Many of us have expressed our desire to see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have some kind of social media presence for their Montecito lives. I absolutely believe that Archewell should have its own dedicated Instagram, where they can highlight their foundation work, draw attention to charities and promote their commercial work. An Archewell IG would also cut out the middleman when it came to issuing statements in their own voice, which (frankly) has been needed in recent years. Meghan also mentioned last year that she was considering coming back to Instagram, and it was widely assumed that meant her own stand-alone account. Which I would also love. Brand Sussex is an elite brand, helped along with Meghan’s new representation with WME. So once again, the British media is obsessed with the idea that Meghan could come back to IG and become an elite influencer. Some highlights from this Times piece:
Meghan could make a fortune off of Instagram: Digital talent agents estimate that the duchess will be able to charge up to £300,000 per Instagram post should she decide to set up with a new social media profile, as is expected. The @sussexroyal Instagram account, from which the couple logged off, along with their royal duties, in early 2020, is still followed by 9.4 million people.
They really want Meghan to relaunch The Tig too: Its second coming is expected to straddle the lucrative territory occupied by Gwyneth Paltrow’s one per cent lifestyle and wellness empire Goop, and the headset-and-no-notes elite talking points platform TED. This new online presence, plus the not inconsiderable water under the bridge since Meghan was last active in the blogosphere, could net its founder an even more substantial audience than the @princeandprincessofwales account run for William and Kate, which has 15 million followers. While their content is not sponsored, it is technically taxpayer-funded.
How much Meghan could get paid: “I can see Meghan getting £200,000 to £300,000 per post easily,” says one broker at a leading creative partnerships agency. “There’s no set fee for this sort of thing, but brands have big budgets for people with the sort of reach she has. Agents ask for anything between £50,000 for a mention to £200,000 for a dedicated post. It’s a bit of a Wild West sometimes, people just make up numbers. But if the person is worth it, a brand will pay.”
Mega-influencer: “She’ll be in line with the best-paid mega-influencers, if not the highest-paid in the world,” says Alison Bringé of the brand performance company Launchmetrics. “The kind of virality of the content that comes from Meghan Markle is different to any other. When she wears a Stella McCartney dress, she generates $3 million for the label, where Michelle Obama generates around $300,000. A Victoria Beckham catwalk show generates something like $8 million — but that’s holding an entire fashion show, compared to a [single shot] of Meghan Markle.”
Brand ambassadorships: The duchess is likely to pick up this sort of work online, either as part of a longstanding “ambassador” contract with a brand that also takes in public appearances and billboard advertising, or as a one-off plug (known in the business as an “activation”). There are rumours abroad that she — and potentially Harry too — has already signed with a talent agency to begin working on agreements such as these.
Hiking spon-con??? Take her hiking cameo in Montecito over the coronation weekend last month: candid shots that broadcast the duchess in a J Crew jacket and Victoria Beckham sunglasses, a Cartier watch that belonged to Princess Diana and a Bentley & Skinner diamond bracelet. The jacket has now sold out, and Google searches for the jewellery brand rose by 100 per cent in the week after the pictures were released. Insiders believe the images were, if not directly arranged commercially, then offered as a blueprint for how the duchess may work with brands in future — and how much clout she can offer at the negotiating table.
The Kate Effect: You might remember when this was known as the Kate effect. There was a time when anything the Princess of Wales wore sold out regardless of price, but sources say her retail relevance now tends to be with more affordable items — more in keeping with Holly Willoughby’s sell-through. That isn’t to be sniffed at (Willoughby is still known in high street circles as “Holly Will-you-buy”), but luxury brands are now looking to Meghan as a new figure with high-end rather than mass appeal. After all, many among the masses — in the UK at least — are famously not that keen on her.
Meghan’s influence: “Meghan has an influence unlike any other,” Bringé says. “She has a proximity to her audience because they’ve followed along on this emotional journey she’s had. Unlike a celebrity, you feel like you’re part of her life and, unlike an influencer, you know she’s not trying to create content.”
Do you guys think that Meghan’s hiking photos were sponsored-content or part of an arrangement with brands? No, I don’t. I think she just put on her clothes and went for a hike and the paparazzo managed to get the shots (which is what he claimed too). Now, I absolutely believe that post-Sussexit, Meghan has gotten freebies which she has worn in her rare public appearances, like the Invictus Games at The Hague or her awards show appearances. It’s also amazing that Meghan’s “brand” is high-end while Kate’s just… isn’t. No one is looking to copy Kate’s coatdresses at this point, but people want everything Meghan wears. Anyway, I absolutely want all of this for Meghan – I want her to have brand ambassadorships and her own Instagram account and all of it.
Photos courtesy of Misan Harriman/The Sussexes, Variety’s YouTube video, Archewell, The Cut.
