Brand experts reveal Meghan Markle's last chance to stay relevant as her Netflix deal falls apart – but she'll absolutely HATE it

Let me take you back in time, to 2020.

Megxit had left the Brits reeling, butMeghan Markle and Prince Harry were hot property in their new home of the United States.

Lucrative media deals with Netflix, Spotify and more were on the horizon.

We all know the money-spinning fairytale didn’t last. Spotify called things off first. Now reports indicate the Sussexes’US$100M Netflix deal is ‘dead’in the water.

Meghan and Harry are now at a fork in the road. Their next steps are crucial for their financial future – andbrand experts say it’s time for an overhaul.

I spent this week on the phone to PR bigwigs, some of whom spoke on the record about how they would advise the Californian royals.

One piece of advice, in my view, is a certified winner – but I can almost guarantee it’s the sort of strategy the oh-so-earnest Meghan would dismiss out of hand…

Before we go in depth, let’s start from the beginning – the very start of the Sussexes’ journey as a ‘brand’ separate from the Firm.

After making the shock decision to ‘step back’ as senior workingroyals and relocate to Meghan’s native USA, any question about how the two planned to support themselves financially was quickly answered.

There was talk of a Spotify deal to the tune of US$30million and a US$20million book deal with Penguin Random House, which would later produce Harry’s tell-all, Spare.

But the jewel in the crown was the five-year Netflix deal to produce a range of content through their company Archewell – everything from docu-series to children’s programs.

We all know how that panned out.

The deal resulted in a handful of shows, of varying success.

Harry & Meghan (2022) was a hit – no one can deny that.Live to Lead (2022),Heart of Invictus (2023) andPolo (2024) are said to have flopped. The duchess’ lifestyle showWith Love, Meghan (2025) reached the top 10 in 47 countries within a day of its release – a promising debut – but it later emerged the series only ranked 383rd among Netflix’s most-watched content in the first half of 2025, with 5.3 million views.

Generally speaking, their shows were regarded to have underperformed.

While a second season of With Love, Meghanhas beenannounced, all signs point to the Netflix deal being ‘dead’, according to an exclusive Royale report.

‘She had everything going for her – name, platform, press – and the numbers were dismal,’ an insider at the streamer was quoted as saying.

‘They’re just waiting for the credits to roll. They’re letting it expire without drama. There’s no appetite for anything new,’ the source added.

The $100million elephant in the room now is: without Netflix bankrolling their lavish California lifestyle, how can the Sussexes continue to make bank?

According to the brand experts I spoke to, this question leads into a broader discussion around the reputational status of Meghan Markle Inc.

And if you’re wondering why Harry isn’t included in that analysis, there’s good reason for that, too.

While his wife remains firmly in the American celebrity space, royal watchers have noticed recently that the prince appears to be repositioning himself with projects in-line with that of a working royal.

For instance, his recent walk through the Angola landmine sites for charity the Halo Trust shadowed the remarkable charity work done by his late mother, Princess Diana.

There have also been reports suggesting Harry is doing all he can to get back in the good graces of the royal family and, specifically, his father, King Charles III.

It started with a ‘peace summit’ meeting arranged between Buckingham Palace’s communication team and Harry and Meghan’s in-house advisor Meredith Maines.

There have subsequently been whispers of an olive branch being offered to palace staffers with Harrysharing his diary of engagementsto ensure there are no clashes with the royal calendar – which is what happened recently when coverage of Harry’s latest Angola trip eclipsed reports of Queen Camilla’s 78th birthday.

This is all well and good – but none of it puts money in the Montecito piggybank.

Which is why brand experts have turned their attention to Meghan, who appears to remain focused on being the household breadwinner by leveraging her personal brand into a profitable business.

Just this week, Meghan announced the launch of yet another wine to form part of her As Ever lifestyle brand.

Watch out Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop – Meghan could be coming for that celebrity lifestyle crown.

But herein lies the problem. Gwyneth spent years establishing products in alignment with her high-end wellness brand – yes, including those vagina candles and coffee enemas.

Love her or hate her, the Shakespeare in Love actress does come across as genuine and authentically connected with her brand Goop and what it sells and stands for.

But, to take it a step further, the other quality the Oscar winner possesses is the ability – when needed – to poke fun at herself.

Look no further than the recent genius move to become a ‘spokesperson’ for Astronomer after the company’s CEO and HR chief were exposed as lovers by none other thanGwyneth’sex-husbandChris Martin during aColdplay concert.

Talk about a PR masterstroke.

