A few weeks ago, the Duchess of Sussex’s rep confirmed that As Ever is already trademarked in “many countries,” including Australia. As Ever has been trademarked internationally for a while as well – these are not brand-new trademarks, hastily registered at the last minute. Given the insane amount of scheming and sabotage attempts by derangers and media alike, it’s remarkable that Meghan and the As Ever team continue to stay focused and organized. Speaking of the media’s attempted sabotage, Page Six had an exclusive interview with a “celebrity PR specialist” who swears that Meghan possibly launching As Ever internationally is bad news! Sussex coverage should be taken in the same way as the NYT Pitchbot – no matter what the actual story is, it’s inevitably framed as “bad news for Meghan, bad business for As Ever.”
Meghan Markle’s latest business pivot could signal that her As Ever lifestyle brand is facing growing pains. Celebrity PR specialist Kayley Cornelius spoke with Page Six after the Duchess of Sussex filed an As Ever trademark in Australia — just weeks before she and Prince Harry are set to visit the land down under.
“Meghan Markle filing a trademark for her As Ever lifestyle brand in Australia feels like a very deliberate move, but it also points to a bigger picture when it comes to how the brand is currently performing in the US,” the PressBox publicist said.
The expert expressed that the move could indicate that America is not “delivering the level of success” that Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, initially expected.
“With reports that Netflix has pulled back as an investor, that will likely slow down any plans to scale the business domestically, particularly when it comes to launching new products or expanding the brand in a meaningful way,” Cornelius said, referring to Page Six’s exclusive report that the streaming service cut ties with As Ever last month. “In that context, branching out into a new market starts to feel less like a choice and more like a necessity to avoid the brand stagnating.”
Cornelius believes Markle’s push to capture an Aussie audience “makes a lot of sense” on paper.
“When you look at the lifestyle, consumer habits and overall demographics, there is a strong alignment with the kind of audience As Ever is targeting,” Cornelius said. “On top of that, public sentiment towards the Duke and Duchess tends to be more neutral compared to the US, which gives them a better starting point when it comes to building trust and driving engagement. It is a market where they are already well known, but perhaps not as heavily scrutinized.”
Either way, expanding As Ever across seas will be a “defining moment” for Markle’s company.
“It has the potential to unlock new growth, but it also comes with risk,” Cornelius said. “If the brand struggles to resonate in a market like Australia, where the conditions are arguably more favorable, it could signal deeper issues with the business model. In that sense, this expansion feels very much like a make-or-break moment,” she continued. “If it lands, it opens the door to global growth. If it does not, it raises real questions about the long term viability of the brand.”
If As Ever stays exclusively within the domestic market, it’s wrong and bad because As Ever is clearly unsuccessful and no one wants those products internationally! And if As Ever goes international, it’s wrong and bad because it means As Ever isn’t doing well domestically!! Got it. Obviously, this woman doesn’t know what she’s talking about, but she reminded me of something… remember when Carole Middleton tried to bring Party Pieces to the US? In 2022, Carole licensed PP to be sold exclusively in ShopRite. Carole even went to New Jersey to launch Party Pieces’ big international debut. The Telegraph dutifully lectured their domestic audience that Americans love Carole’s discretion and her tacky-ass ShopRite branding. Party Pieces went bankrupt less than a year later, leaving a trail of financial destruction in its wake. THAT is their frame of reference – these people are so used to con artists, grifters and scammers, they have no concept of Meghan’s business doing well and having great first-year growth.
Photos courtesy of As Ever’s Instagram.
It’s quite amazing how the British media can twist any positive about Harry and Meghan (especially Meghan) into sounding like a negative.
Actually, instead of just British media, I should also include right-wing media in general.
Absolutely. It’s the right wing media in the UK and US primarily. The Daily Beast is not right wing but they pay Tina Brown, who is a royalist and abuses mainly Meghan.
What’s also amazing is how everything Meghan does is always a “make or break” or a “defining moment” for her, otherwise it could “signal deeper issues.” For example, if she struggles in Australia, then uh-oh! You know what they say, “If you can’t make it in Australia, you can’t make it anywhere.” Sure.
They are also confirming that the usual suspects are going to do their damndest to try to ensure that the company “struggles” in Australia.
They had obviously planned to begin by snatching up trademarks in the company’s name in that country, then were stunned to discover that the trademarks had existed for some time without their knowledge. But they are too bold-faced and stewed in hatred to acknowledge that As Ever clearly has had a well thought out business plan, so keep pretending that the trademarks were a last minute decision before the trip.
@Debbie meanwhile WanK achieved “Banned in Boston” status after Earth💩, and were fired on live telly in Jamaica…
Meghan business success for a start up company in it’s first year must be blowing the little pea brains of the leftovers otherwise they would not be attacking it constantly.. they need to be careful because they are starting to resemble the 🍊💩 with all the contradictions and unhinged nonsense they are spreading. I do wonder if As Ever comes to the UK if the left overs are concerned it will out sell all those royal brands that they themselves profit from, because I’m sure it would.
I suspect English grocers may pit the English brands against the As Ever products for head-to-head competition which will provide content for the BM.
Those gutter rats are speaking from a hopes, dreams, gloom and doom perspective rather then a marketing perspective. Pretty sure intelligent Meghan has strategic experts advising her on scalability and potential growth. They can save their arm chair experts for someone who pays for their perspective like Page 6.
First of all the trademark in Australia was done in 2024 not a few months ago. Plus if the company was struggling Meghan would not be seeking to sell her products internationally. This PR specialist doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
If I never have to read make or break moment in relation to the Sussexes again it’ll be too soon. None of these comments make any sense. Since when has the Australian Market been more neutral than the US market for Meghan? And if she was looking to expand into a favorable market where there was still a level of control, wouldn’t it make more sense to start with Canada than Australia?
