At the end of the day, I don’t think the end of the Sussexes’ Spotify contract was good news or bad news, it was just news. You know? Archetypes was successful and popular and it would have been great if Spotify had continued to prioritize that podcast, but, on the other side, it was a successful and popular podcast and some other platform will pick it up. I’m hopeful that the Sussexes will find a different platform, just as I’m hopeful that they’ll change their strategy when it comes to their podcasting and producing projects, meaning: work faster and smarter, and reimagine their promotion and social media footprint. It’s pretty wild to watch the British media obsess over the story though, and treat the Spotify move like “the end is nigh” for H&M in America. The Mail got some of their best know-nothing hacks to Britsplain why the Sussexes are in big trouble – as always, you should keep in mind that this is solely for a domestic British audience which is primed to believe the worst of Harry & Meghan.
Spotify’s decision to cut their losses and scrap their deal with Meghan and Harry could cost the couple $10million and does not bode well for their fading hope of becoming a $1billion brand, experts told MailOnline today.
PR guru Mark Borkowski told MailOnline that it is very bad news for Meghan and Harry’s brand and a sign ‘their star is really falling’. He estimated that the failure could cost them up to $10million. He said: ‘They didn’t get the quality of the product right and the gooey front of their new reality faded. The air is going out of their much hyped balloon and these little things begin to erode that juggernaut of hype that they delivered when they broke away from the Royal Family. If no one is interested in anything they have to say about mental health or the Royal Family then their star is really falling. It is not a good day for the long term brand of Meghan and Harry’, he added. Mr Borkowski said that he believes that they could lose up to 40 per cent of the $25million deal after it ended, which would be around $10million.
Brand and culture expert Nick Ede told MailOnline today that Spotify will have pulled the plug and it is a sign that the post-Megxit wave the couple were riding is crashing. He predicts more brands will dump them amid rumours Netflix are also unhappy.
‘It looks like Meghan’s brand isn’t such a box office winner and I can see a lot of other businesses following suit’, he said. Mr Ede said that Meghan’s relauch of her blog, The Tig, is near-certain, as her options become more limited. He believes that the couple will have lost ‘many millions’ from the dead Spotify deal.
Mr Ede said: ‘I think that this is optically a really negative position for Meghan and her brand to be in. With this news, and the news that Netflix are not happy with the output from the Archewell team, either she is set to lose millions from these deals. It also shows that these huge brands have not as much confidence in Meghan and Harry and that the halo effect they were riding on post-Megxit is now beginning to fade. Brands need to make money . They pay for talent not because of emotions but because of economy. I think that Meghan will build her own community and brand like Kourtney Kardashian and Poosh or Gwyneth Paltrow with Goop. So I think The Tig will probably have an audio arm where she can produce and play Archetypes and it will be available on all platforms, not just Spotify’.
I’m sure that if you live inside the Deranger bunker and see the Sussexes siloed from every business trend, you probably believe this. I actually think a compelling case could be made that the Sussexes’ brand-management has faltered a bit, and that they should have done more with Spotify and Netflix a lot sooner. That being said, Spotify’s business model absolutely seems to be fluctuating – they lost the Obamas as well, and the Obamas went to Audible and Acast. Which is probably the model for what the Sussexes do next. The elephant in the room of all of the British commentary is that Meghan, in particular, seems to understand that she needed to do more to build her brand as a content-creator and producer, which is why she signed with WME less than two months ago. Despite all of the claims from Salt Island, it’s clear that WME still believes in Brand Sussex, and still believes that there’s money to be made.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
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- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, CANADA ** Sydney, AUSTRALIA – The Duke of Sussex and Duchess of Sussex watch the wheelchair basketball final, the last event at the Invictus Games 2018 in Sydney. Pictured: Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 26 OCTOBER 2018 BYLINE MUST READ: Vantagenews / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, CANADA ** Wellington, NEW ZEALAND – The Duke of Sussex and Duchess of Sussex visit the Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington, New Zealand. Pictured: Duke of Sussex, Duchess of Sussex BACKGRID USA 27 OCTOBER 2018 BYLINE MUST READ: Vantagenews / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, CANADA ** Rotorua, NEW ZEALAND – The Duke of Sussex and Duchess of Sussex visit the Redwoods Treewalk in Rotorua, New Zealand. The Duke and Duchess spoke to members of the local mountain biking community on the final engagement of their autumn tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. 