Mark Jenner: We need to talk about Donald

By Mark Jenner (left), managing director, Interbrand, New Zealand

Donald Trump is currently the most talked about person on Earth, quickly introducing policies and approaches that simultaneously please and anger millions of people and defy all traditional attempts to analyse.

His ascent to the most powerful job in the world seems unfathomable, he’s become (even more) famous and has attitudes, behaviours and characteristics that are consistent for and easily understood by both detractors and supporters.

In short, he has the hallmarks that all brands that want to grow, and grow quickly, must have – Awareness, Emotion and Consistency.

1. Awareness. If a brand comes readily to mind, it’s a good choice. Saliency is the most important driver of a brand’s success. Regardless of sector, we know empirically that being top-of-mind is the most critical success factor. How many of the Republican candidates were memorable, even when they were in the race? Many of Trump’s physical characteristics, his hair, his long red tie, poorly fitting suits, were individually better known than the people he competed against.

How are you driving awareness for your business?

2. Emotion. If you feel good about a brand, it’s a good choice. People make decisions on everything, from what shampoo to buy to which candidate to vote for, based on how they feel about that brand. Trump consistently creates a climate of fear, panic and insecurity and then a sense that only he has the solutions and leadership to address the malaise. Rational arguments will always be inadequate in countering strong emotions.

What emotions do you want your customers to have about your brand – safe, inspired, hopeful, successful, loved?

3. Consistency. If customers recognize a brand quickly and it’s easy to access, it’s a good choice. Trump consistently uses the same language – ‘Let’s make America great again…’, ‘…there’s some bad hombres out there…’ and visual cues – placards, red baseball caps – to tell his story in a powerful, simple way. As he transitions from candidate to President, the consistency and simplicity of his messaging remains.

How are you building consistency, transparency and clarity in the delivery of your brand story?

Love or loathe him and his politics, Donald Trump’s success can be attributed to a clear set of brand-building principles. Awareness, Emotion and Consistency underpin all the world’s great brands. The challenge is to build your brand on all three dimensions.

Mark Jenner is the managing director of Interbrand New Zealand. Interbrand is the world’s leading brand strategy and design consultancy with 29 offices in 22 countries.