We messed up. We’re sorry, and we’re changing our communications practices.
We at Viristar recently posted content to social media that we should not have. We posted an image of a rock climber/abseiler who was not demonstrating safe, appropriate and standard technique. We posted other imagery, including of climbers/abseilers and their gear, that likewise did not show standard and appropriate technique. And the language accompanying these graphics also failed to clearly and accurately communicate who we are. This was our mistake. We recognize this, we take responsibility for it, and we’re sorry.
It’s particularly important that the images and other communications we share demonstrate accurate information and appropriate usage of outdoor gear, since the purpose of Viristar is to provide useful, appropriate guidance to support safety and quality in outdoor and experiential programming. When we posted content that was wrong to post, we failed in our most basic goal. We deeply regret this error.
When we recognized our mistake, we promptly pulled content we should never have posted in the first place. We are also reviewing past imagery and other content for material that does not meet our standards for appropriateness and accuracy. And we commit to being more careful, moving forward, to share information that is suitable, accurate, and of acceptable quality. We are making a number of significant changes to how we source, evaluate and share content, to improve the integrity and reliability of what we share.
I want to thank all the individuals who reached out to us to advise us of the mistakes we made. You helped us recognize the scope of our error and identify opportunities for improvement. We are grateful for the opportunity you provided us, by giving us feedback, to improve what we share and how we communicate. Thank you.
If you would like to share any thoughts or comments, you can reach out to me directly at jeff@viristar.com or +1 206 473 8050.
What we did was wrong, and I offer the outdoor and experiential community my very sincere apology. We can do better and we will.
Sincerely,
Jeff Baierlein
Director, Viristar