Brands, Political Brands, and Donald Trump

A brand name helps people know what to buy, who to trust, who to hire-and even guides voters on Election Day.

Donald J. Trump is hardly the first brand name to enter politics. But he is the only one to go from commercial product to President of the United States.

In a series of pieces originally contributed to Forbes magazine, Jess Collen examines the striking similarity between political brands and product brands. From Trump's current blend of commercial and political branding to how names like Kennedy and Bush became the most famous political brand names in our history, Collen illustrates how political brands can only be really understood in the universe of commercial product brands and trademarks.

Brand names are just about the most efficient means of communication humans ever have developed. A single word or name can encapsulate years or decades of history in a way that even a thousand words could not begin to capture. With clarity and insight, this collection explains this unique form of communication to help readers better understand the impact of brand names in politics and in business, and what these brands mean to them, and the country as a whole.