7 Things You Can Learn About Brands From Donald Trump’s Hair
Yes you read that right. This is not so much about Donald Trump, as it is about his hair.
We hear a LOT, especially lately, about Donald Trump. There is no shortage of information (or media coverage) out there about Mr. Trump. He kind of has a way of attracting attention.
You may have noticed that he’s running for the President of the United States, and even has a shot at winning (I know...for some of you, this is something you’d rather not be reminded of). If nothing else, I think the 2016 Republican National Convention will be entertaining and quite memorable!
Whether you’re a fan, enemy, tired of hearing his name, secretly want to be him, or all the above, he’s hard to ignore.
His hair can be just as hard to ignore.
Often, we hear about his brand and what we can learn from it. I allow for there being people who do not find any redeeming value in his brand. However, I feel about “the Donald” personally, I’m not one of those people. I believe entrepreneurs, business owners, sales professionals, and would-be game changers can absolutely learn something from DT - or in this case, his hair. I’ve found seven things. They are amazing, stupendous, excellent, the best ever! Ok, I got a little caught up and became Donald for a moment.
I don’t know if anyone has ever named Donald’s hair. I think it warrants its own name. From here on out, let’s call the hair Dan. Here are seven things you can learn from Dan about creating a killer brand.
- Dan is authentic. Yes I know there are many who believe Dan is not real, that he’s a toupee, and not necessarily a good one. Dan is, indeed the real thing. Donald has pulled and yanked on Dan more than once in public. He has also allowed certain people (particularly women such as Barbara Walters) to “test” Dan by touching and gently pulling it. The best brands are authentic brands, and they leverage that authenticity.
- Dan is consistent – for the most part. Sure he’s evolved some over time, but no big changes. You know what you’re going to get with Dan. Pretty much same color, combed the same way. I cannot tell you how many brands end up being their own worst enemy because they lack consistency. You cannot have one message this week and a different one next week, and expect to be taken seriously. Or position yourself as a thought leader with one group and a lifestyle guru with another group. Get some consistency in your brand already!
- Don’t blow in any old direction. This is related to the previous lesson. If the wind blows a little too hard, Dan blows all over the place. Now this is not a good thing and is not pretty. Just Google “Donald Trump’s hair blown” and you’ll see what I mean. We’ve already determined the importance of brands being consistent. Your brand should not blow in any old direction. What about structure? What about style? What about demonstrating trust? Dan looks unkempt and out of control when blowing in the wind. That’s also how brands look with no structure or strategy.
- Evoke curiosity/fascination. Dan certainly evokes curiosity. There is SO much fascination with Dan. And it remains after 20-30 years. Is it real? Is it an odd wig? Does Donald realize how Dan sometimes looks? Does he ever cut it? Does he use gel on Dan? What about color? No, these are not the deepest, most philosophical questions. Nevertheless, they still represent fascination. You want the same for your brand. Apple’s super-loyal customers are not just fans of the products. Many are fascinated with the products. They’re interested in how they work. That leads to them looking for more ways (and being more open) to leverage the products. Does your brand generate fascination? If not, you have work to do.
- Dan is A PART of the Donald’s brand. It’s hard to think of DT without thinking of his hair. It may not be in the forefront of your mind, but typically it’s going to cross your mind. It completes the visual. Strong brands have something distinct about them that distinguishes them from all the rest, particularly competitors, in the minds of consumers. Often this is a matter of positioning, a sweet spot of mine and something on which I coach and consult my clients. Perhaps you’re known for really cool hats. Or you have bright red hair (or blondish orange like Donald). Or you end every conversation the same way. Maybe you do something incredibly special for new customers. Whatever it is, leverage something you have or do to help brand yourself and/or your business.
- Dan has a life of his own. Your brand, or something about your brand should essentially have a life of its own. When you’re not around, people should be talking about that something. I don’t know hard facts, but I’m willing to bet that of the conversations about Mr. Trump, at least a quarter to a third of them turn to Dan at some point. It may seem trivial, until it’s not. It keeps him part of the conversation. Whether people laugh about it, are confused by it, like it, or something else, it’s a way of having Donald (and perhaps his politics, businesses, books, etc.) on their radar. It’s one thing to complain about a brand. It’s something else to no longer care. People stopped caring about Blockbuster Video, Borders Books, or Milli Vanilli, none of which are around any longer. Once nothing about them had a life of its own any longer (and in the case of Milli Vanilli credibility thrown out the window), the marketplace gave them a big, fat DEUCES (for the cool-challenged, that means “later for you” or “you won’t be seeing me again”).
- Even when Dan is not around, he’s on people’s minds. This is related to the afore-mentioned lesson. I’ve seen Mr. Trump in several caps. He seems to like baseball hats. Most of Dan is covered, but you better believe he’s still on folks’ minds. “Is Donald having a bad hair day? Does he ever really have a good hair day?” Or “I actually like his hair, so I prefer to see it.” All these comments have been made about Dan, even when he’s not on full display. One of my favorite quotes – not just about a brand but overall – comes from Amazon founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos. It says “your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” This is so true! Is anyone thinking, or certainly talking about your brand when you’re not around? I know…it may not happen every single day. However, if it never happens, that’s a problem. Once people are talking about your brand or business just as much, if not more, when you’re not around than when you’re around, you know you have a powerful brand.
There you go. Seven lessons you can take away from the mop…I mean the hair actually growing out of Donald Trump’s head, also affectionately known as Dan, or The Danster.
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©2016 by Rachel Wilson Thibodeaux. All Rights Reserved. Rachel Wilson Thibodeaux, also known online as the SWAG Strategist, is an award-winning speaker, brand and business strategist, best-selling author, and Founder/CEO of SWAG Strategy Solutions (SWAG - Strategic Women Achieve Growth). She is also the creator of the Brand. Sell. Profit.™ system. She enjoys working with those long on ideas yet short on clarity and strategy, particularly women entrepreneurs, sidepreneurs, and service-based business organizations. Connect with and follow Rachel on Twitter and Periscope @swagstrategist, in her Facebook group Brand Sell Profit or on her Facebook page, The SWAGinista Guide. You can also learn more at www.swagstrategy.com . If you’d like to grow your brand through networking, leverage both online and offline networking for more clients and more cash flow, grab your complimentary Network Like a Rock Star (Even If You’d Rather Be Watching TV) Cheat Sheet by texting the word ‘strategy’ to 24587.