Ivanka Trump's namesake label, victim of electoral cross fire

Donald Trump’s fashion designer daughter Ivanka has seen how her label has been the last victim of the presidential campaign cross fire. Her namesake brand has been the centre of various social media campaigns, calling for boycott.

Macy’s cut commercial ties with Donald Trump months ago after his controversial comments about Mexican immigrants. But now there’s a clamour on social media for major retailers like Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor and others to do the same to clothing and accessory brands helmed by Trump’s daughter and loyal supporter Ivanka, reports ‘USA Today’.

In the past weeks, #grabyourwallet campaign has not been the only one targeting Ivanka Trump on social media. Trump’s daughter, together with her fashion label, have been the centre of other protest hashtags such as #fashionnotfacism and #BoycottIvanka.

As a result of Ivanka Trump’s involvements with her father’s political campaign, e-commerce shopping tool ShopRunner says it has seen a 40 percent drop in interest in the Ivanka Trump brand since the online boycott began in early October, adds the ‘USA Today’.

Despite the social media backlash, Ivanka Trump’s brand appears to be thriving. Brand Keys, a brand loyalty consultancy, found that 83 percent of Millennial women polled in mid-October said they were at least somewhat likely to consider buying Ivanka Trump products despite her role in her father’s presidential campaign.

The privately held company said earlier this month that it saw 37 percent growth in sales and revenue last year compared with 2014. It says monthly visits to its website are expected to rise by 120 percent this year.

“When it comes to Ivanka, I think people make the distinction between the political and the paternal,’’ says Robert Passikoff, president at Brand Keys.

The boycott was started on October 11 by Sue Atencio, and marketing specialist Shannon Coulter, who said they were shocked by a Trump’s recently polemical interview with ‘Access Hollywood’ in which the presidential hopeful bragged about his sexual conquests of women thanks to his allure as celebrity.

“Ivanka markets what she wears on the campaign trail,” Coulter told ‘TheWrap’. “The stores that we love are directly profiting from a campaign that we consider hateful.”