256: Meghan Markle: Decoding Recent Moves & PR Decisions

Have you been wondering what Meghan Markle has been up to lately? No. Well, tough. You're going to have to hear about it because I prepared for it. I just appeared on the Today show, Down under, the national Today Show, Australia's longest running morning breakfast news program, and they wanted me to talk about Meghan Markle. So now you're going to hear about Meghan Markle. Welcome to the Indestructible PR Podcast. I'm Molly McPherson sharing breaking news and pop culture zeitgeist moments that aren't just for social media. Each week I pick a buzzy story, analyze the juicy bits and follow with a PR lesson. We're using tried and true media PR tricks of the trade. And this podcast is going to help you dodge those crisis curveballs to build a reputation that's not just strong, it's indestructible. In this episode, Meghan Markle decoding her recent moves and PR decisions. Let's discuss the Duchess. Hey there. As I mentioned in the intro, or as I barked to you in the intro, I finished within the last hour, an interview. It is 9:43 at night. I did the interview well, scheduled to do the interview at 7:15, went into my Zoom room and there's nothing worse than doing a live interview. Honestly, my blood just rises and you'd want to keep cool, your face gets shiny. But there's so much tech behind it and it's very, very stressful to get the tech going and know what you're going to say, prep what you're going to say and look good while you're doing it. And for many people that's probably easy peasy, but for me it's a bit of a haul. There's a lot going on. So I was coming in hot right before this interview was happening, so I had to come down and I to prep because now I have transitioned from using a computer to do media interviews to a teleprompter. So I'm going big time. So I have the prompter, I have the camera, I have the light, I have the monitor, I have all of it because I wanted to up level it. But it still comes with a lot of stress. But I have to say this interview was a lot of fun. The producer who booked me just wrote me and she said, and you know these producers, they're going to say it regardless if you were horrible or not. But she said, hey, I smashed it. You know, I love Smash. I'm now going to make it a point to say you smashed it. But it was A lot of fun. I mean, honestly, because the hosts, the anchors, Carl and Sarah, what was nice is before I came on, you know, you can see the stories that they're working on. I mean, that's kind of common when you log in early. So they were doing a celebrity beat and they talked about Dick Van Dyke. But I thought they were announcing that Dick Van Dyke died. So I had a little panic moment there because I thought, please don't make me come on and talk about celebrity gossip after Dick Van Dyke died. But no, no, they were just celebrating Dick Van Dyke. So it was cool. And then in the pre bit chit chat, it was fun. They were really, really nice. So I really enjoyed that. So you get to hear what we talked about. I know that I have listeners down under. I have a lot of listeners down there and I know many of you because you reach out to me and you talk to me and you also, you always tell me when you see me live on the air, which is fantastic. Which some people did, you know, today already. But let's talk about what I talked about because a lot of people in the US didn't hear it. So I thought we could go over it. Now some of the questions that they asked is, you know, okay, now we have Australia. They're going to have their take on Meghan Markle and the US is going to have their take as well. You know, we tend to be like a messy gossip country when it comes to our celebrities. We love to knock our celebrities down. We love to cancel them. As a matter of fact, I just filmed a TikTok about Jennifer Aniston. She came out in a story Wall Street Journal piece blathering about cancel Culture. And I said in this TikTok, we'll see if I even produce it because it was pretty long or edit it. But she said that Cancel culture, it was, you know, somewhat ridiculous, but she was comparing it to Harvey Weinstein. Like she. She had me. Like she. It was perfect until she mentioned Harvey Weinstein. And that's kind of where she lost me. Anyway, back to Australia. So as an active participant in the Commonwealth, they are going to have stronger opinions about the royal family and about Harry and Meghan. So definitely when this request came over, I know they were looking more for not negative because it's not a negative tabloidy show. But they wanted, you know, it's television. They want to hear about the struggles. And they weren't wrong. I mean, because Meghan Markle has been through a lot of challenges and a lot of ping ponging Back and forth, deciding on what her career is going to be. Now, the first question that they asked me was, well, how they framed it, that Meghan Markle went from one bad PR decision to another. So that's how you know the framing of this interview. So they asked, in my opinion, what they are doing wrong, what Harry and Meghan are doing wrong. So I said from a publicity standpoint, and this is the one that I could nail because I had my pink post it note at the other side of my teleprompter, because usually I just need prompting in the first sentence and then I'm fine, then I'm 100% fine. So I have publicity, PR, messed ups, consistent narrative, New York, Spotify inconsistent. Could you put that together? You want to weave that together now? You know what I said? But essentially what I said was, from a publicity standpoint, it appears that there have been some missteps in their recent PR decisions. It's crucial for every public figure to maintain a narrative that's relatable, approachable. You know, also when you are someone who's dealing with a lot of media scrutiny and a lot of social media scrutiny, you are going to be judged differently. Harry and Meghan, very much so. So they have faced a lot of challenges. And I had mentioned the New York incident, you know, with security in the street. I did a TikTok about that a while back. And also the end of their Spotify deal. And that's contributed to this perception of inconsistency and vulnerability. So Meghan and Harry need a more coordinated strategy. Enter the next question. When they asked about Ari Emanuel, the Uber agent with wme. So she's moved now to wme, which I said was a significant move. It's a power move because Ari Emanuel, now, he's the one who. