What do the SussexRoyals need to know about merchandising? Philip Rooke, CEO of Spreadshirt looks at why the brand could help to make Harry and Meghan financially independent, but they’ll to do some serious work on what the brand truly is.
Harry and Meghan have a combination of world-recognised brand and experience in influencing, from Meghan’s lifestyle/fashion blog, The Tig. As a couple they also have integrity and authenticity, they have both worked (Harry in the Army) and have spent time working with charitable causes.
Now, Harry & Meghan have an exciting new life ahead of them. Their combined royalty and celebrity will generate a lot of interest, but what do they need to consider to get it right? How can they support themselves and can they drive revenue from their new SussexRoyal brand?
Seeing the recent trademark applications led me to wonder whether Harry and Meghan were heading down the merchandising route. One way for influencers to monetize their influence is merchandising. As Europe’s biggest merch firm we see many creative people using merchandise to monetize their designs. So we have three top tips for Harry and Meghan on how to make merch work: have something relevant to say, find your space in the market and be aware of sustainability. Oh, and don’t bank on popularity equalling sales.
As we know, behind every successful merch campaign sits a brilliant brand. SussexRoyal could help to make Harry and Meghan financially independent, but they’ll to do some serious work on what the brand truly is. The challenge for them will be to create revenue whilst not cheapening the royal brand.
1.Have something relevant to say
The SussexRoyals have already championed key causes and created an authentic message which resonates. Merch can be an incredible way promote a worthy cause, it connects the online and offline worlds in a way that spreads the word about your cause in real life. Even niche brands and influencers can capitalise if they create something the consumer can relate to and reflects their brand.
2.Find your Space in the Market
With this in mind, vanity-wear hoodies in the style of college or university sweatshirts will sell, but is unlikely to reflect the desired SussexRoyal brand image. Harry & Meghan are probably not going to start selling monogrammed socks and logoed t-shirts. So they will need to find some merch and designs which reflect their personalities and positions.
Victoria Beckham has managed to find a space which reflects her personality and position. She opted for a high-fashion position over merch and set about building a brand elegant enough to show at Fashion Weeks across the world. It’s a time-consuming process though. Despite fame as a Spice Girl, VB took a decade to build her fashion brand and needed significant investment.
One successful example of a brand which doesn’t cheapen the royal association is Prince Charles’s Duchy range. Harry’s father has already carved out a space in the organic, sustainable sector with his Duchy of Cornwall brands. SussexRoyal probably needs to take note, although also avoid directly duplicating this, if only to preserve family relations!
3. Watch out for sustainability pitfalls
Harry and Meghan are campaigners for sustainability, but merchandising has complex supply chains. It can be a challenge to deliver successful merch. They’ll need to consider the sustainability of the SussexRoyal brand and look out for the pitfalls. Sustainability covers the provenance of the cotton and working conditions, through to the packaging of the merch and delivery vehicles. Production and delivery are the corner stones of successful merchandising.
The only caveat is to beware the assumption that a high follower count automatically equals robust sales. Having something to say and knowing your position in the market are more likely to breed success than lots of fans.
@Arii, an Instagram star with 2.6m followers, found this out recently when she failed to sell 36 t-shirts. At the other end of the scale, our highest commission earners can generate up to €½m to €1m a year, but this takes a relevant idea and hard work.
Harry and Meghan are the world’s next mega influencers; they have a globally recognised brand and something to say. Merchandising could be an integral part of their financial independence, if they get it right.
By Philip Rooke
CEO