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Billionaire Marketer
by Esther Smith
(The) Donald Trump is an excellent example of American
entrepreneurism in its most colorful form. Synonymous
with New York real estate, beautiful women, bad
hair, 90-story ego, distaste for dishonesty, and
a clear killer-instinct in the business world, Trump
also knows how to use people to make money for him.
Yet Trump is no exception when it comes to overcoming
episodes of failure or great hardship. In the late
1980’s when he fell into default with his mortgage
lenders his back was definitely against the wall.
But negotiating skills pulled him out of this slump
with hardly a missed heartbeat. Love him or hate
him, he certainly creates brand recognition.
His new reality show, The Apprentice, takes place
in the unforgiving business world of Manhattan as
eight women and eight men (all entrepreneurs in
their own right) are chosen out of more than 200,000
applicants to compete for the ultimate prize: running
one of Trump’s companies with a huge salary.
20 million viewers watched for three months while
Donald Trump outlined the buy-low-sell-high mindset
of marketing, and each week they were divided into
two teams and given their assignments. Each week
one was “fired” for reasons such as choosing
candor over loyalty, misconduct, or dishonesty.
As a viewer there was much to learn about what it
takes to make it in business.
So how much money is enough money? Apparently 2
billion was not enough because The Donald released
his new book titled How To Get Rich as his new show
The Apprentice hit the screen. It was sold across
America in every bookstore during the full three
month season.
And if you want to witness marketing strategies
at its finest, you must have enjoyed the presentation
of two dumpy apartments by Trump as each team renovated
them for him -- not only free, but they found tenants
for him afterwards! Or selling lemonade on New York
streets for 00 each with the Trump label on the
glass.
In a brilliant move he also introduced his latest
venture – the water business -- by having the
teams compete to see which could sell the most bottles.
So let me ask you, if you walked into your neighborhood
convenience store to buy a bottle of water and happened
to come across one with Donald’s picture and
the Trump brand clearly stamped on it, would you
buy it? Well, maybe, maybe not.
When The Apprentice ended its first season and all
had been “fired” except Bill, was Bill
the “real” winner? He now has a career
running one of Donald’s many business ventures.
But look what Donald Trump gained… a master
marketer molded in his own image, two renovated
apartments fully rented, a bottled-water business
that is flourishing, a book on the best-seller’s
list and another TV contract for a new three-months
of The Apprentice.
Hey, is this marketing or is this marketing?
© Esther Smith
About the Author
Esther Smith is editor of Partners-For-Profit Newsletter.
Each publication of PFP addresses an important aspect
of your struggles to perfect your Internet business.
clendon@thepermanentventure.com?subject=subscribe
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