EXCLUSIVE: A PR expert and an old acquaintance of Meghan’s shared strategic causes as to why her American Riviera Orchard brand has flopped and not resonated with various audiences

Actress Meghan Markle poses at AOL Studios In New York

Meghan Markle has been under fire lately for her poor business moves and personal marketability. The Duchess of Sussex’s latest launch was a signature jam brand promoting her California lifestyle.

“From a brand point of view, as an expert in that, I think whoever has been helping her has done it really wrong, especially with Riviera Orchard,” Nick Ede, a British PR guru and TV presenter, said.

“When you build a brand, you build people’s anticipation about a brand. Meghan built an Instagram site. She then sent jams to celebrities who all have a huge following. All of this is basically brand 101. This is exactly what you should do,” Ede analyzed.

However, Ede pointed out the lack of follow-through from Meghan to gain brand recognition. Immediately after her first drop, American Riviera Orchard received backlash over the so-called random capital venture. “Then suddenly Meghan halts, and you have no there’s no through line, there’s no story, and you can’t get it back,” Ede recounted.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex after a boat trip during the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023

Ede, who knew Meghan when she started dating Prince Harry, argued that the main reason the jams weren’t selling was that there was no call to action for the fans or compelling grab.

“There’s no, ‘Oh my god, I can buy jam, or I can get a t-shirt, or I can go on the site and register my name, and it gives me a newsletter with all the information.’ There’s literally nothing,” Ede concluded.

A source told Intouch: “Martha’s tired of being quizzed by people over how she feels about Meghan’s venture because, honestly, it’s irritating and insulting to her that she’s being compared to a rookie!”

Recent reports stated that Meghan and Prince Harry have professionally “separated” from each other so the two could focus on individual passion projects. Riveria Orchard has been one of them.

However, their separation followed several industry persons labeling the couple’s brand “toxic.” This year, Meghan has received criticism from numerous famous parties.