Donald Trump makes a statement on live television, and tweets something similar a few hours later. How likely are you to believe him?
The President has repeatedly taken issue with just about everyone in his path, from political rivals to the media in general, yet the majority of Americans don’t trust what he has to say. Only 37 percent of Americans trust Trump more than the media, and the number of people who trust that Trump will uphold his campaign promises has fallen from a once-impressive 62 percent to 45 percent—and it’s still falling.
Political positions aside, the White House is facing a serious trust problem—and it has everything to do with branding – specifically, the Donald Trump brand.
Like any company or organization, individual people can develop a “brand” that’s bigger than themselves; it’s a public image with positive or negative qualities that people come to associate with one’ identity. Trump’s bold, brash brand is arguably what won him the election in the first place—but now it seems that same brand is causing the majority of the population, as well as the international community, to distrust many messages coming out of the White House.
Don't Politicians Always Lie?
Donald Trump lies, almost constantly and verifiably. In fact, according to Politico, throughout the campaign, a whopping 70 percent of Trump’s statements were completely false, while only 4 percent were completely true (and 11 percent were “mostly” true). But don’t politicians always lie? Isn’t it normal to expect political candidates to lie? If so, why is Trump being treated so “unfairly”?
What separates Trump’s lies from those of others is the attitude and context with which he brandishes them. Presidents like Clinton and Nixon, who lied directly to the American population, did so with clear intent in an attempt to evade a specific scandal. Campaign promises, made ardently and oftentimes on a whim, are almost always exaggerated.
But the lies Trump brandishes often come in two peculiar varieties. The first is one that exploits existing sentiments, enabling him to wield the power of confirmation bias on a massive scale, such as stoking fears of immigration by misreporting immigrant crime information. The second is both defensive and polarizing, as he lashes out to defame others when his image is threatened, such as attacking the media when news of his small inauguration crowd broke.
Ironically, these are the types of lies that got him elected.
The White House (and Trump) as a Brand
Art of the Deal co-author Tony Schwartz claims that Trump doesn’t see things in terms of right or wrong. He sees them in terms of winning or losing. That’s an apt description for the brand that Trump has built, and why that brand is losing the trust of millions of Americans.
When Trump makes a statement or a political move, he does so to get attention, to get ratings, and to invoke a degree of sensationalism. Throughout the campaign, this strategy was incredibly effective. His insult-ridden nicknames for other candidates, like “Lyin’ Ted” and “Crooked Hillary” kept the attention focused on him, derailed other candidates without the need for information or logic, and made his loyal supporters even more loyal. It was a polarizing brand, intentionally, that caused his most enthusiastic supporters to turn out in droves on election day. Clearly, the strategy worked.
The problem is, this successful campaigning brand isn’t quite as successful now that it’s in the White House—and the transition is causing problems. Suddenly, the stakes are much higher. More people are watching. And of course, every action and every statement is under more scrutiny.
Brands must work in context. What works for a casual fast-food brand won’t work for a Michelin-starred restaurant, and what works for an accounting service won’t work for a soft drink company. Trump has attempted to take a volatile, impetuous, and infectious brand—which works exceedingly well on campaign trails and in TV spotlights—and has applied it to a position where it doesn’t work, as President of the United States.
The Problem With Restoring Trust
What can the Trump brand do at this point to restore American trust? It’s hard to say. Once your brand has made enough ethical mistakes, your reputation is almost impossible to restore. For example, once it was revealed that Enron was hiding billions of dollars in losses, there was no feasible way for the corporate giant to recover investors’ trust.
The only way to restore trust after reaching a low point is to reinvent your brand entirely, committing to consistent adherence to better values, and most importantly, admitting to your previous mistakes (which Trump is not likely to do).
How Trump Can Recover
However unlikely it is, given Trump’s history and personality, it is possible for his brand to recover American trust. Here’s how:
- Own up. Admitting to a mistake instantly makes people trust you more, yet Trump typically responds to lies with even more lies.
- Be vigilant. Fact-checking is invaluable. Before issuing a statement, it should run through a thorough audit process. In Trump’s case, even a 15-minute wait before hitting “tweet” would likely be beneficial.
- Shift the audience. Trump is still catering to his fervent loyalists, who are dwindling in numbers by the day. Instead, he needs to start catering to the majority of the American (and in some cases, global) population.
- Just shut up. In many cases, saying nothing is better than saying a lie or attacking someone else. Silence can always be trusted.
Brand trust can make or break companies, and will probably make or break Trump’s presidency. Take these lessons and apply them to your own company, brand, or personal brand, and use them to build trust within your audience.
