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Tag: REI

  • Twitter Works to Make Advertisers Feel Safe

    Twitter Works to Make Advertisers Feel Safe

    Twitter is taking steps to ensure advertisers feel safe on its platform, a vital step for the company’s long-term growth.

    One of the biggest challenges social media companies face is balancing individuals’ right to express themselves with companies’ efforts to protect their brand. Facebook ran afoul of advertisers in June when the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found many ads from high-profile companies placed alongside content that would be deemed racist and offensive. As a result, Coca-Cola, The Hershey Company, Levi Strauss & Co, Verizon, Mozilla, Upwork, REI, Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, The North Face and Eddie Bauer were just a few of the companies that pulled their advertising from the platform.

    Twitter is working to prevent that kind of scenario, with a new focus on brand safety, according to Business Insider.

    “We want every brand to feel confident advertising on Twitter,” said Sarah Personette, Twitter VP of global client solutions, in an interview. “Brand safety is a critical component to that.”

    The company has committed to audits by the Media Rating Council. Certification by the MRC is considered the gold standard, providing some assurance the platform’s systems are operating without bias. Twitter is also planning to announce third-party partnerships in the coming weeks, aimed at promoting brand safety.

    At a time when Twitter is working to stay relevant amid the onslaught of newer platforms, and is trying to walk the moderation tightrope, this is a critical step for the company’s success.

  • High-Profile Companies Join Facebook Advertising Boycott

    High-Profile Companies Join Facebook Advertising Boycott

    Multiple high-profile companies have joined the ranks of those boycotting Facebook advertising over racist and violent content.

    Facebook has been under increasing pressure over what many perceive as a tolerance for racist and violent posts and groups, which Facebook says fall under free speech. In the wake of George Floyd’s death, and the renewed focus on equality, Facebook’s policy of non-interference isn’t flying with other companies.

    The movement comes following the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) calling out Facebook for tolerating posts and groups that promote racism and violence. A quick search by ADL researchers showed major companies’ ads side-by-side with content many would deem offensive.

    “Facebook has been claiming that it is effectively addressing hate on its platforms. ADL and others, however, have continued to expose egregious examples of online hate, misinformation and extremism across the company’s products, particularly on Facebook and Instagram,” reads the ADL’s open letter. “Whether or not these posts technically violate Facebook’s complicated guidelines around hate speech, as a result of the platform’s casual placement of ads, paid advertisements run a risk of being placed next to divisive (and sometimes blatantly hateful) content. Indeed, even a cursory investigation conducted by ADL’s analysts immediately surfaced examples of prominent brands’ advertising displayed on newsfeeds next to hateful and conspiratorial content. Although we have not spoken to these companies, we can assume that their intentions when buying advertising on Facebook did not include being displayed alongside such content.”

    As a result of the ADL’s open letter, company after company has pulled their advertising from Facebook and Instagram. Coca-Cola, The Hershey Company, Levi Strauss & Co, Verizon, Mozilla, Upwork, REI, Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, The North Face and Eddie Bauer are just a few of the organizations that have joined the boycott.

    The lost revenue appears to be having an impact, as Facebook has started announcing changes to their policies in response. Whether these changes will go far enough remains to be seen.

  • REI Opts Out of Black Friday for #OptOutside Campaign

    REI Opts Out of Black Friday for #OptOutside Campaign

    Black Friday is one of, if not the, biggest day for many retailers. The day after Thanksgiving always sees hordes of deal-hungry shoppers lining up in malls, department stores and boutiques – looking for an insane deal on a product they may or may not really need. It’s as American as credit card debt.

    But this year, outdoor clothing and supplies retailer REI won’t be participating in the Black Friday tradition. In a bold PR move, the company has announced that it will be closing all 143 of its stores and urging people to get outside instead.

    The company is calling it #OptOutside. REI says it’ll pay its employees to head outside on Black Friday.

    “For 76 years, our co-op has been dedicated to one thing and one thing only: a life outdoors. We believe that being outside makes our lives better. And Black Friday is the perfect time to remind ourselves of this essential truth,” says REI CEO Jerry Stritzke.

    “We’re a different kind of company—and while the rest of the world is fighting it out in the aisles, we’ll be spending our day a little differently. We’re choosing to opt outside, and want you to come with us.”

    The PR move seems to be paying off.

    REI isn’t just closing its physical stores, it’s also shuttering online orders until Saturday. REI is 100% not participating in Black Friday – a “holiday” that sees over 80 million shoppers every year.

  • Sally Jewell Chosen For Secretary of the Interior

    U.S. President Barack Obama today announced his pick for a new Secretary of the Interior. Sally Jewell, the CEO of Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), will be nominated by the president to head up the U.S. Department of the interior. If confirmed, Jewell will replace former U.S. senator Ken Salazar, who currently holds the position.

    “…even as Sally has spent the majority of her career outside of Washington – where, I might add, the majority of our interior is located – she is an expert on the energy and climate issues that are going to shape our future,” said Obama. “She is committed to building our nation-to-nation relationship with Indian Country. She knows the link between conservation and good jobs. She knows that there’s no contradiction between being good stewards of the land and our economic progress; that in fact, those two things need to go hand in hand. She has shown that a company with more than $1 billion in sales can do the right thing for our planet.

    The Department of the Interior manages and conserves federal resources, including 500 million acres of public land and national parks. It also oversees the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which operates programs for Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians.

    “I have a great job at REI today, but there’s no role that compares than the call to serve my country as Secretary of the Department of Interior,” said Jewell. “I’m humbled and I’m energized by this opportunity, and I look forward to getting to know members of the Senate as they consider my nomination in the coming weeks.”

    Jewell has been CEO of REI since 2005. Since that time, the consumer cooperative has nearly doubled its sales from $1 billion to almost $2 billion and added 71 stores across the U.S.

    (Image courtesy REI)