Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been given advice about their new Netflix drama, which will be set in the high-profile polo community of Wellington, Florida.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are co-producing the series with Fake Empire through their company Archewell Productions.
Sharing her two-cents on the upcoming show, PR expert Renae Smith said Harry and Meghan need to be clear about what the show is promoting.
She warned the couple that trying to make an exclusive sport like polo seem “for everyone” could backfire.
“The key is honesty. Audiences are very comfortable watching wealth and privilege when it’s presented as exactly that,” she told The Express.
The expert continued, “What they don’t respond well to is being told it’s relatable or accessible when it clearly isn’t.
“That’s where I think the risk sits with this concept. The idea of ‘widening the scope’ of an elitist sport sounds good on paper (I guess) and I assume that’s how they’ve pitched it, but in reality, polo is definitely an elite sport - let’s not joke ourselves.
“Trying to position it as something for everyone will come across as out of touch very quickly. People don’t need it to be relatable; they just need it to be interesting.
Sharing advice for the California-based royal couple, she said, “If I were advising them, I would be asking a more fundamental question, which is why keep flogging this space, and why now.
“Not every brand needs to keep producing content. Sometimes stepping back and rebuilding relevance elsewhere is the smarter move.”