31 October 2018. Please byline: Vantagenews.com Pictured: Duke of Sussex, Duchess of Sussex BACKGRID USA 30 OCTOBER 2018 BYLINE MUST READ: Vantagenews / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: WORLDWIDE EXCEPT IN NETHERLANDS ** London, UNITED KINGDOM – Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at the Natural History Museum gala performance of ‘The Wider Earth’ in support of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust and The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy. Pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex BACKGRID USA 12 FEBRUARY 2019 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Queens, NY – Meghan, Duchess of Sussex takes in the Serena Williams vs Bianca Andreescu women’s final tennis match at the US Open. Pictured: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex BACKGRID USA 7 SEPTEMBER 2019 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: WORLDWIDE EXCEPT IN NETHERLANDS ** Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA – Prince Harry Duke of Sussex and Meghan Duchess of Sussex meet Coastguard trained by Royal Marines at Kalk Bay, Cape Town. Pictured: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex BACKGRID USA 24 SEPTEMBER 2019 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: WORLDWIDE EXCEPT IN NETHERLANDS ** Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA – Meghan Markle visits the mothers2mothers (m2m) charity in Cape Town, South Africa. Pictured: Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 25 SEPTEMBER 2019 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: WORLDWIDE EXCEPT IN NETHERLANDS ** Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA – Meghan Markle The Duchess of Sussex is seen during a visit to the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, part of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), of which she was announced as Patron in January 2019. Pictured: Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 1 OCTOBER 2019 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: WORLDWIDE EXCEPT IN NETHERLANDS ** Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex are seen during a visit to a township to learn about Youth Employment Services (YES), which aims to tackle the critical issue of youth unemployment in South Africa by creating one million new work opportunities in the next three years. Pictured: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 2 OCTOBER 2019 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
This story is a nothingburger. They are just GAGGING for her to start a blog so they can sneer at her as a “blogger.” It comes up over and over again. That podcast was #1 and won two big awards. She was more popular than Rogan! It’s horse manure.
There’s literally another article from today that says how The Mail was just saying that this leaves them in a stronger position to negotiate in Hollywood. They just say whatever! It’s mind-boggling to me that people can literally believe both stories within a day’s time. Angry that Dior is signing them, gleeful that Dior isn’t signing them. Angry that this gives them more bargaining power, gleeful that their brand is diminishing.
So award-winning content viewed by millions isn’t getting it right? I think Netflix got what they wanted with the story on H&M.
So much made-up shameless stuff in this story. The story builds on its own lies and fake assumptions. Just a few:
1. When did Netflix publicly say it was displeased with H&M? Until it does, you can’t say that it is, proclaim a pattern AND then conclude that other brands will follow.
2. When did H&M say they wanted to be a billion dollar brand? Only Brit tabloid writers use that “will have” verb construction, as in “Charles will have been displeased.” It’s bizarre. Besides, only a few people in the world are billion dollar brands. You can have far less and be considered a big success. GOOP is a mere 300 million.
4. This is just opinion: “No one is interested in anything they have to say about mental health or the Royal Family.” But the reporter then uses that unsupported “fact” to declare:”Their star is really falling.”
I agree, their star is really falling.
The hilarious thing is that if the British Media stopped breathlessly covering everything they do with a dozen articles, brand Sussex might actually start to decline. By continually talking about them, the media assures their brand will stay valuable, relevant, and at the forefront of cultural conversation. It’s poetic.
I’m so excited to see what comes next. It’s going to be good we know that by now. Options are practically limitless. Consider what they’ve been up against and still they rise.
“The elephant in the room of all of the British commentary is that Meghan, in particular, seems to understand that she needed to do more to build her brand as a content-creator and producer, which is why she signed with WME less than two months ago.”
