Customer Reviews

The Brand Who Cried Wolf: Deliver on Your Company's Promise and Create Customers for Life

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The Brand Who Cried Wolf is a phenomenal read! It's fast, fun and most important very enlightening. There's something here for everyone. There's new information, old information with a new twist and just some very funny stories. This book will make you look at yourself and your business in a very different way. I know I have. Highly recommended!

I'll admit that I was a bit skeptical when I first felt that the title of this book didn't sound grammatically correct to me (I'm the guy muttering "It's 15 items or FEWER" to my wife, every time we're near the express lane at the supermarket) - I thought that the right title should have been "The Brand THAT Cried Wolf." But, Deming quickly and convincingly explains that "The Brand" is more than an inanimate corporate symbol ... it's my company, it's my department, it's me ... and, thus, deserving of the "Who" in his title. Deming uses a pleasing blend of children's fables (which, I will admit, were enjoyable to get caught up on and, in some cases, to read for the very first time), business cases, hypothetical situations and personal experiences and anecdotes to put his principles into meaningful perspectives. I continually found myself playing a mental game of "Can You Top This" with Deming every time he gave examples of unique, emotional, memorable business experiences that caused him to become, as he would put it, a "Brand Evangelist." Likewise, I found myself playing the same game (probably with a little more fervor) whenever he gave his examples of such poor service that caused him to become a "Brand Antievangelist."

Coincidentally enough, just 2 days before reading this book, my family and I rented a movie that seems to be a perfect and real-life exemplification of Deming's "You-Are-Your-Brand" hypothesis: "The Pursuit of Happyness." Based upon a true story, it's about Chris Gardner, a down-on-his-luck salesman who can't buy a break, even after he is given the "opportunity" to compete against 19 other unpaid interns at a stock brokerage for 6 months for one permanent position. His successes started only after he began creating unique experiences for his prospects and clients rather than just those typically provided by such brokerages. His first big "splash" took awhile, but the ripples that resulted got him the business he needed to beat the other 19 and earn the job. (I wish that I had read this book first!)

Definitely a good, fast and worthwhile read. And definitely not you father's book on branding. And that, here, is a good thing.

Wow! What a great book. It arrived this afternoon - never intended on finishing it this evening. After reading the first chapter, I was hooked. It's that good! This is the second book on branding I've read this month. The first was "Footnotes" by Kenneth Cole. That book, also excellent, shows the finished product. In "The Brand Who Cried Wolf", Deming shows you how to get there... and stay there. Whether you run a large corporation or a home based business, you will learn a great deal from this fun read. Just like Disney, Deming understand the power of a good story. Each of the ten chapters cleverly starts with a brief fable to illustrate a key point. Deming then follows up with countless up to date examples of how companies succeed, and more importantly, fail to achieve success in branding and customer satisfaction. Deming really hits the nail on the head with his comparison of Costco and Walmart.
This is a very well written book filled with stories to inspire. The type of writing that obviously comes from years of experience and a passion to help others. As Deming mentions in chapter eight, "you can't fake sincerity".
To sum it up - Don't think you need to be a business owner to buy this book. This is a great lesson of customer satisfaction and communication skills for anybody who interacts with others on a daily basis. Deming seems well versed in what it takes to form a successful relationship - both personal and business. I'm just glad he took the time to share some of his insightful stories with the rest of us.

Part inspiration, part affirmation, Deming hits the mark with his simple, honest exploration of the DNA of great brands. He doesn't accomplish this with an earth shattering, groundbreaking, revolutionary, quick fix branding approach. He does it with a poignant review of what good business and effective branding is all about. He delivers it with entertaining observations of the fundamentals that all great businesses and brands are built on.

The revelation that brands are not just icons, logos or slick advertising but are rooted in every customer experience and the emotions attached to each experience is both accurate and refreshing. Basically, brands are real or they die. Simple enough. Some advertising professionals may view these pages as sacrilege. They shouldn't. As a marketing professional that's spent a career explaining effective branding to clients, this book is a blessing.

Read the book. Listen to Deming. Start with perfecting even the smallest of customer experiences and work back from there. Success is sure to follow.

This book is a worthy read for anyone looking to deliver excellence in a company or organization. You may not agree with all of Deming's observations and, sure, there are other things to consider when building your company's brand. But it's worth the read, even if it simply recalibrates your thinking back to what's really important.

