Ulta Apologizes for Newsletter That Invited Subscribers to ‘Come Hang With Kate Spade'
The fashion designer died by suicide in 2018
[Sensitive content: This article mentions suicide. If you’re struggling with mental illness or having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.]
On the second day of Mental Health Awareness Month, beauty retailer Ulta sent out a marketing email that invited subscribers to “come hang with Kate Spade.” Kate Spade, founder of the fashion and beauty brand, died by suicide in 2018.
“Mental health is a very serious, important issue in this country, and not something we would ever take lightly,” said Eileen Ziesemer, vice president of public relations at Ulta. “We apologize to the Spade family, our Kate Spade New York brand partners and to our guests. Thank you for understanding as we strive to do better.”
Ulta later issued an apology via newsletter to its subscribers that addressed its “very insensitive choice of words” that was “truly an error that was meant to do no wrong.” The brand also mentioned that it is working internally to ensure that “something like this never happens again.”
Following the Ulta apology, a representative from Kate Spade told Adweek that the company would “never have approved this had we seen it.” The spokesperson added, “We appreciate Ulta’s apology and they’ve assured us something like this won’t happen again.”
The marketing email, which promoted Kate Spade’s Sparkle Fragrance, incited outrage on social media. While some are asking that Ulta fire the employees behind the message, Molly Kilbourne, account director at JUV Consulting, said the response from the brand must be more nuanced.
“When there’s a fire put underneath you to get something out quickly, there’s a lot of room for mistakes,” they said, underscoring the difference between intention and impact. “It definitely gives way for us to think about the fast-paced nature of work. Let’s think about the processes instead of pointing fingers.”
Kilbourne also mentioned the tendency for the marketing industry to make fast hires in a competitive market without ensuring that all staff is well-versed in a brand’s mission and history. According to the Kate Spade website, its mission is to “empower women and girls around the world by putting mental health at the heart of our social impact work.”
Some believe this is why Kate Spade should also take responsibility for the email and ensure that all its partners moving forward are well versed in the company’s mission and history.
“This is a good opportunity for Kate Spade to apologize in an authentic and sincere way.”
Read the full Adweek article here.