Key moves Meghan Markle 'must make' as reputation with UK public down the drain

Meghan Markle chats to children as she visits Birmingham

Meghan Markle's next moves to win over the British public have been revealed by a team of PR experts, following the Duchess of Sussex's latest hire in the UK, in a bid to boost her damaged reputation.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex hired a new UK-based brand manager in the latest shake-up at their Archewell Foundation.

Harry and Meghan hired Charlie Gipson as their main point of contact for all UK and European media.

Mr Gipson has previously represented companies Mars, Cadbury and Dominos and this is the first time the couple have hired a UK individual to deal with media queries since they left the Royal Family in 2020.

Now, a group of PR experts have come out and suggested what Meghan's next moves should be following the soft launch of her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.

PR experts have spoken on how Meghan Markle can salvage her reputation in the UK (Image: Getty)

Stay up-to-date with the latest Royal news Join us on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Mark Borkowski, crisis PR consultant and the author of the book The Fame Formula has claimed that rebranding the duchess to appeal to British audiences is "one of the most difficult jobs in PR... second only perhaps to doing PR for Prince Andrew".

But he added that Meghan needs to show some "humility" and "really surprise" people if she wants to win them over.

He told the Telegraph: "Sometimes less is more. Meghan seems to be more about the explosion of flashbulbs and grandstanding than she is about the soft and gentle touch. If I was advising her, I’d tell her to do some charity work undercover, then she’d surprise people if the things she was involved in turned out to be a great success."

Meghan Markle needs to show the 'real, warm' side of her, says expert (Image: Getty)

Natalie Trice, a PR consultant who has worked with clients including CNN, Sense and James Cameron and author of the book PR School: Your Time To Shine, suggested Meghan needs consistency as up until now she's had a "very scatterbrained approach to her output".

The specialist added that there is also no consistency in how the Sussexes want to present themselves as a couple.

She said: "Are they royals or are they not? Do they want to be in the public eye or do they want privacy? People respond to a consistent narrative so a more joined-up approach on who she is and what her goals are will be the first job."

Ms Trice added: "I don’t know who’s been advising them up until now, but their strategy seems so all over the place that I wonder if they’ve been listening to the advice they’ve been getting. A lot of the stories around them have been very toxic and negative.

"...There’s a lot to unpick and correct and that takes honesty and guts and patience. If you air your dirty laundry in public, it will take time for it to dry."

Meghan Markle was 'very good at speaking with people' says expert (Image: Getty)

Meanwhile, Rachel Richardson, a content consultant and writer of the culture newsletter Highly Flammable on Substack, opined that the duchess needs to dial down her "Hollywood ways" and find her "self-deprecation switch and flip it to on" as well as let her actions "speak louder than her words".

She told the outlet: "It would be a tough turnaround, but not impossible for a woman of Meghan’s talents. But she would have to want it, and be motivated enough to adjust. That’s where I have less faith.

"The rancour runs deep on both sides of the Atlantic and I question whether she would even have the desire to try to reconcile with Brits after her experiences in the UK, but, of course, ambition is a powerful motivator."

Meghan Markle recently soft launched her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard (Image: Getty)

Lastly, Abesi Manyando, author and founder of the public relations and branding development firm Abesi PR, suggested that Meghan needs to work on more "relatable content" and engage with her audience.

She said: "When she was in the UK, Meghan was very good at speaking with people on the ground and showing empathy and emotion. To really harness her power, she needs to make content that’s not so glossy and edited and considered. I’d like to see more of that warm, real side of her.

"That’s how people make a connection to a personal brand and that’s how you can feel relatable even when you have such a high net worth and status. Kim Kardashian is a master of this."