Megan Markel is regarded by many as one of the most beaming influencers in the world of fashion. Anything the Duchess of Sussex wears instantly becomes a best-seller. This spike in sales has become a phenomenon that experts call the Meghan Markel effect. Sarafan COO Ksenia Shirokova takes a closer look at how these hypes are explained and how any given businesses could use them to their advantage.

The Meghan Markle Effect

fashion hypes inspired by royalties and celebrities are nothing new. kings queens presidents first ladies have always been fashion influencers. the most famous personalities included prominent members of royal family for example queen elizabeth ii princess diana kate middleton now megan markle who has far had powerful impact on industry. here a few examples how:

The LINE white jacket which Meghan wore during the engagement photos was sold out within minutes after pictures were published.
The Bathrobe-like coat by Canadian designer Mackage, which Meghan wore in Belfast sold out within an hour and had customers queuing waiting lists online.
A Strathberry handbag which Meghan wore for the first time after her wedding day was sold out on the official website in record-breaking speed, with site online traffic increasing to 5000.

Why is Meghan special?

Why is Meghan so popular and how come her taste in fashion is so powerful? Well, there are three main reasons for that. Firstly, Meghan’s style is relatable to the general public because she mixes classical and sporty styles in most of her outfits. Secondly, Meghan has been consistent in developing her own style, therefore she doesn’t switch for one-minute fashion trends. Finally, and to some extent most importantly, she has what all the famous royalties have had- a sense of originality, a difference in attitude and style. Ms Markle, either due to her nationality, her race or life experience has automatically introduced a new, more down to earth era in the Royal Family. These three influences allow the general public to resonate with her in a wider sense which can be noticed through the following of her fashion choices.

What can businesses learn from the Megan Markle effect?

As far as Meghan Markle is probably one of the most effective influencers out there getting to work with her is practically out of the question. Buckingham Palace affirmed that advertising offers are not even considered and that any promotional items sent are swiftly sent back. The only possibility of the Dutchess of Sussex wearing a line of clothing is...if she chooses to do so out of her own will and decides to wear it in public. Statically the chances are rather slim, but there’s still a lesson to be learned. Here are a few hints as to what brands do to increase demand:

1) Replicate the style

As mentioned above, Meghan prefers classic tastes which can be easily found in your typical online store. Gather as many pictures as you can of what the Duchess is wearing and try to align your campaign accordingly. Case and point, data from our Sarafan Technology widget shows that pictures of Meghan and her clothes are clicked more often than others.

2) Bringing the Royal Family closer - Quizzes, surveys and games

The media, especially in the United Kingdom write about Meghan constantly. Regardless of whether the publicity is good or not, at the end of the day, it’s still publicity and updates are posted regularly. The biggest fashion journals have already begun capitalizing on this publicity as they create separate spaces on their sites where they publish updates, analysis and news about Meghan and the Royal Family. One way these sites interact with users is also by creating a variety of surveys with the latest one being “How will Meghan and Harry name the royal baby?” or “Which of Meghan’s latest looks do you like best?”. The possibilities are limitless.

3) Create a “Meghan Collection” on your website

Before meeting Prince Harry, Meghan wrote about buying eco-friendly trousers (those which don’t use animal products). Soon after, lo and behold the interest in eco-friendly trousers increased by 70 percent. The lesson to be learned is to listen and research to the Duchesses fashion judgments before they become hyped. You’ll soon realize how interest and revenue increase inevitably. Analysts predict that the Meghan Effect will only become more common in years to come. With the birth of their son, Harry and Meghan are once more on the front pages after a period of relevant silence. In the coming months, Meghan with her baby son will return to public events and will once again inspire all of us with their outfits and all that’s left to do is to wait patiently and listen attentively.

This article was written for FashionUnited by Sarafan Technology Inc. Sarafan Technology is a Marketing Tech company based in the USA and Europe. The company is a developer of interactive Advertising solutions for publishers. All the solutions are based on Artificial Intelligence technology Sarafan.AI that identifies objects in photos and videos published in media websites and searches for identical or similar items in online stores.

Portraight photo: Tolga Akmen / AFP/ Pool