Meghan Markle accused of awkwardly 'ghosting' fans with 'boring' move

Meghan Markle has faced scrutiny for her "lack of planning" in the launch of her lifestyle brand, as a PR expert accused her of "ghosting" her audience with a "boring" strategy.

The Duchess of Sussex introduced As Ever in March, following more than a year's anticipation since its initial tease in February.

The brand's seasonal first collection, featuring products from raspberry spread to wildflower honey with honeycomb, flew off the virtual shelves in under 30 minutes, yet subsequent activity has been scarce. With no updates on upcoming collections and a stagnant website, fans have started to ridicule the progress, with doubt over future product availability.

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A public relations specialist slammed Meghan's approach, dubbing it "a boring move" that fosters "confusion" instead of excitement among followers.

Renae Smith, head of The Atticism, expressed to The Express, "It's not surprising people are mocking it. From a PR and brand-building perspective, the strategy feels a bit half-baked.

"The initial drop clearly exceeded expectations; honey selling out in five minutes is impressive, but it also screams lack of planning. Honey is honey. It doesn't take six months to source more."

The expert continued, "If you didn't expect to sell out, that's a supply chain issue. If you did expect to sell out and this is part of the scarcity play, then where's the plan to maintain engagement?"

Smith commented that simply maintaining a blank site as a tactic "doesn't work" and highlighted how Meghan's absence of communication breeds "confusion," not an air of mystery.

Additionally, she advized the Duchess of Sussex to either "restock or pivot" swiftly to avoid further missteps.

The expert remarked, "Right now, it just looks like they launched, sold out, and then ghosted the audience. That doesn't build anticipation, it creates the sense that the brand doesn't know what it wants to be."

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Targeting the lengthy lead-up to the brand's launch, which extended more than 13 months, Smith cautioned Meghan against repeating this approach with subsequent product lines.

Her critique continued, "If that's the model for every collection, it's kind of insane. And honestly? So boring."

The PR expert cautioned that if Meghan wants her brand to lasf, she must provide it with "consistency, visibility, and a proper rollout plan."

She wrapped up by saying, "Even with a seasonal model, you can't just vanish. "boring move"Meghan's clearly leaning into #aspirationallifestyle now, which suits her vibe, but she needs a tighter strategy if this is going to be more than a flash in the pan."