Ivanka Trump Learns To Maybe Not Send A Media Alert About Her $10K Bracelet

Now that Donald Trump has been elected to the highest office in the U.S., many have pondered what will happen to all of the corporations that bear his name (and are run by his family members) once he assumes the role. On a more immediate note, it'll take a while for all businesses associated with Trump and his children to adjust to new protocols and expectations, which largely have little precedent. Still, Ivanka Trump may have been the first to learn this today, when a media alert listing the jewelry credits for her recent appearance on 60 Minutes was, to put it lightly, not well-received. A group of journalists from outlets such as The New York Times received an e-mail from Ivanka Trump's fine jewelry brand that confirmed the exact style bracelet she wore on her appearance on 60 Minutes with her father, the president-elect.

Now, for those working on fashion media, it's pretty standard to receive a press release whenever a famous figure wears a brand. When it comes to the president-elect's family, however? It's very tricky territory. The fact that the bracelet in question retails for over $10K didn't help Ivanka's case, either.

The brand may have been operating as usual, sending out direct links to products the eldest Trump daughter wore as it did throughout the election. (See: the affordable dress she wore from her namesake line for the Republican National Convention.) But, in this case, it's worth noting the sender, according to The New York Times: The fact that the e-mail came from a vice president of sales, rather than a (more-junior) publicist could indicate that the company did, in fact, fully intend to send out this release; in other words, it wanted to monetize Ivanka Trump's appearance on President-elect Trump's first televised interview after the election. Given her new role in her father's transition committee and in the eyes of the American people, the conflict of interest in the media alert was hard to ignore for many. Plus, as New York points out, it has way larger implications for what a Trump administration could hold.

The brand was swift to issue a statement apologizing for the snafu. "This notification was sent by a well-intentioned marketing employee at one of our companies who was following customary protocol, and who, like many of us, is still making adjustments post-election," Abigail Klem, president of the Ivanka Trump brand, said in the statement. "We are proactively discussing new policies and procedures with all of our partners going forward." We'll have to wait and see how the Trump enterprises pivot their marketing strategies leading up to Inauguration Day. Although we imagine they'll probably ease up on the media alerts for now.