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Meghan Markle<\/a> was warned by a PR expert<\/a>, who said she faces a big \u201c strategic issue\u201d regarding her lifestyle brand, As Ever<\/a>, just days after its viewing figures were revealed<\/a>. The Duchess of Sussex launched As Ever in April 2025 and has since released several collections and products.<\/p>\n This week, reports claimed the website has seen a 36% growth since October. Data from SimilarWeb, gathered by Newsweek<\/a>, showed that As Ever\u2019s website saw an increase in visitors, with 196,831 visits in October and 268,200 in January. The growth appeared to be steady, with 245,982 visits in December.<\/p>\n But despite the \u201csolid growth\u201d, a PR expert stressed that Meghan needs to focus on one key factor if she wants to truly establish her brand in the long term.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Renae Smith, founder of PR and branding agency The Atticism<\/a>, told the Daily Express: \u201cA 36% traffic increase from October to January is solid growth on paper.<\/p>\n \u201cFor a relatively new lifestyle brand without a traditional retail footprint, that\u2019s respectable. However, traffic is not the same as traction. What matters more is conversion rate, repeat purchase behaviour, and inventory management.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve seen items sell out in minutes, including the recent bookmark that reportedly went in under a minute. That can mean high demand, but it can also mean extremely limited stock. Without context, a one-minute sellout is just a headline.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Smith added that, from a business standpoint, artificial scarcity can work in the short term; however, it can signal a planning issue in the long term.<\/p>\n Ensure our latest royal headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. <\/strong>Click here to activate<\/a><\/strong> or just add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n She said: \u201cIf you are repeatedly caught short, that\u2019s not mystique, it\u2019s mismanagement. Is the brand heading in the right direction? In terms of attention, yes. In terms of structure, not yet. The biggest challenge is cohesion. A serious lifestyle brand needs rhythm.<\/p>\n \u201cClear drop calendars, consistent engagement between launches, and a defined point of view. Right now, it still feels reactive rather than disciplined.\u201d<\/p>\n She added: \u201cThe bigger strategic issue is alignment. If Harry is doing humanitarian travel and Meghan is scaling a commercial lifestyle brand, those two narratives need to feel complementary, not parallel.\u201d<\/p>\n