Why Meghan’s marketing tactic to promote her new jams could backfire

Meghan Markle’s marketing ‘play’ to promote her festive collection of jams defies ‘traditional retail logic’, a branding expert who analysed As Ever’s recent Christmas collection has claimed. 

Last month, the Duchess of Sussex, 44, unveiled the latest range from her lifestyle brand with a slick video showing her decking the halls, glazing a turkey with honey, and preparing desserts with her jams. 

Fruit spreads are a recurring feature of new As Ever collections, with the mother-of-two previously declaring ‘jam is my jam’. 

She also soft-launched the brand by sending jars of strawberry jam to 50 of her closest friends and family last April. 

So it’s no surprise that preserves occupy pride of place in Meghan’s newest holiday collection, which includes the limited-edition strawberry jam she first teased over a year ago, as well as a ‘signature’ raspberry spread and ‘lively’ orange marmalade. 

This trifecta is sold individually for $12 apiece, as well as in pre-packed sets –  including the Fruit Spread Trio and Signature Fruit Spread Gift set with a keepsake box – which retail for $36 and $42 respectively. 

While buying groups or sets of items from the same brand is usually cheaper, it appears an unusual pricing decision has led to these sets being priced at the same cost as individual jars – or even higher. 

Speaking to the Daily Mail, branding expert Chad Teixeira said Meghan’s pricing strategy appears to be a ‘deliberate play on perceived value’ rather than ‘traditional retail logic’. 

He noted that the Duchess has seemingly decided to position As Ever’s jams as a ‘luxury’ good rather than an everyday commodity with this move. 

Meghan is reinforcing the idea that As Ever’s customers are buying into more than just jam; they are investing in her ‘story, taste, and aesthetic’.

It is an ’emotional purchase rather than a rational one,’ Mr Teixeira added, explaining: ‘This is common in celebrity-led or heritage-inspired brands.

‘It’s a strategic move where exclusivity and narrative hold more weight than practical value.’ 

He added that the bespoke box engraved with Meghan’s handwriting ‘aligns with that premium positioning’ because the ‘subtle connection to her personal touch is the luxury’ for her fans. 

‘While some consumers may be momentarily surprised that the set isn’t cheaper, this kind of pricing psychology can actually strengthen brand allure if handled with consistency,’ he concluded. 

Mr Teixeira added that Meghan’s decision to sell her jam sets at a higher price point ‘signals confidence and exclusivity’ but warned: ‘The key will be in storytelling.

‘If the focus remains on craftsmanship, heritage, and intention rather than quantity, most of her audience will interpret the pricing as part of the brand’s aspirational identity rather than a misstep.’ 

It remains to be seen whether Meghan can effectively spin that narrative, considering the Daily Mail previously revealed these ‘homemade’ jams are actually manufactured in a large factory run by The Republic of Tea.

While the American firm is headquartered in Larkspur, California, 350 miles away from Meghan’s Montecito mansion, its factory is 2,000 miles away in Illinois.

A source close to the Duchess previously told this newspaper that the decision to outsource the production was taken to meet the demand and formulate a ‘commercially available product’. 

However, this isn’t the only contradiction in As Ever’s narrative of small-scale jam making as a labour of love.  

Royal fans recently spotted what appeared to be an obvious gaffe in As Ever’s promotional photos for these pricey spreads. 

Ahead of the launch of her buzzy festive collection, Meghan quietly released a new Sauvignon Blanc wine and restocked her apricot spread and orange marmalade last month. 

To accompany the new launch, Meghan shared new photographs of herself posing candidly in the kitchen of her Montecito mansion in California, using canning equipment to pull a jar of jam from a large saucepan on the stove.

However, royal watchers were baffled when they noticed the Duchess appeared to be holding the kitchen equipment ‘upside down’ in those promo shots. 

Noticing that Meghan seemed to be grasping the curved end of the lifter – which is specially shaped for lifting jars – instead of the device’s black rubber handles, some even quipped it was her ‘first time’ making the product. 

Several social media users also claimed that Meghan’s use of the clamp implied inexperience in the world of jam-making – despite the Duchess famously declaring that ‘jam is my jam’ and releasing her raspberry spread as the first As Ever product.

Jar tongs are traditionally used to safely lift hot jars and cans from boiling water, especially when canning jars at home.

For Meghan, therefore, whose As Ever jams are said to be ‘inspired by the recipe crafted in her home kitchen’, they would be an essential piece of equipment.

The launch of the jams was also not snag-free. 

After Meghan announced her lifestyle brand had been renamed As Ever, due to earlier trademark troubles with the name American Riviera Orchard, she took to Instagram to show off the ‘pretentious’ packaging for its preserves. 

The jam pots were embellished with white labels and gold detailing, including the logo and metal lid. 

They were packaged in white cases that were twice the size of the jars and looked more like boxes for a candle or perfume instead. 

One person wrote: ‘Meghan!!!!!!! It’s just jam! It doesn’t require an entire presentation. This packaging is as pretentious as she is.’

Others said: ‘How much does the cost of the packaging add to the spread? It’s not jam.’ 

‘That’s a perfume box,’ another noted. 

Some complained that the box was much bigger than the ‘teeny tiny jar of spread’ while others felt the extra packaging was at odds with a ‘company that wants to be environmentally aware’. 

Meghan’s holiday collection has drawn mixed reactions from her fans; the chief criticism aimed at the duchess, who along with her husband Prince Harry quit the Royal Family in 2020, was that she was trying to ‘rewrite history’ with the drop. 

Royal watchers noted that Meghan introduced two candles as part of the range, including one inspired by the ‘ease and joy’ of her wedding day. 

Signature Candle No. 519 – priced at $64 and scented with Moroccan mint, cardamom and tea leaves – is an ode to her time in the UK and crafted to ‘evoke the freshness of a day in the English countryside’, according to the website description. 

It also harks back to the Duchess of Sussex’s ‘cherished memories’ of her nuptials at St George’s Chapel, and the ‘spirit of happiness’ and being ‘surrounded by love and laughter’.

Recollections may vary, but the run-up to Meghan and Harry’s wedding on May 19, 2018 was anything but stress-free. 

Chief among the royal drama that ensued was Meghan’s now-famous row with the Princess of Wales over bridesmaids’ dresses as well as her father Thomas Markle’s absence. 

Mr Markle suffered a heart attack weeks before the ceremony and was forced to pull out of walking the former Suits star down the aisle after it emerged he had staged paparazzi photos of himself.  

Another point of contention was Meghan’s request for £130 scent diffusers to mask the ‘musty’ smell of St George’s Chapel, which raised eyebrows among Royal household staff.

However, the scent used on the day was one of roses, infused with fruity undertones of berries and currant leaves, rather than Meghan’s new candle creation, which she says smells ‘like a cup of mint tea’.