Making Dough: The 12 Secret Ingredients of Krispy Kreme's Sweet Success [Hardcover]

Kirk Kazanjian (Author), Amy Joyner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 2003

Praise for Making Dough

"I was enchanted, intrigued, and fascinated by every page of this book. Kirk Kazanjian, Amy Joyner, and Dick Clark (yes, that Dick Clark) have done a masterful job of storytelling in Making Dough. The book is inspirational, enlightening, and just plain great reading. In fact, it's great reading with sprinkles on it. What a yummy book!"
-Jay Conrad Levinson
Bestselling Author, Guerrilla Marketing series of books

"Krispy Kreme's success goes well beyond being a retail phenomenon. This book will show you what went on behind the scenes to build the company. Along the way, it will teach you how you can take a product that is seemingly counter-culture and turn it into an addictive brand."
-Phil Lempert
Author, Being the Shopper and Today show food trends editor

"Words can't do justice to Krispy Kreme doughnuts-just eat one! But as a fan of the product, it's interesting to read this business success story."
-Vince Gill
Singer/Songwriter

"You know what? You have absolutely no chance of starting the next Krispy Kreme! But, the lessons they learned and the insight they used to build their once-in-a-lifetime success are useful, practical, and powerful tactics that any business can benefit from."
-Seth Godin
Author, Purple Cow

"Take heart. You don't need a massive organization and a massive advertising budget to build a powerful brand. This interesting book by Kirk Kazanjian and Amy Joyner tells how Krispy Kreme did it on a shoestring."
-Al Ries
Coauthor, The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR

"I think it's safe to say that just about every company would love to know the secret ingredients of Krispy Kreme's sweet success. After all, it doesn't advertise, it is a revered member of the community, and it keeps growing like crazy. What an extraordinary business! Without doubt, you should pay attention to what Krispy Kreme is doing, especially if you want to prosper in today's competitive world."
-From the Foreword by Dick Clark
Producer, Entertainer, and Krispy Kreme Franchisee

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Although it began humbly in 1937, Krispy Kreme and its 300 retail outlets in America sell more than two billion doughnuts a year. Seeking the secrets of Krispy Kreme's enormous success, Kazanjian and Joyner, both business writers, offer a tantalizing taste of the corporate strategies that have established the company's reputation. Drawing on interviews with company employees, business professors and customers, the authors discover that the recipe for Krispy Kreme's sweet success contains 12 major ingredients, such as "mix good taste with show business," "maintain high standards," "expand and protect your brand" and "give back to the community." As the authors point out, the company has very shrewdly customized its stores down to the windows that provide an opportunity to watch the process of doughnut making. Such tactics draw customers into the baking experience itself and make them feel like part of the larger Krispy Kreme "family." The authors also point out that Krispy Kreme has depended primarily on word of mouth, good community relations and repeat business to promote their products. In order to ensure quality, Krispy Kreme puts applicants for franchises through an elaborate screening process, often refusing even seasoned fast food franchisees because they do not fit the company's image. While the authors repeat many of the same stories far too often and sometimes sugar over the company's faults, they have written an enjoyable profile of one of America's most loved companies.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Kazanjian and Joyner, both business journalists, join forces to tell the story of Krispy Kreme, considered the world's premier doughnut company. Founded in 1937, the company today produces approximately 2 billion doughnuts annually through its 300 doughnut shops in the U.S and Canada and has plans for more international expansion. Interviewing executives, franchise owners, employees, and customers, the authors describe the culture of this remarkable company, which combines customer loyalty, valuing their employees, and commitment to their communities with quality product standards and technological innovation. Key initiatives that have led to the company's success include mixing good taste with show business, thinking big but growing carefully, and being guerrilla marketers with a soft touch. The management is determined to be very selective in choosing partners and has only 30 franchisees. The company's founder, Vernon Rudolph, now deceased, preached to his employees about meeting change with change and told them, "We expect to remain on top." And so the company has. Mary Whaley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471432091
• ISBN-13: 978-0471432098
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,036,571 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kirk Kazanjian is an inspiring and authoritative voice on the latest trends in customer service, marketing, employee retention, and successful leadership and business practices in today's fast-changing and competitive world. The bestselling author of more than a dozen books, Kirk is a lifelong entrepreneur who has started and run several successful companies. He is also an internationally recognized expert on the financial markets. His latest book, "Exceeding Customer Expectations," contains a proven formula for creating amazingly happy customers, forming important partnerships, developing an empowered workforce, increasing employee retention, and building a company beyond your wildest dreams. It is based on the principles of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which has used the strategies outlined in this book to become the number one rental car company in North America. In addition to being a prolific writer, Kirk is a popular speaker and consultant on such topics as delivering excellent customer service, strategies for empowering and retaining employees, supercharging your marketing and branding efforts, and making your company stand out from the competition. He can be reached through his website at www.kirkkazanjian.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really good insights, October 15, 2003

By 

Rhonda Fleming (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making Dough: The 12 Secret Ingredients of Krispy Kreme's Sweet Success (Hardcover)

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Krispy Kreme's doughnuts. They're pretty average if you ask me. But I'm amazed at how this company has become such a cult icon. A friend told me that when a store opened by her home, people were camped out the night before waiting for the doors to open. What other doughnut shop can claim that? So I do respect the company's business sense. I bought this book to see how Krispy Kreme has been able to build such a great business. It was very interesting to read about the subtle and not-so-subtle techniques the company uses to get people in the door.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, October 26, 2003

By 

Donald Raber (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making Dough: The 12 Secret Ingredients of Krispy Kreme's Sweet Success (Hardcover)

As a marketing executive, I've been following Krispy Kreme for years and have long admired the company's techniques. This book expertly analyzes what the company has done to turn itself into a household name on a shoestring marketing budget. I also found it interesting to learn how the company keeps its minimum wage workers happy even in strong economic times.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable story, October 25, 2003

By 

Brent Gode - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making Dough: The 12 Secret Ingredients of Krispy Kreme's Sweet Success (Hardcover)

This was one of the most enjoyable business books I've read in a long time. Fascinating stories and solid insights into what has made this company so successful. You don't have to love the company's doughnuts to benefit from it.