Transcription
Oh my goodness, there is tea brewing literally and figuratively. And Megan and her team are watching every single move that we make. So listen closely, folks. Save your money because Megan is upcharging the Duchess out of her products. I'm talking triple the price. What in the despicable Duchess is she thinking? Let's unpack what's brewing behind the rebranded Reebok royalty scam. Because nothing says female founder like a markup and a meta data cover up.
[Music] Hello everyone, I'm Star Chairs and in this channel we break down videos through the lens of PR. Now in full transparency last night I watched Think Beautiful's video and right after I jumped over to Megan's website to try and replicate what she showed us on her video. to Noval. I could not get the same results. I got frustrated, slept for the night. Fast forward to this morning, and Think Beautiful released a follow-up video revealing that Megan's team had already updated the site and scrubbed the data. So, that could explain why I couldn't replicate the process yesterday night because the digital cleanup crew went to work already. And then I saw this article by the Daily Mail and I'm like, "Oh my goodness." The Daily Mail has its paws right on this.
So, with that said and explained, Megan Markle's As ever Tea line is allegedly being produced by the Republic of Tea. Now, this is a well-known brand that already makes teas for Netflix shows like Bridgeten, Downtown Abbey, and that's right, Megan went from Duchess of Sussex to Duchess of Surplus Inventory. And if you thought this was a custom luxury concoction infused with royal fairy pixie dust, think again. The hibiscus tea sold by Republic of Tea is only 32 cents a cup. Megan's version, a royal $1 per cup. That's a three times markup and it comes in a smaller tin. Is it the same formula? We won't know exactly, but it's not exactly farm to palace either. For someone who claims she created as ever to elevate us, let's be real, she's not elevating a darn thing. Partnering with Netflix linked white label tea supplier is not innovation, Megan, and it's white labeling 101. This isn't building a brand. This is just printing a logo and charging a Duchess size markup, which is hilarious. At least for us, right? It's hilarious for us, not for her.
But here's where the tea gets even more awkward. As ever website has the metadata brand Republic of Tea until the Think Beautiful reported. And then the Daily Mail picked it up and started snooping just like the rest of us. And the moment the Daily Mail contacted Megan's team, hoya, cuz they contacted her, poof, it changed. And now it says in the data as ever store like girl like we caught you. They caught you. If you're going to resell tea, just own it. Don't scrub the HTML like it's a crime scene. Just say, "Hey, yeah, I have been working with Republic of Tea to get and source the best tea out there." Don't go out there and just scrub it. Explain it. This is where Megan's team is just utterly guilty. They look completely guilty because they're like, "Let's scrub it. Let's scrub it." No, this was again another opportunity for her to say, "Yes, I am working with Republic of Tea, but they the but my tea is coming from a different source. I am working with them to get tea because they're the best out there to get me the best teas." I don't know something. Megan, don't just go out there and scrub your website. That makes you look even more guilty. When you're proud of your product, you don't hide your vendor. You elevate them. Megan, if your brand foundation requires metadata cleanup the moment the press calls and YouTubers catch you and you hide everything, what the what do you want us to think? That you were in the kitchen making the tea? No, we know that wasn't happening. We the people had the inclination that you were white labeling and that is fine in business, but you were upcharging up the wazoo for yours. Why can't you just be honest, Megan? Why? That's the one thing. This is what she doesn't understand. This is why we don't like her cuz she keeps lying.
And just when you think the performance is over, the branding steps into Shakespeare mode. Megan's site claims the teas are inspired by her recipes and bespoke concepts, but the fulfillment center still Republic of Tees. So, are you handcrafting these in your Monteito kitchen or just sending them over a canva mood board? You let us know, Megan. Also, bonus points for theatrics because Megan's tea bags are triangle shape with strings, not round like the ones from Republic of Tea. So, we're paying $12 for geometry.
Now, here's the part of the Daily Mail article that is interesting because it states, and let me read directly from them. There is also a nod to the partnership in the website's FAQs under the product section, which has the question, how do you bring your products to life? The answer is listed as we partner with the best-in-class vendors to bring our product ideas to life, translating our founders recipes and bespoke concepts into beautiful scalable goods. And in the shipping policy section, there is a note saying, "Please note that our products are delivered from the Republic of TE's fulfillment centers." At the time of recording this, they changed the shipping policy once again. So, at the time that the Daily Mail started doing their investigation, the shipping policy is exactly what I just read to you. But then, while recording this video, you see that the shipping policy no longer says delivered from Republic of Te's Fulfillment Centers. So, they deleted it and they went ahead and updated it. Again, changing stuff. All she had to do was own up to it. But no. A representative for the Duchess declined to comment to mail online yesterday.
All right, let's not pretend that this is some artisal kitchen situation where Megan's in an apron steeping hibiscus petals by moonlight and the only thing bespoke here is the storytelling in the shipping note straight from the Republic of Te's fulfillment center. So, not only is she using their product, she's using their warehouse, too. Girl, this is like 101 drop shipping. Like, this isn't entrepreneurship. Well, it is, but oh my god, you're not a founder. You're a drop shipper. And the best part is that a representative for the Duchess declined to comment. And of course they did because when the curtain gets pulled back, the elevation looks more like repackaging, silence is the only strategy they have left.
Now she's about to launch her rosé wine in a couple of days. And the picture says Napa Valley. So can we safely assume that this is also drop shipping from Napa? What do you guys think? Should I buy it and review it for you all? I'm not much of a wine drinker, but I mean, I can try it. By the way, I also read in the comments that you can buy Republic of Tea in some groceries near you. I know nowhere in my grocery store, we only have HB here, so in Walmart, so I'm not going to be able to get any of that.
All right, so what does this all mean? You cannot build a premium brand without premium clarity. As ever is trying to be everything at once. Whimsical, empowerment, luxury, nappa wine, creb mix. There's no threat, just vibes and markups. So, there you have it. A lifestyle brand with no lifestyle, a product line with no product innovation, and a founder who's selling repackaged tees while editing her own meta data like she's erasing internet history. Creators, let this be your reminder. Branding isn't about slapping your name on a product. It's about building real trust. If your strategy requires smoke, mirrors, and silence when the media calls, then your brand is a house of cards with a teaag on top. So, don't be a me. Built differently.
All right, my friends. Sip wisely. And hey, thank you very much for watching. Hit the like and subscribe button and let me know your thoughts below. I'll see you in the next one. Bye.
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