ARO thread 3

[Thedom]

Couldn't resist opening it with this from the last thread 😁

Saw this blind item on Tiktok, so take it with all the salt you need.

Makes some sense with the drip drip of influencers releasing the photos, but unless you're getting bigger and bigger "names" every day then I would think it could get quite boring? Or is that just me because...its jam. Its not exactly groundbreaking.

I can't narrow the target demographic that much, but I'm sure it's US-based

That's a pretty massive market though. If it's as unclear to you as it is to me what niche she is aiming at, then I would say this is very poor marketing.

And, further to the post by @MrsLeonFarrell - possibly people who didn't pay that much attention to the RF before Meghan married in, and who are therefore more likely to be drawn to a Californian dream version because they just don't see it the ways Brits do

What's a 'Californian dream version' of the royals?

If you're after a royal aesthetic, wouldn't you want the real thing? And what's 'royal' about a D lister sitting on the grass with her dog and a jar of jam surrounded by ageing citrus fruit?

If you're after a royal aesthetic, wouldn't you want the real thing?

And there's been plenty of the real thing in the last couple of years, with the Qyeen's funeral and the Coronation. Anyone with any interest in royalty will have seen it. This (paid for?) jam promotion with Z-list celebrities just looks cheap and classless in comparison. (Kris Jenner is the only one I'd heard of.)

Those nails put me off in themselves. They are hideous! It should be all about the jam, not the scarlet talons holding the jar!

I wonder if Eugenie is distancing herself now.

Their market appears to be the flamingo estate one but their problem is their overhead are likely to be millions more. Google reports flamingo made 10 million turnover. After the polo Harry next adventure will need to be commercial.

I wonder if Eugenie is distancing herself now

In her place, I'd have distanced myself after Spare, and the revelations about the bullying of the matron with the 'twisted spine', given that Eugenie had scoliosis herself and is a Patron of the Scoliosis Association.

Naice jam anyone? 😉

I would assume that the celebs posting the jam have been paid, so why don't they have to put Ad next to it? Also is this why Doria has been hanging out with Kris Jenner? To make this appear more organic than it actually is?

Flamingo estate have a turnover of $10 million is phenomenal but how much of that is actual profit?

I would assume that the celebs posting the jam have been paid, so why don't they have to put Ad next to it?

I'm curious to know why they don't have to state they are ads too? It's pretty clear the posts are paid adverts especially as so many are using the same staging props, albeit the lemons are now looking a bit worse for wear, so surely they should state this on the posts?

I'm certainly no fan of either of them but I think this thread is OTT about her mini jam industry. She's started very small and has obviously put some thought into the publicity (recipients using their SM accounts to praise the little pots) so I think she's testing the market as to whether ARO will be a viable way of earning much-needed income. She hasn't gone straight for global recognition (nor is she competing with Highgrove) and I'm going to give her a break and let this one unfold without being nitpickingly critical of everything (the length of someone's nails, really?). What would the downers of this enterprise have her do instead to earn money as she's married to a whinging waste of space who doesn't seem keen/able to provide for his family?

I don’t think that the ‘here’s my jam’ is the bother but some of the recipients.

She has met fascinating people along the road. What about the Grenfell women for example? Dog Rescue societies? The Chair of Sentebale? Michelle Obama? The Trussell Trust? Even her mum?

Instead we get celebrities who are questionable in some (many?) circles and it is just coming across as puff publicity - possibly for pay - probably for clicks.

And although I understand the old nonsense of no publicity is bad publicity, I think they could have chosen better.

I also understand starting small but this isn’t that. It isn’t testing the market either. Most would test the market at a local fayre or farmers market.

It isn’t about being a downer either. Just dismay at what looks to be another badly thought out and ill advised venture with the same half arsed approach.

They already have the ‘global recognition’ too.

As time goes on, the recognition will always be there. For what though? Charitable endeavours? Business ventures? Hanging out with reality stars? Being figures of derision or ridicule?

They could have done so much more good in their position. He has more than enough to ‘provide for his family’ too. Like the rest of us, he’ll have to cut his cloth and the family will have to live accordingly.

They still can turn it around.

I haven’t seen any photos of her with him since his Netflix doc in which she looked very uneasy.