If Megan wants it, I want it for her. But I just don’t think “influencer“ is the vibe she’s cultivating right now. I agree I would love to see AW with a social media page so we can learn more about what they’re doing with the foundation.
Same. I think the social media for AW is necessary in this landscape, and I’ve been continually surprised they haven’t created one yet given how long their foundation has been up and running, especially since their website/newsletter is hmm not good? It’s a missed opportunity in many ways for them to be off social media, and seems strange given the conversations they’re having about creating better online environments when they aren’t “in” it themselves
@anna: agreed. Especially on your point about their website. Remember when we could all sign up for an email-list? Till this day i haven’t received an email. Their wedsite is also quite frankly boring. I know it’s for work, but there is a way to make it fun, interactive and informative. It also doesn’t get updated very regularly. I know you don’t have to showcase every bit of charity that you do, but it would be nice to see more of their charity work.
A social media account (specifically instagram) would help greatly.
It reminds me of Beyoncé’s website intially and beygood as well. It’s started out exciting but then she stopped posting. Some of that did coincide with her having her twins so I think it’s similar for Harry and Meghan. Once they had lili they haven’t posted as much which is fair….less time available.
Also they did say they are focusing more on local charity work and misinformation.
Anna- Agree. The website is….lacking. It doesnt seem to be actively hurting them, so in the big scheme of things, its not that big of a deal I guess… but as you say, it’s just a missed opportunity.
Kel – I dont believe Meghan and Harry are updating the website themselves, it’s likely handled by a AW staffer, so I dont think the kiddos have anything to do with it. I think it’s just never been a high priority for them for whatever reason.
@slush I agree with you! Archwell on Instagram – yes BUT I see her or rather I wish for her to be in the United Nations space -an elevation of what she was doing before she met H – influencing & impacting real change in the global south from her position in the global north while being her unique stylish self…TBH her next step has only been lived by one person – Princess Diana & I hope she gets to go the distance that Princess Diana didn’t get the chance to….that’s why I like that she has centered her recent appearances at influential but not popular awards etc…slowly leading to that Global Influence….I think a GOOP is beneath her, no offense to GOOP, I love GP, but Meghan is now a few levels above…
She has literally already worked with the UN! Before she even met Harry.
I support Meghan and Harry doing what they need to do to remain independent. I hope they can keep out of the reach of that cabal in the UK forever. In some countries, Harry would be in jail or under house arrest for daring to challenge the authority of the monarchy in any way.
You got a certain country in mind? Perhaps one that recently had a royal wedsing?😂
I do think that WME have big plans for her, I also think they want the legal matters and law suits out of the way before Meghan launches or relaunches her next direction.
Archewell definitely needs a dedicated Instagram. So many people don’t know the scope of what Harry and Megan do with their charity work because the information comes from different posts from different companies. It should actually be centered in one place and it would give people a different narrative for them.
They need to make money for continuing security and so she should definitely set up her own Instagram and do brand sponsorships and make lots of money. I’m actually surprised that there hasn’t been a skincare deal, perfume deal, makeup deal etc with her from a major beauty company.
Being as how copy and paste is the BP’s reason for living, I wonder how many variations of this idea will make to print in the next week?
I want HM to become the billionaires they deserve to be… they’ve earned it.
Would love to see Madame Duchess as a brand ambassador for Dior. Both she and Harry look amazing in Dior!
YES 👏
Dior was my first & only thought. Otherwise, I hope they stay in that independent, rarified air that only Lady Di or Jackie O represented previously. JMO.
Absolutely! Both Meghan and Harry could be brand ambassadors for Dior and Harry could do some luxury watch brand too and Meghan could do a Tiffany’s or some other jewelry brand. They would be great!
That J crew jacket was the one she wore in the chicken coop with oprah when they showed the interview. I bought it after seeing it, and I love it still.
Ugh I was trying to find one of her jcrew jackets and they were sold out. The other I really loved was discontinued and the newer version wasn’t the same.
I would love her to do partnerships with these brands so I can buy the clothes lol
I’m petty. I want Meghan, Harry, Archwell and Invictus to also take over YouTube.
😂😂😂 Oh, the RAGE!! 😂😂😂
Eh, I don’t know.
She is no longer Meghan Markle, actress and founder of The Tig.
She is now Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, worldwide philanthropist.
She is in a different part of life and that requires change and knowing she can never go back to the way things are before, so I am glad WME is gonna help her pave the way.
Agree! Whatever she does I will support. She can pave her own way because there’s no one like her who has been through what she has. Sky’s the limit and she gets to paint the picture of what she wants her life to look like. I just want them to make tons of money but I do also want to hear more from her and their team directly.
