The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

Strategically Vulnerable? Inside Meghan Markle’s Latest PR Move

• Molly McPherson • Episode 305

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This episode explores the calculated timing and emotional storytelling behind Meghan Markle’s latest media rollout. With a new Netflix series and curated social media posts emerging alongside headlines about Prince Harry’s visa status, the episode lays out how strategic vulnerability is being used as a crisis communication tool—and why it might not be landing. The episode breaks down the disconnect between brand aspiration and emotional authenticity, and how perceived relatability doesn’t always translate to real connection.

Through the lens of self-disclosure theory and shifting favorability ratings, the episode also points out the risks of manufactured intimacy in the influencer era. Listeners are challenged to consider whether Markle’s approach reflects genuine strategy or reactive PR gloss. And, as always, the conversation expands into the personal: when life feels messy, is being selectively vulnerable helping—or just a way to dodge the harder truths?

In this episode:

  • Strategic vulnerability vs. authentic connection—what’s the difference?

  • Why Meghan’s content may be polished but still feels emotionally distant

  • A lesson from Ina Garten on how humility builds trust better than beige branding

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the PR Breakdown, the podcast that transforms curiosity into clarity, skepticism into strategy and backlash into trust. Each week, we will break down a PR crisis through empathy, accountability and insider insights, helping you build your own indestructible reputation. Ready to dive into what's really behind today's headline, let's go. Last week I had a live chat with my Substack members. I believe it was Chris who asked about Meghan Markle. He wanted to know if I'd seen her program yet on Netflix with Love Meghan. I admitted no, I haven't. I want to, but she keeps falling down the list because something else will come in front of her Apple cider vinegar, which I loved, scamanda White Lotus there's just so many programs out there. But this past weekend I said that's it. I told everyone on the chat, and specifically Chris, that I was going to watch it. So I'm going to watch it. I will admit I did not get through the entire series. I watched one episode More.

Speaker 1:

On my review on that, I'll say this right out of the gate I am not a Meghan Markle hater. I am not that creator. There are plenty of creators out there who will bash on her and Harry, I'm not one of them. I happen to think she has great style. I think she's cute as can be. I think the Meghan Markle brand the Tig, you know, pre-harry, pre-royal fiasco, was a good one. I think she was on her way, but she met Harry, married Harry, and we all know what happened there. I cut right down the middle with those two. On the one hand, I think they're both fine, you know, separately. I think Harry also had a great brand going.

Speaker 1:

You know, being the spare certainly comes with issues. Same for Meghan. She's brought into the royal family. That's not easy. I absolutely believe that she suffered through a lot when she was a member of that family, a lot of racism, so there is no doubt it wasn't easy for her.

Speaker 1:

Having said that, the other half of me watches them in just stunned disbelief. I think the moves they make are so perplexing. I find them to be curious. That's my feelings towards them. It's just curiosity. I guess if you were to look at labels, you could call them A-list, but their offerings aren't necessarily A-list because they're still trying to figure it all out.

Speaker 1:

I also believe that they are victims to fate in the worst way, combined with just poor choices. They always seem to screw up the timing of everything that they do, every rollout. Every launch they have comes with problems, definitely comes with a lot of scrutiny. People do not give these two, particularly Meghan Markle, a break at all, but there always seems to be a combination of just bad timing, bad choices. Maybe they just hope it's going to work. But I also think they suffer from the same grandiose feelings about themselves that a lot of celebrities and politicians, people in the public eye, think about themselves. They think their goodwill is a lot stronger than it actually is. Then, when things go wrong, they can point to the haters.

Speaker 1:

I'm always curious from a strategic point of view. That's why we have the topic this week. I always look at Meghan Markle not coming from hate I'm not a hater creator about Meghan Markle and just in general, I'm always looking for the PR lesson, the communication lesson, also the PR for people lesson. What's the life lesson that we can learn? I want to speak to both of them because I'm a big, obviously a communicator. I want to find the lessons too and I share them with my communicators in the audience. But I also want to share the life lessons because people know I love doling out advice. My poor children, oh my gosh. When I say to them life lesson. It's like their ears immediately shut down because they know something's coming. But I bet if you ask them, they all know that my lessons are actually quite good. And my oldest daughter, rory, she's very good about telling me mom, you were right, and I love that. Meghan Markle let's look at some PR theory.

