COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

3 Communication Lessons Businesses

Can Learn From Donald Trump
 4 Days left until Entrepreneur 360 Long Beach - Limited Seating Available Hide this
REGISTER NOW
 4 Days left until Entrepreneur 360 Long Beach - Limited Seating Available Hide this
REGISTER NOW
 4 Days left until Entrepreneur 360 Long Beach - Limited Seating Available Hide this
REGISTER NOW

LUIS GALLARDO
CONTRIBUTOR

President, Brands & Rousers Foundation

AUGUST 10, 2015

READER RESOURCE

LAST
4CHANCEjoin us live at the360
Days left until Entrepreneur Entrepreneur 360
Long Beach Conference
- Limited inAvailable
Seating Long Beach, Calif. on Hide
Nov. this
16.
Use code SAVE100 for a special rate REGISTER NOW

Everyone knows who Donald Trump is. Pundits love to talk about him, his name
comes up in conversations with co-workers and hisornate propertiesare popular
tourist attractions. But how, exactly, has he managed to slingshot himself to the
forefront of everyones minds?

As controversial and polarizing as Donald Trump might be, hes clearly doing
something right in getting his message to the public. So what are the trump cards
of his communication strategy?

1. Differentiate yourself from the competition.

Trumps strategy for securing the Republican nomination centers on setting
himself apart from the rest of the GOP candidates. Trump has ruedfeathers by
boldly calling this nations political leadershipincompetent leaders and
horrible people,and hes embattled in an ongoing feud with Sen. Lindsey
Graham, evengiving out Grahams personal phone number. By distancing himself
from the political establishment,Trumpis gaining streetcredwith disgruntled
GOP voters.

Related:Donald Trump Can Get Away With It, But You Can't

Hes certainly garnered attention from the media, but its not all positive.The
Hungton Postrebuked Trumps campaign, stating its coverage of Trumps
political aairs would residestrictly in the entertainment sectionof its website.
Thepublishers note about the matter simply said, Trumps campaign is a
sideshow. We wont take the bait.

Entrepreneurs, ensure youre standing out from the crowd but not so much that
the industry -- or, worse, the customer -- doesnt take you seriously. Try to
strike a healthy balance: Be edgy, not outrageous.

2.
Seek opportunities for publicity.
4 Days left until Entrepreneur 360 Long Beach - Limited Seating Available Hide this
Although many of Trumps comments have been met with derision, theyREGISTER
have NOW
landed him onmorethanonenews program. There are good and bad points to
this strategy. By attracting the press, he validates his campaign and ensures his
name is at the forefront of peoples minds.

Related:5 Ways to Be a More Eective People Person

On the other hand, hes not on these shows because of the strength of his
proposed policies. Often, Trumps press appearances follow his racist or
inammatory remarks and some such comments have led companies hes worked
with -- ranging from Univision to Macys -- todrop him completely.

When given the chance to promote your business, take a look at why youre being
spotlighted. Is it because of the good work your company is doing, or is it because
you said something you shouldnt have to the wrong person? Despite the old
adage, not all press is good press.

3. Create an indisputable reputation.

Any successful communications strategy has a well-dened purpose. Its not
necessarily clear that Trumps purpose is to win the presidency. Rather, it might
be to build his existingpersona as areality TV star and business magnate. Trump
is worthbillions of dollarsand starred in NBC's Celebrity Apprentice for14 seasons,
though NBC is currently looking to replace Trump afterhis recent racist
comments. He is a salesman, and although it might be unclear what hes selling,
its denitely a Trump product.

And this salesmanship makes humility dicult to achieve. A Weber

Shandwicksurveyfound that well-regarded CEOs are six times more likely than
CEOs with less-than-stellar reputations to be perceived as humble -- and thats
important in a business environment where the phrase CEO humility is on the
rise.
4 Days left until Entrepreneur 360 Long Beach - Limited Seating Available Hide this
Considering Trumps combative personality, great personal wealth and high
REGISTER NOW

ambitions, its easy to see why Trump ismaking enemies. Hes a threat to
Republican candidates because hes drawing attention away from their campaigns,
and hes a threat to businesspeople because hes successful and prominent in his
industry. The question remains whether he can be successful without any friends
in the business.

Trump has proven its possible to be successful and daring all at once. To sustain
long-term success, you should think of your brand as an extension of your
personality and ideals -- just make sure your brand is receiving attention for the
right reasons.

Even if this is the last presidential race we see Trump in, he likely wont disappear
from the spotlight for long. Whether or not he can win the presidency remains to
be seen, but hes certainly got a knack for getting peoples attention -- take a
close look at his communication strategy to take your own brand to center stage.

Related:5 Ways to Eectively Communicate With Employees

Get Your Valuation

Do you know what your business is worth?
Discover and monitor your business value in real-time! Legend

LUIS GALLARDO |
Luis Gallardois president of the Brands & Rousers Foundationand founder of
the World Happiness Summit. Read more
You May Like SponsoredLinks byTaboola

The Ultimate Way to Get Cheap Hotel Rooms

4 Days left until Entrepreneur 360 Long Beach - Limited Seating Available
Save 70 Hide this
REGISTER NOW

This game will keep you up all night!

Stormfall: Free Online Game

U.S. Presidents Ranked from First to Worst

InsideGov By Graphiq

U.S. missile shield goes live, infuriates Russia

Reuters TV

People Grow Oldest in These Countries

FindTheData By Graphiq

Nobody Has Heard of These Dog Breeds and They Are the Cutest
PetBreeds By Graphiq

28 Popular Animal Baby Names

PetBreeds By Graphiq

The Best Western Films of All Time

 4 Days left until Entrepreneur 360 Long Beach - Limited Seating Available Hide this
REGISTER NOW
 4 Days left until Entrepreneur 360 Long Beach - Limited Seating Available Hide this
REGISTER NOW