Harry and Meghan’s Diverging Causes Prompt Shift Toward Individual Brands in Search of Greater Impact

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have faced criticism from a PR expert over their recent decision to individually promote separate causes, which some believe has muddled their brand identity. Speaking with The Express, PR strategist Renae Smith suggested that their split approach has diluted the Sussex brand’s cohesion, leading to mixed public reactions.

Until recently, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had presented a united front with their brand Sussex, which they launched after stepping back from royal duties. However, they have recently taken distinct directions, with Harry dedicating 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 observed that while developing individual brands could benefit them in the long run, the shift has created challenges in the short term. “I think their decision to pursue individual brands could indeed work in their favor over the long term, although it’s bound to spark a fair amount of public speculation in the short term,” she noted.

She further explained that, from a PR perspective, this pivot might allow Harry and Meghan to build brands that reflect their unique priorities and resonate with specific audiences. “This shift might allow each of them to create distinct brands that better reflect their different priorities and resonate more coherently with their individual audiences,” Smith commented.

However, Smith emphasized the difficulties in maintaining a unified Sussex identity while promoting divergent interests. “The Sussex brand has certainly faced challenges in maintaining both momentum and a cohesive identity,” she said. She pointed out that Harry’s focus on mental health and veterans’ causes carries a markedly different tone from Meghan’s emphasis on social justice, women’s empowerment, and luxury goods.

“A big part of this difficulty likely stems from their differing interests, which don’t naturally mesh into one unified ‘Sussex’ narrative,” she explained. According to Smith, the couple’s different passions created a brand identity that felt “forced, even confusing, to the public.” She suggested that blending these causes under one umbrella may have contributed to the brand’s struggles.

“Harry’s focus on mental health and veterans’ causes strikes a much different tone than Meghan’s emphasis on women’s empowerment, social justice, and now her rather surprising venture into luxury home goods with her new brand, American Riviera Orchard,” Smith elaborated. “While each area holds potential, combining them under one brand felt forced, even confusing, to the public.”

The PR expert concluded that the pivot toward individual brands may be a natural progression, especially if the Sussex brand hasn’t achieved the impact they initially hoped for. “With the Sussex brand likely not having reached the impact they’d envisioned, this step toward individual brands may reflect a natural evolution,” she stated.

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 targeted 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.