Love him or loathe him, President Trump has connected with the American public in a profound way. Watching this unpredictable historic event unfold made me wonder when did he actually started his bid for presidency? According to some sources it was in 1999, but he never followed through. In 2012 he seriously considered running, but it was only in 2016 when he finally initiated a full-scale presidential campaign. And boy did he go for it.

His is, without question, a brilliant example of a very powerful brand. For years he has been building brand Trump with a single core idea – his belief in, and love of, himself. Throughout his career and the building of his empire he has been a controversial figure, but has always retained an unwavering belief in his brand and his behaviour to achieve his agenda.

To a degree there are some similarities with how Hitler used communication. Though arguably one of the most detestable figures in history, he recognised that the power of branding was one of the key attributes to achieving his agenda.

Consider how he crafted the facist message around his warped beliefs. How he invested into the Nazi brand and the emblem of the swastika so that it represented his core belief. How with an unrelenting and determined effort he applied the brand throughout all communications and propaganda.

While we may not feel any great affection towards him, he has used the mechanics of branding to convince a large part of the American public to vote for him and dare I say, love him. To his audience he is a much needed political change, someone who talks straight and is true to his word.

By focussing on the elements of a brand; a core belief, defining how it manifests, applying it with consistency across all communications and sticking to these principles over the long-term, Trump has achieved a measure of success that many companies do not. So, there is no doubt that Trump know’s about brand.

These basic tenets are the power of brand Trump.