Speaker 1:

Meghan recently has been diving more into this relatable content. She is posting on Instagram a lot more and you may have seen these carefully curated family shots popping up exactly when negative headlines hit hardest. Popping up exactly when negative headlines hit hardest. There was a post of Lilibet. I assumed hands in the flowers. We're not seeing a full frontal of the kids' face.

Speaker 1:

That's part of the problem with the Sussex brand. They want to be relatable, they want people to love them, they want that goodwill. But our audiences nowadays they kind of demand that they get a little inside access. They want to see the kids, because Meghan and Harry have created this barrier, this moat if I could use a royal analogy there around them for privacy, because they say, as royals, they need it, which is understandable. If you want to emote your brand, it's very difficult to do if you're not open. That's very, very challenging for them. So that's why we're watching them in real time. Try to navigate it, meghan in particular. Now the negative headlines about Harry and his immigration status a lot of it pushed by conservative media those were starting to hit. So all of a sudden we see a lot of Megan content come up. Now I can't say that without saying that Megan's Netflix series is out. Plus, she has a podcast coming out as well. So Megan is in the marketing phase of content.

Speaker 1:

But what about adding kids in there? Is it a coincidence? Is it strategic genius or is it authentic, emotional relatability for branding survival. So let's break down what's really happening here. First, some PR theory.

Speaker 1:

Megan's strategy aligns perfectly with the self-disclosure theory. In essence, the more personal, narrative-driven details that a person shares online, the more connected audiences feel. Look at your favorite influencers and creators and celebrities. That's why influencers have influence, because we and I add myself to the collective, we we let people into our lives and that's what connects in communication. And that's what challenges it for Megan. Because she can't do that. She needs to be as relatable as she can. Megan leverages what's known as perceived connectedness, that's, sharing intimate, relatable glimpses of family life to build emotional bonds and shift public perception.

Speaker 1:

But here's the hard data, meghan's UK favorability rating continues on a downward trajectory from 55% in 2019 to only 21% today. In the US, her support has also weakened amid criticisms and controversies surrounding every effort that she tries, including her trademark, the American Orchard Riviera. They did this with the Sussex Royal name and then Meghan just experienced it again. That diminishes credibility, that deteriorates trust, and that's why I think Meghan still struggles. Some of their endeavors work, but some don't.

Speaker 1:

When there is a scrutiny story, like Harry's visa papers heavily redacted, the pivot towards relatable content isn't just charm. It is a strategic crisis communication tactic designed to counterbalance the harsh realities of what they are going through. Looking a little bit deeper, megan's latest Instagram posts and her interviews with People magazine coincide suspiciously with the release of these redacted immigration documents concerning Prince Harry. Also, the underperforming viewership of her Netflix series A lot of the news articles and digital content you see out there. You know that the ratings are going down on Meghan, but, in fairness, there was a lot of hype about Meghan and Harry coming out with that first Netflix special. So much hype it was the first one, so there's no way this series, the With Love Meghan series, is going to reach those numbers and it doesn't matter if it's Meghan or Harry, anyone, even John Mulaney, of contract they have.

Speaker 1:

There's always resurfaced bullying allegations coming out. A member of their previous staff, when they lived in Frogmore, I believe, did an interview recently with the 60 Minutes Down in Australia Really hard to combat that. There's always negative media attention around Meghan. So clearly timing is everything here. Reinforcing that in PR, the subtle redirection can be an effective narrative management tool. That's why I think we're going to constantly see it from Meghan and Harry.

Speaker 1:

But let's not oversimplify. Yes, strategic vulnerability works, but is it truly authentic if carefully timed, megan's social media comeback over the last few weeks feels precisely calculated to redirect attention. Yet authenticity isn't just about timing. It's about consistency and believable, relatable emotional depth. Believable, relatable emotional depth. Audiences today, particularly Gen Z, quickly discern authenticity from calculated manipulation. Megan's challenge isn't just posting relatable content. It's making audiences genuinely feel that connection, despite the calculated timing. So for communicators out there, the key takeaway is this Real vulnerability, strategically applied, must still be rooted in consistent authenticity.

