Small Changes Increase Inclusion
By The Mann Group
Big brands in the outdoor industry have been making strides when it comes to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, but what can smaller retail shops do? It turns out that a few easy-to-implement steps can make a big difference.
Diversity. Inclusivity. Equity. These have been big buzz words in the outdoor industry (and outside of it) for years. Finally, we’re seeing a shift in the way our industry represents and appeals to a more diverse audience. Big brands like The North Face and REI are tapping minority outdoor enthusiasts to star in ad campaigns. Organizations like Outdoor Afro, the Greening Youth Foundation, and Ciclavia are bringing the outdoors to a broader range of hobbyists. And more and more businesses are hosting inclusivity and racial equity trainings. But what about outdoor retailers?
It’s inspiring to see the waves of change heralded by shifts in mega brands and nonprofits, but it’s just as much the responsibility of mom-and-pop outdoor shops to open our community to those who have traditionally felt marginalized by it. The changes you can make to your business to expand its inclusivity are small scale, but the potential impact is anything but.
Hire Broadly
A common mistake in specialty retail is to hire fellow enthusiasts. It’s a problematic habit for a number of reasons: it prioritizes product knowledge (which is trainable) over customer service and empathy (which is not), and it perpetuates the marginalization of new populations interested in our industry. Instead, cast a broad net when hiring that draws in new kinds of applicants in order to broaden the perspectives and reach of your company.
Host More Workshops
Starting a new hobby or even just getting outdoors can be an intimidating prospect for those who are new to it. Attending a workshop, class, or even introductory talk can dismantle some of those initial barriers to entry. By hosting such workshops, you can help introduce new hobbies and your store to more diverse populations.
Host Diversity & Inclusion Trainings
If you truly want your employees and your business to become more socially responsible, you have to invest in the time and training to help them understand how. Groups like Avarna (theavarnagroup.com) help companies like yours with their efforts toward diversity. It’s a topic that can be hard to navigate, and having a team of experts on your side ensures you and your employees are doing your best.
Represent Inclusivity
When it comes to your social media and marketing campaigns, what do the images you share represent? Is it a broad, diverse group of outdoorsfolk, or is it the same segment of the population we’ve associated with the outdoors for decades (heteronormative white males)? Though you want to avoid greenwashing—intentionally infusing your marketing efforts with diversity while avoiding inclusivity in your actual business model—it is important to represent the full spectrum of those who do (or could) shop at your store in your marketing materials.
Reconsider the Outdoors
For much of the population, the “outdoors” isn’t what we might traditionally associate with the word. Minorities comprise 54% of America’s urban population—for these many of populations, the outdoors could be a local park rather than a mountain trail. How can you adapt your business model to appeal to these different representations of the outdoors and the populations who use them?
About The Mann Group
We are The Mann Group, a charmingly incongruous and blatantly genuine group of big thinkers and list makers. Get us together, and our ideas bloom into vibrant, sky-high projects; take us apart, and we work methodically and assiduously to accomplish the goals we created together. We create and implement practical courses and curriculum to help businesses and individuals grow.