American Riviera Orchard and Meghan Markle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just want it to be The Tig 2.0

https://meghanmaven.com/thetig/

https://thetig.com/

So chic! Dancing in Africa! ‘Spensive wine! Please teach us how to love and live as graciously.

You are not the target audience.

Yeah, I can afford the wine and reputation repair via shallow charity photo ops ain’t the business.

I wrote that she should have followed a model more like Tabitha Brown— you cannot successfully, historically, shill “classy” while selling cheap sh!t. Goop works the nerves, but those clothes are cashmere and other decent fibers and made in Italy. It’s consistent. Her messaging is already a mess, and she’s already in “a fashion show with no fashions? How dreadful” zone. Silly, unforced errors.

Exactly. It's brand identity. She doesn't have one. The name isn't great, doesn't flow off the tongue, it doesn't sell a particular thing, Too bad H&M is already taken. The product photos I have seen look like bad mockups. This all seems terribly rushed and ill advised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In general, I am pretty neutral on her, but a lifestyle brand - really? This seems years behind the curve and kind of inauthentic. Better to have kept the original blog.

She needs to do something and stick with it. My perception is that there's a lot of flitting to new projects when something doesn't immediately work out. That's going to wear out the Duchess of Sussex "brand" quickly.

That's the main issue, and what I think will be the biggest hurdle to large scale mainstream success going beyond her stans.

It seems like a money grab. It didn't seem like a natural next step or extension of something she'd been doing. She may as well come out with a haircare, skincare , or make up line- toss in a perfume too. Actually a perfume might have been a better move.

[Anonymous]

I don't have time to read the whole thread, but are they selling apples or apple-themed products?

[Anonymous]

What's with the grainy photos? Are we trying for mom is back in the kitchen making apple butter nostalgia?

[Anonymous]

I thought they were moving back to Los Angeles, not staying in Montecito? Maybe with interest rates and prices too high in the nicer areas of LA, they've decided to stay put in Santa Barbara and grow her brand there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's with the grainy photos? Are we trying for mom is back in the kitchen making apple butter nostalgia?

But in a Carolina Herrera skirt. Taste the taffeta!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought they were moving back to Los Angeles, not staying in Montecito? Maybe with interest rates and prices too high in the nicer areas of LA, they've decided to stay put in Santa Barbara and grow her brand there.

Alternatively, they like their community and never actually wanted to move and the “sources” in the tabloid stories were completely fabricated?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought they were moving back to Los Angeles, not staying in Montecito? Maybe with interest rates and prices too high in the nicer areas of LA, they've decided to stay put in Santa Barbara and grow her brand there.

Alternatively, they like their community and never actually wanted to move and the “sources” in the tabloid stories were completely fabricated?

Are tabloids sources true if the subject is William, Kate, Rose?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought they were moving back to Los Angeles, not staying in Montecito? Maybe with interest rates and prices too high in the nicer areas of LA, they've decided to stay put in Santa Barbara and grow her brand there.

Alternatively, they like their community and never actually wanted to move and the “sources” in the tabloid stories were completely fabricated?

Are tabloids sources true if the subject is William, Kate, Rose?

…no? I don’t believe any of the tabloid reports. I like first-hand accounts and named sources. I do believe that true stories are sold to the tabloids (probably on both sides), but they’re jumbled in with complete fiction.

[Anonymous]

Theory:

It appears hastily thrown together and random because it is.

Why?

Someone like Oprah or Tyler Perry is bankrolling them to launch a product that will bd successful…even if it means anonymous purchases of the inventory…to demonstrate they have a viable brand that consumers will buy.

If everything quickly sells out when it is properly launched, then they can claim success (even if there’s a plan for anonymous bulk purchases).

Why go to this trouble?

Because their Netflix venture was a flop and nobody is interested in investing in their brand. They desperately need to demonstrate success in order to get their next paid gig.

There’s no way ARO will be as commercially successful as Goop.

She can’t build a brand on motherhood and homemaking on her own. Heck, Tori Spelling is better positioned to do that since her kids are more in the public eye. Ditto for the Kardashians. Nobody thinks of Meghan as a mother or homemaker.

