Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly - London Bridge Is Down: How The Queen’s Death Affects Marketing

Episode Date: January 7, 2023

To kick off our 2023 season, we look at how the Queen’s death affects the marketing world. Over 600 companies had been granted a Royal Warrant by Queen Elizabeth,giving them prestige and enviable marketing power. But with the monarch’s death – all Royal Warrants become null and void. It’s now up to King Charles to honour them– or not. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi, it's Terry O'Reilly. As you may know, we've been producing a lot of bonus episodes while under the influences on hiatus. They're called the Beatleology Interviews, where I talk to people who knew the Beatles, work with them, love them, and the authors who write about them. Well, the Beatleology Interviews have become a hit, so we are spinning it out to be a standalone podcast series. You've already heard conversations with people like actors Mark Hamill, Malcolm McDowell, and Beatles confidant Astrid Kershaw. But coming up, I talk to May Pang, who dated John Lennon in the mid-70s. I talk to double fantasy guitarist Earl Slick, Apple Records creative director John Kosh. I'll be talking to Jan Hayworth,

who designed the Sgt. Pepper album cover. Very cool. And I'll talk to singer Dion, who is one of only five people still alive who were on the Sgt. Pepper cover. And two of those people were Beatles. The stories they tell are amazing. So thank you for making this series such a success. And please, do me a favor, follow the Beatleology interviews on your podcast app. You don't even have to be a huge Beatles fan, you just have to love storytelling.

Subscribe now, and don't miss a single beat. This is an apostrophe podcast production. Your teeth look whiter than no nose You're not you when you're hungry You're a good hand with all teeth You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly. When Queen Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022, a phone call was immediately placed from her private secretary, Sir Edward Young, to British Prime Minister Liz Truss.

When Truss picked up the phone, Young uttered one sentence to her. He said, London Bridge is down. That was code. It meant the Queen was dead. That sentence started a monumental chain of events. After the Prime Minister was notified, news alerts were sent out to 15 governments where Queen Elizabeth II served as head of state, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Then the other 38 nations in the Commonwealth were notified. A newsflash was sent to media organizations around the world. An unofficial transition of power quickly took place, with Charles becoming the oldest king in British history. The Prime Minister and King Charles then issued statements regarding the Queen's passing. And the official notification of the Queen's death was pinned to the gates of Buckingham Palace. With that, Operation London Bridge kicked into gear. That is the code for the succession rules and funeral plans that have long been in place for the Queen's passing.

Code names for the funeral plans of royal family members in the 20th and 21st centuries have all used the names of prominent bridges in the United Kingdom. Operation Tay Bridge was the code used for the Queen Mother, Operation Fourth Bridge was used for Prince Philip's passing, and Operation Man Eye Bridge will be the code for King Charles' funeral plans. Newsrooms were well prepared for the Queen's death. Pre-written obituaries were published immediately. At The Guardian, one of Britain's daily newspapers, the deputy editor had a long list of prepared stories pinned to his wall. The Times, another newspaper, had 11 days of coverage ready to go.

This is BBC News. We're interrupting our schedules for the following announcement. Buckingham Palace has announced the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. A statement from the palace said, the Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. After the announcement of the monarch's death, the BBC's logo immediately went to black and all anchors changed into black suits and ties. Then the network displayed a photo of the Queen and the national anthem was played.

The BBC also fired up its Radio Alert Transmission System, or RATS for short. It is a Cold War era alarm. While many of the BBC's staff was aware of it, they had never seen it in action. This alarm goes off in all BBC newsrooms in the event of a high-profile royal death. It beeps like an alarm clock.

In Britain's commercial radio stations, a blue light flashes, indicating either the death of a royal or a national catastrophe. All major news outfits have had death rehearsals

for decades, where staff practices formal procedures in the event of a royal passing. It's taken quite seriously. As one high-ranking BBC editor once said to a protégé, there's a fine tradition in the BBC of someone losing their job at a time like this. Make sure it isn't you.

From that point on, all regular programming is suspended and constant news coverage of the Queen's passing takes over. With that, the UK, along with many Commonwealth countries around the world, mourn her passing and get set to implement the many changes that accompany the death of a Queen. The death of Queen Elizabeth II has wide-ranging implications, including in the world of marketing.

The Queen has been a constant draw for UK tourism for over 70 years. The royal family generates billions for the UK economy. And over 800 companies have been granted a royal warrant of appointment,

a kind of seal of approval from the royal family. These 800 companies do business with the royals, and displaying the royal coat of arms in their marketing is a powerful way to generate revenue. But now that the queen has passed, over 600 of those royal warrants are about to be cancelled.

