Why the Trump campaign is hurting the Trump brand

Donald Trump&#039;s campaign has had unexpected consequences to his businesses.

(Image credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

published 11 January 2016

Donald Trump is polling strongly as a presidential candidate, but new data published by Politico Magazine indicates he may be on shaky standing as a brand.

While Trump's business relies on wealthy customers who have the money to patronize his luxury hotels, resorts, and golf courses, a recent American consumer opinion survey noted plunges in the association of "Trump" with categories like "prestigious," "upper class," and "glamorous" ever since The Donald started running for president. Trump's brand also lost holds on "leader," "dynamic," and "innovative" while making gains in "traditional" — a negative category in the luxury business as spam and Idaho potatoes are also considered "traditional" by consumers.

The billionaire Trump might brush off complaints about his politics; he might even shrug off short-term commercial losses. But this plunge in brand status would be seen as a crisis in the offices of any major consumer-oriented company. Public companies often claim losses in net worth when customers turn against them because of a public relations disaster; they call it a decline in "goodwill." As a private corporation, the Trump Organization is not obligated to report any such a decline — or to report it accurately — but any CEO will tell you that a brand deterioration like this is likely to have a significant financial impact, affecting sales, borrowing and even efforts to attract high quality employees. [Politico Magazine]

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.