Congratulations to Prince William and Kate Middleton, and not just on their impending nuptials. Amidst the threat of a double-dip recession, the announcement of their engagement has got royalists hyped-up the world over, simply by giving them something to look forward. I listened with interest this morning to a radio interview talking about how the royal wedding will boost the British economy by £620 million - a much needed cash injection amidst the economic doom and gloom and a real boost to British and international morale.
It got me thinking back to 1981 when Princess Diana and Prince Charles got married. My grandparents gave me a Wedgwood heart-shaped dish with the royal couple on the top and a thimble with their faces emblazoned on the side. Without a shadow of a doubt, as with the recent Swedish royal wedding, we will see similar chinaware created for the Windsor/Middleton nuptuals, alongside flags, t-shirts, cutlery, jigsaws  and stamps, to name but a few items of memorabilia.   In fact, there are already items for the 2011 ‘Big Day’ for sale on eBay including the domain name Williamswedding.com at a starting price of £5,000.Â
The royal wedding provides endless opportunities for savvy brands across all sectors. Verdict (Datamonitor Group) analysts have predicted engagement-related merchandise alone could be worth as much as £18m and that UK sales of wedding-related merchandise could be worth £26m.    They also believe the grocery trade and food retailers could make £360m. Â
Against the backdrop of national cheer and a frenzy of limited editions, you can rest assured the media will provide commemorative supplements, gift guides, wedding-themed fashion, food and drink, and beauty columns to name but a few. Indeed, The Daily Mail today produced a commemorative edition, as did The Sun; and that is just on the announcement of the  engagement!   The royal wedding media machine is well and truly spinning and many brands will already be planning how they can capitalise on the event next spring or summer, riding on the coat tails (and veil) of the royal couple. Itâs one huge PR and money-making opportunity in the making.
