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Donald Trump’s underdog success in the US presidential race has baffled the predictions of political pundits, but marketers and advertisers could have seen this coming from a mile away. Voters, after all, are just another kind of customer and, whatever else you might think of him, it’s hard to deny that Trump is a marketing and branding force.
Brand is king. Trump was carried into this presidential race on little more than the back of the personal brand he has spent four decades nurturing. The Trump name has become synonymous with opulence, success and hardline common sense. Now, he has turned that brand recognition into a pathway to the presidency of the most powerful country in the world.
The lesson for marketers here is to take care of your brand, and your brand will take care of you.
Stay on message
Never forget what you’re about, and make sure no-one else forgets either.Trump promises to make America great again. He promises it a lot. In every speech, interview, or impromptu exchange Trump makes sure that you know his plan is to make America great again.
In repeatedly delivering a consistent message, he associates it with his brand, and buries the association in the minds of his audience until his brand and his message are inextricably tied together, each informing the other.
If you’re not delivering your message, who is?
Keep it simple
And while you’re staying on message, remember to keep it simple. Trump has been accused of delivering speeches with the linguistic complexity of a nine-year-old. The observation has been made derisively, but in the effort of ensuring message retention, simplicity is paramount.
Speak to your customers the way your customers speak to each other, and you’ll make sure your voice is heard.
Know your audience
You need to know who you’re selling to, and you need to know what they want that your competitors are failing to deliver. Then you need to deliver it.
When Trump first burst onto the scene promising to build a wall, he was playing to his target market’s policy concerns and their weariness with safe and sanitary political discourse. All at once his brazen broaching of a taboo topic earned him the support of people who had grown used to having their needs ignored.
Knowing your customers shows that you care, and customers who feel like you care about their concerns are customers who will be loyal to your brand.
Differentiate yourself
Trump is a political outsider with no policy experience, but he has turned what should have been a weakness into, arguably, his greatest strength. In a field of career politicians, he set himself apart as the billionaire “man on the street”. Now he’s not the inexperienced candidate, he’s the anti-establishment candidate – and there’s a market for that.
If you’re unique, you’re memorable.
Don’t underestimate social media
Trump’s a Twitter troll.This is a tactic that’s unlikely to work for anyone but Trump. However, when he isn’t bickering with critics and rivals, he uses the platform to instantly respond to newsworthy events, to make himself accessible to supporters, and to always, always stay on message.
Social media inserts you into the lives of your customers, and it can be used to position you as an authority in your field as you promptly respond to market-related news, and stay on top of trending topics that have grabbed your customers’ and stakeholders’ interest. Ignore its power at your peril.
The big take-out: Trump’s presidential aspirations have some simple – but valuable – lessons for marketers.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Political branding lessons for marketers
Donald Trump’s underdog success in the US presidential race has baffled the predictions of political pundits, but marketers and advertisers could have seen this coming from a mile away. Voters, after all, are just another kind of customer and, whatever else you might think of him, it’s hard to deny that Trump is a marketing and branding force.
Brand is king. Trump was carried into this presidential race on little more than the back of the personal brand he has spent four decades nurturing. The Trump name has become synonymous with opulence, success and hardline common sense. Now, he has turned that brand recognition into a pathway to the presidency of the most powerful country in the world.
The lesson for marketers here is to take care of your brand, and your brand will take care of you.
Stay on message
Never forget what you’re about, and make sure no-one else forgets either.Trump promises to make America great again. He promises it a lot. In every speech, interview, or impromptu exchange Trump makes sure that you know his plan is to make America great again.
In repeatedly delivering a consistent message, he associates it with his brand, and buries the association in the minds of his audience until his brand and his message are inextricably tied together, each informing the other.
If you’re not delivering your message, who is?
Keep it simple
And while you’re staying on message, remember to keep it simple. Trump has been accused of delivering speeches with the linguistic complexity of a nine-year-old. The observation has been made derisively, but in the effort of ensuring message retention, simplicity is paramount.
Speak to your customers the way your customers speak to each other, and you’ll make sure your voice is heard.
Know your audience
You need to know who you’re selling to, and you need to know what they want that your competitors are failing to deliver. Then you need to deliver it.
When Trump first burst onto the scene promising to build a wall, he was playing to his target market’s policy concerns and their weariness with safe and sanitary political discourse. All at once his brazen broaching of a taboo topic earned him the support of people who had grown used to having their needs ignored.
Knowing your customers shows that you care, and customers who feel like you care about their concerns are customers who will be loyal to your brand.
Differentiate yourself
Trump is a political outsider with no policy experience, but he has turned what should have been a weakness into, arguably, his greatest strength. In a field of career politicians, he set himself apart as the billionaire “man on the street”. Now he’s not the inexperienced candidate, he’s the anti-establishment candidate – and there’s a market for that.
If you’re unique, you’re memorable.
Don’t underestimate social media
Trump’s a Twitter troll.This is a tactic that’s unlikely to work for anyone but Trump. However, when he isn’t bickering with critics and rivals, he uses the platform to instantly respond to newsworthy events, to make himself accessible to supporters, and to always, always stay on message.
Social media inserts you into the lives of your customers, and it can be used to position you as an authority in your field as you promptly respond to market-related news, and stay on top of trending topics that have grabbed your customers’ and stakeholders’ interest. Ignore its power at your peril.
The big take-out: Trump’s presidential aspirations have some simple – but valuable – lessons for marketers.
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Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.