The Duchess of Sussex is the latest star to launch her own brand, but with so many options readily available, will celebrity be enough to sway buyers?
While news about her sister-in-law Duchess Kate's mysterious situation dominated headlines last week, Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle dropped some news of her own on Instagram: She's launching a new lifestyle brand.
While little information is available about American Riviera Orchard, the website only prompts users to sign up for a waiting list, and the brand's Instagram page only shows its logo, the company already has over 500,000 users on Instagram. I have followers.
The company's products include tableware and cutlery, cookbooks and recipes, kitchen linens, and spreads such as jams, nut butters and fruit butters, according to a trademark application filed in February. This application also shows plans for retail store services.
Amy Pei, an assistant professor of marketing at Northeastern University, said the concept of celebrity brands is not groundbreaking. What's new is that celebrities are branching out into brands outside of their areas of expertise.
“Rational consumers know that anything is a money-making ploy,” Pei said. “As long as the product you create is actually a good product: high quality, valuable (and) useful, it’s fine.”
This principle applies to any brand. But whether it's Reese Witherspoon's wildly successful book club selection or Kim Kardashian's shapewear line (valued at $4 billion), celebrities rely on their name recognition to help them start new ventures. You can have an advantage.
“If a brand is known for high quality, people will buy it,” Pei said. “But there's an extra layer of trust[with celebrities].”
In some ways, it may be easier for influencers to sell products because the relationship between influencers and consumers is more “familiar,” said Yakov Bart, an associate professor of marketing at Northeastern University. Ta. They post every day and consumers know it. They may also be growing their following through product reviews. But because celebrities outside of their sphere of influence are less accessible, buyers may jump at the chance to connect with them sooner.
“Consumers choose brands because they want to associate with what that brand stands for,” Burt says. “They want to be part of the story a brand tells. So if they want to be associated with a particular celebrity, buying a brand associated with that celebrity is a way for consumers to 'buy' their association with that celebrity.” “That's the way he is.'' …Social media celebrities already know how to communicate. Consumers feel like they already have a connection with that person. People don't have to buy brands that are relevant to them to make a connection. ”
But despite the rise of online influence and everyone from reality stars to bloggers endorsing products, celebrities still have influence, but a brand's success depends on whether its products may depend on proximity to the perceived expertise of There's a reason celebrity chef cookware lines are popular, as are high-quality makeup lines from style icons like Rihanna's Fenty Beauty and Kylie Jenner's Kylie Cosmetics.
“The most iconic example is Michael Jordan,” Burt said. “[Air Jordan]is probably the most successful of the so-called celebrity brands, because it's obviously… very closely tied to that celebrity's perceived expertise. .”
Conversely, if a celebrity goes too far, the brand is more likely to fail.
“The problem is when you start making a million different products across different categories,” Pei says. “Not all of them are going to be great.”
The success of Markle's brand depends on how people perceive her. Pei noted that many people consider the duchess a style icon, and she may be taking her aesthetic cues from her. Markle also previously ran a lifestyle blog called The Tig.
However, the quality of the products, their prices, and whether people will be able to rely on her for kitchen supplies remains to be seen.
“[Meghan Markle]is not a chef,” Burt said. “That's not what she's known for. So she might have a hard time differentiating herself from other big brands because she doesn't have any special recognition.”
