“Environmentally sustainable” has become one of marketing’s most buzz-worthy phrases.  Vox Media IQ, our research-driven playbook for brands,  and our Insights & Innovation team set out to explore this theme because, although the subject of sustainability is receiving much-needed attention, it’s crucial that marketers understand the desire for true action and accountability. Past research showed Vox Media’s audience is three times more likely to care about social causes compared to the general population, so we crafted a study to understand how they define environmental sustainability — and how their daily lives, actions, and thoughts are shaped by it. In this piece, we’ll reveal which aspects of environmental sustainability matter most to our audience, how brands can make the biggest impact, and the different ways our audience is willing to take action. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS The Vox Media audience recognizes that individuals can’t win the fight against climate change without support from the government and private companies. However, our audience is passionate about playing their role in protecting the environment and hungry to learn more about how industries and corporations are  joining the fight. Our audience believes that environmental sustainability is most deeply tied to taking actions that protect the environment: preserving natural resources, limiting fossil fuel use, and limiting carbon footprint. They expect brands to limit the use of environmentally harmful practices, as opposed to relying on eco-conscious alternatives such as recycling, organic food and multi-use products. 84% of respondents believe the government is ultimately responsible for addressing environmental sustainability; however, corporations (75%) and individuals (31%) have roles to play, particularly in the area of reducing waste. They don’t want brands to simply support environmental sustainability, they want them to take action to be environmentally sustainable. There’s a clear hierarchy of actions brands can take to be perceived as impactful

The award recognizes outstanding longform TV, OTT and video from Vox Media Studios, Eater, and Vox

Helwani’s hit franchise launches this August on the Vox Media Podcast Network and MMA Fighting’s YouTube channel

‘Unwind Your Mind’ is the third installment from Headspace and Vox Media Studios following Headspace Guide to Meditation and Headspace Guide to Sleep now streaming on Netflix

Through original reporting and narrative storytelling, the new series will explore the food delivery industry, hosted by Ahmed Ali Akbar—subscribe here

Takeaways from ‘Asian American Leaders in Media,’ a conversation hosted by the As|Am ERG

New offerings include brand suitability tool and capabilities for brands to leverage first-party data segments across dozens of local and national publishers via Concert

As we round the corner on the pandemic and continue to make progress toward solving the many challenges of the last 15 months, marketers will need to acknowledge the role empathy plays in the reopening. While there is strong hope about re-emergence, it’s important for marketers to understand that because of the pandemic we have all experienced collective loss that we will need to continue to cope with in order to create a more resilient society. Brands need to understand consumers’ path to a post-pandemic life, with acknowledgement of loss in their messaging in order to connect with consumers. Working with SightX & ATCS Insights, we surveyed ~2,500 people & studied social conversations and found that: As a society, we share a common bond through loss and coping, and only after understanding that can we speak to re-emergence A healthy understanding of coping can be used by brands and publishers to play a key role in rebuilding a healthier and more resilient society Understanding what consumers want from brands is critical for how to  message and what to message RECOGNIZING LOSS & GAIN Many of us have spent years in marketing thinking about brand building, inspiration and aspiration. But as we discuss “what’s next” for marketing, today’s consumers are increasingly looking to brands for messaging that acknowledges our collective experience, including hardships, during the pandemic. With that knowledge, there is nothing more authentic and important than understanding the consumer through the lens of loss, coping and resilience.  Adam Grant wrote a salient article about how we all feel like we are “languishing,” and the belief that if you don’t understand what someone has lost, you can’t inspire them to re-emerge feeling better. In our work, we found that the vast majority of consumers, three-quarters, stated that this year brought some

AJ Frucci, Head of Concert reflects five years after Concert’s launch on why he remains optimistic about building a healthier digital ecosystem for brands, publishers and users

A personal and professional reflection on sustained actions to support Black employees

Cullem brings 20 years of product experience in ecommerce, education, advertising and media from roles at Spotify, Bitly, and R/GA

Every Tuesday, two of the country’s most incisive interpreters and chroniclers of the American story will make sense of the week in news and politics by looking back at historical parallels.