Unless King Charles deems otherwise. You're under the influence. When Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8th, a lot of change was set in motion. Her son became King Charles III. Camilla became the Queen Consort. The anthem God Save the Queen transitioned to God Save the King. In the UK, currency, stamps, passports, mailboxes, uniforms, and even police helmets that feature the Queen's ER emblem will all have to be redesigned.

And over the years, the Queen, her late husband Philip, and her son Charles have granted what is known as a Royal Warrant of Appointment to a wide range of products and trades. These Royal Warrants are traditionally granted to companies who have demonstrated excellence while supplying the royal household with their products or services. That warrant allows those companies the privilege of displaying the royal coat of arms on their logos, stationery, buildings, vehicles, packaging, and in all their marketing. So, for example, on a bottle of Heinz ketchup in the UK, the neck label contains the royal arms along with the wording,

by appointment to Her Majesty the Queen. If that warrant had been granted by Prince Philip, it would say, by appointment to the Duke of Edinburgh. Or, past warrants granted by Charles would say, by appointment to the Prince of Wales. While a royal warrant is an important distinction in the marketplace, it is not an endorsement, by the way. The royal family doesn't do endorsements.

It is a special acknowledgement of a commercial relationship between the royal household and a company of high quality. A royal warrant is a very desirable mark of prestige. In order for a company to be eligible for a royal warrant, it must have provided the royal household with its product or service for five years. A royal warrant doesn't mean the product is the best in its category, and it doesn't mean the royal family uses that product exclusively. It means the company does business with the royal household, it meets the royal family's criterion as an excellent company,

and a member of the royal family has agreed to grant it a warrant. It does not cost anything to grant it a warrant. It does not cost anything to receive a royal warrant, and the company does not supply its product or service for free. Each warrant is valid for five years, after which time it must reapply to renew it. The royal warrant doesn't just bestow bragging rights. It has marketing power, with some estimates stating it adds, at minimum, a 10% boost to revenues domestically and even more in other countries around the world.

The granting of royal warrants has be traced back to medieval times. Back then, competition for royal favor was intense, and the monarch had the pick of the country's best tradespeople. Around that time, royal charters were awarded for loyal service. The earliest recorded royal charter was granted by King Henry II to a weaver's company for clothes making in the year 1155. By the 15th century, the Lord Chamberlain, who runs the royal household, began formally designating tradespeople with a royal warrant of appointment.

One of the most famous early recipients was William Caxton, who was appointed the king's printer in 1476. Henry VIII awarded a warrant to a supplier of swans and cranes. Queen Victoria was a big fan of royal warrants and bestowed over 2,000 of them during her 63-year reign. Of the roughly 830 royal warrants that exist today, 620 were granted by Queen Elizabeth, 34 by the late Prince Philip, and 182 by Charles. But here's where it gets interesting.

When a monarch dies, all warrants granted by that royal member become null and void. That means only the 182 granted by King Charles are still valid. The other 654 have to cross their fingers and reapply. And it's up to the new king to decide whether he wants to honor the past royal warrants or not. And if Charles decides not to renew certain brands, it will cost those companies millions of dollars

to remove the royal coat of arms from their packaging, their buildings, their stationery, their vehicles, and their marketing. The next decade or two will be interesting as Brand Windsor is now in the hands of King Charles. Brand Windsor, or the firm as the royal members refer to it, is a sizable entity.

Estimates value the royal brand at 67 billion pounds. Therefore, its influence remains sizable. King Charles alone will determine what the stipulations for royal warrants will be going forward. Historically, Charles has shown a great interest in the environment and sustainability. So, it's pretty much guaranteed that companies will not only have to have environmental policies,

but action plans. Even though Charles is in his 70s, he will bring new thinking to Royal Warrants, as will his wife Camilla. King Charles will probably name

his son and heir Prince William as the third grantor, and the prince will bring even more contemporary appointments into the royal fold. As it stands, the current list of companies and services with a royal warrant is both upscale and amusingly mundane. To begin with, not every category of business can apply for a Royal Warrant. For example, media companies, insurance and real estate brokers,

lawyers, party planners, and government agencies are not eligible. But there are many high-profile brands that boast Royal Warrants. Wedgwood China has held one since the 18th century. Other top brands include The Ritz London, fashion retailer Burberry, upscale grocer Fortnum & Mason, gin makers Gordon & Tanqueray, Bollinger Champagne, Cartier Jewelry, as well as Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, and Bentley. Lest you think all Royal Warrant holders are luxury brands, the following list may surprise you. In the 18th century, there was a warrant granted to a Royal Rat Catcher and a Royal Bug Taker.