I think that this was Meghan being extra careful to the point of almost freezing up. She didn’t want to seem too eager to be the next so and so influencer in the vain of Goop, Eyeswoon, Martha Stewart or even Draper James. She wants (as does Harry) to do the work they were doing in the U.K. And while I understand this, they have to think beyond that, so they can make that money. They can still do those great works of service while she reinvents the Tig.
So. They were dangerously chased around NYC for two hours and the security team said they had never seen anything like the crowds waiting for H&M outside of Meghan’s award.
All of which I 100% believe.
But their star is fading?
Oh wait. That’s right. Harry is suing the tabloid press – among many others- for their crimes. It’s not as though the press would want to poison the Sussex brand with more lies in retaliation for Harry suing. Not one bit. 🙄 It’s all so obvious. The media is pathetic in their treatment of H&M and I hate them for it.
They reap what they sow
These British people don’t know what they’re talking about. Plus it’s obvious with Meghan and Archewell signing to WME that she and Harry are looking to change things up.
Spotify and Netflix consider themselves tech companies. And they act like it. And they’re unprofitable just like all these other start-ups. They overspent on big names and when they didn’t get the ROI they overvaluated they’d get, they blame the names instead of themselves. They’re BAD AT BUSINESS and I’ll be happy to see them pivot and/or fail. Wall Street is watchimg.
@thatsnotok, yes Spotify’s and Netflix are both bad businesses models, who couldn’t forsee a future where there would be a glut of other streaming channels, BUT, even their businesses model isn’t quite as bad as the DAILY FAIL
This rag has just employed a man on a 7 figure contract who couldn’t even lie straightforward in bed. Boris bloody Johnson! The man who cheated on his first wife while she had cancer, was sacked twice for printing lies in other papers and has been kicked out as PM for lieing to the Queen, lieing to the public, lieing to parliament and lieing to the committee investigating his lies 😂🤥yep, only the DM is a true fit for this man and only this man is a true fit for the DM
We were just talking about this. How they start amazing content and then just tank it.
The sheer amount of Netflix shows we have binged and then watched them not get renewed is so high. In fact, it’s so high that we don’t watch Netflix series anymore unless we hear for certain they have been renewed.
BUT. The point is – their portfolio as far as streaming has so many excellent but murdered shows. One season. Maybe two. No resolution. Left in clif hangers. They have produced a lot of great stuff. HOWEVER when they keep killing off truly excellent content
1- fewer and fewer people are going to watch/ listen until they know for sure it’s been renewed
2- the worth of their portfolios of shows is tanking because people aren’t going to stream shows that got killed off. They spend millions to make something. It’s in the top ten. And they kill it.
3- people won’t want to have their work produced by Netflix knowing that even the most popular book series etc are getting a season and then nothing.
Just because Netflix outbid other places doesn’t mean it’s the best long term home for your creative work. And many creators are now seeing that.
Netflix has a Netflix problem.
I strongly agree. The more we hear about how they measure the ‘success’ of their shows and people see their approach play out (why start a show that may get cancelled) the more obvious it becomes. Please stop believing you have to throw new content at us every five seconds, your businesses are finite and cannot grow indefinitely. Your shareholders will have to accept that one day whether they like it or not.
Also a large part of the writer’s strike is how streaming companies don’t adequately reimburse the talent. They are intentionally opaque about how well shows do making it hard to negotiate or renegotiate contracts, they remove shows if they don’t want to keep paying residuals etc. Streaming (music, movies, tv) in general is in the midst of a come to Jesus moment and as everyone unites to demand their fair share of the pie.
The fact that companies like Spotify and Netflix are having to restructure their business model is not a indicator that Brand Sussex is failing. People in the UK press are broke and ignorant and it shows in how they discuss business deals.
Still trying to make fetch happen. Unfortunately they will continue.
Yep. And I hope Meghan and Harry just go about their business and if it continues, Le Fail just becomes some slight background noise that just fades in the distance. And I also wanted to add that Meghan is so beautiful and photogenic. The featured image thumbnail for this article is fierce!
