How Prince Harry has become a luxury influencer, not just a marketing gimmick

Prince Harry’s role as the Chief Impact Officer at a Silicon Valley company, might seem surprising, but he is no marketing gimmick.

Prince Harry’s appointment as the Chief Impact Officer for Silicon Valley company, BetterUp Inc might seem surprising, but it is totally in line with the move Luxury Influencers the world over are making right now.

We’ve recently witnessed many companies appoint celebrities and elite experts to their boards and advisory panels – Oprah to WW, Shaquille O’Neal to Papa John’s and Serena Williams to Poshmark just to name a few.

While traditionalists might shake their heads and see this just as a marketing gimmick, high-profile appointments can make a significant contribution to company direction, audience penetration and impact.

Brands are seeking to deepen their connections with their dream audiences, and the human connection is so important in being able to achieve this. The way brands can connect most easily to an audience is by leveraging an Influencer as the conduit. Instead of the obvious mainstream strategy of an endorsement, many progressive companies are adding an influencer to their Board or executive team, seeing them deeply entrenched in the company policy, direction and strategy.

Our agency, Luxury Influencers, represents some of the most exciting elite experts on the planet, and we’re witnessing the beginning of a new era in the way Influencers intensify their impact and maximise their wealth – spurred on by a desire from brands to deepen their connection to their audience, and seeing Influencers as the conduit to make that connection come to life.

BetterUp HQ in San Francisco, where Prince Harry is now the Chief Impact Officer.

These experts are not your traditional “Influencers” – many of them are in tiny niches with tiny audiences, but what they bring to the table is massive credibility, a wealth of knowledge in their area of expertise, and a strong connection to a desired audience for the brand.

We call them Luxury Influencers because they are the most elite experts in their space, they define trends and they hold deep sway with their audience, who will make decisions based on their recommendations, actions and advice.

In our definition of a Luxury Influencer, Luxury has nothing to do with working with Chanel or Maserati. Instead, it has to do with the luxury business model which in essence starts at the top of the market and works its way down to achieve maximum market penetration.

Kathryn Porritt, CEO & Founder of the Luxury Influencers Agency. Picture: Supplied

Prince Harry is a shining example of a new Luxury Influencer in action. Having split from “the Firm”, he’s making strategic decisions to partner with brands that will increase his authority, resonate with his audience and, over time, diversify his commercial opportunities.

With this strategic appointment as an executive at BetterUp, he’s placing himself firmly in a position of influence with a highly impressive, inspirational brand. With Netflix and Spotify, he’s leveraging his profile to achieve diverse income streams in a way that again, will resonate with his audience.

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is making his own way in life outside the palace.

I sincerely hope that more elite experts and personal brands open their eyes to similar opportunities as Harry, and become Luxury Influencers.

I am constantly surprised at how shallow most experts are running their business interests. What I mean by that is that they’re missing out on a huge amount of influence, impact, and wealth by only scratching the surface of their opportunity.

I met with someone quite famous last week, who has a very successful business and is featured on a global TV show. You would think he would have all the layers sorted out. But, when we got talking about book deals, speaking, board appointments, consulting, and advisory positions, not to mention endorsements, sponsorships, and partnerships … he had none of it. Literally, none. And, he’s sitting on a goldmine. A goldmine of wealth potential. A goldmine of impact potential.

The potential to create a legacy – deeply.

So, elite experts watch Harry’s every move. He’s your beacon right now. The ultimate Luxury Influencer in action.

– Kathryn Porritt is CEO and founder of the Luxury Influencers Agency.

Originally published as How Prince Harry has become a luxury influencer, not just a marketing gimmick