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Do I edit this out of the podcast or do I keep it on there? Ari Gold entourage, Jeremy Piven, oh, my gosh. I'm bringing it back to cancel culture. Wasn't Jeremy Piven canceled? He's still out. He's still down and out anyway. But Ari Manuel, so he is known for managing high profile talent. So the fact that Megan is connected to Ari Emanuel, that kind of raises her profile. And the deal that Megan is making is not in the area where she had children. And I think this is where I said this. She's not a natural podcast host. She couldn't nail the guest that she wanted. She couldn't get the gets. It was said that she tried to get Taylor Swift. She wrote a personal note to her. Taylor Swift said, no, thank you. And it's really difficult when you are the Duchess and you want to be a change maker power player akin to Michelle Obama. It's very difficult to do that when people won't speak to you on your podcast. And, and I guess the numbers are saying on that podcast that they were good, but I don't know why that would be. I don't find her to be interesting talking about big topics. I don't want that from her. That's not who she is. It's like me talking about big topics. You don't want that from me either. She has a space and Ari Emanuel is going to put her in her right space. Now, anyone who's been on my TikTok lives knows that I've been saying for months and months and that Megan needs to go back to the tig. I know it's beneath her. She doesn't want to be an influencer, but that's where she was special. That's where she was good. And nowadays social media influencers and content creators, they have a lot of umph behind them and there's a lot of celebrities who want to be like them. They're coming onto TikTok and they're looking at influencers and saying, I want to be like you. Therefore, I think Ari Emanuel convinced Megan to make that step and said, oh, no, no, no, no. This is going to be your power move. And I think it was a smart move. So gone with Spotify and Archewell. Instead of being Archewell Audio, they are going to be probably Archewell Productions and they're going to be a power player in Hollywood with productions. So look for business ventures and brand partnerships and endorsements. I think her avenue is going to land her somewhere between prolific producer and I said that on the air. How's that for alliteration? And no popping my P's Reese Witherspoon and lifestyle guru Gwyneth Paltrow. And it's funny how my brain works. Do you remember Broadcast News? God, I love. That's one of my favorite movies. I love journalism as a genre. And when Tom, when he is doing the newscast, they brought him in because he and Holly Hunter. Oh gosh, what was her name? Uh, oh, now my age is showing. Who was Holly Hunter in Broadcast News? It was Tom and. Oh God, do I edit this part out? Does anyone want to sit and listen to me trying to think of something? It was Tom and it was Aaron. Okay, so alliteration. It was Aaron Altman, and it was William Hurt played Tom and Holly Hunter played. I remember William Hurt went, jane. So she played Jane. I don't know Jane's last name, but I know Aaron Altman and Tom. It was like, Tom. It's like a marble mouth name. Tom. Nick Beatnik didn't. Okay, well, come to me anyway. Gosh, I got way off. I got way off my path there. What was I even talking about? Oh, when talking about me, and I'm not even talking about Meghan Markle. Remember when Holly Hunter was talking in Tom Grudnick's ear? There you go. There's his last name. When he was doing the newscast, because he didn't really have a script. And she was talking in his ear, and they said, oh, it's like sex. I think I've said this before in the podcast, but as I was talking about Gwyneth Paltrow, so I said Reese Witherspoon. And then I said in my internal dialogue, molly, who's the other person that you wanted to say? As I was speaking? So it was my own Jane, Tom Grudnick moment. And then I went, what's her name? Gwyneth Paltrow, flawlessly. All right, next question. They asked me. Sarah had asked me about partying ways with Spotify and that Megan parted ways, not the other way around. So can you explain why? And I thought, did Meghan Markle, like, I think maybe they got that from my TikTok. Because I said, I think that Spotify walked away. No, I said that I think Meghan Markle may have walked away. I can't remember. Anyway, I think it was mutually agreed upon. I don't think the numbers were there. Even though they say the numbers were there, I don't think the numbers were there. I think she was challenged getting the guests. I think there's a lot of blowback for how much money they were paying Archewell Audio and Harry and Meghan, because independent musicians are not getting the same type of money. They're not even getting close. Plus, Spotify let go of hundreds of staff. And also just the decline in the brand value of the couple. They are having struggles, and they were having problems just putting out content. The first thing they did was a Christmas special, which I remember exactly where I was driving my car when I was listening to it. I