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 content out there about Mr. Trump. He kind of has a way of attracting attention. Whether you’re a fan or foe, 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. Nevertheless, let’s take this a step further (as I tend to do…my mind goes to odd places like that). I’ve found seven things we mere mortals can learn from the Trumpster’s hair.
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 life 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. It’s not really pretty, as these pictures display! 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.
- Evoke curiosity/fascination. Dan certainly evokes curiosity. There is SO much fascination with Dan. And it hasn’t decreased much in 30 years. Is it real? Is it an odd wig? Does Donald realize even half the time how Dan looks? Does he ever cut it? Does he use gel on Dan? No, these are not the deepest, most philosophical questions. They still represent interest and fascination though. You want the same for your brand. Apple’s super-loyal customers are not just fans of the products. They 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) 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/community. For personal as well as business brands, this can be something internal or external. Perhaps you’re known for really cool hats. Or you have bright red hair. 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 people spend at least a quarter of the time they talk about Donald, talking about his hair. It may seem pointless or trivial. It’s keeping 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, Circuit City, and Borders Group (bookstore). Once nothing about them had a life of its own any longer, the market gave them a big, fat DEUCES (for the cool-challenged, that means “later for you” or “see ya and wouldn’t want to be ya”).
- 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 there are times when he’s still mentioned. “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.” I love simple, yet profound! Is anyone thinking, or certainly talking about your brand when you’re not around? I know…it may not happen every single day. But it should happen occasionally. Once it’s happening more than when you are around, you know you have a powerful brand. Dare I say a breakthrough 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. I’m sure he would say these are absolutely the biggest, most important, most amazing lessons you can get. Hey, if Donald said it, you at least have to consider it, right?
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