Meghan Markle's 'soft launch' of American Riviera Orchard jam is 'weird strategy' that 'lacks authenticity' and is 'clear karaoke' of King's Duchy Originals range

The Duchess of Sussex’s new strawberry jam soft launch is a ‘weird strategy’ that lacks ‘authenticity’ – and she must ‘expand her outreach’, brand experts said today.

Meghan Markle launched the first product from her new business venture American Riviera Orchard this week, sending influencers and friends a jar of the jam.

Parenting campaigner Kelly McKee Zajfen, Argentine socialite Delfina Balquier and stylist Tracy Robbins are the three to have so far posted a picture of it on Instagram.

But PR guru Mark Borkowski said: ‘It’s either hubris or else very weird strategy. What’s in it? What does it taste like? There’s no story there, nothing on the back, just a label – and even that looks like it’s peeling off.’

Meghan could have found inspiration from her father-in-law King Charles III who began selling products such as jam from the Duchy of Cornwall estate in the 1990s.

Prince William took on the Duchy estate after Queen Elizabeth II ‘s death in 2022, with Duchy organic strawberry jam on sale at Waitrose stores for £2.80 per jar.

And Mr Borkowski told the Times: ‘It’s a clear karaoke of what her father-in-law has been doing for a couple of decades with great success – but with far less authenticity. Do we really think Meghan has been stirring the jam pan herself?’

Meghan’s jam had the American Riviera Orchard logo and ‘Montecito’ underneath – the celebrity enclave in California where she lives with Harry in a £12million mansion.

This is the latest launch amid a trend of celebrities shifting their own food products – with Julianne Moore , Will Ferrell and LeBron James among those selling honey from their gardens through the Flamingo Estate brand for up to $250 (£200) per jar.

And brand expert Ronn Torossian, founder of 5W Public Relations, told the Daily Mirror: ‘She’s captured consumer attention with this approach to initial product introduction, however she’ll need to expand her outreach between now and an official consumer launch of the jam.

‘Traditionally, Meghan has used a stealth approach to project announcements, knowing she’s constantly under the watchful eye of fans and critiques alike.

‘But there is a difference between capturing attention and generating sales. She’ll have to find a marketing approach that focuses on the value of purchasing these offerings.’

Meanwhile a collectibles expert said that the value of Meghan’s jam jars will likely increase in the next few weeks but then sharply decrease in the longer term.

Daniel Wade, from Paul Fraser Collectibles in Bristol, told Express.co.uk: ‘I’d expect to see values for Meghan’s limited edition jams etc to rise in the very short term as excitement around her new line is at its peak.

‘However, in the months and years to come, I anticipate values dropping significantly. That’s because everyone has the same idea – ‘We’re going to hold on to these, keep them in great condition and sell them in 20 years’. So they’re not going to be particularly rare.’

He claimed that collectibles relating to Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William, the Princess of Wales and Charles are ‘all ahead of her’, adding: ‘If you’re looking for a royal investment, much better to go with the late Queen.’

It comes after Meghan announced her new business venture last month with an Instagram teaser video, showing her cooking and arranging white hydrangeas and roses, posted to the new American Riviera Orchard Instagram account.

Also commenting on this week’s jam was royal expert Kinsey Schofield, who told GB News: ‘I believe she’s trying to build an empire. I don’t know if that was what she was going originally to do when she left the British Royal Family – remember they told us that she was going to be living a life of service?

‘Did they have to go down this path? Basically using Netflix to create content to build this empire of gardening and what’s going on in the kitchen, but also giving Netflix ultimately what they want which is that reality show element – that was their only commercial success, with the Harry & Meghan docuseries.

‘So this is her dipping her toes still in reality TV but also having cameras in her face and being able to push her own product.’

Yesterday, branding expert Nick Ede told MailOnline that Meghan distributed the jam to her friends as a way of highlighting her new business venture by giving them a ‘personal present’ that she likely produced herself with ingredients sourced from Montecito.

He added that product looked ‘very home made with a stylish crest and almost handwritten brand name’.

Mr Ede said the jam ‘will have most likely have been sourced in Montecito and produced by hand by Meghan herself to make them feel special and thought of.’

He claimed her strategy was ‘highlighting the brand rather than Meghan’ as she tries to get people to ‘buy into the ARO lifestyle not just her own personal brand’.

But Mr Ede added that the lack of information about Meghan’s jam and no way to buy it yet ‘could be frustrating to potential purchasers and fans who want to know more’.

Speaking about the launch today, Mr Ede told MailOnline: ‘The creation of individually numbered jars of jam sent to a selected group of influential people is exactly what I thought that Meghan would do.

