Uber found itself in a familiar position Sunday—apologizing after being accused of sexism in a promotional message.
The company sent customers in Bangalore a note reading “Dear Husbands, a gentle reminder – Today is Wife Appreciation Day! Order on UberEATS and let your wife take a day off from the kitchen.”
When Uber chief brand officer Bozoma Saint John was made aware of the promotional language, she didn’t hide her rage over the message, calling it “unacceptable.” Saint John, an Apple alum, took on the job of stewarding Uber’s brand in June.
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Oh hell no. This is completely unacceptable. Will take care of this.
— Bozoma Saint John (@badassboz) September 17, 2017
Likewise, the Twitter handle belonging to Uber’s communications department apologized for the Wife Day promo, calling it “totally inappropriate.”
This was totally inappropriate. We've removed it and we apologize.
— Uber Comms (@Uber_Comms) September 17, 2017
Sunday’s incident is the latest in a series of PR black eyes for the ride-sharing service, which has spent much of 2017 battling accusations of sexism and harassment. In June, the issue contributed to the ouster of founder and CEO Travis Kalanick. Soon after that, a company board member used a sexist joke to kick off an Uber all-hands meeting about the recommendations from former U.S. Attorney general Eric Holder’s law firm on how the ride-hailing startup could fix its culture.
