Now streaming...Donald Trump destroying his brand.

I've never been a fan of Donald Trump.  But as a marketer I couldn't help but admire the strength of his brand.  In his prime he could command equity in a project just by letting them use his name.

So why would he throw it all away?  It doesn't make sense.  Who hasn't he alienated at this point - Latinos, Muslims, women, the list goes on and on... 

How bad is it? 

So bad that the Trump name will not appear on its newest venture.  Because the new hotel chain will cater to technologically savvy Millennials - another group that has a strong dislike of little Donny.  (Karmin & Das, 2016)

I guess it's only a matter of time before his name starts coming off existing buildings.  I don't think anyone will be fooled.

Karmin, C. and Das, A. (2016, June 8)  New Trump Hotels Skip the Name.  Wall Street Journal. pC1.

 
Update: On June 27, 2017, the new owners of the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Toronto paid $6MM to end their management contract with Trump and drop his name from the building. (Weiss, 2017)


Weiss, L. (2017, June 28)  Toronto hotel buyer pays Trump millions to drop his name. nypost.com.  Retrieved August 22, 2017, from  http://nypost.com/2017/06/28/toronto-hotel-buyer-pays-trump-millions-to-drop-his-name/