It seems the odds are no longer in Meghan Markle’s favor as she’s faced with setback after setback ever since she launched her ambitious lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard earlier this year. Or could this be the universe’s way of humbling the troubled royal?
Apart from her prolific work in the hit series Suits and her lifestyle blog called “The Tig,” the Duchess of Sussex may have nothing to show for how she could successfully run a supposed empire of houseware, kitchen tools, and other lifestyle products. And if her canceled Archetypes podcast is to be included in the equation, it appears Meghan is bound to fail yet again.
Right off the bat, Prince Harry’s wife wasn’t prepared and didn’t have the right set of skills to launch a lifestyle brand. She may have envisioned herself rivaling the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Martha Stewart, but she lacks the “business acumen” the other two celebs have that led to the success of their respective brands, Goop and MSLO.
This is pretty evident in the former actress’s failure to secure a patent for American Riviera Orchard before quietly introducing the line in March through Instagram and its website. So now she’s having a hard time moving forward with her plans for her business, and she’s also at the receiving end of criticisms over her brand’s radio silence for months.
“Obviously, as an actress, Meghan lacks the business acumen in arenas such as securing a patent for the name American Riviera Orchard. Most business professionals don’t have expertise in everything, but they are savvy enough to retain those who do,” business expert and KPMG Global’s former head of global business development Hillary Fordwich told GB News this week in response to the duchess’ struggles with her brand.
It’s been seven months since she launched her lifestyle brand, but all Markle managed to do with it was to send out samples of her strawberry jams to 50 influencers and celebrity pals. She hasn’t even formally introduced a single product under American Riviera Orchard despite initial plans to sell cooking utensils, makeup, and even pet food. The venture is at a complete standstill at present.
Fordwich slammed the Duchess of Sussex for what has happened to her brand, claiming that it was her narcissism and refusal to seek outside help that caused all this. “It is a recipe for disaster for anyone to be narcissistic enough to think they know all aspects of business,” the expert said.
The name of Markle’s lifestyle brand is a nod to Santa Barbara, Calif., where she, Prince Harry, and their kids — 5-year-old Archie and 3-year-old Lilibet — currently reside. Unfortunately, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) does not allow businesses to trademark geographical locations, so the agency rejected the royal’s trademark application for her business.
Explaining why the inclusion of “American Riviera” in the brand’s name is a problem, the USPTO said that “a public association of the goods and services with the place is presumed.” As such, consumers might believe that anything the brand sells comes directly from the geographic location.
Following the rejection, Meghan is given up to three months to sort everything out and respond to the USPTO before the latter could even decide on officially dropping her trademark request. She’s also expected to pay an additional $700 to continue with the trademark filing process.
