Last Updated:
11/8/20 4:03 PM
overall rating:
keep going
Banana Republic
Internal Representation & Support
65%
Public Commitment
53%
External Communication
70%
To evaluate this pillar, we take into consideration a range of factors, including but not limited to:
- Employee representation
- Diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI)
We weigh a company’s degree of public commitment primarily on their monetary contributions to DEI matters or organizations fighting racial injustice.
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Forms of monetary support we look for:
One-off donations
Recurring donations
Grant initiatives
Employee donation matching
Highlights
Banana Republic is launching an open call in search of the next BIPOC designer with the Harlem Fashion Show in an effort to give diverse artists a seat at the table.
Lowlights
Banana Republic has only donated 0.002% of revenue and has no Black members on their Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team. The BR Brand also posts slightly less frequently about Black Lives Matter and other social justice causes than other GAP brands.
We scour the company’s website and official social media channels to determine what message they are sending around racial injustice, how they are communicating it, and whether their communications are perceived as genuine or performative.
Public statement: We verify that companies have made a formal statement regarding racial injustice.
Social media: We consider how a company uses their platform(s) beyond performative allyship.
Representation: For companies that have the opportunity to showcase diversity in their feed, we consider whether they have adequate Black representation and BIPOC representation across their models.
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Deep Dive
I. Internal Representation & Support:
Board of Directors:
0% (none) Black, 11% - 15% BIPOC, 46% - 50% Women
Executive Leadership:
0% (none) Black, 6% - 10% BIPOC, > 50% Women
> 15% Black, > 40% BIPOC, > 50% Women
Workforce:
An appointed DEI senior leader and/or a dedicated DEI organization, A Black employee resource group
DEI Support:
II. Public Commitment
Banana Republic has pledged a donation of 0.001% - 0.009% of annual revenue towards racial injustice, specifically for Black lives. Additionally, Banana Republic has engaged in actions that advance racial justice and/or uplift BIPOC communities, such as partnerships with nonprofits or mission-based organizations, co-branded partnerships with other companies, and matching donations to a broad range of qualifying organizations. Banana Republic is also an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
III. External Communications
Banana Republic has issued a public statement, both on social media and in a public memo, addressing racial injustice The public statement acknowledged that they can be doing better to combat racial inequality within their company, included specific calls to action, and explicitly stated "Black Lives Matter." Since June 2020, 10% - 20% of the brand's social media content has been centered around racial injustice with posts seeking to continue the momentum of BLM. While the brand has made an effort to include ethnic diversity, specifically increasing Black representation, aside from a post for Pride, there is little to no evidence on social media of inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community (beyond posting for Pride), people living with disabilities, or a wide range of models with varying body types.