Today, Explained was named best news show by both the Webbys and Ambies

In our last study, we talked about how the post-pandemic recovery process will kick off with celebrations, dinners, and hugs with our friends and family.  We couldn’t agree more and decided to look into the return of gatherings. To do this, Vox Media worked with Bastion db5 to survey ~1,000 people to understand mindsets around socializing during the summer of 2021. Gatherings will return in a big way, and most want to host. Get-togethers are about meaningful connections. Hosting will be a logistical challenge that requires a bit of instruction, stress relief, and levity. Post-pandemic parties will have some practical constraints. The cognitive dissonance of gatherings is a brand opportunity. PARTIES AND GATHERINGS ARE BACK Meeting up with family/friends in person came in as the #1 choice for “what I am looking forward to most,” even higher than travel, live events, and dining out. In 2021: These gatherings are likely going to take place in our homes, with 82% willing to host, and  61% open to an indoor hybrid party. Whereas pre-COVID people may have been excited about the superficial elements of parties (Pinterest-inspired decorations and recipes), human interaction is the main motivator for gatherings in 2021 (48% listed it as the top motivator). When asked for the top three reasons hosting was important to them, respondents cited connecting with people they don’t see day to day (31%), celebrating an important occasion (30%), and creating new and lasting memories (29%). Conversely, 18% wanted to try new food/drinks while 17% said they love the details of party planning. WHEN WE SAY EXCLUSIVE, WE MEAN IT Hosts are eschewing “polite invites” with ~70% inviting friends and family, and fewer people open to inviting coworkers (21%) and neighbors (29%). And no crashers: about 2/3 of hosts say they are ready to turn away

The network announced New York will be launching its first serialized investigative podcast, drawing on the magazine’s history of richly reported features

Limited Series Premieres Today on Netflix

The award-winning video series from Vox premieres today on Vox’s YouTube Channel

Eater’s New Guard award celebrates inspiring changemakers in the food industry

A no-cost training and mentorship program designed to elevate the writing and reporting of a new generation of journalists

Headspace Guide to Sleep is the second series with Headspace and Vox Media Studios, including Headspace Guide to Meditation – now streaming – and an upcoming interactive experience

Today, Vox Media announced promotions across Vox — Vox Media’s premier explanatory journalism organization — and Vox Media Studios as Vox expands its work across TV and premium streaming platforms, as well as its popular YouTube channel. Vox: Emily Anderson becomes Vice President, Vox Video and TV: In addition to managing television and longform projects for Vox,  Anderson will expand her scope to include Vox’s YouTube channel and OTT efforts. Mona Lalwani becomes Editorial Director and Executive Producer, Vox Video and TV:  Lalwani will continue to oversee YouTube programming and work across projects developed for TV and streaming platforms, instilling Vox editorial and journalistic values in projects. Joe Posner becomes Vice President, Creative Development, Vox Video and TV: Joe will continue to lead development of new television and streaming projects for Vox. Vox Media Studios:  Marina Stadler becomes Head of Production, Vox TV: Focused exclusively on Vox’s programming, Marina will work on behalf of Vox Media Studios with  the Vox team to translate the network’s distinct mission into workflows that deliver great content for streaming and TV partners. In addition to multiple projects in production for networks and streamers, this year’s programming  includes the second season of the Emmy-nominated series Glad You Asked on YouTube Originals, Money, Explained, the seventh installment of the Explained franchise for Netflix, and the return of Missing Chapter, the award-winning video series that addresses historical trauma on Vox’s YouTube channel. About Vox: Vox explains the news. In a world of too much information and too little context, too much noise and too little insight—Vox’s journalists candidly shepherd audiences through politics and policy, business and pop culture, science, and everything else that matters, empowering its audience with the context they need to answer questions they didn’t know they had. Vox is home to influential verticals including

Hosted by Dave Schilling and Jonah Ray, the show debuts today with new episodes publishing every Thursday

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Vox Media and Cafe announced today that Joyce Vance, Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law at the University of Alabama School of Law and former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, will be joining the Cafe Insider podcast as co-host with Preet Bharara, beginning Tuesday, April 20, to break down the latest politically charged legal issues facing the nation. Cafe Insider is the weekly podcast included as part of Cafe’s membership program, which offers bonus material from Stay Tuned with Preet, audio notes from contributors, a weekly newsletter featuring a note from Preet, and more. “I am overjoyed to welcome my friend and former colleague Joyce Vance to be my co-host on the Cafe Insider podcast,” said Cafe co-founder, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and New York Times bestselling author Preet Bharara. “Joyce has been one of the clearest and smartest legal voices in the country, and I couldn’t imagine anyone better to fill Anne Milgram’s large shoes.” Vance, who has been a frequent guest on both on Stay Tuned with Preet Bharara and Insider and writes a regular column for Cafe Insider subscribers, “Note From Joyce,” will replace Anne Milgram, former New Jersey Attorney General, who was recently nominated by President Biden for Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration at the Department of Justice. “I’m looking forward to having time every week to think through important issues with Preet and share our views with listeners,” said Vance. “If we’ve learned anything from the last four years, it’s the importance of staying engaged on issues at the intersection of law and politics.” Vance was the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama from August 2009 through January 2017. She was appointed by President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the Senate. Before