Meghan Markle, 39, recently announced a foray into business confirming she had ploughed money into vegan coffee brand Clevr Blend that makes instant oat lattes. Ahead of the official announcement, Meghan’s close friend chat show host Oprah Winfrey plugged the product on Instagram after receiving a hamper of sachets from Meghan. Less than a week later and one of Instagram’s biggest influencers Kim Kardashian West has also promoted Clevr Blends on social media.
In 2019, Kim disclosed in court papers that she can charge companies between £222,000 ($300,000) to £370,000 ($500,00) for paid-for Instagram posts.
Two packs of Clevr Blends coffee featured in a hamper of goodies that Kim posted as part of a recent Instagram story.
The post read: “@aliceandolivia Thank you.”
Alice and Olivia Alice & is a fashion brand founded by friends Kourtney and Stacey.
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The brand designed the clothes for Kim’s app which launched a few years back.
While Meghan Markle may not have been behind the Clevr Blend samples Kim received, the recent post will be a massive boost for the brand.
Kim has more than 190 million followers on Instagram and a single post from her reaches huge audiences.
Meghan confirmed her investment in Clevr Blends in a statement which read: “This investment is in support of a passionate female entrepreneur who prioritises building community alongside her business.”
Commenting on how Oprah’s involvement was received by royal insiders, The Times royal correspondent Roya Nikkhah wrote: “The manner of last week’s coup induced a bout of queasiness in royal circles, where Oprah’s involvement was considered ‘tacky’ and ‘clumsy’.
“Harry and Meghan had pledged their future activities would ‘uphold the values of Her Majesty’.
“An almighty plug from a talk-show host flagging her royal connections has stretched the elastic contours of the Megxit deal to snapping point.”
However, the move has been widely praised by business insiders including one PR boss who has claimed the investment could make Harry and Meghan very rich.
CEO of NYC based 5WPR PR agency Ronn Torossian said: “Add the Duchess of Sussex to the list of high-profile investors in start-up companies.”
He added: “The old saying of all you need is a dollar and a dream often rings true for investors in start-up companies, as success is tremendously difficult to come by in the startup world.”
“Of course, the world’s first instant oat milk latte will overnight become a household name as an investment from Meghan Markle is worth more than just a check.
He added: “It means they get worldwide recognition and brand awareness.
“Everything about this investment is aligned with the Duchess’s personal brand, which has real potential to resonate with consumers.
“Her authenticity and endorsement of the product bring an invaluable currency that very few startup consumer brands will ever experience.
“I see a very promising future for Clevr coffee with earnings into the millions.”
