The Human Brand

How We Relate to People, Products, and Companies

By: Chris Malone, Susan T. Fiske

Narrated by: Sean Runnette

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 is actually going through our brains when we make these judgments?

Customer loyalty expert Chris Malone and top social psychologist Susan Fiske have 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, and Sprint - in the same manner that we inherently perceive, judge, and behave toward one another. As a result, to achieve sustained success in the future, companies must forge genuine relationships with their customers - ones 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 in the course of ten separate studies, The Human Brand is essential listening 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.

©2013 Original material by Chris Malone and Susan T. Fiske. Recorded by arrangement with Levine Greenberg Literary Agency, Inc. (P)2013 HighBridge Company

good book, good facts, and an ok narrator.

This book was really good and I enjoy what it said. Marketing has become an interesting part of business, a must read or listen for small businesses.

An Important Message for Companies Today

I found this to be a great reminder of how and why to build good customer relationships. A must read for every business owner and CEO.

Hits the nail, right on the head!!!

The Book covers various stories on several companies in reference to warmth and competence!! I highly recommended it!!!

Thought Provoking

Challenges traditional business mindsets. This work can be applied at the corporate, team or individual level. The model of warmth and competence offers both the concepts and the constructs for intentional action. Relevant, powerful brand examples. I will definitely listen again. There is a lot here.

new perspective

really interesting book. made me rethink how in interact with companies and how my own company can focus on warmth and competency.