White people in MEC catalogues. Photo supplied
MEC's CEO, David Labistour, released an apology on the company's website today regarding their past marketing efforts and that they plan to change.
Acknowledging that they've "let [their] members down" by underrepresenting people of colour in the outdoors in their ads, he noted that "white athletes hold the spotlight" in their marketing efforts, and that they plan to do better.
The letter came about after MEC commissioned a study that found people of colour "spend more time and participate in a wider range of outdoor activities than white people", yet it's not reflected in marketing efforts in the sector. Last month Labistour signed the Outdoor Industry CEO Diversity Pledge, which is guided by these principles:
1. Hiring and supporting a diverse workforce and executive leadership
2. Presenting representative marketing and advertising in the media
3. Engaging and supporting broadly representative ambassador athletes
4. Sharing our experiences with other leading brands
His full letter is below.
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Do white people dominate the outdoors?
Let that question sink in for a moment. If you consider every advertisement you’ve ever seen for skiing, hiking, climbing and camping, you might think that’s the case. It isn’t true at all, and it’s part of a bigger problem. White athletes hold the spotlight in advertising, while the diversity that exists and continues to grow in outdoor spaces isn’t represented in the images we produce and promote. The truth is that we haven’t represented the diversity of Canadians or of our 5 million members.
WE’VE LET OUR MEMBERS DOWN.
We can’t move forward until we acknowledge our past. Historically, the models we’ve used in our catalogues and campaigns and on mec.ca have been predominantly white. And this imagery has perpetuated the vastly incorrect notion that people of colour in Canada don’t ski, hike, climb or camp. This letter is about recognizing the role we’ve played in underrepresenting people of colour in the outdoors, and committing to change. It’s not OK. As CEO of MEC, I promise that moving forward, we will make sure we’re inspiring and representing the diverse community that already exists in the outdoors.
This initiative isn’t about patting ourselves on the back. It’s also not about me, another straight white male with a voice in the outdoor industry. This is a conscious decision to change, and to challenge our industry partners to do the same. We know we’ve been part of the problem, and we’re committed to learning from our mistakes and changing the way we represent the outdoor community.
Outside is for everyone. It’s time we acted like it.
– David Labistour, CEO of Mountain Equipment Co-op
