Expert Pinpoints Expiration Date for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Brand After Flops
After Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down from their royal duties in 2020 and moved across the pond, there was no shortage of lucrative deals and companies lining up to work with the pair. But fast-forward to 2023 and things are a bit different.
Not only did Spotify end its multi-million deal with the couple after just one season of Meghan’s Archetypes podcast, but following that news one of the company’s executives labeled the Sussexes as “f****** grifters.” In addition, some top brands publicly distanced themselves from the duke and duchess including Dior, which in an effort to dispel rumors announced that the fashion house had no plans of working with them.
With the negative press surrounding the Sussexes and their brand “flops,” the prince and former Suits star reportedly believe they have just been “repeatedly unlucky” lately. But one PR expert predicts that things won’t get any better for Meghan and Harry unless they make some big changes because if their brand continues to suffer, there won’t be any more deals and they will completely fall off the radar.
Expert believes the Sussexes will run out of ‘quick deals’ if they don’t regroup
There have also been reports that Meghan and Harry are focusing on trying to rebrand themselves and according to PR expert Kieran Elsby, they need to before it’s too late.
Elsby, who is the director of Media Global PR, spoke to The Mirror about the Sussexes’ damaged brand and noted that even though Spotify ended its relationship with the pair, their “exclusive partnership” is still listed on the Archewell website.
“It is simple. They need[ed] the Spotify association more than Spotify needs them,” Elsby told the publication, adding, “How times have changed.”
Elsby also says that there is an expiration date on Meghan and Harry’s relevance and time in the spotlight. He opined that there is a window in which they can actually get more deals but only if they come up with a new plan of how to present themselves to top companies and the world within the next five to 10 years.
“I do feel they [should] re-strategize and develop a new brand plan to ensure continued earnings,” the expert explained. “They seem to be very short-term, quick deals, high prices with little longevity or real content. Soon enough these will run out.
“They should focus on long-lasting deals, with real quality, depth and if they do that, their brand may remain relevant for a prolonged period … In truth, the real question is ‘What can they offer in 5-10 years’ time?’ I’d suggest not much on current form, yet if they regroup and stop focusing on making a quick buck, they may just still have some pull in the future.”
Another expert says Prince Harry’s never been a fan of ‘celebrity life’ like Meghan
Another expert believes that the Sussexes’ rebrand will see Prince Harry move further and further away from the “celebrity life” and work on his own projects.
“Meghan is used to being in the public eye before she even got with Harry, and I feel that out of both of them, she is the one that everyone would want to speak to and work with,” culture and brand expert Rochelle White said per The Mirror. “Looking at past behavior, I feel that Harry has never been a fan of the ‘celebrity life’ and I can see him working and doing things that mean more to him and that he enjoys.”
She concluded: “He’s been open enough to make that clear. I don’t want to say he will be doing passion projects, but I don’t think it will be far from it.”