This is all getting so weird. They’re pushing these H&M stories because it’s the slow season and this will give cover for W&K not showing up anywhere for the next five months. The British Media is going to latch onto these business negotiations and use them as proof of…something. But that’s the be expected. You know how they sometimes still try to sneak in references to the South Park episode sometimes? Not one person in my real life ever spoke about or alluded to that episode of the cartoon (although we still love Mister Hankey around these parts!), but the BM would have you believe that it was a huge cultural moment that illuminated how Hollywood or the US or whomever they think is important feels about H&M. It just…isn’t like that. H&M have their fans and their detractors, just like any other super famous team. People hate the Yankees and the Lakers, but that doesn’t stop them from winning championships. H&M are sleek, young, and ready to roll onto the next victory–a stark contrast to the ashen-faced, half-dead, essentially anonymous group we saw on the balcony for Trooping a few days ago.
“The Tig will have an audio arm?” Archewell Audio is already a thing. So dumb.
I think they should stop any philanthropy related discussions. They are accused of trying to tell people what to do and for some reason, people these days have very little appetite for celebrities discussing philanthropy. Meghan should make money doing brand sponsorships and modeling campaigns and perfume and skin care and handbags. Then Megan can donate to whatever causes she feels are important and highlight that on her website. People can see it and decide if they’re interested in those causes as well. I hope she has fun and lives her life.
Harry seems to be stuck in the whole princely mode. I hope he decides to take that burden off his shoulders and also signs with WME and does different things in his life.
Sarah Nguyen, you haven’t been paying attention. Both Harry and Meghan have been doing philanthropy BEFORE THEY MET. Stopping is never going to happen. I’m not sure where you got the notion that they tell anyone what to do. They don’t. They highlight a charity or issue and it’s up to the person whether they want to donate in some way or another.
People want them sidelined. I think people need to just go about their business, just like Harry and Meghan are. They’re not worrying about your life or work, and you should not worry about theirs.
Sounds like a deranger viewpoint that H&M are “preaching”.
Spotify & The Sussexes are no longer the right fit for each other. No hard feelings, a mutual parting of ways. Sussexes aim to make thoughtful, prestigious, well-produced limited content that is both commercially successful and critically acclaimed. Spotify wants shows that put out new content 52 weeks per year to drive ad sales. Both parties are re-aligning according to their priorities.
As for building a brand, I ask: which brand? The brand they have with online personalities and royal watchers? Or the brand they have with the general wider public who consume content without paying attention to social media or personal lives? The latter brand is thriving as evidenced by all the chart-topping hits.
And I don’t think that H&M set out in life to be full-time podcasters–and nothing else. It’s a difficult business and not for everybody. So many other things they could do. And will.
It’s not just the Fail; there was a nasty commentary in The Guardian today too. It’s tiresome.
Spotify dude accused them of being “grifters”; what is really going on is that they’re not “hustlers”, which he seems to feel everyone should be, because he is.
Harry and Meghan, but especially Meghan, take their time to produce excellent products — everything they have done so far has succeeded beyond the wildest dreams of their critics, which those critics find irksome.
Spotible and Netflix are both in trouble — trouble that has nothing to do with brand Sussex. There has been no criticism of the other high profile content creators who are leaving, only the Sussexes. The Fails of the world — including Arwa Mahdawi, Marina Hydes (who has it backwards — it is the Windsors who are cursed that the world only wants to know about Harry and Meghan, not them), and spotify what’s-his-name — keep wanting to bring them down as they keep rising up and out of their reach. Their criticisms are tired, and tiresome.
Nick Ede was not quoted in the Guardian article, but PR guru Mark Borkowski was. It was nasty and I find it really odd that both papers are quoting him. If you look Borkowski up on Wiki, one of the many charming things this PR guru has done is get sacked for releasing live scorpions. I understand that the RR, which is being sued, wants to quote hacks so they can blacken Meghan’s name. I do not understand why the Guardian is doing so.
I don’t understand it either — I assumed that the Guardian would be more balanced in its coverage, but guess the poison has caught their commentators as well. Very disappointing.
A big difference between “on the decline” and “overexposed.” It’s really sinister, because I *am* tired of hearing about them, and I’m sure *they’re* tired of hearing about themselves, too. Fighting the constant narrative must be exhausting — which is the point of it, of course.