More recently, Heinz Baked Beans has held a royal warrant since 1951. Retailer Carphone Warehouse has a royal warrant. So does Sleep Easy Mattresses. There are royal warrants for McLean's Toothpaste, HP Sauce, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Weetabix, a chainsaw company, a butcher, dry cleaners, a sock company, a porta-potty business, and in a full circle moment, Interesting to note that roughly 30 new royal warrants are granted each year.

Roughly the same number are revoked. And the reasons why royal warrants are cancelled can be very amusing. Each year, an average of 30 Royal Warrants are dropped or revoked. According to the Royal Warrants Holders Association, who oversees the administration of warrants are dropped or revoked. According to the Royal Warrants Holders Association, who oversees the administration of warrants, the usual reasons include the quality is not up to standard, the goods or services are no longer required by the royal household,

the business ceases to exist, goes into liquidation or is bankrupt, or the company shows no discretion in its dealings with the Royal Family. So, for example, in 1999, the Royal Family decided to end the Royal Warrant for the company that makes Benson & Hedges cigarettes. Charles no doubt influenced that decision, as he is an adamant anti-smoker. Hiram Walker Distillers was granted a royal warrant in 1898 by Queen Victoria. Her physician ordered her to cease drinking claret and champagne and instead prescribed Hiram Walker's Canadian Club Whiskey and Mineral Water as a digestive. Hiram Walker was the only North American distiller to be granted that distinction.

The warrant was renewed by Edward VII, George V, and George VI, but when it came to Queen Elizabeth, she withdrew the warrant. While Her Majesty did enjoy scotch, her drink of choice was gin. The royal warrant for Guinness beer was dropped. It seems no one in the royal household sips the stout anymore. Back in 2010, Harrods department store owner

Mohamed El-Fayed, father of Dodi El-Fayed, who died with Lady Diana that night, revealed he had burned the store's royal warrant, which it had held since 1913, because he believed the royal connection was a curse on the store. But maybe the most amusing story has to do with the Queen's official lingerie company.

Rigby and Peller has supplied the Queen, Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret with lingerie for decades. The company has held a royal warrant since 1960. But in 2018, June Kenton, co-owner of the company, published a book. It was an autobiography filled with tales of her years as the Grand Dame of British knickers, serving the famous, the rich, and the royal. The title of her book was Storm in a D-Cup. The Queen was not amused,

and that was it for the British economy. While it costs British taxpayers around £500 million per year for royal upkeep, it is estimated that Brand Windsor attracts £2.5 billion to the British economy annually, including around £550 million generated for UK tourism. The Queen's influence continued after her passing. On the day of her death, there was a 49% spike in flight searches from North America to London.

Thousands of people traveled to the UK to be there for the mourning period and to witness the funeral procession. Analysts believe there will be a surge in domestic and international tourism as the mass media surrounding Her Majesty's passing has ignited a desire to see England. Even Scotland is seeing a spike in tourism inquiries, as the Queen's procession traveled from Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh, giving beautiful Scotland wall-to-wall media coverage.

God crown you with a crown of glory and righteousness, that having a right faith and manifold fruit of good works, you may obtain the crown of an everlasting kingdom. Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953 was the first mass television event in the UK, attracting a bigger audience than radio for the first time. More than 20 million people watched. Her Majesty's funeral was reportedly watched by a peak of 37.5 million people in the UK and 4 billion worldwide. Almost all UK advertising was halted on the day of her funeral, out of respect for the proceedings. Mass media events are usually gold mines for the media.

Lots of coverage, lots of eyeballs and lots of advertising, usually sold at a premium. But the Queen's passing was the opposite. It was one of the most watched events in UK history, but there was an almost complete absence of advertising. Broadcasters, newspaper publishers, and social media platforms all instituted an unprecedented advertising blackout for a minimum of 24 hours. Digital billboard companies blanked all posters along the funeral route. Analysts estimate the ad blackouts during that 24-hour period cost media companies more than 100 million pounds in lost revenue. It was also a highly unusual time for newspapers.

