Uncommon Knowledge
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s international expansion of their PR operation is “long overdue” for a couple in their position and is a strong investment in their future, an entertainment expert has told Newsweek. However, whether it can turn around their divisive public image remains to be seen.
The royal couple have added two high-powered communications professionals to their team to overhaul their relationships with the media, amid a number of new ventures in the entertainment sphere.
Former United Talent Agency communications pro Kyle Boulia has joined the Sussexes’ California team as deputy press secretary and director of communications, becoming the main point of contact for all U.S. media outlets.
PR professional Charlie Gipson has also taken on the task of heading up the couple’s first U.K. hub since their split from the monarchy. As director of communications, Gipson will be the point of contact for all U.K. and European media outlets wanting information about Harry and Meghan.
Both Boulia and Gipson will report to the couple’s incumbent global press secretary and head of communications, Ashley Hansen.
These high-powered (and presumably high-priced) new appointments are the biggest signals that Harry and Meghan are planning on expanding their creative and philanthropic outputs and becoming a larger presence on the global stage.
Mark Boardman, entertainment expert and founder of MarkMeets, told Newsweek this will leave the couple’s newly enhanced team with a series of reputational challenges.
“Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s PR team expansion is a long-overdue move,” he said. “The couple’s public image strategy clearly needed reevaluation, and these new hires indicate a new focus with areas for improvement and a more resourceful press team needed to take charge.”
“The appointments, with expertise in both the U.S. and U.K., signal a strategic approach to managing their public personas across continents, and show us that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are investing in themselves and their brand.”
Boardman noted that the couple’s public image, while not wholly positive at present, has the potential to be turned around.
“Public perception is malleable,” he said. “And improved communication can only positively impact the reception of Harry and Meghan’s future endeavors, including documentaries and Meghan’s lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard, having had less success than they had hoped for to win back public trust for their lackluster apologies.”
On what the biggest challenge facing the team will be, Boardman suggested “understanding the couple’s current standing” and crafting a communication strategy that effectively works with the media, instead of against it, to “improve relations and better meet public expectations.”
“A more open and transparent approach could be a key component,” he said. “But its success depends on careful execution to ensure improved credibility.”
Overall, he noted, the move is a good one for Harry and Meghan and an important investment in their future as public figures hoping to increase their global presence in a positive way.
“Only time will tell if this PR move will showcase the couple’s work in a positive light, with a more strategic approach to their personas,” Boardman concluded. “When it comes to brand deals to help reignite public acceptance for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a change can only improve the outcome and now the hard work begins for the new starters.”
Newsweek approached representatives of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle via email for comment.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan Markle and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We’d love to hear from you.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of Tesla soared Wednesday as investors bet that the electric vehicle maker and its CEO Elon Musk will benefit from Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Tesla stands to make significant gains under a Trump administration with the threat of diminished subsidies for alternative energy and electric vehicles doing the most harm to smaller competitors. Trump’s plans for extensive tariffs on Chinese imports make it less likely that Chinese EVs will be sold in bulk in the U.S. anytime soon.
“Tesla has the scale and scope that is unmatched,” said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, in a note to investors. “This dynamic could give Musk and Tesla a clear competitive advantage in a non-EV subsidy environment, coupled by likely higher China tariffs that would continue to push away cheaper Chinese EV players.”
Tesla shares jumped 14.8% Wednesday while shares of rival electric vehicle makers tumbled. Nio, based in Shanghai, fell 5.3%. Shares of electric truck maker Rivian dropped 8.3% and Lucid Group fell 5.3%.
Tesla dominates sales of electric vehicles in the U.S, with 48.9% in market share through the middle of 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Subsidies for clean energy are part of the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022. It included tax credits for manufacturing, along with tax credits for consumers of electric vehicles.
Musk was one of Trump’s biggest donors, spending at least $119 million mobilizing Trump’s supporters to back the Republican nominee. He also pledged to give away $1 million a day to voters signing a petition for his political action committee.
In some ways, it has been a rocky year for Tesla, with sales and profit declining through the first half of the year. Profit did rise 17.3% in the third quarter.
The U.S. opened an investigation into the company’s “Full Self-Driving” system after reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian. The investigation covers roughly 2.4 million Teslas from the 2016 through 2024 model years.
And investors sent company shares tumbling last month after Tesla unveiled its long-awaited robotaxi at a Hollywood studio Thursday night, seeing not much progress at Tesla on autonomous vehicles while other companies have been making notable progress.
Tesla began selling the software, which is called “Full Self-Driving,” nine years ago. But there are doubts about its reliability.
The stock is now showing a 16.1% gain for the year after rising the past two days.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 100 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in base metal and utility stocks, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 103.40 points at 24,542.48.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 192.31 points at 42,932.73. The S&P 500 index was up 7.14 points at 5,822.40, while the Nasdaq composite was down 9.03 points at 18,306.56.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.44 cents US on Tuesday.
The November crude oil contract was down 71 cents at US$69.87 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down eight cents at US$2.42 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$7.20 at US$2,686.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was up a penny at US$4.35 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 200 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were also headed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 205.86 points at 24,508.12.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 336.62 points at 42,790.74. The S&P 500 index was up 34.19 points at 5,814.24, while the Nasdaq composite was up 60.27 points at 18.342.32.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.71 cents US on Thursday.
The November crude oil contract was down 15 cents at US$75.70 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.65 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$29.60 at US$2,668.90 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents at US$4.47 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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