The RAVYN Blog

Should your political opinion matter in your business?

It depends.

I think, as designers, entrepreneurs, and celebrities, being mindful of what you say and what you stand for can either make or break the name that you’re trying to build. It all depends on what foundation you’re building on. Everyone has to stand for something.

It’s just common nature. If we don’t find a footing, if we don’t believe in something, as a society, are we really setting the pace of freedom of speech?

I think not.

But there comes a time when the freedom to choose becomes violated; a thin line that can be breached, either objectively (as in the case of crimes and illegal activities) or subjectively (as in the case of political opinions and ideologies).

Now, I’m not a U.S. citizen, so of course who I would’ve voted for doesn’t matter when it comes to U.S. politics, but I will say this: I don’t think brands should ever breach—ever—a consumer’s political opinions. In other words, the Kat Von D incident.

I’m a big fan of Kat Von D’s Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks. Kat Von D recently hosted a competition for all of her makeup fans. Sponsored by Sephora and Kendo, the competition gave contestants the chance to use their imagination to create a piece that best represents Kat Von D’s new fragrance, Saint and Sinner.

Anyway, long story short, the winner claimed she was ‘disqualified’ because she was a Trump supporter.

Was she disqualified?

Well, after reading the actual screenshots, it did seem that Kat Von D explicitly told her that she was ‘uncomfortable’ being around someone who supports Trump.

While Kat’s statements seemed to suggest she would rather not have the winner among an anti-Trump crew, she never said the winner was disqualified. It seemed more like a mutual agreement between both parties.

My personal belief is that Kat, as a business owner and brand representative, should never have said anything at all.

I am looking at it in terms of the winner of the competition being a consumer and a participant in the competition. One’s personal feelings about a person’s political stance are one thing, but making it clear that you dislike them because of it is another.

However, after reading the competition’s rules and disclaimers, it’s easy to see why Kat made the statement she did. While Kat Von D Beauty products aren’t necessarily known for their political affiliations, the disclaimer did state that the brand reserved the right to use the winning entry as a marketing tool and advertising product.

So, does this mean the brand also reserves the right to deny someone their win because it might reflect something the brand is entirely against?

I personally don’t think that the people who voted for Trump voted for him because they are racists and bigots. After all black, gay, Hispanic, women, and transgender people have voted for Trump.

However, if a brand believes promoting someone who affiliates with the opposing political party would leave a bad taste with its consumers, shouldn’t it be the brand’s call?

It’s kind of like PETA using a notorious meat-eater to speak on their behalf or Black Lives Matter using painting done by a KKK member. If Kat Von D Beauty is a liberal-affiliated brand that has publicly criticized Trump’s political views, then maybe it wouldn’t have wanted to use photography by a well-known Trump supporter.

In the end, while both Kat Von D and the contestant winner agreed that the winner would not take part in Kat Von D’s Saint and Sinner Launch Party, Kat still actively and explicitly insulted and called out a woman she knew nothing about simply for voting for someone else.

I think that is where Kat violated freedom of speech: by making someone feel unwelcome because of who she votes for.

I think it’s important for designers, celebrities, or anyone in public view, for that matter, to be careful of how they let personal feelings and issues guide their decisions. Especially when it comes to consumers, brands want to gain as many followers as possible without sidestepping what they stand for.

Brands should be able to hold public opinions and views about what they think is right without censoring, belittling, or insulting people with different views.