There was a mad rush to buy supersized commemorative issues. The Guardian, for example, saw a 100% increase in sales the day after the Queen's passing, and presses struggled to meet the demand. But as a former co-owner of a magazine, I can tell you that newsstand sales do not float printing costs. Advertising revenue does. And with no advertising in the commemorative issues, the newspapers printed and sold hundreds of thousands of copies,

but incurred a loss doing so. Interesting to note that second-hand copies of those newspapers were selling for hundreds of pounds online. The Daily Mail issue marking the Queen's death has been selling for 100 pounds. On eBay, a copy of the Sunday Times commemorative issue sold for 300 pounds. Yet another issue was for sale for £500. It originally sold on newsstands for £2.50. While advertising was halted in the UK immediately after the Queen's death, that didn't stop companies

from posting tributes to the Queen. And some of them were in questionable taste. Thomas Cook Travel posted a simple tribute on social media showing a photo of the Queen

with the line Safe travels, ma'am. It was mocked online for attempting to be respectful while harboring a subtext of self-advancement. Lego did a tribute ad with an image of the Queen built from Lego pieces.

It, too, was mocked endlessly. A company called Ann Summers placed a tribute on its website featuring a picture of the Queen with the words, Thank you, Your Majesty. Ann Summers is a retailer specializing in sex toys and had links to those sex toys and other products just below the tribute.

A company called Ecotricity posted a tribute to Her Majesty. It had photoshopped the green jersey of the Forest Green Rovers football club onto the Queen along with the words, Thanks Liz. It prompted hundreds of complaints. The CEO of Ecotricity, who is also the chairman of the football club, said he had met the Queen and that she had a good sense of humor, unlike some here, quote unquote. CrossFit UK posted a Queen Elizabeth II workout of the day that featured various exercises followed by a minute of silence between sets.

An Australian pub posted an ad with a photo of the late queen with her grandson Prince Harry that said, quote, do lunch before they die. The opportunities after are extremely limited. It followed that with another ad showing a photo of the Queen and a picture of a distressed Harry after not making it to Balmoral in time before the Queen died. Caption?

Yep, he cancelled lunch time and time again, but next week never arrived for Granny Windsor. Do lunch with your oldie! Followed by three exclamation marks. lunch time and time again, but next week never arrived for Granny Windsor. Do lunch with your oldie! Followed by three exclamation marks. The owner got death threats. A fish and chip shop owner in Scotland expressed joy at the passing of the Queen on social media. She posted a video dancing and spraying champagne

while holding a sign saying, Lizard Liz is dead. Yee-hee-hee! Lizard Liz is dead! Yee-hee! London, Britain's fallen! The video went viral. Not long after, a large crowd of people

showed up to vent their disgust. Windows were smashed and the shop was egged. The police had to escort the owner home that night. But maybe the most ironic gaffe happened during the solemn funeral procession from Balmoral to Edinburgh. In the window of the hearse transporting the Queen's oak casket, was a big branded logo. It was for William Purvis, the undertaker chosen to transport the oak coffin to Edinburgh. The large sticker in the window partially obscured the view of the late sovereign's draped coffin.

It was so visible that the William Purvis website crashed as millions watching on TV logged on. Somewhere between Balmoral and Edinburgh, the sticker was discreetly removed. Later, when the website was put back up, it said, When you place your trust in William Purvis, you can expect the highest standards of professionalism. Because Queen Elizabeth reigned for a record-breaking 70 years, the transition to King Charles will require massive change.

And that change will all change again in about 20 years when Prince William assumes the throne. But after all this time, Brand Windsor still carries a lot of weight. And if you think about it, the granting of royal warrants, going all the way back to the year 1155, makes the royal family the original influencers. As of this writing,

over 600 companies are holding their breath, hoping King Charles III renews their royal warrants of appointment. The Queen's passing was also yet another lesson in how brands should behave. While some felt the need to post tributes, many were awkward, a few distasteful. A survey revealed that 58% of Britons felt most of those messages were driven by PR, not sincerity. Most brands should override their urge to chime in during times of tragedy and sadness. A dignified silence would have been respectful. Pause the marketing, then return slow, steady, and on brand. As a UK comedian said,

not one person in the world was thinking, why didn't Heinz say anything? Food for thought when you're under the influence. I'm Terry O'Reilly. This episode was recorded in the Terrastream Mobile Recording Studio. Producer, Debbie O'Reilly. Sound Engineer, Jeff Devine. Research, Patrick James Aslan. Under the Influence theme by Ari Posner and Ian Lefevre.

Music in this episode provided by APM Music. Thanks for listening. You'll find it in our archives wherever you listen to this show. Find out more about the Apostrophe Podcast Network at apostrophepodcasts.ca. Subscribe to the new Apostrophe YouTube channel. And if you think there's too many ads in a show about advertising, shame on you, you can listen to our show ad-free on Amazon Music.

See you next time. Fun fact. Canada was the first country And listen to our show ad-free on Amazon Music. See you next time. Fun fact. Canada was the first country to put Queen Elizabeth's face on currency. It was in 1935 when she was an eight-year-old princess. The $20 note is a collector's item now.