Speaker 1:

Quick pivots and new hires can't instantly rebuild damaged trust. Megan and Harry recently announced they have a new comms hire A little under the headlines, if you will, because this new hire is number seven. I believe that's a tough one to keep marketing out there. They are trying to gloss over controversy as often as they can, but you need genuine communication. To do that, you have to thoughtfully acknowledge what's happening out there and you have to frame setbacks as relatable and human. Megan and Harry do not have setbacks. That's not a part of any of their communication strategy, and we know why and we can understand why because they know they'll be destroyed over it. But it could work Now on a human level. Megan's pivot reveals something deeper and this is how we can relate from a PR for people perspective.

Speaker 1:

Relentless media scrutiny can drive people towards emotional coping strategies. Whether it's media scrutiny or just life scrutiny, like your friends or everybody wants to know something. Social media, family narratives and personal reflections aren't just PR tools. They're genuine methods people can use to reclaim their sense of identity and also to control under pressure. Think about the conversations you have with friends or your friend's kids or your friend's parents, depending on how old you are.

Speaker 1:

When someone tells you a story, their side of the story, how many times do you listen to it? With a blank face or you're nodding? You understand it in agreement, but your head is going oh my God, this person is crazy. This person doesn't see what's going on. This person is missing it. They are missing it. Remember that just because somebody tells you something in person doesn't mean that it's an accurate message, because internal dialogue can be very, very different from external dialogue. So here is the life lesson for you when faced with criticism or negativity, sometimes the healthiest strategy is to openly acknowledge your vulnerabilities, because you're acknowledging that you get what the issue is. Connecting authentically, even when it feels uncomfortable, can provide emotional resilience and shift your personal narrative from crisis to control. And speaking of authentic connections, I mentioned that I did watch her Netflix special. Here is my review. I, for one, am an Ina girl.

Speaker 1:

I love Ina Garten. One of the reasons why is because she is so honest and she's vulnerable, like she will show if she doesn't know something. If you see her interview with guests, particularly when she has celebrity guests on, she will always tell a story that's relatable where she may have failed or done something differently. A celebrity is coming in to cook something with her. I think Julianna Margulies had a great cod recipe. It was a fish recipe that I make to this day. It's very, very good and what I love that Ina Garten did is Julianna.

Speaker 1:

She's an actress. She spends a lot of time in the kitchen. She also has her own garden, so Ina related to her on that level and Ina is way better at cooking and growing herbs and everything in the garden than Julianna Margulies. But she treated Julianna Margulies as an equal. When Julianna would show her something in her recipe, ina would say oh my gosh, I never thought about it that way. What a great idea. So here she is as a chef telling this actress wow, you're doing something better than me. When Juliana would do something that Ina would say I do it a different way. When I watched it I thought that's perfect communication. Real life relatability helps. That is what is missing in Megan's program in her production One. I don't know if she's going to get those level of guests on there. It'd be nice if she did, if Julianna Margulies came into Meghan Markle's kitchen, that would work.

Speaker 1:

But Meghan is bringing in her friends and I think we all kind of know that Meghan doesn't have a ton of friends and that's not a negative thing. There are people in life who just don't. They don't. Meghan started off as one person living with a single parent and going back and forth between her single parents. She didn't have a lot of money living in Hollywood. Then she went to her Catholic high school, which she posted on Instagram last week. She had friends there and then went off to Northwestern in Chicago but then went the celebrity route. It's not easy, you can imagine, to keep your friends and to keep the same people in that world. That's perfectly understandable. But in her royal world, her world, her friend world, got a lot smaller and you could tell with the royal guest list and who we see them with. You know, as they bop around but also in their projects they can't get people to join them. They're becoming a little bit of a tainted brand.

