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Trump not paying off | Brand evolution | Influence studies

Another Trump effect: Washington Post sleuthing has uncovered how Trump condo-hotel owners expecting ongoing strong returns are hurting. During robust times, The Post reported that revenue from room rentals at the New York hotel declined 14% after adjusting for inflation, according to quarterly statements the Trump Organization provided to unit owners. At Trump’s hotel in Chicago, a document that investors saw last week showed a similar drop-off. Bookings fell 8% from 2015 to 2016, and this year’s figures are still lower than the pace in 2016. Ouch. —Jeff Weinstein

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Burqa ban backfiring? What happens when Austria’s burqa ban meets a small town that caters to a big contingent of enthusiastic Arab visitors? It’s enforced with “as much tact and sense of proportion as possible,” says the police chief of Zell Am See, where 25% of the tourists are from Saudi Arabia, the UAE or Oman. Locals haven’t observed any declines since the ban was enacted a year ago, so the police chief might have the right approach: The “anti-face-veiling” act, one of several in Europe, has broadly been declared a failure, with the Guardian reporting earlier this year that police in Vienna interrupted a camera crew outside the parliament building and forced a man dressed as the rabbit mascot of a youth program to remove his furry-eared mask. —Barbara Bohn

Getting Ethered: In a decision that could upset Chinese regulators, a newly opened hotel announced that it will accept payments in the cryptocurrency “Ether.” The Ethereum Hotel (from the company of same name that created the cryptocurrency, the world’s second largest) has opened its doors at the National Scenic Area of China’s Sichuan province, becoming the first hotel in the country that publicly accepts cryptocurrency. The owners behind the crypto-titled business didn’t provide any details about how they plan to tackle regulators that are reportedly opening new fronts in this battle. Will be interesting to see how the hotel plays out as Ether hit a new low in September, dropping 7% and bringing its total decline for the year to more than 76%, according to CNBC. —Chloe Riley

The other side of influence: I’ve questioned the power of influencers, but cmo.com by Adobe has a take on two influencer campaigns that work. You’ll need deep pockets like Hilton and Marriott to pull it off at this level, but if properly conceived there is a role for influence marketing, as shown by the campaigns from Hilton Garden Inn and W.—J.W.

Time to unmake the donuts: Dunkin’ Donuts, that staple of not very high quality sugary fried dough, finally acknowledged what many of us knew to be true all along: it’s not about the donuts. The company recently officially dropped the “Donuts” from its corporate name, leaving us with just Dunkin’. (A move that it felt like the company was already experimenting with circa this 2016 ad campaign) As the New Yorker points out, “the company joins a list of brands with global reach whose names have been whittled down to complete meaninglessness. Weight Watchers just rebranded itself as WW. Jo-Ann Fabrics is now Joann.” A takeaway for hospitality? Do not ever get stagnant, especially when it comes to something as critical as your brand names. Or should I say, absolutely doughnot. —C.R.  

The groovy brand: W Hotels continues to follow the beat of the music to position itself, this week announcing the launch of its own record label, W Records. It is intended to act as a resource for artists selected by W Hotels and their music industry partners. From signing to release, W Records supports four artists next year through every step of development, providing recording space, video shoot locations, mixing and mastering and finally, distribution of the new sound via live performances, streaming and vinyl production. Tracks for W Records are recorded, naturally, in W Sound Suites. —J.W.

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