The real story is that they have no idea what she’s doing, and are still continuously shocked by her level of success. They just knew she was going to fail, and she hasn’t. So normal business stuff becomes catastrophes when it’s with her, and reasonable business success become actual failures when it’s her. They will find a way how her making a billion dollars in sales is actually evidence that people don’t really like the lifestyle brands any longer, and it was wrong for her to do this, and how she should have started to make up brand.
When she becomes a billionaire, they will complain she doesn’t donate enough to charity.
Maybe this so-called PR specialist is painting a rosy picture of Australia on purpose, setting As Ever up for the inevitable “oh, dear! As Ever sales in Australia didn’t take off like a rocket!” I agree that starting international expansion into Canada makes the most sense, especially since Meghan AND Harry have good relationships there.
To be honest all the Anglo countries are poisoned by Murdoch media. She would do better in countries like Germany, France that dont have royalty and Brazil, where they love Harry and Meghan and where there is an upper middle class that loves to show off brands.
The derangers make up imaginary numbers and claim the business is ruined. And even claim they can see the Sussex tax returns. So obnoxious
Well, I guess we shall see. Meghan’s business is going to grow and do well or it’s not. Something is going to happen one way or another. All these articles prophecizing doom are just eye-rolling. Bc it’s being written by people who are clearly hoping that will be the case so it’s hard to take it seriously. Nyt pitch bot is right.
I don’t understand why it’s so important to certain people that they fail. I truly don’t understand why the royals feel so threatened by them. The insecurity is astounding to me.
Ok, so this “celebrity PR expert” has fewer than 3,000 followers on IG.
😂
Well that tracks, somebody desperate to get their name out there. Or maybe Mark Borkowski was on vacation.
I can only share my personal experience. My parents (80s and late 70s) have zero concept of anything to do with the Royal family. They know who Prince Harry is, they know the Queen died. That’s it. They have no allegiance to anyone in this and aren’t at all aware of anything that has happened. My parents are in very poor health and I have moved them in to do elder care.
My mom has dementia, which is at the stage where her tastes are changing and becoming more difficult to deal wirh. My dad is extremely picky about food and doesn’t hesitate to declare he doesn’t like something.
The ONLY tea I can get my mom to drink (she has an extreme sensitivity to things she deems sweet now) is As Ever Peppermint and honey and ginger. Trust me, I have gone through sooo many and that’s all she says she likes and will drink. My dad LOVES, he requests that I make baked cod topped with the As Ever apricot marmalade (with soy, garlic, and salt and pepper mix i make). And he asks for the raspberry jam each morning on his toast.
My parents wouldn’t know the first thing about anything this website covers. My household has a monthly order with As Ever because the products are really good.
Your parents are lucky to have raised such a loving daughter as you. I pray your parents have continued stable health and you enjoy their company for as long as possible.
Oh thank you! That’s incredibly kind of you : )
It’s so nice that you were able to find products your parents like. My mother was super picky about food and it was a challenge getting her to eat in her last year, especially the food at the nursing home. But she loved the apricot spread because it tasted so much like apricots, like what she used to have in Greece.
Aww I love that! Yeah, it’s a struggle with mom now, but she immediately perks up when I show her the tea and says “oh! That sounds good!” : ) My dad is honestly obsessed with the apricot marmalade, works great on cod and salmon! I do two bastings while baking and then one before broiling for 2 minutes and it is seriously delicious!
I just need As Ever to ship to the UK. I want to try the jams and chocolate, PLEASE!
My morning starts with As ever jam, plain yogurt,flax seed & walnuts…it is heaven in a bowl! My drink of choice is the lemon ginger tea with sage honey. As ever products have elevated my taste buds and I keep my pantry stocked .
I was actually surprised that I liked the peppermint tea so much. So, that my “jam” so to speak.
I think I get why this is such a mental stumbling block for them. Because the U.K. — since de-industrialisation, Thatcher, the Cameron-Osborne austerity measures, let’s just say since 1963 or so — has had one thing to sell that represents its unique point of value, in a global market, and that is its taste, and its domesticity, and the intertwining of personal taste and domestic space, a cultivated but accessible knack for living the good life, a homey, but worldly mix. They call it Brand Britain. It’s the image that Carole Middleton was chasing, it’s the Waitrose vibe. And here comes Meghan… and California… and all of a sudden, it’s toast. Sans jam. Ring the alarm.
@Kaiser, if you’re doing any looking, I’d appreciate knowing where that floral vase (under the table) is from. Maybe in upcoming shopping links?
There are similar things at Eternal Love Florist, Robin’s Noel, Home Collective, Ferry-Morse, Crossing Creek. Not sure any are an exact match.
What offends me is the wording throughout, especially “Netflix has pulled back as an investor” and “cut ties with As Ever last month.’ Both of these statements are meant to give the reader the impression that AE is a flop and their partner walked.Netflix may have ‘pulled back’ but we don’t know the details behind that; it was probably mutually agreeable and I suspect that Meghan bought them out. As for the other statement about cutting ties, how can it be cutting ties when they are still working with Netflix on productions?
I’m not looking for a PR person but if I were, based on her comments, I’d run a mile from her.
I highly doubt she’s planning to expand to Australia, unless she has found Australian production that can do wha she wants them to do. I would imagine that given its location and island status the Australian market is actually fairly expensive to break into, with import and export fees on all sides and a population very devoted to local Aussie brands. As Ever is likely trademarked in most countries, particularly English speaking ones with connections to England, to prevent copycats and to prevent the likes of the DM from paying off locals to grab the trademark and wreak havoc