Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have faced criticism from a public relations expert for their recent decision to individually promote separate causes, which some believe has confused their brand identity. talking to the expressPR strategist Renae Smith suggested that their divided approach has diluted the cohesion of the Sussex brand, leading to mixed public reactions.
Until recently, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had presented a united front with their Sussex brand, which they launched after stepping away from royal duties. However, they have recently gone in different directions: Harry dedicates his efforts to mental health and veterans’ issues, while Meghan focuses on women’s empowerment, social justice and her new luxury home goods brand. , American Riviera Orchard.
Smith noted that while developing individual brands could benefit them in the long term, the shift has created short-term challenges. “I think their decision to pursue individual brands could work in their favor in the long term, although it will surely spark a fair amount of public speculation in the short term.” she noted.
He further explained that, from a public relations perspective, this pivot could allow Harry and Meghan to create brands that reflect their unique priorities and resonate with specific audiences. “This shift could allow each of them to create distinct brands that better reflect their different priorities and resonate more consistently with their individual audiences.” Smith commented.
However, Smith emphasized the difficulties of maintaining a unified Sussex identity while promoting divergent interests. “The Sussex brand has certainly faced challenges in maintaining both momentum and a cohesive identity,” he said. He noted that Harry’s focus on mental health and veterans’ causes strikes a markedly different tone from Meghan’s emphasis on social justice, women’s empowerment and luxury goods.
“A lot of this difficulty is probably due to their different interests, which don’t fit naturally into a unified ‘Sussex’ narrative,” he explained. According to Smith, the couple’s different passions created a brand identity that the public felt “forced, even confusing.” He suggested that combining these causes under one umbrella may have contributed to the brand’s problems.
“Harry’s focus on mental health and veterans’ causes strikes a very different tone from Meghan’s emphasis on women’s empowerment, social justice and now her surprising foray into luxury home goods with her new brand , American Riviera Orchard,” Smith explained. “While each area has potential, combining them under a single brand felt forced, even confusing, for the public.”
The PR expert concluded that the shift towards individual brands may be a natural progression, especially if the Sussex brand has not achieved the impact they initially hoped. “Given that the Sussex brand has probably not achieved the impact they had anticipated, this move towards individual brands may reflect a natural evolution,” he said.
As Harry and Meghan continue to explore their unique paths, the decision to establish separate brands could ultimately clarify their identities and allow them to reach more specific audiences. However, it remains to be seen how this move will affect public perception and whether it will ultimately strengthen or further fragment the Sussex brand.