The current public opinion says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s popularity has declined to the lowest. Subsequently, the Sussexes rebranded themselves to stay relevant amid the royal family crisis. However, according to a PR guru, the exiled royals need to be more open and “honest” about their life struggles to reclaim their lost appeal.
YouGov survey revealed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex lost their charm among the people of Britain, with 68 percent of the voters having a negative perspective of Markle according to the poll. The couple stepped down as working royals in 2020, leaving the UK to live an independent life in Montecito, California, engaging in projects separate from The Firm.
On the surface, their separation from the Monarchy seemed amicable, but both Harry and Markle never hid their true feelings about the royals back home. Be it the Duke’s tell-all memoir Spare , the explosive Oprah Winfrey interview, or the couple’s Netflix docu-series Harry & Meghan , they bared it all and that too frequently.
While they may have been in the news for their act of rebellion against the British Monarchy , playing the victim card couldn’t save their reputation. Consequently, the Sussexes suffered deep financial losses despite securing some lucrative business deals with renowned names like Spotify and Netflix. But, nothing worked out.
Now in the wake of their rebrand, a public relations expert, Lynn Carratt from Press Box PR, suggested some tried and tested strategies with which Harry and Markle can reclaim their lost popularity. Speaking to The Mirror, Carratt said, “It’s time for them to really focus on a brand rebuild which the couple are doing.”
The guru further asserted they also need to be more open about their day-to-day struggles. “Meghan could increase her popularity by not constantly playing in her royal connections, like on her and Harry’s relaunched website.”
“Their new TV shows focus on their passions rather than their Royal past and could show a new side to the couple. The pair are also reported to be employing a new PR adviser and it would be useful for their publicist to advise their PR strategy to encompass the UK and USA media landscape to make the couple appealing on both sides of the Atlantic,” explained the expert.
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Carratt said Harry and Markle’s primary focus should be to win over the trust and admiration of the people of Britain and they can do that by, “becoming more relatable to the British public,” adding, “They could become more open about their everyday struggles and show themselves as working parents facing the same challenges as others would also help. We don’t need a constantly polished image.”
Although the couple’s rebrand received backlash from the royal loyalists, the PR expert advised Harry and Markle to look ahead, “In the past year or so Harry has started to move out on his own and that is a good thing to see. For now, the couple need to continue moving forward.”
After King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, Harry paid a brief visit to his father before returning to the United States. However, a royal source revealed Markle has closed the royal door for good.