Ingrid Enriquez-Donissaint and Laurence Pasteels, two professionals in the creative and communications fields, want to make their contribution to building a more inclusive Canadian society. Meet two women determined to make a difference.
Laurence is over 50, a mother and immigrant whose atypical background has enabled her to build her own identity and values. Ingrid, on the other hand, was born in Quebec, a Montrealer of Haitian heritage who grew up in a multicultural neighborhood where mutual aid was an important pillar.
They are the co-founders of Pre&ent, a project born of their experiences and observations: the field of communications and marketing lacks representativeness. We need to give more visibility to all those who have less.
How do they go about it? Provide organizations with a downloadable bank of images representing diversity, as well as workshops to help the communications community develop its inclusive culture.
URelles: What is your vision of representativeness in Canadian society?
Laurence: There’s a fertile breeding ground of diversity in Canada, but the links have yet to be forged. There’s still a lot of repair work to be done, as much with Aboriginal peoples as with newcomers and other communities. At the start of the project, we wanted to paint a fairer, broader picture of society. We wanted to show how different and rich it was in different parts of the country.
Ingrid: I see a lot of gaps in different spheres, and that makes me wonder: Why is the camera always pointing in the same direction? How can we make room for everyone by moving the lens around a bit? There are so many people and communities (in the broadest sense) to discover, understand and tell. In an age of so many digital bridges, there’s a gap between what we see in real life, in the media and in advertising. The more we expose different points of view, the more we put forward a true image of Canadian society, and for me, that’s what representativeness is all about.
URelles: What prompted you to create Pre&ent? What needs does it meet?
Ingrid: First of all, from a human point of view: it’s really the pleasure of listening to people talk about their experiences and points of view. It’s also about giving a voice to those we don’t usually hear from. Also, from a professional point of view: I once worked with a client who told me that her management wasn’t yet ready to feature a black or mixed-race couple in its advertising campaigns. If this client had been equipped to develop a more inclusive vision, perhaps she would have proposed this idea to the management team rather than rejecting it from the outset.
The origin of this project lies in the desire to thwart reality, because we all have different visions and blinkers that limit us. For example, when a young woman or man doesn’t think they’re beautiful enough, because of beauty diktats but also because they don’t see themselves represented at all, it’s worrying. Representation helps people to find their feet and grow, and should be accessible to all.
Laurence: It was Ingrid who came to me with this magnificent project. I was moved, because I couldn’t see myself undertaking a project of this magnitude on my own. For me, it’s a chance to collaborate and pass on new tools to organizations. It’s an opportunity to see the world differently, a way of seeing society from another angle.
URelles: How do you help small and medium-sized businesses achieve inclusive communications?
Ingrid: We aim to pass on the tools and approach to companies that want to rethink their marketing and creative communications. This requires a commitment first and foremost from the management team, but ultimately from all areas of the organization.
Through our bank of inclusive images, which can be purchased to order, we enable companies to make a strong gesture in favor of representativeness.
URelles: You also offer in-company workshops. Who are they for and what are their objectives?
Laurence: The workshops are aimed at communications, marketing, media and creative teams: creatives, strategists, marketers, consultants, producers – in short, those who prepare briefs. All those people who have to produce elements that represent their company and/or their products. The aim is to give them the tools they need to talk to customers and learn how to talk about inclusive communications.
We help them question their unconscious biases and the shortcuts our brains take.
URelles: What do you think is the reason for the lack of diversity in organizations?
Ingrid: I can start by saying: lack of time, a misunderstanding of what companies have to gain, and the belief that it’s too complicated. The pandemic has brought companies face to face with their responsibilities.
Inclusion and representation are often seen as social causes only, yet we know that an organization increases its profit every time a woman is hired onto its team, for example. More and more companies are collecting data to track the economic impact of integrating more diversity.
URelles: What does it take for corporate communications teams to be more inclusive?
Laurence: A willingness on the part of management to change things. This approach has to be rooted in the company’s DNA. It has to be sincere, not just a fad. What’s missing is a unified vision, not just in human resources, but also in communications, creation, production and so on. We also need to give ourselves the means to do so. So we’ll want to have a budget, provide training and tools, and finally have a long-term plan.
URelles: What advice would you like to pass on to SMEs about inclusive communications?
Ingrid: It takes courage! Trying to be more representative is a constant quest. Trying to reflect society is a life’s work. It’s about cultivating curiosity about others, on a daily basis. The conversation must never stop.
Laurence: You can’t be afraid to reach out to others, to ask questions, to say you don’t know.
URelles: Do you have any examples of companies that have developed initiatives to promote representativeness?
Ingrid: I like to talk about Sid Lee and Radio Canada: Sid Lee has put in place a strategy where everyone can progress at their own pace in understanding what inclusion is. Radio Canada has put in place some interesting initiatives. For example, under-represented employees are offered support to encourage their personal and professional development.
URelles: When is Pre&ent due to be launched?
Ingrid and Laurence: By June 2023!
