Remain Silent to the war in Ukraine | Kiehl’s
The world is concerned about the situation in Ukraine. Coping with the situation, many companies have made their position clear. Some choose to suspend their business activities in Russia, such as McDonald’s; some companies choose to stay, such as Citi Bank.
Today, we will focus on Kiehl’s and see what they have done under this situation.
If you don’t know Kiehl’s yet
Founded in 1851, Kiehl’s is a skincare brand that has been committed to providing customers with precise and naturally derived skincare solutions for years.
They remain silent
For a month, Kiehl’s official social media platforms, such as Instagram, have not posted any statements or positions regarding the war in Ukraine, and its official website is the same, as usual. On the social media platform, Kiehl’s continues to update its brand and products.
The brand seems to have done nothing, but silence is also a choice, and it is able to show brand attitude towards the war in Ukraine: They do not support any government on either side. Moreover, they did not use their platform to provide any aid or relief to the people suffering from the war in Ukraine.
In addition, Kiehl’s has business in Russia, but their ongoing business activities is not clear at the moment. The last update to the Instagram account of Kiehl’s Russia was four weeks ago precisely on the eve of the war in Ukraine before its account had been maintaining 2 to 3 updates per week.
However, their Russian website and social media did not indicate that they would suspend their business activities in Russia. In addition, the brand’s Russian website is in normal condition and available for ordering and use.
My reflection
We are able to see from their “silence” to acknowledge they chose not to support either side. I think they made the right decision in this situation. The company should not use the public opinion of the war in Ukraine for their own brand marketing.
In detail, Kiehl’s is a science-based brand with a pure formula philosophy, and the combination of their mid-range pricing and product philosophy suggests that the brand is targeting a pragmatic audience. Specifically, Kiehl’s pragmatic audience, loyal customers, prefer to see the company’s actual action to a specific event, instead of solely making a statement to respond to the trending topics. Promoting the brand position lacking action or standing in the wind of public opinion to take advantage of market exposure through trending topics is not what its target customers want to see.
In addition, staying silent is not to stand aside with one side of political ideology which can put the brand in a safe zone. Taking a stand in that sensitive situation might bring negative consequences for the brand.
In terms of humanitarian, Kiehl’s can do better. Many brands have chosen to help the Ukrainian people, such as Estee Lauder. Similarly, Kiehl’s could also have chosen to take action to promote peace and provide humanitarian aid for the people suffering from the war.
