Building Brand Melania: How the former first lady’s book sets the stage for her businesswoman revamp

Much has been made of the political strategies lurking inside Melania Trump’s memoir – but it serves another ambitious purpose, writes Sheila Flynn: Letting the former first lady outline her business acumen and ‘methodical’ nature while setting the stage for her own heavily-branded entrepreneurship

Melania Trump released her memoir on October 8, weeks before the presidential election her business tycoon husband hopes to win (Getty Images)

The first image posted was arresting, an ethereal watercolor rendering of just Melania Trump’s eyes – specifically identified as cobalt blue – staring out intently from her’s personal Instagram page.

The design, the accompanying December 2021 announcement explained, was the inaugural in Melania’s new line of cryptocurrency digital artwork – NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, essentially online collectibles meant to hold value.

And alongside that intense ocular image, significantly, was the Instagram account’s first mention of MelaniaTrump.com.

Up until that point, @melaniatrump – created eight months beforehand, one day after the former first lady posted her farewell message to the American people on her now-archived FLOTUS account – had featured occasional messages promoting patriotism and echoing her White House platforms to combat cyberbullying and support foster care.

The sleek and sexy eye artwork, however, marked a departure – and the soft launch of a newly-revamped “Brand Melania.”

Other highly-stylized NFTs followed, a black-and-white theme emerging, a signature clearly emulative of designer fashion and celebrity fragrance campaigns. That branding ramped up in the months preceding the publication of Melania’s memoir: tantalizing clips of Melania speaking to camera, stark white words against black backdrops, voiceovers with quotes designed to bait curiosity.

The book itself is the ultimate version of this aesthetic: a plain black cover with a white “Melania” emblazoned across in all caps — no author required.

Melania Trump appears in a social media video to promote her new memoir on October 7 2024 (Melania Trump/X)

Much has been made of the memoir’s timing and the book’s clear strategic role in the presidential campaign; it’s true that Melania conveniently attacks the media, offers defensive explanations for political controversies and – through the former First Lady’s unexpectedly pro-choice stance – seeks to woo on-the-fence women voters.

Entire sections – comments on trans athletes or Black Lives Matter, for example – read like they could be lifted straight from Republican party pamphlets.

But if Melania’s own words are anything to go by, the publication of her life story has never been the end goal.

Instead, much of the memoir seems to set the stage for her future business endeavors.

While its chapters divulge next to nothing juicy about the 54-year-old’s identity or personality, they do reveal how Melania sees herself – and wants to be viewed by others. And that is as strategic, methodical (a word she repeatedly uses to describe her disposition) and a shrewd businessperson wholly unrelated to her powerful husband.

“Financial independence is a core value of mine, and I have always been driven to work hard and earn my own money,” she writes in Melania, citing the example set by her mother and father – who, despite living in Communist 1970s Slovenia, managed to not only provide foreign holidays for their two daughters but also a private nanny and a video camera for recording precious family moments.

The branding around the book, which features a black cover with white lettering, has been heavily stylized (EPA)

“Starting work at a young age myself and watching my parents work hard throughout their lives has instilled in me a strong work ethic and a desire for independence. I have never been one to sit idly by, even with the comfort of a successful husband by my side … My own independence has always been very valuable to me.

“Having established successful careers both before and during my marriage, knowing that I can stand on my own if necessary, gives me great confidence in everything I do.”

Her pre-wedding career was famously in modeling, and Melania has raked in reams from picture royalties; on top of that, she began dipping her toe into enterprise after her son Barron started pre-school.

Until then, she writes in Melania, “I had considered expanding beyond modeling and tapping into my creativity” but “I had been selective in choosing career projects that aligned with my values.”

A 2009 jewelry opportunity seemingly passed the test, and the following year she began selling Melania Timepieces and Jewelry exclusively through QVC, most of the collection priced under $200.

“I firmly believe in the virtue of maintaining control over one’s own life, regardless of whom you marry,” she writes about the venture. “Running my own business has given me such confidence, and I have always wanted to encourage women to pursue their passions and achieve success.”

Donald Trump and Melania are pictured when she was still described as his girlfriend and ‘model Melania Knauss’ at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, on March 25 2001 (Chris Weeks/Getty)

She goes to great pains in the book to explain her personal role in the design of the jewelry – and of her exacting nature when it comes to anything she undertakes: “I am meticulously organized and thrive on having a clear plan,” she writes.