‘The whole premise of her new brand American Riviera Orchard is to highlight the quality and origin of the locally sourced ingredients and how they have been lovingly made into jam.

‘As a way of getting the brand out there and in keeping with the home-made, straight from the home aesthetic that she has gone for it works really well.’

Mr Ede also pointed out that Meghan was ‘filming a new cookery lifestyle show for Netflix which will show her making things that she loves and wants to share with viewers and fans’.

He continued: ‘It’s not known how much the jam will cost and if it will even go into mass production but as a way of creating interest it’s also highlighting the brand rather than Meghan, which will be her strategy.

‘She wants people to buy into the ARO lifestyle not just her own personal brand. The look and feel of it is very home made with a stylish crest and almost handwritten brand name to keep it feeling like it’s a personal present.

‘The idea that she’s only sent it to 50 people shows that the stock is limited and creates a demand too and interest. As a launch its low key but in keeping with their new softer, homely approach to their celebrity status and lifestyle.’

Mrs Robbins posted a picture of Meghan’s jam, which had the American Riviera Orchard logo and ‘Montecito’ underneath – the celebrity enclave in California where Harry and Meghan live in a £12million home. The label also had the words ’17 of 50′.

The photo on Mrs Robbins’s Instagram Stories showed the jam in her hand, and she said: ‘@AmericanRivieraOrchard Breakfast, lunch and dinner just got a little sweeter.’

Showing it in a basket with lemons, Mrs Robbins added: ‘Thank you for the delicious basket! I absolutely love this jam so not sure I’m sharing with anyone. @American RivieraOrchard Thank you, M! #MontecitoGoodness #AmericanRivieraOrchard.’

Mrs Robbins and her husband Paramount boss Brian Robbins are friends with the Sussexes and invited them to the Bob Marley film premiere in Jamaica in January.

The couple are also friends with Ms Balquier, who is married to Prince Harry ‘s friend Nacho Figueras – with the four together at a charity polo match in Florida last Friday.

Ms Balquier posted a picture of the jam on her Stories, saying: ‘Strawberry jam makes me happy. And I love your jam, @AmericanRivieraOrchard.’ Her label said: ’10 of 50.’

The post also showed some of the jam spread on a piece of bread.

And Ms Zajfen, co-founder of the Alliance of Moms organisation which supports pregnant and parenting teenagers who are in the foster care system, also shared a photo of the jam.

Sharing a picture of the product presented in a bowl of lemons surrounded by flowers, she wrote: ‘Ohhhhh Just a taste of what’s to come!!! So proud of you M @americanrivieraorchard.’

Mr Ede also spoke about who else might have been sent the jam, and why she was using friends and influencers to help with the launch.

He said: ‘Sending her product to influential people is a great way of getting the brand name out there. It allows Meghan to create a buzz on social media and also for fans to see a glimpse into the lifestyles of the people she has sent the jam too.

‘It also creates intrigue as to who has been lucky enough to receive the jam. I am sure Meghan will have thought long and hard as to who to send her first batch to.

‘Individually numbering shows that the send out was limited edition but it does also make those who didn’t get the jam feel left out perhaps too.

‘I think she will have sent to some of her friends, local neighbours, influential people in the lifestyle and cooking circles and people she feels will genuinely appreciate the gesture.’

With the launch already being compared to other food products from celebrities, Mr Ede said Meghan had come up with ‘a unique way of launching, but it does feel similar to the look and feel of Flamingo Estate which has been one of the most successful brands to collaborate with talent like Jane Goodall and Julianne Moore’.

He added that there was one major difference in that for ‘all the celebrity owned brands, when they send out to people of influence to post on their social media, there is a call to action to purchase’.

Mr Ede continued: ‘With ARO there is no functioning website just a holding page and an email registration which means that people who want to know more have no other information and I think that this could be frustrating to potential purchasers and fans who want to know more.’

Speaking about where Meghan will have sourced the ingredients from, Mr Ede added that this was likely to have been locally.

He said: ‘Meghan is a very authentic person and the whole premise of ARO is authenticity and local.

‘So I think that the small batch of strawberry jam will have most likely have been sourced in Montecito and produced by hand by Meghan herself to make them feel special and thought of.’

Fans of Meghan have been left hugely excited by the launch, with one tweeting: ‘I don’t eat jam that much but for you Meg I’m buying some. In fact hubby and kids will eat them on my behalf.’

Another added: ‘I remember learning to make jam in cookery class, so much fun, and all so yummy! I just know Meghan is absolutely loving this new era with ARO, with support from her amazing friends like Delfina.’

