Brands await renewal of Royal Warrants | WARC | The Feed

Brands await renewal of Royal Warrants

Following the accession to the British throne of King Charles III, many high-profile consumer brands will require fresh approval of Royal Warrants granted under Queen Elizabeth II.

What’s a Royal Warrant? 

As official suppliers to royal palaces and households, some 875 brands currently have the right to use the Royal Coat of Arms on their packaging along with the statement “By Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen”. Most of these will now need fresh approvals and statements reworded, but companies can continue to use the Royal Arms in connection with the business for up to two years.

Which brands are affected? 

As well as luxury brands like Fortnum & Mason, Cartier and Bollinger, many everyday brands, such as Cadbury, Heinz, Kellogg’s, Marmite and Crown Paints also have Royal Warrants, as do drinks brands Dubonnet, Johnnie Walker, Gordon’s and Pimm’s.

Why it matters

The Royal Warrant can act in a similar way to marks like Red Tractor or Fairtrade, according to a Manchester Metropolitan University academic. “They streamline purchasing decisions and these products will make consumers feel elevated, buying into status and nostalgia,” Dr Amna Khan told the BBC. 

“That’s the best endorsement any product can get. All any logo wants to say is that [this company is] different and distinct – and it doesn't get much more distinct than the royal family.”

Footnote

When Queen Elizabeth II died, many brands and retailers made fools of themselves by portentously announcing what they would or would not be doing as a mark of respect. Arguably the only ones that should have said anything at all – and quite possibly not even then – were those with a Royal Warrant.

Sourced from BBC, Yahoo! finance, Guardian
^{[Image: The Royal Warrant]}