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As she awaits the release of her highly anticipated Netflix show, Meghan Markle is apparently at “risk” of “overexposure,” according to recent comments by a PR expert. If you’re a fan of the Duchess of Sussex, you would have noticed her recent flurry of social media activity in the lead-up to the premiere of With Love, Meghan, her upcoming lifestyle series.
While Markle has been consistently active on Instagram since launching her profile back in early January, she’s now posting more, with a page that now includes Valentine’s Day images, rebrand announcements, and various posts on her Instagram Stories.
This might be welcome news for Markle fans, but PR expert Renae Smith said the increased social media presence comes with a risk. “It’s not necessarily a bad strategy, but it depends on what [Markle is] trying to achieve,” Smith told Daily Express of the Duchess’ flurry of posts. According to Smith, a problem emerges for Markle in that it seems she is trying to balance the competing perceptions of herself as a private figure while also trying to promote her personal brand.
For those who are already fans, this isn’t an issue, since Markle’s ventures like With Love, Meghan aren’t “designed for mass appeal, [but] for her fans and those curious enough to watch, whether out of admiration or fascination.” For those people, Markle’s increased social media presence works in her favor, since “frequent and candid posting can help reinforce that connection.” However, for those less familiar with the royal, the influx of posts might put her at risk of oversaturating her brand, Smith claims.
“The risk here is overexposure,” she said, adding that the Duchess “has spent years trying to balance the narrative that she values privacy while also maintaining public interest in her brand.” The delicate balance — of promoting herself in a way that “feels somewhat contradictory to the brand narrative she’s spent years crafting” — risks being thrown off if the sentiment starts changing against her.
“A sudden surge of posts, particularly ones tied to personal or emotional moments, can feed into the existing criticism that she really craves attention,” Smith said, “but only on her own terms and in her own way, which has come at the detriment of the Royal Family.” In Smith’s view, Markle could resolve this bubbling issue by being upfront about why she has been so public in recent weeks.
“If she were to address it directly — something along the lines of ‘I once valued privacy, but I’ve realised I want to share, as long as it’s on my own terms’ — it might help reconcile the disconnect,” Smith suggested. The comments come ahead of Markle’s Netflix series, which spans eight episodes and will feature celebrity guests like Mindy Kaling, Abigail Spencer, and her husband.
The release of With Love, Meghan was delayed due to the Los Angeles wildfire, an event which saw the Duke and Duchess swept up in a storm of controversy. Alongside the series, Markle also recently announced the rebrand of her upcoming website, As Ever, which she has also been posting regularly about on social media.