But how are the assorted influencers and C listers praising 'the little pots'? Which look like generic 'little pots' you could buy in any supermarket, complete with wonky label? There is no information about what makes the 'little pots' in any way special. Strawberry jam is the most basic foodstuff you can buy, and usually very cheap. What is special about this jam that folk should pay a premium and wait for delivery? It's just terrible brand placement.

As to your question, you're right, they do need to earn a living and becoming an influencer, while hardly exalted, isn't a bad thing in itself. I'm not sure that hawking jam on the internet is going to pay for a Montecito lifestyle however. Also, they have failed to produce for the big money media contracts they had. They seem to feel entitled to a lavish lifestyle simply because they have British royal titles.

They seem to feel entitled to a lavish lifestyle simply because they have British royal titles

I think this is the bind they are in. They left the RF proclaiming that they wanted their independence but all the interest in them comes because they ARE linked to the royals. Take away that and what have they got to stand on their own feet? it's a real devil's bargain.

You have proved my point - what does it matter if the labels are wonky or if the jam is crap? She's just trying to make a living by starting small and yet you can't leave it be.

Of course it matters if the product looks unfinished especially if the price point is high and it definitely matters if the actual jam is crap. Yes some fools will be easily parted from their money because it's from Meghan but a handful of sales which will then dry up if it's a shit product is not going to pay the bills.

You have proved my point - what does it matter if the labels are wonky or if the jam is crap? She's just trying to make a living by starting small and yet you can't leave it be

Because if you're trying to sell to a high end market the products and their presentation needs to reflect that (have a look at the Fortnum and Mason site if you doubt that). Wonky labels and crap jam just says cheap and nasty and can be bought in Walmart or Tesco. There's no exclusivity in that.

I'm not particularly familiar with this sort of start up. And so have asked before if this approach to a launch is a well-trodden path.

If I understood previous answers properly, it isn't. Publicity would usually only be sought once the actual selling was ready to go, because of the risk of losing momentum.

I don't think anyone has difficulty with the idea of starting small. What's apparently unusual here is starting with, it seems, no products at all ready to go and no content either (one short video, various SM posts by other people.

Wonky labels don't matter if rustic-looking is a theme (and one of the problems is that it's as yet far from clear what the theme is - and the potential customer or content-follower needs to be shown (not just told) what those themes are). But if, as you mention, the jam is crap; it will matter very much.

But she's not selling them is she!! If they were to go into production then there would be stringent rules and regulations to follow and the appearance would be pimped up. Some of you on here won't give her even a tiny break* over something as petty as trying to start a business by giving away some wonky pots of jam. I'll *leave you to it.

I agree that there is no shame in trying to make a living - and H&M definitely need to do that!

However, I am struggling to understand why Meghan is aiming down with her jam. The recipients are not “serious people” to coin Logan Roy. Ok, so the idea may be to piggyback on influencers/celebrities who have large followings, but this flies in the face of all M&H’s trumpeting about how esteemed they are. It just seems a bit “Meghan at Asda” range.

If she's not going to be selling it, then the whole exercise seems a bit pointless!

Well no she's not currently selling them but surely the point of sending them out to all these Instagram people and them advertising the jam on social media is with the intention of getting people to buy them when she does sell them? She's not sending them the jam because she suddenly developed a jam making hobby and she's giving it to mates is she? Or have I completely missed the point??

But she's not selling them is she!! If they were to go into production then there would be stringent rules and regulations to follow and the appearance would be pimped up. Some of you on here won't give her even a tiny break over something as petty as trying to start a business by giving away some wonky pots of jam. I'll leave you to it

I've read Bower's book about Meghan. I get the impression from her career pre Harry that this is a woman with laser like focus and determination to get what she wants and she plans like it's a military campaign. She's married to a member of the RF, she could probably pick up the phone and use her name to have access to any number of people who could advise her about strategy, marketing, product placement and all the technical stuff she needed to set up a successful business, and if she put her back into it she could probably make a very good go of it.

Instead of which she's doing the Marie Antoinette type dilettanting about with pots of jam with wonky labels donated to Z listers. Oh and one other thing - if she's not selling them then WTF IS the plan?

It would appear she sent out 50 jars. So far about 6/7 (?) recipients have posted about them . If this is a staged launch , people will lose interest . Also , some of the recipients are a bit dubious.
i have lost track of how many weeks ago she “ launched” ARO but it seems a strange way to start a business. I have friends who have started businesses ( a couple very successfully) and they are bewildered too .