Plus, her style doesn’t have mass market appeal. Martha Stewart exuded WASP old money vibes and shrewdly opened her home to underscore the brand: East Coast traditional kitchen, home, and yard.

Meghan dresses sorta waspy. She could easily put a fresh spin on that aesthetic: thin; high quality, tailored clothes in understated colors; expensive but not flashy jewelry; clean face/sleek hair). But her house is very bland: it looks like a RH catalogue. It’s not inspiring or relatable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Theory:

It appears hastily thrown together and random because it is.

Why?

Someone like Oprah or Tyler Perry is bankrolling them to launch a product that will bd successful…even if it means anonymous purchases of the inventory…to demonstrate they have a viable brand that consumers will buy.

If everything quickly sells out when it is properly launched, then they can claim success (even if there’s a plan for anonymous bulk purchases).

Why go to this trouble?

Because their Netflix venture was a flop and nobody is interested in investing in their brand. They desperately need to demonstrate success in order to get their next paid gig.

There’s no way ARO will be as commercially successful as Goop.

She can’t build a brand on motherhood and homemaking on her own. Heck, Tori Spelling is better positioned to do that since her kids are more in the public eye. Ditto for the Kardashians. Nobody thinks of Meghan as a mother or homemaker.

Plus, her style doesn’t have mass market appeal. Martha Stewart exuded WASP old money vibes and shrewdly opened her home to underscore the brand: East Coast traditional kitchen, home, and yard.

Meghan dresses sorta waspy. She could easily put a fresh spin on that aesthetic: thin; high quality, tailored clothes in understated colors; expensive but not flashy jewelry; clean face/sleek hair). But her house is very bland: it looks like a RH catalogue. It’s not inspiring or relatable.

Well said!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think most of DCUM is going to like this. Millennials are the focus of this brand.

Of course they are, especially the ones who shop at Walmart. Also, Millennials don't cook. WTF do they need any of this? Another flop is on the horizon.

Millennials are 27-42 years, what does their children eat?

What does they eat?

It's what do they eat. IF She were appealing to moms and children she should have gone the Jennifer Garner and Jessica Alba route, it's a saturated market, but she has her fan base- she seems to want to be the next Joanna Gaines, but she hasn't really sold herself as a lifestyle person, but again she's got a fanbase.

I’m sure she is relying in her fans but they are more of a Kohl’s or JcPenney crowd, not Sur la Table.

Her best bet is to appeal to the 40 year old moms who like her sense of style and the fact she’s a mom of young kids like themselves.

She hides her kids from public view. People don’t think of her as a mom first. She will need to start exploiting them to do that.

Younger millennials and gen z also are starting to have kids and they’re far more aware of the drawbacks to social media exposure for kids. Many older millennials also stopped showing their kids on social. Rational people don’t need to see children to accept that a person has children.

They might be more aware but the influencers do show their kids since it is an important part of their lifestyle brand. People want to see the children at home and enjoying activities with their parents. Southern Cal is full of wonderful activities and venues for young families. I subscribe to several of these influencers and their photos and videos are GORGEOUS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Theory:

It appears hastily thrown together and random because it is.

Why?

Someone like Oprah or Tyler Perry is bankrolling them to launch a product that will bd successful…even if it means anonymous purchases of the inventory…to demonstrate they have a viable brand that consumers will buy.

If everything quickly sells out when it is properly launched, then they can claim success (even if there’s a plan for anonymous bulk purchases).

Why go to this trouble?

Because their Netflix venture was a flop and nobody is interested in investing in their brand. They desperately need to demonstrate success in order to get their next paid gig.

There’s no way ARO will be as commercially successful as Goop.

She can’t build a brand on motherhood and homemaking on her own. Heck, Tori Spelling is better positioned to do that since her kids are more in the public eye. Ditto for the Kardashians. Nobody thinks of Meghan as a mother or homemaker.

Plus, her style doesn’t have mass market appeal. Martha Stewart exuded WASP old money vibes and shrewdly opened her home to underscore the brand: East Coast traditional kitchen, home, and yard.