I hope we’ll have more of that in the future.
Hi @Tiffany Meghan is really good at taking the skills gained from her old life and leveling them up and incorporating them into her new life. When she was an actress/activist Meghan was a fashion girl with brand ambassadorships and fashion lines. As a tax payer funded royal she took her experience in fashion and created a capsule collection for the SmartWorks charity. Once they left the institution and she became a producer/philanthropist she partnered with Cuyana to donate 500 fine leather hand bags to SmartWorks.
I can easily see Meghan designing another capsule collection or partnering with a fashion house for the benefit of a charity she works with. She could even invest in a skin care line and have the proceeds go to benefit a particular women’s cause similar to her CleverBlends investment. The best thing about Meghan and Harry is their diverse skill set and how they use their previous life experiences to create innovative ways to fundraise and help communities.
I loved what Meghan did as a working Royal: tangible causes with tangible results. And we got to see her regularly, which was really awesome (miss the appearances, the outfits, the creative take on how to help a foundation meet their needs etc). I know her life is different now, but no one knew how good we had it.
Another podcast would be amazing. Also, more Netflix content/documentaries highlighting their causes. Still excited about the Invictus one and hopefully they do something with devastated communities or online bullying. Their potential is endless.
This whole “Meghan is going/should go back to blogging” narrative comes up all the time. It’s a fever dream of the tabs and derangers so they can slag her off as a mere “blogger/influencer” in their endless criticisms.
Not going to happen. Her sights are set higher. A second season of the podcast would be awesome. She doesn’t need to become a shill for the fashion industry to get where she wants to go. It’s ridiculous.
@Bee. That is where my thought is at as well and you worded it perfectly and better than I did.
I totally agree with you. I just think she is so beyond that kind of shilling.
@ Bee, this is nothing but a pipe dream for the RR’s vultures trying to diminish her actual power and influence. I agree with Kaiser that her hike at Montecito was not a planned photo-op nor are H&M working with this so-called mindset of putting their lives into the hands of brand ambassadors nor creating a shill to promote other profitable businesses.
Meghan, as well as Harry, are simply working on creating a better world for those without a voice and using their platform to do so. Though a season 2 of her podcast would be magnificent!!
Agreed.
Biiiitch!! I NEED her on Instagram! I need to see her skin care routine, her exercise routine, her hair care routine! What’s she cooking in the kitchen! What’s she wearing!? What gadgets does she use. I need lifestyle content! STAT!!!!
Me too 😍 I want the whole package 😍
@snuffles add lifestyle and home organisation.
I hope Meghan is a bookworm, could you imagine if she had an elegant library hidden in Montecito? I would die! #avidbookworm
@Snuffles, YES ALL THAT AND MORE. But unlike a certain princess chop chop, Megan will make a massively successful go of it, without the Palace toads and UK rabid press.ooo and maybe a line of hair peices because we KNOW who will be watching everything she does
@kaiser “ No one is looking to copy Kate’s coatdresses at this point, but people want everything Meghan wears.” Considering how even K wants everything Meghan wears and buys a replica of almost everything, I’d imagine even she doesn’t want to copy her own coat dresses at this point
@Snuffles and Layla: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Thanks for the first laugh of the day!
Snuffles: “Biiiiitch!!!” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Layla: “Even K doesn’t want to copy her own coatdresses at this point” 🤣🤣🤣
Omg I love this site so much 🥰
Y’all are the reason I wake up and immediately check Celebitchy. Mary Pester, you’re part of the reason too😘 wishing you a very good day. ((Hugs))
I want Meghan to have a presence on social media like The Tig because I miss seeing her and want her to be more visible. But that’s me being selfish. Most of all I just want her be safe and happy with her family. The British media are relentless and won’t leave her or Harry alone and after what happened in NYC with them being pursued I am doubly cautious for them.
These people lie too much cos when was there a ” kate effect ” ? When the woman was busy wearing old woman clothes and shoes ?
When they were engaged first married for sure. I remember that blue dress from the engagement interview was an absolute sell out.
That wrap dress was from the company Issa London and they closed their doors in 2015.
There was never any Kate effect. She would wear clothing from two or three seasons before and so little inventory was available by the time she made a public appearance. The media pretended she would sell out things but that was because there were five items left.
I guess pocket watching the Sussexes will be the BMs new favorite hobby. I know it broke the Times to admit that the Meghan Effect has surpassed the Kate Effect and luxury brands are courting Meghan.
I think they should reactivate the sussexroyal acct since C-Rex has broken some of their other agreements that were made in good faith with TQ.
