Meghan Markle has made a decision that will help “in the long run” for the success of her new company, a PR expert has said.
The Duchess of Sussex launched the lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard last month and waited weeks before releasing her first product.
Her first product will be strawberry jam – which she has sent to 50 celebrity friends.
The company has been shrouded in mystery since she announced it in March, with many PR and branding experts commenting on her advertising strategy this far.
Charlotte Sheridan, PR expert and director at Quokka Agency, told Daily Express US that Meghan’s decision to leave her name out of the company branding was a “wise move”.
She said: “While Megan could certainly gain short-term traction from using her name, in the longer term, this may be a wise move.”
Sheridan said that brands can become “too tied” to their founder.
The PR expert explained: “When brands become too tied into their founder, people can find it hard to distinguish between the two and not view the products objectively.”
She gave the example of GOOP – founded by Gwyneth Paltrow and X, which is now heavily associated with Elon Musk after he bought the site.
“While Megan isn’t a ‘small business’, for many businesses with an eye on a future exit, again tying the name in with a specific person can devalue the price when they’re looking to sell the business later on”, Sheridan added.
“I would suggest that Megan treats the business separately from her personal brand, and instead focuses on the quality of products she is selling.
“While I imagine in some circles, it will be considered completely ‘de trop’ to be using Meghan Markle’s table linen, there is also likely to be an audience who have zero clue that she’s associated with the brand.”
American Riviera Orchard is a lifestyle brand. Trademark papers filed in the US indicate Meghan will sell stationery, photo albums, yoga mats, aprons and much more.
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