remember exactly where I was. And I thought to myself, this is boring. Incredibly boring. And I just couldn't listen to Meghan Markle. And I know that some people liked her, but I just. It wasn't working. So they needed to move off of that. And what I think is Megan is not a person who has a personality to carry things. She's not going to carry commentary. She's not going to carry conversation. That's not what she is. It's not to knock her, but it's not what she is. This is what she is. They talked about the next deal that she was doing with the Tig and how they got onto the TIG is I had mentioned that she was at the farmer's market where she was seen with an anti stress patch, the new calm patch on her arm. And I said it was a choice to wear a very warm coat, a Max Mara coat in California on a warm day with the sleeves rolled up, where we could see this anti stress patch to promote a brand or communicating her discomfort with the paparazzi. Who know, maybe a subtle message there, but I think it's the signal that Meghan Markle is ready to be an influencer. And not in the simple social media space, but with the tig. I think the TIG is going to compete against goop. And Gwyneth Peltrow gets so much grief for the goop. I think Meghan Markle is going to capture as much of Gwyneth that she can. Like the style and the wellness of Gwyneth without the craziness of Gwyneth. She's gonna have more relatable, mainstream. She'll have things for kids. She'll have food, she'll have wellness. She'll have all the products that her and Harry invest in. See how that works. And it's brilliant. It's brilliant. And I think the TIG is a great idea. So I think Ari Emanuel got in her ear. Finally, someone got in her ear and told her to do the right thing. So back in 2017, she shuttered it back in 2017. But on August 10, 2023, she filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office to revive the blog. Look at all this timing. So that timing ties into Instagram, where there's an account called Megan Is it Megan? Now, many people are speculating that it is. Of course it is. It has to be. Of all the Megans in the world, I would think she would be the one that would get at Megan. There's gotta be plenty of other Megans in line before her. But she got it. And some other Megan out there got a hefty paycheck from Ari Emanuel. So she also. And I said this, and I remembered this for the interview in an article with an interview with the cut, she was quoted as saying, do you want to know a secret? I'm getting back on Instagram. So I think this is her Instagram account. So this account, you know, was created before she launched Archetypes, and she wanted to go live with it, but she changed her mind. She just wasn't ready to go on social media, which was wise considering everything that she was dealing with, with the family, with the royal family. But the account, I mean, what a great handle. At Megan. I would love to be Molly. Why wasn't I at Molly? Why wasn't I thinking that? But it has tens of thousands of followers, including me. And also it's followed by a lot of people that you would think would follow Megan, like her friends, her hair colorist. Just a lot of people who kind of hang with Megan. So most people are saying that this is Megan. So I think these are all the tells that Megan is going to make her way into the brand endorsement and influencing space. She is also going to be a producer. She's just going to be a mover and shaker in Holly, which is what exactly what I think she wants. Oh, they did ask me another question. I think, am I making this up about their marriage? Speculating on their marriage and, oh, God, I didn't want to be the one to be on national television and Australia and a Commonwealth and say, yeah, that they're breaking up. Yeah, come in American and talk to us about the royal family. I don't think so. I mean, could there be a little boredom in that marriage? I would think so. I would be so bored because, oh, my gosh, the two of them are locked away in Montecito. But I don't think that's happening. But I think it's there for engagement, to get buzzed, to get people to talk about it. I mean, why not? That's all a part of the leaks. Now, in every episode, I leave you with one easy to remember takeaway to help you build an indestructible reputation. Because today, in this ever challenging landscape, PR crisis management, you always have to make your moves. So here's your indestructible PR tip inspired by Meghan Markle. So Markle's initial struggles in the spotlight are indicative of someone who is not living her authentic self. So it is important to find your niche, find your groove. Meghan Markle is a compelling example. She tried too hard in spaces that did not align with her true self. Interviewing people, being a person of importance to make change. No, that's not her. You cannot go from Suits, which, by the way, is one of the top streaming shows on Netflix this summer. But you can't go from Rachel Zayn on Suits and then be on the stage with Malala and Michelle Obama. Work that way. It just doesn't work that way. But we're going to give you your tig. We're going to give you our views, we're going to follow. You're going to wear clothes that you have affiliate links to. We're going to get on board with all those things that you do. So that is a lesson that you can take right out of Megan's playbook. Focus on what comes easily, what resonates with your core values and your strengths, because that's where you'll find your niche and that's where the world may fall in love with you and what you have to offer. That's all for this week on the podcast. Thanks for tuning in. If you found this episode insightful or entertaining, please leave a review and share it with your friends colleagues. So until next time, stay indestructible. Bye for now.