Meghan Markle’s brand has barely gotten off the ground and already experts are pointing out some brutal criticisms of her marketing tactics. The main concern is that the last-minute rebrand that the Duchess of Sussex unveiled earlier this week would confuse people.
Posting to Instagram, Meghan excitedly shared news of her new and improved brand vision, which included the new name “As Ever” going forward. She explained that although the old name was special to her, it had limited her options with what products she could sell. Now she would be able to do so much more with the brand.
“Last year, I had thought, ‘you know what, American Riviera, that sounds like such a great name, it’s my neighborhood, it’s a nickname for Santa Barbara.’ But it limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area.”
While her reasoning makes sense, her PR strategies are known to change. Take her and Harry’s “professional separation” for example. The couple changed how they approached work-related endeavors, then reverted back to the old strategy within a few months. The same with this brand, which Meghan launched less than a year ago and is now already rebranding. If she wants to change the name of her brand she’s free to do so, but it might do more harm than good, according to some marketing experts.
Meghan is starting to look ridiculous, experts say
The experts didn’t exactly hold back. Warren Johnson of W Communications told the Daily Beast “You wouldn’t catch Kim Kardashian doing this.” He has a point, but then again even Kim is capable of making a mistake. Another expert claimed, “There are only so many relaunches you can do before you start to look ridiculous.” A third said that the announcement looked like a “total rush.”
Ouch, they really did not hold back. But the truth hurts, and maybe Meghan should take to heart what these so-called experts are saying and not rush into things.
Before the rebrand, America Riviera Orchard was not doing too well. The initial launch was rushed and ended up completely flopping. There were no products, and with nothing to sell, interest quickly waned. On top of that, Markle had trouble trademarking the name, which also did not help her brand.
She’s already seen some backlash in the days since she unveiled As Ever to the world. From the logo supposedly being plagiarized to the name already being used by a NYC clothing brand. If she’s not careful, she could risk making the same mistakes she made the first time around.
Meghan likely knows exactly what she’s doing
Of course, with the problems facing the American Riviera Orchard brand, some experts have called the rebrand a strategic move that, although dangerous, could pay off. Personal branding expert, Mayah Riaz explained, “while rebranding close to launch can be risky, addressing potential legal issues early on can prevent significant issues that may arise.” She went on to lay out what Markle’s next moves should be, “It will be crucial for Meghan to offer clear and consistent messaging to ensure her audience seamlessly transitions to the new brand.”
Another PR professional claimed that the dramatic U-turn is all a part of Meghan’s plan. “She’s fluctuating on purpose. The perpetual reinvention, the strategic vagueness—it’s all by design… The more unpredictable she is, the harder it is to take her down.”
Whether this bold strategy pays off for Markle remains to be seen, but she certainly has people talking and that’s a good sign she has people’s attention. We’ll just have to wait to see how she utilizes that attention.