Speaker 1:

So Megan's bringing in her quote, unquote friends or people close to her, but it's not working that well because people are seeing like oh Megan, you don't have a lot of close people in your life. I think Megan should start to lean in on that a little because I think a lot of people could relate to that. A lot of women, a lot of young women could relate to that. I think that would be good. Yes, everyone's going to pounce on her, but I don't know. I think that might be relatable and then she could get more guests on her show. But that's the problem, I think. So she brought in her. What was he? Her makeup artist? That's her producer's duty. It's not my duty to seek it out, but he was one of her friends, but he was someone who worked with her in her world as a celebrity and it worked. I really liked his personality. He's really engaging and it showed that they knew each other well and I thought that was great. But I didn't like Megan's approach.

Speaker 1:

I think we all buy into this idea that Megan is good with doing things at home and cooking and creating things and just the aesthetic of the Megan's life. I think we can all buy into that. But it's not as if she grew up in Old Sabre, connecticut, from old money and she's been doing this her whole life. It's all somewhat new to her and I wish she would lean into that more and really just say, hey, this is part of the new Megan and this is what I learned then. So they're creating vegetables, then she's doing a cake, then she's creating a welcome package for her friend and then what was she doing? Bees. Now we see her beekeeping, working with someone and where she did admit she didn't know what she was doing. Most people aren't as fortunate to me to be able to have bees here, though my neighbor does have bees Then she's making candles. So she's doing things that aren't really relatable, they're aspirational and I thought, oh, that's cool.

Speaker 1:

Not quite the same experience when I was in fifth grade. Sister Gratia asked the class could someone make an advent candle? And I immediately raised my hand. Sister Gratia was a tough, tough customer. She was mean, like a lot of nuns back then were mean. I said sure, and I knew there was no way. My mother was going to sit down and make a candle with me and my dad was a traveling sales guy. But I had a grandma who could pretty much do anything. And I came home and I said, grandma, I have to make an advent candle. I had to do layers of colors, because there's purple, there's pink and it's in layers. And Sister Gratia, I think, expected me to do this in like a day, because I came back without it the next day. She said what's a candle? I said what? And then I said, grandma, you got to help me and there was my wonderful grandmother more melting crayons and making this candle and it was a little messy, but my goodness, my goodness, was it a candle? So I could do my own Netflix series about how to make an advent candle. I love my grandmother to this day for that.

Speaker 1:

Megan is doing a lot of things that aren't necessarily relatable. If I could give it a one word review, it matches the aesthetic and it's this beige, it's beige, it's fine, but it's beige. And a garden has comforting recipes. I followed her sea salt chocolate cookies that she made with Willie Geist. I've been making them ever since. My kids love them. Megan is more polished. Authenticity ultimately resonates deeper than perfection, in my opinion. So the show works, but it's just too too, too. You know Now, if you're navigating your own tricky reputation moments, personal and professional, this is the time to jump into my world, my hub, my content.

Speaker 1:

I am always looking for ways to help people learn PR and how they can apply it to their work as a communicator or just in their life. That's why I've moved over to Substack. You can find my hub of content there. I have weekly lives, and if you're a member of my community or someone who purchases an indestructible PR playbook, you will have access to my monthly trainings as well and monthly workshops. I have one coming up this April, so head on over to my Substack if you want to find out about it.

Speaker 1:

Check it out, because your reputation deserves more than these reactive fixes that we see celebrities out there do. It deserves, you know, intentional protection and I want to give you that. So here's your PR challenge for the week. Imagine you're advising Meghan Markle. Would you recommend this exact approach that she's on right now? Does her timing seem strategic, authentic or a bit too convenient? Let's have this conversation online. I genuinely want your thoughts. Tell me on Substack, hop on the live this week. I genuinely want your thoughts, because PR isn't passive, it's ongoing dialogue. That's it for this episode of the PR Breakdown. Remember, insider knowledge isn't gossip, it's armor. So, everyone, stay strategic, stay authentic and turn every crisis into an opportunity to build your indestructible reputation. Until next time, keep your reputation strong by eyeballing what other people are doing in your world and in the big celebrity world, political world. Look for the insights, and it's usually found in the intentions. See you next time. Bye for now.

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Molly McPherson

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