U.S. presidential election boosts Trump brand

Amidst the series of speculations and predictions, The US Presidential elections got unimagined results, and so did the business empire of Donald Trump – much of which is built on brand licensing.

Once speculated to be in shambles if not tarnished completely, the Trump brand now arrives with a presidential seal affixed to it. And as a result the website of Trump organization has crashed down. The campaign aimed at ‘Making America Great’ has resulted in making president-elect Trump’s brand more powerful than ever. “We’ve been tracking the Trump brand for about 25 years, and most of the time it’s been consistently one of the most powerful we’ve ever seen,” said Robert Passikoff, founder and president of New York-based Brand Keys, a consultancy that researches customer loyalty and brand perception.

The beginning of the presidential electoral campaign has not only evoked curiosity among the general public, but those related to the brand Trump as well. And to much dismay, the beginning of presidential race has witnessed 26 per cent decline in the favorability of brand ‘Trump’, as per a survey by CNBC.

Many other surveys have also suggested that the brand has lost some of its sheen during the campaign and the reports of slashed rates at trump’s hotel at Washington DC and decline in bookings are a testimony to it. Moreover, negative sentiments towards Trump’s Real Estate and other assets have grown among the wealthy class of the society that has been the driving force behind the brand. While the experts believed that the glossy and plush Trump brand has become tarnished, Trump believed in "there's no such thing as bad publicity" which has been proved through these election results.

As per Brand Keys’s post-election survey comparing groups who see Trump-branded merchandise against control customers who see the same products without, the firm estimated the price bump consumers might be willing to pay for the name. Trump’s brand has proven resilient before, maintaining its luxury image despite lawsuits and a number of failed business ventures. What happens to the business empire now is an open question: There has never been a president – a political brand in and of itself – who at the same time has such a vast brand-licensing business to his name. There’s no second opinion that people feel about Trump – both as an individual and as a brand.