Meghan Markle has revealed her American Riviera Orchard brand name has been ditched in favour of new name As Ever – and brand experts have weighed in on the last-minute U-turn ahead of the launch of her Netflix series

Meghan Markle has been accused of rushing out her newly-named brand with an expert claiming “you wouldn’t catch Kim Kardashian doing this”.

Today, the Duchess of Sussex took to Instagram to announce she is ditching her American Riviera Orchard brand name in favour of another name – As Ever. Its launch will tie in with the release of her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, which drops on the streaming platform in two weeks. A new website for As Ever has also been launched, featuring a picture of Meghan running hand-in-hand with her daughter, Princess Lilibet.

Meghan suffered a series of setbacks when it came to trademarking the name American Riviera Orchard, which could explain the switch to As Ever. However, speaking in a video on Instagram that appears to have been filmed by Prince Harry, she said: “Cats out of the bag. I’m shocked we’ve kept it a secret for so long.”

Meghan announcing her newly-named brand As Ever ( 

Meghan announced the news on Instagram ( 
Image:
@Meghan/Instagram)
She added: “Last year, I thought you know what, American Riviera, that sounds like such a great name, it’s my neighbourhood [and] its a name for Santa Barbara. But it limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area.

“Then Netflix came on, not just as my partner in the show, but as my partner in my business. Which was huge. So I thought about it, and I’ve been waiting for a moment to share a name that I had secured in 2022, and this is the moment, and it’s called As Ever. “

And it seems the move has divided brand and PR experts, with some pouring cold water on the U-turn move – but others saying the way that she announced it was the perfect way to get maximum publicity. One marketing executive who is critical of the rebrand is Warren Johnson of W Communications, who told the Daily Beast: “You wouldn’t catch Kim Kardashian doing this.”

While another expert told the outlet: “There are only so many relaunches you can do before you start to look ridiculous.” Meanwhile, another unnamed expert said that the launch and the Instagram video announcing it seemed a “total rush” even though Meghan says in the video she secured the name back in 2022.

The snap that features on Meghan’s new website featuring Princess Lilibet ( 
Image:
As Ever)
However, on the flip side, other brand experts have called the rebrand a “strategic move”, especially with the challenges she faced getting a trademark for American Riviera Orchard. Personal branding expert Mayah Riaz, of Mayah Media, told the Mirror: “While rebranding close to launch can be risky, addressing potential legal issues early on can prevent significant issues that may arise. The new name, ‘As Ever’, offers a broader appeal beyond a specific geographic reference – this aligns well with Meghan’s lifestyle themes.

“Meghan choosing to announce the change via her Instagram is a savvy approach, as she is leveraging her following to communicate directly with them. However, any rebrand carries the potential for confusion. It will be crucial for Meghan to offer clear and consistent messaging to ensure her audience seamlessly transitions to the new brand.”

The announcement on Instagram came after Meghan ramped up her posting on the site over the past week while she accompanied husband Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in Canada.

A teaser for American Riviera Orchard, the previous name of Meghan’s brand ( 
Image:
americanrivieraorchard)Mayah added: “Throughout the Games, we saw Meghan effectively utilise Instagram, sharing personal moments and engaging content on her Instagram. This is also helping her to build a relatable and authentic brand image. I believe she used her Instagram as a testing ground to see how that was received before deciding to use Instagram for this announcement.”

Meanwhile, for PR guru Mark Borkowski, he said the U-turn could turn out to be a clever ploy for publicity for As Ever. He told MailOnline: “This isn’t an identity crisis. It’s a business model. Meghan isn’t floundering; she’s fluctuating on purpose. The perpetual reinvention, the strategic vagueness—it’s all by design.

“No, it’s a TV show. No, it’s jam. No, it’s a vague, atmospheric brand called As Ever. The more unpredictable she is, the harder it is to take her down.”

Since launching her new Instagram account on New Year’s Day, she has used the sign-off As Ever several times, including on the photo she shared of Harry and her kissing to mark Valentine’s Day.

The new launch comes as Meghan struggled with her trademark application for previous brand name American Riviera Orchard. Last September, it emerged her application to have her brand trademark had been rejected. She was then given three months to respond to the “nonfinal officer action” issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). She was also warned that failure to do so could result in her application being abandoned.

She then encountered another stumbling block as a protest against trademarking the brand was lodged with the USPTO by the owners of the ‘Royal Riviera’ trademark. The ‘Royal Riviera’ trademark is owned by Harry & David, a US-based premium food and gifts retailer, for its ‘Royal Riviera Pears’, which are grown in the state of Oregon. The letter of protest, seen by The Mirror said there was a ‘likelihood of confusion’ and the case was referred to Marco Wright, the Trademark Office’s examining attorney.