Meghan Markle has teased the first product of her American American Rivieria Orchard lifestyle brand – strawberry jam.
The Duchess of Sussex is said to have sent out jars of the product to selected influencers, with fashion designer Tracy Robbins being one of those to receive one.
She posted a picture of the jar on social media. It was marked “17 out of 50,” possibly indicating how many people will get to have an early sample of the product.
Ronn Torossian, Founder and Chairman of 5WPR told The Mirror, the soft launch aligns with Meghan’s personal brand.
He said: “This method makes sense when you take into consideration who Meghan Markle is as a person, and how she’s approached American Riviera Orchard as a brand.
“Markle has been particular with who she publicly associates herself with, so the caliber of influencers she chose to send product to aligns with the image she continues to try to uphold.”
Additionally, Meghan appears to use the branding principles of “exclusivity and scarcity” to promote the product.
If there really will only be 50 jars of jam, it would indicate getting your hands on one could be difficult, which actually drives more curiosity and “intrigue” to the product.
Using this strategy isn’t unprecedented. Ronn explained that doing so “captured consumer attention,” but it might not be as sustainable as Meghan would like.
He continued: “She’ll need to expand her outreach between now and an official consumer launch of the jam.
“Traditionally, Markle has used a stealth approach to project announcements, knowing she’s constantly under the watchful eye of fans and critiques alike. But there is a difference between capturing attention and generating sales.
“She’ll have to find a marketing approach that focuses on the value of purchasing these offerings.”
Regarding the future of her products, Ronn believes that a pattern will emerge.
“I believe she will continue using this approach when introducing her next few product lines-she’s proven a handful of times that the ‘less is more’ approach works for her. What we’ve yet to see from her is how she can maintain consumer interest from a longevity standpoint,” he said.
As for the products themselves, we’ll just have to wait and see what Meghan comes up with.
