Meghans trademark not allowed

[Viviennemary]

The patent office apparently has turned down the trademark of Meghans new jam making business American Riviera Orchard on the grounds that you can't trademark geographical locations. You would have thought somebody would have picked up on this before now.

The Sussex royal site also says that QEII is monarch.

Exactly. It’s not a way to come across as organised.

Maybe the web master quit and didn't give them the password to the site.

Blimey. You'd expect that from a one man outfit or tiny underfunded charity.

Those who wish her well, have goodwill towards her and are her target market will no doubt buy

I don’t think that will be enough people to sustain a business though. I mean, I don’t have any particular feelings about Amazon (in fact sometimes I feel slight animosity😆), but I still buy from them because they are convenient and have products I want or need to buy. I can’t imagine that Meghan’s ventures would be able to reach a critical mass like that and she needs to make a lot of money to sustain her lifestyle 🤷‍♀️

typo

Here's a thought:

If Meghan had remained Harry's girlfriend, they didn't marry, but meanwhile she'd been seen with him at QEII's funeral, Charles' coronation, loads of other stuff, would it have catapulted her higher up the showbiz ladder ? It's what she originally wanted out of life, and she probably had the street smarts to capitalise on it rather than flailing about being a fish out of water as a royal/ex royal

But you don't know if it will launch next year. You don't know if it will launch at all. Like the rest of us, you also haven't got a clue what it's going to sell, if it ever launches. NF have never confirmed the existence of any 'cooking show' so you don't know if or when that will appear either.

Meghan has a hardcore of adoring fans who are very noisy on social media. However, they are relatively few in number. If she wants to build a sustainable brand, she needs broad appeal and that is something she does not have. I suspect a high proportion of Americans, especially the youth, have no idea who she is. The same will be even more true outside the English speaking world, and her relevance is steadily declining.

Getting a trademark denied may be fairly common and not a big deal in itself, but the entire way she's handled this 'brand' has been a complete shambles. Surely you must see that? Have you ever heard of a 'brand' 'launching' with no products and without even a trademark? And I don't agree that there is no such thing as bad publicity. If you're trying to develop a brand, you need a very clear identity. 'Launching' with clunky jam jars with wonky labels doesn't exactly scream high end. Her 'brand' has been diluted before it has even materialised. If it ever does.

I'd actually like to know who their target market actually is. Much is made by the squad of their appeal to the "young" but she's 43 and he's 40 next week. Not old, but hardly the first flush either. What are they going to sell that shows real engagement with those younger than them, because it isn't jam and dog biscuits?

I believe that the people who naturally have the most interest/"investment" in what Harry and by association Meghan might do are those old enough to remember Diana, so their age and up. A fair number of this group are pretty horrified by things they've said and done and aren't going to be forking out for overpriced merch.

Maybe keep ARO initials and rebrand as 'A-list Royal Outcasts'

It probably would have been a better option. Even if they split she’d always have that connection just like Chelsey Davey will forever be associated. Chelsey has a very successful jewellery business and seems well liked.

Nah. Harry wanted a family. A part time girlfriend wasn’t on the cards. And I suspect Meghan was keen to get a ring on it anyway

That's another thing. Every brand has to have a target market. What is hers?

Also, if you're going to sell stuff you need a platform. The alleged 'cooking show' isn't enough. Neither is the occasional 'royal tour'. She doesn't even have social media. People aren't going to seek out a website to buy stuff they can get in any number of other places.

This 'brand' makes no sense on so many different levels. That's why I doubt it will ever materialise.

That's another thing. Every brand has to have a target market. What is hers?

I think there definitely is a target market: US middle income women aged 30 - 50 who use IG, read the upmarket fashion & lifestyle glossies and are the types to try a wonderful new face cream because the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow (insert other middle aged women's influencer) swears by it.

That's a pretty big market, or at least it was until about 2 years ago. Unfortunately it's also the market which studies show has been hit hardest by the recent further contraction in US middle class living standards, and, being female, the first to be willing to make cutbacks on their own personal pleasures in order to save funds for the family.

It's also, irritatingly, the group of consumers most likely to say they like the British Royal Family, so Meghan may have to attempt some sort of rapprochement there if this is indeed her target audience

@Septemberbluesagain In the end there is no such thing as bad publicity

Oh....I can assure you there most definitely is.

I would like to know too.

It would help to know what ARO is selling first. We are always told they are popular with the "young". I can't fathom this - young people gives no shits about the monarchy, they financially a bit screwed too. I agree that it will be people their age and older who might be interested, but as one of those people, I'm less than impressed by flash in the pan branded tat and prefer established brands. Plus I bought my Denby crockery and Le Creuset pans 20 years ago and they are still going strong - why would ARO appeal to me?