And a third said: ‘It’s all in the details, the ARO logo embroidery on the jam covering is exquisite.’

The Duchess is expected to officially launch American Riviera Orchard later this spring, with a source telling People magazine last week: ‘Meghan finds the name American Riviera Orchard perfect. It feels authentic to her.

‘She can’t wait for the website to launch. She is excited about her latest, personal venture. This is something she’s been wanting to do for a while. She is excited to share her style and things that she loves.’

It comes after the Duchess launched her new business venture on March 14 with an Instagram teaser.

A vintage-style video of Meghan cooking and arranging white hydrangeas and roses was posted to the new American Riviera Orchard Instagram account.

The brief video was set to Nancy Wilson’s I Wish You Love and closes with the brand’s logo written in fine gold script above the word ‘Montecito’.

Limited information has been released about American Riviera Orchard but a trademark application filed on February 2 this year showed the company wishes to offer downloadable and printed recipe books, table wear, textiles, and jams and marmalades, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office website. 

The account had 100,000 followers just three hours after its first post – a figure which is now up to 592,000.

Meghan has not run an Instagram account since the Sussexes stepped back from royal life four years ago.

Previously, they ran a joint account @sussexroyal but announced they would stop posting in March 2020.

Last week an exclusive DailyMail.com/TIPP survey found 68 per cent of Americans were not interested in American Riviera Orchard.

Less than a fifth of voters said they were interested in the range, while 14 per cent said they were not sure.

Meghan hopes to sell products from bird seed to pet treats and gardening shears to napkin rings with American Riviera Orchard

She listed a range of items in documents sent to the US Patent and Trademark Office, also including bath soaps, curtains and yoga blankets.

And Meghan is hoping to sell scented oils, reed diffusers, fragrances and non-medicated pet grooming products such as shampoo and conditioner for dogs.

Meghan’s trademark application also appears to extend to a physical shop where items could be sold.

Some believe such merchandising could breach Harry and Meghan’s agreement with the late Queen Elizabeth II not to commercialise their royal connections.

At the time of the launch last month, an insider told the Mail: ‘The brand is meant to coincide with the launch of a new cookery show for Netflix.

‘Meghan will be making, and selling products such as jams. At some point there will be a book and a blog.’

In February, Meghan, who is mother to Archie, four, and Lilibet, two, condemned women ‘spewing hate’ about other women while speaking at a festival in Texas to mark International Women’s Day.

She also revealed that most of the abuse she received online was when she was pregnant.

She has not made many public speaking appearances since the cancellation of her podcast series Archetypes.

Spotify, which paid a reported £15million for the deal, axed the series in 2022 after 12 episodes ‘by mutual agreement’. She has since struck a deal with another platform.

Meghan launched American Riviera Orchard just one day before her sister-in-law the Princess of Wales released an emotional video message revealing she has cancer and has started a course of preventative chemotherapy.

Kate’s diagnosis was discovered in post-operative tests following her major abdominal surgery.

King Charles III is also undergoing treatment for cancer, which was announced at the start of February.

Last month Harry and Meghan wished Kate ‘health and healing’, saying they hoped the Princess and her family would be ‘able to do so privately and in peace’.

In February, Harry returned to the UK after making an emergency dash from the US to see the King following his cancer diagnosis.

The Duke cleared his diary and made the journey alone, with Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet remaining at home in California.

But there was no reconciliation between Harry and his brother William during the visit, after the Duke spent around 45 minutes at Clarence House seeing Charles.

He last appeared alongside the Windsors and the Waleses at the King’s coronation, but hurried home immediately afterwards to mark his son’s fourth birthday.

Since stepping down as working royals in 2020 and moving to California with their family, the Sussexes have aired allegations and grievances against the monarchy and members of Harry’s family.

The Duke’s allegations against his family appeared unrelenting in the aftermath of Megxit with his Oprah interview in 2021, and, in the months following the Queen’s death in September 2022, his Netflix documentary and memoir Spare. 

There were accusations of racism in relation to Archie’s skin tone before he was born – with the remarks in the end alleged to have come from two senior royals – and claims Kensington Palace lied to protect William over reports he allegedly bullied Harry out of the royal family.

The Duke also accused William of physically attacking him and throwing him into a dog bowl in a row over Meghan, teasing him about his panic attacks, and, along with Kate, encouraging him to wear a Nazi uniform at a fancy dress party.

While Charles and Harry were said to still speak, William has reportedly not been in contact with his brother for an extended period of time.