The fact that she has so many options is wonderful and wish her and Harry the best. They’re right about Meghan’s influence but not about her mass appeal. How else are these brands that she’s wearing selling out? But that’s not the narrative they want, and are ignoring the fact that unpopular people don’t sell out brands they wear, regardless of their level of fame. That’s not how it works and no amount of alternative facts will change that. Get that money Sussexes!
They should open a NEW Instagram account for their foundation, and create their own application that contains their news, their biography, etc. They should also change their website strategy and change that gloomy beige and brown theme.
I just can’t see Meghan having an instagram account as an influencer. I can’t get that to blend with what she and Harry have been doing. I think Archewell being on IG makes a lot of sense, but if I were them I wouldn’t allow comments. No reason to deal with the hate from the bots and trolls.
I like the fact that the charities are the ones who announce volunteer work or partnerships with the Sussexes. It focuses everything on the charity and not on the Sussexes as individuals.
I look for her to be a brand ambassador for some a top tier designer, and maybe for shoes, too. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next, but I just can’t see an individual IG account.
I fully agree. I even think that the hate comments and the moderation efforts required to handle them could be the reason Archewell is no one social media.
Selfishly, I would love to see more content, including a blog that could be a BTS for their activities (with a touch of food and fashion but always steered towards inspiring people to make a change for the good).
I would love for her to do this because *I* would enjoy it immensely – I already bought my own shorts suit set in pink just like her lol. But yeah not sure this is the direction she’s going to take.
Meghan has such an exquisite sense of style. Top of the game styling choices. Even when I don’t 💯 love something she’s wearing, somehow she makes it work for her. This is one of the reason why brands would love to work with her.
Meghan gets to decide what she wants to do. The media needs to leave them alone and mind their own business.
I must have been tough for the Times to write and publish this article. I’m sure in the second half of year we will see some of these moves not only for Meghan but for Archewell and Harry.
The BM wants Meghan to become an influencer so they can attack her for it. During Archetypes’ run, there were weekly hit pieces.
They will always attack her no matter what she does or doesn’t do.
Let’s face it,Kate brand is the knock off version of whatever Meghan wears. This is why no one wants what she’s selling. Why would you when the original is so much better.
I also see Meagan as a very elite brand ambassador. She has impeccable taste. She has the ability to generate income by simply wearing something that she would wear anyway, so why not? If she doesn’t need the income, she can dedicate it to her many charities. I love it that she is considered number one influencer in the world…that ripping sound we hear is Kate tearing out her wiglets.
Meghan is always spot-on with everything she does and wears. People want to emulate her (or copykeen every outfit she wears). Whereas, if someone told me the pants I was wearing looked like Kate’s, I’d be insulted. Good taste and excellence are what Meghan has.
I follow accounts that track what she wears and I want just about everything she wears. She has great pieces. Also, the people that run these accounts should work for the FBI. They’ll track down stuff that isn’t sold anymore.
How could she ever be an influencer, their brand is finished in the US /s
Meghan doesn’t have to become an influencer – she’s already an Influencer. Not just about clothes and style, but for her brand of local and community-based philanthropy. People follow her on social media even though she’s not on social media.
Basically this whole article is how much could Meghan make if she had an Instagram account. A personal account, not an Archewell one. It just seems kind of weird because she has a lot more going on than Instagram. No one has proven she’s gotten free anything. When they interview people whose clothes she wears, they often say they’re honored she wore them, they had no idea, they’ve sold out and need time to restock. That doesn’t sound like getting freebies if the actual designer isn’t ready for an increase in orders. Another thing is when talking about the hiking pic, the biggest thing people bought were the Merril hiking boots and weights she was wearing, which isn’t even mentioned . That’s what everyone was taking about. That and the Cartier watch she always wears.The amount they’re saying Meghan would be getting from Instagram seems pretty small. Why would she need to do that when she’s invested in businesses? I never read the Tig except for archived posts, so I don’t get the hushed reverent tones some refer to it in. It was good content but is a relic from another life that Meghan no longer has. These stories, considering who wrote it, seem a little insulting in their nickel and dime speculation, as though she needs that money. In general, the overall tone in the British press is that because the Sussexes make money, and actually have expenses that money is used for like mortgages and security, they must be greedy and do anything for money. I don’t like it. Meghan could give two corporate speeches or participate in a global round table and be set for the year, and make a lot more doing that than Insta spon con. They just want Meghan back on Instagram.
I want her to be as successful as possible, and I want Salt Island’s saltiest losers to shed tears about it.
Eating Popcorn, I beg to differ. Maybe you’ve been reading too many British media articles, but the prince and duchess have been tremendously successful in the U.S., especially with people who are unattached/unbothered about anything happening or said in England, including the steady vigilante attacks on the Sussexes.
I’m hoping Eating Popcorn was sarcastic by the /s at the end of the post.
Eating Popcorn was being sarcastic.