Maybe they appeal to the type of person that changes their home decor every year? I don't know. They would probably need to team up with a large retailer to shift enough product. I imagine a lot of it would end up in TKMaxx.

My final musing is that I never knew Kim K tried to trademark Kimono. Good god, the mind boggles. Although in this case, I wouldn't put it past Kim to want the controversy. She has a far thicker skin than H&M.

I think there definitely is a target market: US middle income women aged 30 - 50 who use IG, read the upmarket fashion & lifestyle glossies and are the types to try a wonderful new face cream because the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow (insert other middle aged women's influencer) swears by it.

But there are any number of people competing for that market.

Gwyneth is an A list, Oscar winning actress who is regularly seen at prestigious events in designer clothes. She's also had her company for years. Why would anyone part with their money for a face cream from someone who is only really known for marrying a prince and then running out of royal life?

Not to mention that the whole 'influencer' thing is a bit last decade. It's all about Tic Tok now, mostly with women half Meghan's age.

And is it face cream now? Not jam? Or dog biscuits?

You put it so much better than me. Good post.

If Meghan had remained Harry's girlfriend, they didn't marry, but meanwhile she'd been seen with him at QEII's funeral, Charles' coronation, loads of other stuff, would it have catapulted her higher up the showbiz ladder ?

She could have done that as Harry's wife. The Queen suggested she could continue her acting career. (Once again showing what a very astute lady she was; she probably saw straight away that M couldn't and wouldn't take on a full time working royal role.)

That website - they couldn't take a minute to add an In Memoriam page for the Queen, but they have the nerve to quote her 'I declare before you all....' speech, as if applying it to themselves.

I'm not arguing that she can actually sell to that market, merely that that is most likely her identified market. It's a market that still uses IG and (in US) FB - Tik Tok is for Gen A as you say.

NF have never confirmed the existence of any 'cooking show' so you don't know if or when that will appear either

Yes they have, and the announcement of the forthcoming cookery/lifestyle/friendship show and the polo documentary is still on the Netflix website.

Harry and Meghan Just Announced Two Series Coming to Netflix This Year - Netflix Tudum

Also announced by Archewell

Well he was led by his dick. Apparently he told friends ‘she lets me do anything’. Nice. 😱. He was pussy-struck and is now paying the price.

That's not an official NF page!

There has been no mention of these alleged 'shows' in the 'coming soon' page on the official NF site. Nor have they made any announcements on any of their social media. So, no, NF have not confirmed the existence of the 'cooking show'.

It doesn't really matter what 'Archewell' says. NF are the ones who decide if they will stream the shows or not.

Apparently vierwer engagement from test audiences was poor for both.

All lifestyle brands have to feel authentic.

Jennifer garner, has just done an AD tour of her new home. She’s very wholesome and it’s obvious she loves to cook, she even had a baking station put in her kitchen. This is the type of person that people want to follow. She’s A list, likeable and is known to love cooking. She also appeared on the Barefoot contessa …though strangely they made English crispies ….you know the chocolate covered cornflake nests a we make as kids? Odd, but she was lovely and listened to Ina’s every expert word.

This is the type of person who people want to follow. Her AD video has already racked up millions in just a few days, way more than other celebs get. If she ever decides to go down this lifestyle route, it would be a smash.

Meghan doesn’t have this natural way about her. The Cut interview highlighted this when the writer claimed she had a producer from The Bachelor in her ear at all times, because of the odd way she interacts with people. This I suspect will come across on camera too. She also has not filmed the show in her home, it won’t feel authentic at all.

Im sure if she does sell products through ARO , initially it will be very successful but she’s too a divisive figure to sustain a business long term.
Can you imagine the headlines if there is a bad batch of jam, or late deliveries or negative review bombing. It’s a novelty business at best. If she’s smart she should treat it like a pop up shop and just try and get as much money out if the first run as possible. In quick and out quick, otherwise it will be a disaster.

As for the cooking show, it’s such a hard market to crack. If it airs, it will be a one series programme. Netflix commissions in the basis of pulling people in, once people have seen the show once or twice, then the numbers will fall. Look at the Archtypes podcasts…initially huge numbers then as time went on they completely dropped off. She will pull in huge numbers esp 1( I would def watch) but the numbers would steeply fall. But at least she will get some more Netflix money before the deal runs out.

Anything? So Harry gets to live out his ‘Frogmore butler bringing a pizza’ fantasies?

🤮