What a book! I recently saw Mr. Deming's presentation at a national conference in Dallas. After his presentation, he did a book signing and I bought The Brand Who Cried Wolf. I had it read from cover to cover by the time I got home the following day! This is one of the most inspirational and TRUE books I've ever read. Mr. Deming has not invented anything new here. What I mean is, the processes and ideas are already out there, but the way in which he explains them - with the stories and the humor and the compassion - it's just incredible. I found myself captivated by his style and message during his presentation and the same thing happened reading the book. It's just full of wonderful ideas that you can immediately apply to your personal and professional life. I am buying a copy for every member of our customer service department. Whether you're a professional wanting to improve your organization, or an individual wanting to improve the relationships with those around you, this is the book! I highly, I mean HIGHLY recommend it!

This book reads more like a fast paced, New York Times best selling story, rather than a business book. Don't get me wrong, this is definitely a business book. In fact, probably one of the best business books I've read in many years. But it doesn't read like one. It's fun, full of incredible ideas and processes, inspirational and incredibly transfomational. When reading this book, I felt like I was having a conversation with the author. That's how he writes. As if he's standing there having a one on one discussion with you. Because of Mr. Deming's ideas and unique processes, I have already changed the way I approach situations and relationships, both personally and professionally.

My favorite chapter is chapter eight. This is where he teaches the reader how to truly understand their own brand. No faking, no veneer as he puts it. No pushing hot buttons to make a sale. Just understanding who you are and then creating sincere and unique interactions with those around you. This in turn will get people to trust you forever and become your evangelists. I also love his take on the ripple effect. As he writes "Your actions generate far reaching ripples." He tells about the real effects of our actions, both positive and negative, then he gets into a true story about Sears that is both eye opening and absolutely hilarious!

This book is going in every office in our organization. It's a fast read and one you'll want to read over and over again. I highly recommend this book to anyone with the sincere desire to improve their personal and professional image. Or as Mr. Deming puts it- your Brand.

Deming's message is a must read for anyone who has competition. How do we make our competition irrelevant? How do we create customers for life? The Brand Who Cried "Wolf" delivers a proven and effective approach to develop lifelong customer relationships. If you want to create a leadership position in this experience economy -you must read and re-read this book and then act on the wisdom Deming skillfully presents!

Chandler

This is one of the most interesting books on customer service that I have ever read. I was impressed and entertained with how each chapter starts with a children's story and then the moral from that story is integrated into the chapter. What's more, Scott Deming wrote about many of his own experiences which personalized this book and supported his ideas about creating personal and unique connections.

I have taken many courses and read numerous publications over the years, but none that were quite laid out like this book. The lessons in it can be used in business and in every day life. Take notes as you go to keep track of all of the great points made!

I work in advertising so I read a lot of marketing books. Unlike many, I really liked reading this book.

Deming is a great story teller. The original parables introducing each concept help you grasp and remember the main points of the book. And Deming's personal account of his brand experiences are not only hilarious, but help drive home the key concepts.

I've never seen branding described this way -- Maybe because most who work in the Ad Biz are overly concerned with being clever, instead of communicating memorable, helpful advice. I really believe anyone in business would benefit by reading this book and applying it's principles to their own brand.

In this unsettled economy I know that I am one of many busineses that has to reinvent itself to not just keep pace with the times but to survive and flourish. Scott Deming's thinking has a clarity and spark that has helped me to rethink a number of our strategies and approaches.

This book is more than an excellent plane/train read. It contains several powerful case studies that prove the branding process Scott discusses does not come from advertising, marketing and or gimmicks. The sustainable success Deming calls Branding comes from unique, emotional experiences that turn typical acquaintances, customers and passers-by into loyal, evangelical friends and customers for life.


Scott's personal stories are both funny and poignant. This book makes us realize that every company large and small, every non-profit organization and every person alive is a brand, and that any brand, no matter how powerful it may be needs to work at exceptional levels every day to not only maintain, but defend their brand. In short, this book is for everyone!

What is more, if you are short of luggage space and are traveling with the family, pack this book and you will have both an inspirational business read and a collection of fairytales to share with the family when bedtime arrives.