ARO thread 2

[OneHeartySnail]

To continue the discussion...

What next? What did the launch aim to achieve? Did it get the desired result?

Thanks to this thread I had a look at the goop website and, to my great surprise, there was lots of stuff I loved! I thought the brand was all about fad diets and vagina candles but, as it turns out, they also sell rather nice, reasonably-priced handbags and cute dresses. Those preppy Rue de Verneuil bags are right up my street for summer!

'ARO' for the far too long American Riviera Orchard makes me laugh as that also happens to be the name of the very unglamorous budget / own-brand line in Metro (Europe's largest cash and carry type wholesaler).

Goop is a big deal. 80 staff, 18 million in sales annually . I think we all underestimate how successful a business gwneth has built. She does cookie stuff which gets it publicity, but ultimately she has built a hugely successful business.

Goop is a big deal, agreed, but $18m in sales annually is turnover, not profit. It’s not a public company, so you can’t get many details about how it is funded, but information online suggests she has a handful of big investors, some of which are venture capital firms. So they will also take a cut of her profit.

It’s a great income for Gwyneth, nonetheless, who will be making several million a year from it, absolutely. She already will have plenty of money however from her career outside of Goop. I think the Sussexes may be looking for a higher guaranteed income, however?

GOOP started organically too. My former neighbours' kids were at school with hers at the time it was being launched (in 2008) via a lifestyle newsletter, and it was very much in the vein of "school mum with a side project during school hours". It was eccentric and very "none British" for its time, but clearly was a passion project for her that has grown to what it is now over a long period. MM seems to want to launch straight in at the end product without the 16 years or so of growth, development, vision and graft behind her. The phrase, "All fur coat and no knickers" springs to mind.

It’s a great income for Gwyneth, nonetheless, who will be making several million a year from it, absolutely. She already will have plenty of money however from her career outside of Goop. I think the Sussexes may be looking for a higher guaranteed income, however?

So for example if Gwyneth say pockets 5 million after all costs are taken out and it’s taken her years to build the business up to get to that level, how long would it take Meghan to make that amount of money with her venture? and even then 5 million is spare change with their lifestyle and running costs of their McMansion. I know it’s a different business but Victoria Beckham’s company ran at a loss for years and I understand DB had to shore the company up, it’s only recently I believe it’s turned a profit. Will Harry’s inheritance have to be used to back this venture?

MM seems to want to launch straight in at the end product without the 16 years or so of growth, development, vision and graft behind her. The phrase, "All fur coat and no knickers" springs to mind.

One could say that all fur coat and no knickers is exactly why she is where she is today.

I don’t think there is a venture, and Victoria was a very wealthy woman in her own right, she could shore her own company up. And money harry and Megan habe earned since the marriage is jointly hers. So it’s not she’s relying on her husband. I’m sorry but I dislike the undertone these are little women relying on their husbands money and not very wealthy successful women in their own right.

In was in the news that David Beckham had to bail Victoria out , more than once too I seem to remember.

I thought Victoria Beckhams fashion line was also used as some kind of complex tax dodge. It made serious losses for years (don’t know about last year) and there were some questions as to whether keeping it going amounted to some kind of fraud.

I’m sorry but I dislike the undertone these are little women relying on their husbands money and not very wealthy successful women in their own right

So do I, Jf20, but I think the PP was talking about Harry's inheritance rather than any money that's been made during the marriage, and I'd be surprised if Meghan's prior earnings came anywhere near what his family's given him - even though he wants us to believe they're a bunch of meanies who've cut him off

However I don't pretend to know anything about California law in this area, so couldn't say who gets to control any such money

But it is incorrect, it was bailed out by a company they both own. Beckham brand holdings. It was far from the case David had to bail her out, it’s just more mysogynistic click bait. And in addition Megan and Harry have earned at least 50 million together since leaving, so it is doubtful he is using his inheritance to bail her out.

Have they ? I know they signed big deals but they will not have received the total amount from Spotify as they didn’t deliver much content and I doubt they have had all the Netflix money .
Obviously I don’t know for sure but $50million surprised me.

They did for Spotify, it was 12 podcasts and they delivered, the fact she faked 9 and they were shite doesn’t change it, I think they got 20. Spotify didn’t renew, Netflix deal was worth 100 million, but they won’t have got close to that.but it will still be a hefty sum,

snd that’s before the book, which was Harry’s, better up etc, so yeah I’d say at least 50 million and they were worth about 35 I think when they left.

Those big money amounts were for producing content. Not payment once content was produced.

I’m sorry I don’t understand your points? They did the docu series, a leaders thing and the invictus games for Netflix. Th4 total deal was for 100m, so I think 30m is a good estimate; they didn’t do those things for free.

They will have had to spend a big chunk of the money on producing the content.

And it will have been in tranches - no content produced, no money.

Netflix are just waiting to get out of it, now.

So if Meghan wants ARO to make any money, or attract investors, she'd better get on with it!

The commentary at the time of the launch was that she was tipped to be making six figures within weeks (source, a "brand expert" - don't know where they got the info from or if it was based only on speculation).

That was roughly 5 weeks ago.

Following @QueenofTheBorg’s previous posting I found this “A day in the life at Montexhito”. Semi-amusing commentary but also maybe insight into life living with a narcissist. “Triangulation with a green juice drink” makes strange reading but somehow rings true ….

Well so far we've got a grainy minute-long video, an unused Instagram page, and a one page Wordpress website with a wait list.

World domination is next, clearly!

😂

Exactly. there were I think 28 people credited on Archewell - they all had to be paid out of that $20m. And the costs of the studios, and the photographer who shot Meghan for the advertising. Also the graphic design of the podcasts’ landing page. And the costs of the several giant billboards they put up to advertise it. And the costs of the people who appeared on the podcast, presuming they actually paid their talent (I would hope they did!).

Plus then there’s tax to be paid also. So they would have got quite a lot less than £20m, even if the full amount was due for the one series they produced for Spotify.

I remember her branding herself as simply 'Meghan' with the Archetypes series and wondered if that would stick. Now she is 'Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex' which seems wrong for the USA.

they were worth about 35 I think when they left.

And in addition Megan and Harry have earned at least 50 million together since leaving

Odd then that recent reports now have them worth an admittedly still eye watering £48m.

Could they be burning through it?