With a Netflix deal potentially no longer in Meghan’s back pocket, I asked brand image experts for their take on how they would advise Meghan to move forward and why this could translate to future profitable deals.

In summary, she has to – likeGwyneth – embrace the cringe factor and be willing to make fun of herself – beyond simply posting silly dancing videos.

But I suspect she isn’t going to like that.

Nicole Reaney of InsideOut PR described the perception of Meghan’s current image as a ‘grating persona’.

‘No matter her actions, she tends to attract a swarm of criticism online,’ she says.

‘It all stemmed from turning her shoulder from the Royal Family, her own family and the declaration for privacy – [and] persistent attempts to “make news”.’

Furthermore, unlike the gentle ‘transition’ seen whenGwyneth went from Hollywood actress to wellness guru,Meghan’s move from stoic royal toa ‘wholesome lifestyle figure and everything in between’ seems sudden and unnatural.

‘There was never an association to her with cooking or food – it came across forced and staged,’ Nicole adds, referring to With Love, Meghan.

The other issueReaney flags is Meghan’s apparentinability to deflect criticism with self-deprecating humour to maintain authenticity and relatability – something Gwyneth does effortlessly no matter what is thrown her way.

Gwyneth isn’t the only model here. Think ofMartha Stewart. After serving time in prison for herconnection with an insider trading scandal, she leaned into her notoriety – palling up with Snoop Dogg and even appearing in comedy roasts.

(Coincidentally Martha had some choice words about Meghan this past week – but I digress.)

TikTok and Instagram are already awash with comedy clips riffing onMeghan’s Netflix lifestyle offerings. Her podcast interviewwith Jamie Kearn Lima has been widely parodied. And this isn’t because these people dislike Meghan at all – they just find her unintentionally funny.

Perhaps Meghan would be wise to follow suit and get in on the joke.

Imagine, for example, a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Livewhere she cooks dinner for the cast and they have to pretend to like it because she’s royalty? Or she pours out some of her extremely alcoholic As Ever rosé and they all get sloshed?

This sort of thing would make global headlines in an instant. Even her harshest critics would have to acknowledge her ability to laugh at herself.

Meanwhile, the Sussex Squad loyalists who think she walks on water would lap it up.

While sounding good in theory, Nicole believes such an approach might be a step ‘too far removed’ for the earnest duchess.

‘Meghan has been so serious over recent years with interviews divulging her multitude of personal struggles. It would be unnatural to then mock herself – it’s all just too far removed,’ she notes.

So where to next?

Tony Nicolls, a former journalist-turned-head of PR agency Good Talent Media, says the road forward is, surprisingly, to step back.

Nicolls tells me that if the former working royal were his client, he would ‘advise Meghan to take some time away from the limelight’.

‘They haven’t had good advice regarding their image to date,’ he says, adding that he would be telling them to ‘stop, rethink and let the dust settle.’

‘She needs less self-promotion, not more,’ he adds.

It’s the advice Taylor Swift reportedly heeded after a long period of overexposure that culminated in her feud with Kim Kardashian.

Nicolls agrees that the biggest stumbling block for Meghan Markle’s brand is that it’s built around her ‘taking herself seriously’.

Therefore, a shift towards an authentic tone would require a level of ‘self-awareness’.

‘Until they know what their brand really is, they should step back. We would give that advice to any brand owner,’ he added.

But taking herself less seriously and shunning the spotlight doesn’t sound very Meghan. With at least one more Netflix show to come, her growingAs Ever business and her return to Instagram in January, the former Suits star seems determined to maintain a high profile.

Whatever path she takes,Nicolls says it’s crucial to see thebigger picture.

‘The best thing to nudge change along is to remove the emotion. Look at the evidence that indicates that your brand might need shifting – negative press, sales, brand health scores,’ he explains.

‘It’s much harder to argue with numbers that are telling you change needs to happen.’

Reaney seconds Nicolls’s strategy, saying she too would advise Meghan to ‘pause from the limelight’ and adopt a ‘redirection’ strategy.

‘It may even be worthwhile returning to her acting roots, but I believe a bit of distance from media and personal brand reflection would be a good move for her right now,’ Reaney adds.

She underlines that repositioning her personal brand is vital if she wants to improve brand sentiment aroundAs Ever andkeep the door open for future media deals.

‘Personalities that are favoured by the public attract huge commercial potential,’ Reaney explains.

‘But transforming an image takes time though, it’s not overnight – unlike the damage you can cause to it.’

The path is clear. But will it be followed?