, we should demand efficiency in how we store the creative itself.
Future-Proofing Advertising’s Digital Footprint
The technology exists to streamline, optimise, and reduce digital storage footprints without sacrificing creative accessibility. But change won’t happen unless we, as an industry, challenge the outdated assumption that just because storage is infinite, it must be used infinitely.
As brands continue to pledge net-zero ambitions and carbon reduction targets, the way we manage digital assets must be included in the conversation. We are at a tipping point, we either start treating digital storage as a sustainability issue now, or we risk undoing progress made in other areas.
The choice is clear: we can continue storing everything for all time, or we can store smarter, reduce our impact, and create a more sustainable advertising future.
Just because we can, should we? The answer is becoming increasingly obvious.
