The Donald.

Is there a soul breathing that doesn’t have an opinion about him?

Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that he’s unapologetically leaving his mark everywhere he goes. No matter your political stance, there are a myriad of marketing lessons we can all learn from this business mogul’s presidential campaign.

1) Consistency is key.

“Make America Great Again.” – It’s obnoxiously catchy. As soon as you hear it or see it, you can picture Donald Trump at a podium making his notoriously bold comments. It’s the sole identity of his campaign and every political party’s members know it.

You may want to stand behind the slogan. Or, you may want to throw up whenever you hear it. Either way, it is most likely one of the first things you think about when considering how this year’s political candidates have marketed themselves. Trump’s competitors have yet to create an identity that has become so recognizable.

So, how did he accomplish this? By consistently marketing with full focus on this single message. Doing so forced people to remember him, whether they wanted to or not. Trump and his team understood that in order for this message to catch on, they had to strategically incorporate the tagline into every aspect of his public appearances, debates, and speeches. And what if you had Trump on mute? No worries. He’s wearing his revered slogan on his red ball cap.

In light of this, how does your business compare? Have you branded your single, consistent message so well that there’s no mistaking your marketing for someone else’s? Every business should have a tagline, slogan, or jingle that is immediately identified as their own. People should have your company enter their mind when considering becoming a customer in your industry. There is no better way to accomplish this branding consistency than through the medium that steadily reaches 93% of the general population: Radio (National Association of Broadcasters “Media Comparison” study).

2) Appeal to people’s emotions.

“We don’t win anymore.” – Donald Trump knew that phrases like this would strike a nerve with the public. After all, who doesn’t like to win? Trump and his marketing team understood something: By telling everyone what they’re missing out on (especially by making suggestions that they’re part of a losing team), you create a passion to rise up within them. You generate a sense of empowerment within the public that they can do better. Donald knew that consistent reminders like this one would be sure to give the population a reason to rally together. 

Team Trump knew (and felt) the discontent that the general population was feeling toward the government. They addressed these feelings of frustration and got others to agree out of their dissatisfaction. They understood that appealing to people’s emotions was vital in order to succeed.

Comparatively, how is your business striking a nerve with the public? Are you causing people to feel like they’re living without something that would better their lives? Your marketing should create a sense of unfulfillment within others. Appeal to your audience’s emotions by continuously reminding them why they’re missing out if they don’t use your product or service.

3) Stay true to your identity.

“You’re fired.” – The infamous line we all use to practice our best Trump impersonations. It’s short and sweet, but those two words adequately reveal the “I don’t care what you think” attitude we all know so well.

Donald Trump is not afraid to speak the truth. Say what you want about that, but it’s clear that he’s attracted attention from a large percentage of the public by possessing this outlook on life. He knows that his ideas are valuable and he fiercely stands by them. Donald doesn’t lose sleep over the fact that his claims are not what everyone wants to hear. He would rather tell it how he believes it is.

While it’s probably not in your business’ best interest to cause as much of a stir as Trump has, there is something to learn from his commitment to hold fast to his identity. How committed is your business to staying true to who you are as a brand?

If you constantly focus on reaching everyone, you could end up attracting no one at all. Don’t be afraid to stand for your brand. Know who you are and who your ideal customers would be. Stick with appealing to your niche market and cultivate loyal customers who are best fit for your business and industry. Ask yourself: Would we rather have 10% of the population 100% of the way, or 100% of the population 10% of the way? Stay true to your identity as a business and you’re sure to reap the best results.

While we can’t all agree on how to feel about Donald Trump, we can agree that his presidential marketing campaign has been far from mainstream and arguably more memorable than any other.

Make your business easily and immediately identifiable in the public’s mind. Consistently market your message and promote it as the sole identity of your company. Appeal to people’s emotions by making them realize that they need your business or service to better their lives. Finally, stay true to your business’ identity by not being afraid to stand for your brand and appealing to your best fit audience. Incorporate these principles into your business and watch the public line up toupée for your services.