The Value of Donald Trump’s Brand Is Taking a Beating
Policy + Politics

The Value of Donald Trump’s Brand Is Taking a Beating

CARLO ALLEGRI

Presidential candidate Donald Trump isn't just losing the support of key Republicans and voters in the wake of the "Access Hollywood" tape scandal — he's also potentially losing money.

Consumers' perception of the Trump brand has tanked since the tape of the Republican nominee speaking crudely about women surfaced last week, according to a survey by Brand Keys.

Related: How Trump Will Win Back Women Voters: The Fake Locker Room Defense

Last year, the Trump name — which is prominently displayed on high-end casinos, hotels, wineries, and more — could increase the perceived value of products and services anywhere from 20% to 37%, according to Brand Keys.

That's because the Trump name at the time stood for "wealth, luxury, and glamour, and for some, wretched excess," wrote Robert Passikoff, Brand Keys' founder and president.

Now, in the wake of the tape scandal, the added value of the Trump name has dropped precipitously, according to the firm's October 9 poll of 1,536 registered voters across the US.

For example, the added value of Trump's brand in TV and entertainment — the category where its added value is highest — has dropped from 43% to 30% between June and the most recent poll.

Related: Trump Unchained: 'I Can Now Fight for America the Way I Want To'

His brand value dropped 8 percentage points in real estate and 6 percentage points in country clubs and golf clubs in the same period.

A brand's perceived value has a direct impact on where shoppers choose to spend their money.

In other words, there's more than a bid for the White House at stake for Trump in this election, as his performance could have a lasting effect on his businesses.

The candidate's hotel chain started losing business before the tape surfaced, according to some industry experts.

Jack Ezon, president of the travel company Ovation Vacations, told The Boston Globe in September that business was down at least 30% at several of Trump's properties.

If Trump were to be mired in another scandal like the "Access Hollywood" tape, things could get even worse for the Republican nominee.

"Consumers will be distancing themselves from Trump-branded products," Passikoff told The Wall Street Journal.

This article originally appeared on Business Insider. Read more from Business Insider

TRUMP: If Clinton wins, ISIS will 'take over this country'

Sorry, Donald, rich people like you and me actually don't create the jobs

Cocaine prices in the US have barely moved in decades — here's how cartels distort the market

TOP READS FROM THE FISCAL TIMES