Meghan dresses sorta waspy. She could easily put a fresh spin on that aesthetic: thin; high quality, tailored clothes in understated colors; expensive but not flashy jewelry; clean face/sleek hair). But her house is very bland: it looks like a RH catalogue. It’s not inspiring or relatable.

Just curious as to why you would think Oprah or TP would bankroll?

I think it could be successful but less so than the other things you mentioned. Goop is in many ways a Martha Stewart knockoff. And is less successful than MS’s empire. So this will probably be a Goop knockoff and less successful than that. To me though ARO looks more like a fake Joana Gaines aesthetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Theory:

It appears hastily thrown together and random because it is.

Why?

Someone like Oprah or Tyler Perry is bankrolling them to launch a product that will bd successful…even if it means anonymous purchases of the inventory…to demonstrate they have a viable brand that consumers will buy.

If everything quickly sells out when it is properly launched, then they can claim success (even if there’s a plan for anonymous bulk purchases).

Why go to this trouble?

Because their Netflix venture was a flop and nobody is interested in investing in their brand. They desperately need to demonstrate success in order to get their next paid gig.

There’s no way ARO will be as commercially successful as Goop.

She can’t build a brand on motherhood and homemaking on her own. Heck, Tori Spelling is better positioned to do that since her kids are more in the public eye. Ditto for the Kardashians. Nobody thinks of Meghan as a mother or homemaker.

Plus, her style doesn’t have mass market appeal. Martha Stewart exuded WASP old money vibes and shrewdly opened her home to underscore the brand: East Coast traditional kitchen, home, and yard.

Meghan dresses sorta waspy. She could easily put a fresh spin on that aesthetic: thin; high quality, tailored clothes in understated colors; expensive but not flashy jewelry; clean face/sleek hair). But her house is very bland: it looks like a RH catalogue. It’s not inspiring or relatable.

Well said!

+1. Martha was also FIRST; I remember when her wedding book came out and suddenly, everyone wanted that look. Her cooking, gardening, keeping chickens with colorful eggs--it all seemed fresh and exciting. Anything she featured became hot, whether it was French cookware or Halloween decor. The magazines and books established her as a style icon with expertise in these areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Theory:

It appears hastily thrown together and random because it is.

Why?

Someone like Oprah or Tyler Perry is bankrolling them to launch a product that will bd successful…even if it means anonymous purchases of the inventory…to demonstrate they have a viable brand that consumers will buy.

If everything quickly sells out when it is properly launched, then they can claim success (even if there’s a plan for anonymous bulk purchases).

Why go to this trouble?

Because their Netflix venture was a flop and nobody is interested in investing in their brand. They desperately need to demonstrate success in order to get their next paid gig.

There’s no way ARO will be as commercially successful as Goop.

She can’t build a brand on motherhood and homemaking on her own. Heck, Tori Spelling is better positioned to do that since her kids are more in the public eye. Ditto for the Kardashians. Nobody thinks of Meghan as a mother or homemaker.

Plus, her style doesn’t have mass market appeal. Martha Stewart exuded WASP old money vibes and shrewdly opened her home to underscore the brand: East Coast traditional kitchen, home, and yard.

Meghan dresses sorta waspy. She could easily put a fresh spin on that aesthetic: thin; high quality, tailored clothes in understated colors; expensive but not flashy jewelry; clean face/sleek hair). But her house is very bland: it looks like a RH catalogue. It’s not inspiring or relatable.

Just curious as to why you would think Oprah or TP would bankroll?

I think it could be successful but less so than the other things you mentioned. Goop is in many ways a Martha Stewart knockoff. And is less successful than MS’s empire. So this will probably be a Goop knockoff and less successful than that. To me though ARO looks more like a fake Joana Gaines aesthetic.

+1. I think Oprah is still quite fond of them but she is wary of being too closely associated with them since the interview exposed them as being less than truthful. Oprah does not want to be made a fool off, has worked very hard to establish HER brand, and these two are unfortunately tarnished.