I think the bm wished H&M were overexposed. The problem here is that the bm keep writing and get ignored 99.9% of the time. That infuriates them. They are going to look like idiots (which they are) when the announcements come out as to what H&M and Archewell are doing next. They haven’t a clue and that’s what’s angering the bm.
I feel like the Sussexes are slowly transitioning to the next phase of their lives but it’s not quite clear yet. I think Meghan definitely wants to put the royal thing behind her while Harry is in a different position and wants to shed light on how things work there, regardless of the backlash. I hope this partnership with WME really works in Meghan’s favor. They did great in the 3 years since they left with everything going on but even the smartest, most disciplined person needs great support and direction. I think many still see the Sussexes as public facing, alternative royals, but not sure if that is the long term goal. She’s definitely more quiet and out of the spotlight this year, so part of me thinks it’s by necessity and a little worrying, especially with the continuous attacks and smears. I think Harry just wants to do whatever it takes to continue to support the organizations that are meaningful to him and think he definitely didn’t want to continue with Spotify. I hope WME helped negotiate the end of that deal. We want to see what Meghan does next and we want it now, but they aren’t giving many hints on what that is so far.
Unless an official statement from the Sussexes confirms or denies, I will assume this is a fake story, made up by the Fail. They are so thirsty for Sussex content, they’re making shite up!
My best guess is that Meghan’s new representation will surprise us all with news of Meghan’s next project. Once again, the tabloids will be wrong!
HOW many times have the British Media said the Sussexes are over? Will never make it? Have no options? They never tire of being wrong.
The Sussexes are fine. They literally have the Midas touch. Whether its children books, memoirs, podcasts, documentaries, or fundraising for vax live everything they touch turns to gold. Its the British press that are failing. Some tabloids are in administration(bankruptcy) other tabloids are laying off staff or have instituted wide spread pay cuts. Its members of the British press who can’t pay their bills without the Sussexes and desperately need more content. Its the British press trying to create content from a closed Blog, monitoring the Montecito lawn, and desperately trying and failing to understand how business deals in the USA work. Its members of the royal rota who can no longer get on American TV and have lost jobs.
Brand Sussex will continue to rise as their detractors circle the drain dealing with lawsuits, a cost of living crisis and shrinking opportunities to make a living.
I find it fascinating that Daily Mail readers actually believe articles like the one quoted here and brand Harry and Meghan as failures as a result. When it should be clear to even the dumbest person that the DM writer, as well as the so-called expert have nothing substantive to add to what everyone already knows i.e. Meghan and Spotify mutually agreed to not continue their business relationship. That is it. Absolutely nothing else is known about Harry and Meghan’s future plans at this time. The repetitive and jumbled way the DM article is written is all the proof you need, to know that the DM writer and the so-called expert are extremely fraudulent.
F-ck the Mail. I hope all the Brit rags have to pay millions to Prince Harry and Princess Meghan.
I think this is re-branding period. WME is taking over and they want them to drop the podcast. To be honest I liked that it got acclaim but she can do bigger and more charitable focused projects. The podcast was not that well good for her although it was about thought provoking topics but its going to get repetitive and she has to much substance to not do something more that can be intertwined with charity work. I think it was a cute project but lets get her back to business. Podcasts are great but she can do more. She needs to go big and get back on the world stage of great causes.
I think this is re-branding period. WME is taking over and they want them to drop the podcast. To be honest I liked that it got acclaim but she can do bigger and more charitable focused projects. The podcast was not to me well good for her because it was about thought provoking topics but its going to get repetitive and she has to much substance to not do something more that can be intertwined with charity work. I think it was a cute project but lets get her back to business. Podcasts are great but she can do more.
Meghan is more than the sum total in the market place. Slander, innuendoes and malicious gossip as a means to dehumanize her has failed and will continue to fail miserably.
She is smart, beautiful, healthy and human; there is no denying her capacity to love and serve.
That is what people who admire her sees, the rest is on the de humanizers(whether silent or vocal) and their enablers.
Their bitterness and envy is none of my concern.