Despite all of her best efforts, however, even her professed perfectionism couldn’t save another one of her business efforts – a caviar-infused skincare line that never fully made it off the ground.

She partnered in 2011 with Indiana-based company New Sunshine, which was supposed to handle manufacturing and distribution while she created and promoted the products, she writes.

“I approached this venture with the same enthusiasm I had applied to my jewelry line, building it from the ground up,” she writes.

“Meeting with chemists to learn about lotions, creams, and serums – understanding which ingredients would work harmoniously, which would spoil, and which might clash – became part of my weekly routine.

“With several major department stores on board, the products needed to be exceptional.”

Her search for the perfect rejuvenating recipe landed on Melania Caviar Complexe C6, which went into production in 2013 and was scheduled to hit stores that spring, with Melania promoting the line heavily through major TV and print interviews.

“This collection, much like the jewelry line, was a source of immense pride for me,” she writes.  “The products were superb, the packaging beautiful, and we had every indication that the line would sell well.”

The full rollout never materialized, though – thanks to “internal issues” that had nothing to do with her, she writes.

“I was the face of the brand and the failure to deliver was a threat to my reputation and integrity,” she writes.

She sued – and the judge sided with her in 2013.

Soon, however, her husband was gearing up for his first presidential bid – and Melania’s business ventures took a backseat during his wild campaign and victory. Ever “methodical,” she then carefully curated her image as first lady, she writes in the memoir.

“Personally, I have always valued my privacy and have been cautious about what I share online,” she writes in Melania. “During my time in the White House, I made sure to only post official activities and destinations.”

Her first lady tenure also saw another legal battle in which Melania’s team called her a “brand” – pursuing a defamation suit against the Daily Mail for allegations she’d once worked as an escort.

She sought at least $150m for what her lawyers called “economic damage to the plaintiff’s brand, and licensing, marketing and endorsement opportunities.”

The suit was settled in 2017 for a reported $2.9m and an apology.

During the rest of her time as first lady, Melania tried to make her stamp by overseeing renovation projects at the White House, campaigning against cyberbullying with her 2018 Be Best initiative, and highlighting issues within the foster care system.

She created the 2018 Be Best initiative, focused on well-being, online safety and opioid abuse, which went on to play “a major role in spreading awareness, highlighting successful programs and acts of kindness, and encouraging public-private sector relationships to help children overcome the struggles they face every day,” the first lady said on the initiative’s site.

Following her departure from the White House, Melania continued promoting children’s causes and peppering her social media with #BeBest; the hashtag made it into her NFT posts three days after the launch of her digital eye artwork – along with #fosterchildren.

According to the original 2021 announcement, “a portion of the proceeds from the Melania Trump NFT collection will assist children aging out of the foster care system.” Two months later, she launched “Fostering the Future,” currently described on her website as a Be Best initiative that “secures educational opportunities and scholarships for children in the foster care community.”

Former first lady Melania Trump appears at the 2024 RNC (Getty Images)

It’s unclear how much of the NFT proceeds go towards any of these initiatives; The Independent has reached out to Melania’s team for comment but did not hear back before publication.

But, in the meantime, while promoting her memoir, the former first lady is careful to always mention MelaniaTrump.com and the other website where her NFTs can be purchased: USAmemorabilia.com, which seems to almost exclusively sell products she designed.

She hasn’t ruled out a return to skincare, either – writing in Melania: “I hope to have the opportunity to bring excellent skincare products to market in the future under more favorable circumstances.”

The circumstances in which Melania will find herself after the election – along with the rest of the country – remain totally in doubt.

Wherever her fate may lie, however, the former FLOTUS makes clear that she’s determined to make her own mark on her own terms.

Her “childhood experiences,” she writes, “shaped me into a disciplined, ambitious individual who values hard work, dedication, and self-awareness… I learned that regardless of the circumstances or the company I found myself in, the most crucial relationship I could cultivate was the one I had with myself.”

And despite the earnings potential Brand Melania clearly hopes for and anticipates, the former FLOTUS makes an interesting claim for the wife of a billionaire (one worth millions in her own right).

“I have come to understand that genuine happiness is not found in material possessions, but rather in the depth of self-awareness and self-acceptance,” Melania writes in her memoir.

“This realization has become my compass, leading me toward a life enriched with authenticity, confidence, and inner peace.”