MARKED MOVE Serious challenge Meghan Markle faces with American Riviera Orchard as she ‘positions herself as the US Nigella Lawson’

Uncategorized thao · June 16, 2024 · 0 Comment

MEGHAN Markle will soon be launching her American Riviera Orchard brand and could market herself as the “US Nigella Lawson”, according to a brand expert.

However, the Duchess of Sussex, 42, may face some challenges as she attempts to create a “domestic goddess in the kitchen” image across the pond.

Experts have said Meghan appears to be positioning herself as a US Nigella LawsonCredit: BBC

Professor Pauline Maclaran, a marketing and consumer research professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, told BBC: “I would see this as a much more domestic goddess kind of market.

“With these new regal connections now, and, you know, promoting elegance.”

Professor Maclaran claimed that Meghan is positioning herself to be the next Nigella Lawson and Martha Stewart.

One issue Meghan could face is that although she shared recipes on her now-defunct blog The Tig, the former Suits actress isn’t necessarily known for her cooking and doesn’t technically have any formal training as a chef.

Royal author Phil Dampier told Fabulous: “Meghan has no track record of being a top cook so she’d struggle to be a Californian Nigella Lawson.

“There is a danger you can spread yourself too much doing several things, none of them well. Meghan is known as an actress so people might not take her seriously in the kitchen.

“To be fair she wouldn’t be the first celebrity who has decided to cash in on culinary shows for the masses despite not having much experience.”

But perhaps formal cooking training doesn’t matter.

As Nigella, who has released 12 cookbooks throughout her career, shared to The Guardian: “I am not a chef; I am not even a trained cook.”

In fact, the bombshell foodie claims her lack of kitchen experience enables her to “cook in much the same way as my readers, or viewers.”

Professor Maclaran added that Meghan appeared to attempt to “evoke heritage”, with her 16-second teaser video, which was shot in a grainy, retro style.

The mystery in the clip was “very deliberate”, added digital marketing specialist Lindsey Imler.

She said the trailer was “very discreet” and “very alluring”, which plays up to Americans’ “fairytale” perception of the royal family.

Brand strategist Lucie Green believes Meghan will have to be careful about any royal references.

Meghan teased the launch with a retro-style videoCredit: Instagram/americanrivieraorchard

Meghan has sent 50 promotional jams to friends and influencersCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk

Meghan has featured her ‘Duchess of Sussex’ title on her American Riviera Orchard Instagram pageCredit: Instagram / Internet
So far the launch of the brand has been teased by Meghan sending branded jams to 50 close friends and some influencers, including Chrissy Teigen, Heather Dorak, Tracy Robbins and Kris Jenner.

Speaking to Fabulous, Lucie shared: “Positioning will be a tightrope, whether to go very high-end and exclusive or make the brand more accessible.

“How much she (even obliquely) makes royal references will always draw criticism but dialling that up will likely be appealing to many US audiences, just as Aerin Lauder and Martha Stewart make upper-class references in their brands but have wide audiences.”

Currently, the American Riviera Orchard website says “by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex⁣⁣⁣”, referencing her title.

The brand strategist claims Meghan may also struggle if she claims the products are all made in the “American Riviera” –  the nickname given to the swanky Montecito area where Meghan and Harry live.

Lucie explained: “If the story of the brand is literally about being grown and sourced on the American Riviera, scale could be a challenge — there’s only so many strawberries you can grow in one place.

“And it seems like the philosophy is very tightly connected to sourcing in the Californian orchards and farms.

“As the brand grows, and if she wants a mass audience she might need to think about how she communicates how and where this produce is grown.”

Meghan announced she was launching American Riviera Orchard in March, and teased it on Instagram.

According to a report from Page Six, Meghan’s company will focus on home, garden, food, and general lifestyle content.

The brand will reportedly sell home goods, such as cookbooks, food and kitchenware.

Positioning will be a tightrope, whether to go very high-end and exclusive or make the brand more accessible

Lucie GreenBrand Strategist

A trademark application for ‘American Riviera Orchard’ showed Meghan could sell cutlery, decanters, legume-based spreads and even napkin rings.

One source said: “She’s been working on this for over a year and it’s all the things that are close to her heart — all the things she’s passionate about.”

Many royal fans have posted their enthusiasm for the launch on social media, with one saying: “So excited for these lovely heavenly jams from American Riviera Orchard, a wellness brand I will subscribe to!”

Another added: “The more things they add to the list of potential products for American Riviera Orchard, the more excited I get. I’ll buy everything there.”

Currently the Instagram page has 617,000 followers, despite the page only having nine images showing the beautiful logo.

This follows Meghan closing her former lifestyle page, The Tig, in April 2017, shortly after she started dating Prince Harry.