Customers everywhere describe their interactions with companies in a deeply personal way—we hate our banks, love our smartphones, and think the cable company is out to get us. What’s actually going on in our brains when we make these judgments? Customer loyalty expert Chris Malone and top social psychologist Susan Fiske discovered that our perceptions arise from spontaneous judgments on warmth and competence, the same two factors that also determine our impressions of people.
We see companies and brands—such as Hershey’s, Domino’s, Lululemon, Zappos, Amazon, Chobani, Sprint—the same way we automatically perceive, judge, and behave toward one another. As a result, to achieve sustained success in the future, companies must forge genuine relationships with customers that reflect warmth, competence, and worthy intentions. And as customers, we have a right to expect relational accountability from the companies and brands we support.
Drawing from original research, and evaluating over 45 companies over the course of 10 separate studies, The Human Brand is essential reading for understanding how and why we make the choices we do, as well as what it takes for companies and brands to earn and keep our loyalty in the digital age.
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“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.
“This insightful book explains in simple terms why trust is at the heart of every healthy relationship—not 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 that’s 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 of 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 customers—and how we drive them away.”
— Beth Comstock, chief marketing officer, General ElectricBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
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 more than 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.
Sean Runnette, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, has also directed and produced more than two hundred audiobooks, including several Audie Award winners. He is a member of the American Repertory Theater company and has toured the United States and internationally with ART and Mabou Mines. His television and film appearances include Two If by Sea, Cop Land, Sex and the City, Law & Order, the award-winning film Easter, and numerous commercials.