Harry and Meghan need to stop hiring yes-men if they want to recover from Spotify axing, expert says

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex need to stop hiring yes-men if they want their brand to recover after Spotify dropped the Archetypes podcast, an expert told i.

The termination of the Spotify deal, losing the couple an estimated £10m, increased speculation that the Duchess will now relaunch her wellness and lifestyle blog The Tig, which was mothballed when she married into the Royal Family.

The Duchess shut down the site in April 2017, saying farewell to her loyal readers in a final message. “After close to three beautiful years on this adventure with you, it’s time to say goodbye to The Tig,” she wrote.

Experts told i the revival would be a good move for the couple.

“Meghan could now seek to capitalise on her status as a global influencer by using a relaunched [The] Tig as a vehicle to market Archewell podcasts and other products, in a bid which could rival Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop lifestyle website, which is reportedly worth £200m,” brand and culture expert Nick Ede said.

“It would give Meghan an independent platform. She wouldn’t have to share revenues with Spotify, she could earn money from affiliates for featuring products she endorses.”

But Mark Borkowski, PR agent, said it might not be that simple.

“Meghan could build her own Goop for the greater good of the planet but that means entering a world already populated by not just Paltrow but the Kardashians,” he said.

“Harry and Meghan need attention, visibility and money, but people are getting bored of their narrative.

“The Sussexes need to become a silent power. Losing the Spotify deal is a blow. They need to hire a critical friend in their organisation to advise them on producing compelling content, someone who can say ‘no’ to them.”

The Sussexes are said to understand the need to pivot. In April, the Duchess and Archewell signed with Hollywood talent agency WME.

Top power-agent Ari Emanuel will help expand the duo’s global film and TV production aspirations, brand partnerships and overall businesses.

Further titles are expected from Prince Harry’s contract with Penguin Books, which produced the best-selling Spare autobiography, another plank in the couple’s bid to become financially independent after their move to California.

But they will likely struggle to sign a new deal to match the estimated $25m (£18m) contract offered by Spotify for the Archetypes series, about discrimination and sexism faced by women, because of their recent over-exposure, experts said.

Archewell and Spotify “mutually agreed to part ways” after the Duchess delivered 12 episodes of Archetypes, featuring celebrity guests including Mariah Carey and Serena Williams.

The Sussexes will not collect the full amount of the £18m deal because they didn’t deliver enough programming, according to reports.

New potential podcast partners such as Apple or Amazon’s Audible would likely have concerns over the Sussexes ability to deliver a reliable volume of content.

The Duchess might be able to strike a deal with subscription podcast platforms like Luminary and Wondery, which charge listeners $4.99 a month for unlimited content.

However the entire podcast market is contracting as platforms struggle to turn a profit from the listening bloom. Spotify has laid off 200 people and is reducing its original podcast content. Luminary is reportedly also making cuts.