An outdoor recreation retailer is vowing to increase diversity in its online ads and workforce after being called out on social media.
In an email sent to members Monday, Mountain Equipment Co-op said the company had let them down.
sa国际传媒淗istorically, the models wesa国际传媒檝e used in our catalogues and campaigns and on have been predominantly white,sa国际传媒� CEO David Labistour said.
sa国际传媒淎nd this imagery has perpetuated the vastly incorrect notion that people of colour in Canada donsa国际传媒檛 ski, hike, climb or camp. This letter is about recognizing the role wesa国际传媒檝e played in under-representing people of colour in the outdoors, and committing to change. Itsa国际传媒檚 not okay.sa国际传媒�
The retailer said its campaign was sparked after a post last March from Judith Kasiama, an avid hiker and a Vancouver-area Instagrammer.
sa国际传媒淭here seems to be a narrative that [black and Indigenous people of colour] donsa国际传媒檛 enjoy the outdoor compare to their white friends,sa国际传媒� Kasiama wrote.
sa国际传媒淭his is not rooted in actual reality but a myth perpetuated by marketing that caters to predominately white audience.sa国际传媒�
She tagged several outdoor recreation companies in her post, including MEC, Arcteryx and Helly Hansen, and said the brands sa国际传媒減aint a narrative that people like me donsa国际传媒檛 enjoy the outdoors.sa国际传媒�
Later that month, Kasiama said the company responded to her post and signed her on as MEC sa国际传媒渙utdoor nation ambassador.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淭his gives me a chance to extend the conversation, speak directly to a young diverse audience and help them make the change they want to see in the world,sa国际传媒� Kasiama said in a video posted to the MEC website.
sa国际传媒淩epresentation matters because role models define whatsa国际传媒檚 possible.sa国际传媒�
The company released several videos with more diverse representatives, and said itsa国际传媒檚 committing to a more varied board of directors.
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