A PR expert has revealed why Meghan Markle’s Hollywood efforts have failed to impress critics – and why her biggest hurdle in the industry has been the way she is publicly perceived.
The Duchess of Sussex’s Cookie Queens – made by Archewell Productions – received bland reviews when it hit screens last week and reportedly made only £500 ($958) per cinema screening, Daily Mail reports.
The Girl Scout documentary marks the latest in a string of film projects that failed to impress critics or the box office, leading many to question why the royal can’t win over audiences despite being one of the most famous women in the world.
Now, a brand expert has given her two cents, claiming that the 45-year-old doesn’t have a visibility problem, but a “perception problem”.
“If you are trying to build something wholesome, warm and aspirational, but there is still so much noise and division around your personal brand, it is difficult for people to separate the two,” Rebecca May tells Daily Mail.
The expert notes that the drama surrounding “Megxit” and the soured relations between the Sussexes and the British royals had “affected her brand” in the industry.
From a PR perspective, May revealed that businesses don’t want the person attached to a project to become bigger than the project itself, otherwise the person is at risk of “becoming the story” and overshadowing the project.
“The difficulty today is converting the huge level of interest in her and her life into genuine interest in the projects she is trying to build. That, for me, is why Hollywood has been difficult to crack.”
May claims that Meghan’s brand needs to feel “less practised and managed”, adding that she can still protect her privacy “without everything feeling so controlled”.
However, the expert says that the Duchess’ biggest obstacle is the way people see her, adding that she “can’t keep changing the project” if her public perception remains the same.
“Until that perception changes, I think whatever Meghan does next risks being viewed through the same lens.”
Meghan and her husband Prince Harry, 41, have been involved in a slew of screen projects via their production company Archewell since walking away from their duties as senior royals in 2020.
The couple released Harry & Meghan – a six-part docuseries about their time in the Firm – in partnership with Netflix in 2022.
Other Archewell offerings on the streaming platform include Heart of Invictus, Polo and With Love, Meghan, which was axed earlier this year after two seasons and a Christmas special.
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