Brand Crisis

It is tragic enough that a business executive takes her own life. It is a crisis for a company that has her brand name. Kate Spade was a celebrity designer of handbags and accessories. Even though she had sold her company and was engaged in a new venture her name remained on the door. Her untimely death gives the owner little time to transition from the image of the founder to a brand unconnected to a person. Kate Spade will now live as a particular type of handbag in a price range. It was trending that way anyway since Spade had changed her name and was pursuing a new line of fashion goods. But, the suicide of the founder dampens the successful image of the products. How could someone who seemingly had everything yet not have enough? If she suffered from depression, why hadn’t she gone for treatment? If she was unhappy, why?  There may be no answers, but anyone who owns and uses her handbags is left with lingering questions.