Tag: Brand

(CNN)Sen. John McCain's heroism and code of honor, duty and unifying pragmatism will endure as a powerful historical example. There is no sign that grass-roots conservatives are about to return to the loftier, more traditional views embodied by McCain -- even as he is being lauded in the political world as a paragon of self-sacrifice and patriotic service. It's quite clear that the GOP base prefers Trump's scorched earth politics and attacks on political institutions and traditions that McCain revered. In one final appeal, McCain delivered a last jab at Trump's America First ideology, which has usurped his Ronald Reagan-style internationalism, in a farewell message read out by his former campaign manager Rick Davis on Monday. "We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe," McCain told his fellow Americans. It was a reminder that Trump shows few signs that he views the presidency as a national trust that sometimes must take priority over his own immediate political interests. That's because the Republican Party, with its march to the right, has largely rejected such policies. Many grass-roots Republicans have long been suspicious of McCain, whose ideological unorthodoxy grated on some conservatives as far back as his 2000 presidential primary race against George W. Bush. The conservative media offers a reminder that while McCain was adored in Washington, by his colleagues and the reporters who covered him, the outpouring of grief at his passing is not necessarily shared by Republicans in the heartland. "One of the reasons there's reverence for McCain is the opportunity it provides to continue to savage Donald Trump, to continue to rip Donald Trump by setting up these comparisons between Trump and McCain and showing Trump coming up short on virtually every measure the drive-bys (mainstream reporters) make," Rush Limbaugh said Monday on his radio show.

Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, has announced she is closing her namesake fashion brand. On Tuesday, the brand’s 18 employees were informed that the company would be closing for good – a decision she said was made so she could avoid any potential conflicts of interest and focus on her role in Washington. "When we first started this brand, no one could have predicted the success that we would achieve," Ms Trump said in a statement. "After 17 months in Washington, I do not know when or if I will ever return to the business, but I do know that my focus for the foreseeable future will be the work I am doing here in Washington, so making this decision now is the only fair outcome for my team and partners. "I am beyond grateful for the work of our incredible team who has inspired so many women; each other and myself included. While we will not continue our mission together, I know that each of them will thrive in their next chapter." The decision comes amid growing boycotts from campaigns targeting stores associated with the Trump brand. Since Mr Trump took office, multiple department stores including Nordstrom and Canada's Hudson's Bay have discontinued selling the Ivanka Trump brand. A spokesperson for the Ivanka Trump brand told The Independent: “This decision has nothing to do with the performance of the brand and is based solely on Ivanka’s decision to remain in Washington indefinitely.” According to current president Abigail Klem, the Ivanka Trump brand, which sells shoes, clothing, and accessories, has seen strong sales since its inception in 2014 and had recently launched an online business. Despite stepping down from her leadership role in the company, financial reports show Ms Trump continued to make money from the brand – with reported earnings of more than $5m (£3.8m) in the last year.

While those social justice topics had political implications, the companies that challenged cultural norms in their brand messaging were not, strictly speaking, bringing politics into business. As more and more customers vent their frustration with the increasing political divide by exercising the power of their pocketbooks, I expect that it will be harder and harder for brands to stay silent on their political positions. The company is chartered as a Benefit Corporation, so they can't easily avoid taking public stands on political issues. No matter which side of the issue you’re on, making your position clear will anger some folks but you will also find that prospects who align with your message suddenly “discover” that you are their new favorite brand. That notoriety and the business it brings will be short-lived unless you are clear about why the issue matters to you and to your customers. During the last election cycle founder and CEO Bill Penzey used the brand’s email list and Facebook page to spread a message of cultural inclusion and resistance to the politics of Donald Trump and other Republican politicians. More than that, he’s tied his message to his product by focusing on the world-wide cultures that his herbs and spices represent and the age-old tradition of sharing food as a way of healing communities. Be sure your message is clear and your house is clean. When President Trump called on the NFL to fire players who took a knee, Nike and Under Armor quickly came out with statements. A similar thing happened between rivals Lyft and Uber over the “travel ban” controversy.