The Human Brand

Winner, Business: Motivational, 2014 International Book Awards Silver Medal Winner, Networking, 2014 Axiom Business Book Awards Spotlights what it takes for companies and brands to earn and keep customer loyalty in the digital age. Entrepreneur.com (selected as a Best Business Book to Get Cozy With This Fall) This insightful book explains in simple terms why trust is at the heart of every healthy relationshipnot just between people, but between companies and their customers. The Human Brand will cause you to completely rethink your current approach to customer relationships, and thats a good thing. Tom Long, chief executive officer, MillerCoors The Human Brand is a brilliant synthesis of psychological science and marketing wisdom. Engaging, insightful, and deeply original, this is an essential book for every business reader. Daniel Gilbert, author, Stumbling on Happiness, and Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University The Human Brand is a must-read for those who want a truly evolved understanding of how to earn loyalty and create lasting relationships with customers. It's a timely look at how modern corporations hold onto customersand how we drive them away. Beth Comstock, chief marketing officer, General Electric Chris Malone has a unique talent for uncovering customer insights that challenge conventional wisdom and uncover new growth opportunities. In The Human Brand, he and Susan Fiskeoffer a new way to understand brands, deliver more memorable customer experiences, and drive profitable growth. Ravi Saligram, president and chief executive officer, OfficeMax, Inc. Susan Fiskes renowned work on warmth and competence explains how we unconsciously judge people and companies. The Human Brand is a must-read for anyone with an interest in why we make the choices we do. Jennifer Aaker, coauthor, The Dragonfly Effect, and professor, Stanford University Graduate School of Business The Human Brand offers truly ground-breaking insights on the psychology of customer choice and loyalty, challenging us to rethink what really matters to our customers and what it takes to build strong and authentic relationships with them. Ann Muhkerjee, chief marketing officer, Frito-Lay North America Todays technology makes it appear as if marketing has become more complex. In fact, it hasnt especially for those brands who think and act like the shop on the corner. Peoples connection to what they buy, and who they buy it from, is whats important. Thats been the same for generations. The challenge is in making large brands appear small. The Human Brand cuts through the complexities of marketing local in the digital age to tell the simple truth: connections are key. Patrick Doyle, president and chief executive officer, Dominos Pizza, Inc. How do we earn the lasting loyalty of others? Chris and Susan provide fundamental, yet powerful, insights into building relationships that matter. They challenge us to come out from behind the curtain and lead with courage, conviction and heart. Never before has the humanization of brands and leadership been so vital to success. Jay Gould, president and chief executive officer, American Standard Brands By re-focusing us on the primal foundations of survival, The Human Brand takes a major, comprehensive step towards understanding the real drivers of commercial success. If you care about what ignites, engages and sustains deep, strong relationships with your brand and company, read this book. Susan Fournier, coauthor, Consumer-Brand Relationships, and professor, Boston University School of Management In all the noise and all the confusion, these insights on what really matters for corporations to maintain true customer loyalty make The Human Brand invaluable. John Williams, president and c

CHRIS MALONE is founder and managing partner of Fidelum Partners, a research-based consulting and professional services firm that helps clients achieve sustained business growth and performance. He was chief marketing officer at Choice Hotels International and senior vice president of marketing at ARAMARK Corporation, and has held senior marketing and sales positions at Coca-Cola Company, the National Basketball Association, and Procter & Gamble. He lives in the Philadelphia area with his wife and three sons. SUSAN T. FISKE is Eugene Higgins Professor, Psychology and Public Affairs, at Princeton University. She investigates social cognition—especially groups' images and the emotions they create—at cultural, interpersonal, and neuroscientific levels. She is author of over three hundred publications and winner of numerous scientific awards, including election to the National Academy of Science. She and her husband divide their time between Princeton and Vermont.

Acknowledgments xi Introduction: Back to the Future 1 Why our immediate future so strongly resembles our distant past 1 Warmth and Competence 19 The two timeless judgments that drive our behavior toward others 2 The Loyalty Test 39 Why we expect companies and brands to commit to us fi rst 3 The Principle of Worthy Intentions 61 The simple and reliable way to demonstrate warmth and competence 4 The Price of Progress 85 How faceless commerce leads to a focus on discounts 5 Take Us to Your Leader 105 What we learn from the people behind the things we buy 6 Show Your True Colors 127 Why mistakes and crises are a golden loyalty opportunity 7 The Relationship Renaissance 151 Navigating the road ahead Notes 169 About the Authors 185 Index 187