(Editor's note: The following opinion column does not represent an endorsement for any political party or candidate on the part of Newsmax.)
In marketing, it's all about market share. Market share is the percentage of sales a brand possesses compared to other brands. Market share is essential in winning elections and establishing a political brand's position in the market.
Marketers understand that there is a market share ceiling for every brand. The solution to combat competition is to add a competing product to the market to challenge the brand leader so that the two brands combine a market share that is more significant than the one brand alone.
Using this marketing and branding model to analyze the Trump Brand and his choice for vice president is a fitting prototype for understanding a winning general election strategy against Joe Biden and the Democrats in November 2024.
For Trump, five vice presidential candidates are being considered — Nikki Haley, Elise Stefanik, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Kari Lake Halperin, and Kristi Noem to increase his market share. All are females to counterbalance the authoritarian brand image that is regarded as Brand Trump. This is consistent with the market mentioned above share strategy that will increase Trump's market share. Let's discuss these four possible vice president brands.
Let's discuss these possible vice president brands.
Nikki Haley
In a recent Jan. 14 CBS poll, Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador, performed the best in beating Biden in the general election. The poll has her leading Biden 53 to 45 with likely voters, outside the margin of error.
Regarding market share, Haley would be theoretically the best choice for Trump's vice president. Practically, this selection may not work. Loyalty to Trump by his political colleagues is essential for Trump to consider. Haley's primary challenge does not bode well for her chances of being part of the Trump ticket. However, politics makes strange bed-fellows, and if the polling data still holds, a Trump-Haley ticket is the most robust choice for the Republicans in 2024.
Elise Stefanik
Another viable candidate for vice president is the congresswoman from New York, Elise Stefanik. Harvard educated and an all-star in the congressional Jewish Discrimination College Campus Hearings, she has become a person talked about as vice president. In a Jan. 10, Washington Examiner article, Newt Gingrich urged Trump to select Stefanik as his Vice President.
Says Gingrich, a former House speaker, "I believe that she has sort of fought her way onto the national stage, and I hope that she will continue to grow and develop, and certainly my advice to the president would certainly be to consider her on whatever short list he develops for potential vice presidential nominees."
If Trump can't stomach selecting Haley as his partner in the presidential sweepstakes, Stefanik is the next logical choice for Trump.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Sarah Huckabee Sanders served as White House press secretary under President Donald Trump from July 2017 through June 2019 and is the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Although she is a strong VP brand, she does not add to Trump's market share since she is perceived as too close to Trump and would turn off many independents, which is necessary for winning the general election. She would be a great future Republican candidate in 2028 and beyond.
Kari Lake Halperin
Kari Lake Halperin was hired as a weekend weather anchor for KPNX-TV in 1994, where she worked for four years before moving to Albany, New York. She returned to Phoenix in 1999 and was hired as an anchor at Fox 10. Lake's firebrand image makes her too similar to Trump's brand and would not add to his market share. That and her recent loss for Arizona's governor do not make her a practical choice for Trump.
Kristi Noem
Kristi Noem, the popular governor from South Dakota, deserves a mention even though she is more of an insider brand than a popular one. Choosing her would not move the market share needle significantly; however, her brand attractiveness to a limited constituency gives her a place in our selection process.
For Trump and the Republicans to win, they must remember the importance of market share and the Trump brand for party supporters and everyone who will vote in 2024. And if they do this, they will realize, like many others, that it is always easier when you have marketing and branding in mind.
Dr. John Tantillo is a Lander College for Men, Touro University marketing professor. He also teaches Social Media Marketing at Touro University's Graduate School of Business. Dr. Tantillo hosts the popular podcast "BrandTalk," another way to talk, be heard and seen on YouTube. He is the author of: "People Buy Brands Not Companies." You can follow him on Twitter @marketingdoctor and at Facebook.com/dr.johntantillo. Read Dr. John Tantillo's Reports — More Here.
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