Canon did not apologize for its obvious gender discrimination but only defended its belief and philosophy called Kyosei, which is living and working together for the common good.
CANON Philippines recently unveiled its full list of brand ambassadors in the Philippines, but the company was met with heavy criticism for selecting an all-male line-up.
Anger spread quickly on social media, with followers calling foul for lack of diversity.
Followers of Canon quickly demanded an explanation and apology following the announcement.
To their shock, Canon did not apologize for its obvious gender discrimination but only defended its belief and calling it a non-apology apology statement.
Here’s what the company had to say.
"We abide by our Canon Group Philosophy of “Kyosei”, which is living and working together for the common good."
"Canon Marketing Philippines Inc., supports camera enthusiasts and content creators regardless of gender, culture, customs, language, or race. Our Brand Ambassadorship is continuously growing and always welcomes more members who are interested and committed. Members are evaluated through their professional expertise and consistent brand support."
"We appreciate learning from your voices in the community. We are listening. Our activities have just kick started and based on your valuable feedback, we will enhance your experience with us."
It was not immediately clear what benefits come with the brand ambassadorship.
But a local photojournalist said similar partnerships usually involve an honorarium and equipment loan in exchange for presentations or advertising benefits for camera makers.
In response to the flood of criticism on their social media pages, Canon attempted to remedy the situation by uploading a callout for “Lady Shooters,” to join their female-centric campaign instead.
The brand made it clear that those chosen for the roster will not be offered monetary deals, but will, alternatively, be compensated with only online workshops and other photography engagements.
Unfortunately, this action caused the fire to burn more.
The rushed band-aid solution only served to further fan the flames as netizens expressed their disappointment at the new post for a number of reasons.
Apart from their need to categorize women photographers into “Lady Shooters,” Canon drew more flak for not paying their talents, aggravated only by a questionable application process—rather than a portfolio, interested female photographers need only submit their “latest colored profile photo" to be considered. (NP)
Tags: #Canon, #brandambassadors, #diversity