Prince George’s birth a study in royal branding success

Resurrection of the British monarchy due to strategic use of media relations

At the end of the last century, the royal family’s brand was tarnished and the monarchy was in crisis.

First there was a series of scandals, extramarital affairs and divorce. Then the most popular royal, Diana, died suddenly.

The tone-deaf reaction of the Queen and other members of the family seemed to make them complicit in the national despair, causing a breach of trust and plummeting popularity.

Not even an unprecedented public speech by Her Majesty and a restructuring of the financial relationship between the monarchy and taxpayers made much of a difference. A survey in 2002 found that almost four times as many young people in Britain were interested in the lives of The Simpsons as compared to the members of the royal family.

Many people wondered how much longer beyond the reign of Elizabeth the institution would survive.

Now, barely a decade later, the future of the monarchy seems assured for at least another three generations. What changed? How did the royals resurrect their brand?

First, the product improved dramatically. Instead of gossip and infidelities, the last three years have seen a royal wedding, a diamond jubilee and the birth of a new heir, giving the public many reasons to celebrate the monarchy instead of being ashamed of it.

But much of the renewed popularity of the royals has happened not because of more appealing events and activities but the careful and strategic public and media relations around them.

First, there has been a clear change in approach and tone. The family learned a lesson after Diana’s death and it now understands it must, like most businesses and other institutions, earn the loyalty of the public rather than expect it.

It also sees the benefit of being proactive rather than reactive about its relationship with the public, to set the agenda rather than to follow it.

In the past decade there has been a renewed focus on duty, with the military service of Princes William and Harry as just one example. Their activities have been managed strategically to emphasize they are serving the country in real and difficult circumstances, not just photo opportunities.

The family has also taken care to ensure their endeavours match the public mood. Both the wedding and the jubilee fell during a period of austerity in Britain; royal organizers took great care to strike the right balance between pageantry and restraint.

Beyond that, the monarchy has proven to be good for business in Britain.

The wedding and jubilee have created large spikes in tourism and the institution remains one of the country’s best attractions, inextricably linked to the visitor experience.

But the family has pulled off some surprising marketing feats.

In the past few years, Prince Charles has engaged strong advisers who have helped him restore his damaged public image, not a simple accomplishment after he and his current wife were blamed for the end of his marriage to Diana and he had been dismissed by many as a flaky environmentalist fogey unworthy of the crown.

He now seems much more likable.

Likewise, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have hired a team of young media and marketing experts to shape their brand and engage a younger audience.

The royal couple may not intend to have a full-time nanny, but they do have several people micromanaging their public image.

And unlike past royal advisers, their group understands the nature of the media today, the constant demand of news channels and Twitter and the status of the royals as a celebrity family in an age of reality television.

The Duke and Duchess’s advisers have found a way to feed the appetite without saturating it. They are also adept at using both the carrot and the stick.

They are strategic about handing out media opportunities and also unafraid to drop the legal hammer on any organization that crosses the line.

All of this is a delicate balance that they have so far mastered.

There have been stumbles along the way — most of them involving Prince Harry — but the new generation has been media friendly and accessible in a way that previous royals haven’t been.

Look at the ease with which Prince William handled his informal chat with the media when the couple emerged from hospital this week with their newborn son.

William even popped his son’s car seat into place and drove away himself.

He may have some natural talent in this area, but there also would have been a great deal of thought and planning that would have gone into that moment and so many others.

But just because they understand the media doesn’t mean they constantly cater to it. They managed to keep the Duchess hidden from public view for a month and snuck her into the hospital through a back door.

It’s clear they are in control of the story rather than reacting to it.

You need only look at the performance of Montreal, Maine & Atlantic railway to see a contrasting example.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (and their newborn son) have become the royal family’s greatest assets.

But while it would be easy to conclude the royal family’s improved fortunes arise from a wedding and a birth and some appealing young faces, there’s a lot more to it.

In business terms, the brand has clearly been boosted by some clever product development and a solid public relations strategy.