EXCLUSIVE How Meghan Markle is risking her As Ever brand as tone shifts from 'poetic' to 'purely transactional'

Daily Mail​

4 hours ago

Meghan Markle finally revealed an As Ever restock earlier this week by announcing in a newsletter that products and 'new surprises' would be available this Friday - but, according to public relations experts, her messaging has shifted dramatically.
The purported change in messaging comes after Meghan and Prince Harry lost six staff members recently, including Kyle Boulia, their Los Angeles-based deputy press secretary, and Charlie Gipson, who had been serving as the couple's European communications director for Team Sussex.
In April, off the heels of her Netflix show premiere, Meghan finally launched her much-anticipated lifestyle brand, which sold out online within half an hour.
The range included flower sprinkles, jam, pancake mix and more - all of which received a less-than-flattering review by DailyMail's FEMAIL team.
After the launch, though, the future of the brand became increasingly confusing for consumers with The Duchess later hinting in an interview with The Fast Company that she might never restock her jam, explaining that she was planning to 'step back to assess' her brand.
But it looks like her products weren't really on a pause at all, as she's bringing them back this week - something that she announced to consumers in an email Monday.
'First off, a sincere thank you for making the debut of As ever absolutely extraordinary. We had a feeling there would be excitement, but to see everything sell out in less than an hour was an amazing surprise,' the message sent out began.
'We are pleased to share that on June 20, we're going live with the products you love – plus, some new delicious surprises,' the email continued.
'More details and exact timing will be shared soon.'
It was noticeably short and sweet, a big departure from her first As Ever email, which was paragraphs long and full of inspirational quotes and personal anecdotes.
And according to experts, the difference in messaging may be chalked up to her change in staffing.
'Meghan's first As Ever newsletter was poetic and intimate. It positioned the brand as an extension of her personal rituals and values, written in the voice of someone building a lifestyle, not just selling a product,' Sarah Schmidt, Celebrity Publicist and President of PR firm Interdependence, told Daily Mail exclusively.
'The latest email, by contrast, is pure transaction: short, strategic and sales-focused. And that pivot is telling,' Schmidt continued.
The celebrity publicist explained that the audience is now witnessing a 'shift' in Meghan from a 'founder-as-storyteller' to 'founder-as-operator.'
'It suggests a brand moving from emotional origin story into operational scale. However, when key team members exit and the tone tightens, audiences can feel that,' Schmidt suggested.
'If the first email said, "Come into my garden," the second says, "Get ready to shop." Neither is wrong, but the dissonance creates questions. Not just about Meghan's role but about the heart and soul of the brand,' she shared.
She noted that in today's world, consumers want an authentic connection to the brand.
'The most successful founders keep the heartbeat of the brand present, even in a sales cycle,' she said.
'For As Ever to be more than a celebrity brand, it has to hold onto the thing that made it feel different - the invitation into a lifestyle, not to just to add to cart.'
However, it looks like there are some things that Meghan can to do improve her branding.
According to Ryan McCormick, Co-Founder & Media Relations Specialist at Goldman McCormick Public Relation s, the former Suits actress could create a 'great opportunity' to grow As Ever if she added in a few small things to her newsletters.
McCormick proposed that Meghan should open the newsletter by asking her readers how they're doing, or telling them that she hopes things are going well for them.
'The Duchess should let people know that she cares about them - foster that emotional connection,' he explained to DailyMail.com.
In addition, she could also choose to highlight two or three reviews from customers in her letters.
This 'reinforces the message of excellence and it encourages others to contribute accolades knowing that they may get highlighted in As Ever's newsletter,' McCormick shared.
And lastly, he suggested that readers be able to send Meghan a message in some way.
'Allow people a means of sending a message to Meghan and letting them know that she will respond to some of them,' he shared.
'One personalized letter (even short) to a customer will enamor them forever and they will share the experience their friends.'
Meghan's new As Ever release comes just days after a psychic who successfully predicted dozens of global events in 2024 has made an interesting prediction about her brand.
Athos Salomé, 38, from Brazil, is often referred to as the 'Living Nostradamus' due to his numerous accurate predictions throughout the years.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Salomé shared that Meghan's As Ever lifestyle brand was something 'conceived as an extension of her public image - based on values such as awareness, healing and sustainability.'
He warned that the project has 'occasional peaks in visibility' but no 'long-term consistency.'