Column run by PR Bull Dog....

http://www.bulldogreporter.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=2436B6EB9392483ABB0A373E8B823A24&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications::Article&mid=53D88D74A99849C185183B336A3F3B02&AudID=213D92F8BE0D4A1BB62EB3DF18FCCC6&tier=4&id=11B10E36F79B4A8FAA1BDD573E05B0E3

Issue Date: Daily 'Dog - December 30, 2009, Dominos Vs. Tiger Woods: Social Media Turnaround Campaign Offers PR Lessons By Roger Rosenbaum, President, Rosenbaum Media Group LLC In 2009, Dominos Pizza became the victim of a social media PR smear when employees mishandled food and uploaded footage of the half-baked idea to YouTube. In a day, hundreds of thousands watched the mess on YouTube. In my opinion, the corporate response shot back via YouTube video was weak and watched by a much smaller audience. Instead of being once burned, twice shy about social media, the pizza chain delivered a hot new social media campaign. In the opening of the video, Dominos CEO Patrick Doyle confronts customers: "There comes a time when you know you gotta make a change." Feedback from customers online and in focus groups blistered the brand with criticism. Instead of running from it, the company showcases the customer complaints in the video. "Pizza. Where's the love? Cheese, sauce . . . fresh ingredients. It doesn't feel like there is much love in Dominos pizza," complained a cranky consumer. Another focus group participant piped in, "Dominos pizza crust to me is like cardboard." Yikes! This type of public admission of product flaws is a bold move that most CEOs could not stomach. Dominos' CEO comes across in this video as a change agent rather than a mealy mouthed executive willing to accept the status quo. Doyle gets points in my book for publicly professing his love of pizza: "You can't lead a company like this—unless you love food. I love pizza," said Doyle in the cutting-edge video. It reminds me of a slogan at a company I once worked for: "Get wired or get fired." Some companies give lip service to customer service. Careful thought and consideration to customers' opinions is so basic, yet so often ignored. Critics will say that Dominos showed weakness, in that they have not been offering customers their best product. The truth is, I don't expect Dominos to make a better pizza pie than my favorite local pizzeria. Al at Village Pizza in Rhinebeck, New York won't accept a bad customer experience. He makes his own connection with customers going table to table to check in on how fresh the food tasted. When Dominos Pizza is a convenient option, I want to think of them as better than just mediocre. New product launches and shifts in company commitment can be risky business. Just think of how many versions of Coca Cola have been introduced over the years. Some have succeeded, most have fizzled. Here is some food for thought: Are companies afraid of—or confused by—their customers? To me, you can't go wrong by listening to customers with genuine concerns. Consumers are so often fed spin, BS and disingenuous marketing. There is often a disconnect between external messaging and real customer experiences. Don't tell me my call is important to you and then keep me on hold for 20 minutes. Customers want to be treated with respect and feel that their patronage matters. For example: One of the reasons I love doing business with FedEx is because it feels like they care about my business as much as I do. The Dominos video also serves as a case study in getting out in front of an issue and dealing with it head on. In 2009, the media ate up small and large issues ignored by companies and celebrities. Tiger Woods landed himself in a trap by not immediately confronting the crash and subsequent slow-leak bombshell announcement of his extra marital affairs with models and waitresses. Sponsors—who usually back a brand that brings in money—have clearly backed away from the golfer who apparently drove into late-night trouble. "Late Night" host David Letterman looked into the camera and told viewers his side of the story. Letterman basically shut the situation down by deflating rising interest in his extra marital affairs. Telling the truth (facts that can actually be verified) has great power in changing perceptions. It has been said that it is not the crime that causes the most damage—it's the cover up that sometimes follows. What is clear is that Dominos is eyeballing every inch of their pie and the people with the power to purchase them. They are also reviewing the commitment of the company started decades ago. No one can afford lukewarm connections with customers in an uncertain economy. This campaign has me thinking, "Why can't other industries and companies think this way?" New times require new ways of thinking. Instead of looking for bailouts, more companies should be looking for their bootstraps. It will be interesting to see if this campaign helps Dominos' sales figures rise. If Doyle is wise, he will issue an equally powerful follow-up video in a few months saying: "Our customers talked to us—and we listened." Social media makes two-way communication real, rapid and relevant. There is no question that there will be replies and satire from customers and competitors. The power and reach of social media to direct customers making minute-by-minute purchasing choices is a marketer's dream. It requires constant monitoring, strategy and proactive response. Sweating the details is a reality of PR and marketing in the Digital Age. Earlier this year, I met with a boutique PR firm in New York City. God only knows what is going to happen to the "old school" firm when the traditional press release becomes old news. Dominos' CEO is right on target: There does come a time when you know you gotta make a change. Roger Rosenbaum is president of Rosenbaum Media Group LLC, a digital communications consulting company. RMG specializes in PR, digital video and social media.

Landed Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome on CNN...

THE DOMINO'S EFFECT: NATIONAL PIZZA MAKER GETS BURNED BY VIRAL VIDEO

If you want to observe the raw power of social media or how a hot viral video can spread over the Internet then Dominos pizza will serve as an unsavory case study.

Two Dominos franchise employees shot a video in a store kitchen, where according to print reports, they stuffed cheese not in pizza crust but in nasal passages. Within a day, that half baked idea ended up becoming a viral video viewed by one million people on YouTube.

The video provided an unsavory look at food preparation and broke the unspoken promise that prepared food will arrive at your table or door without being mistreated.

While the actions in the video violated good taste and common sense, the pair charged with the incident say none of the food used in the video was delivered to customers.

The video certainly violated company policy and local health codes, but it should be a wake up call to companies large and small that responses to a wide variety of social media activities need to be delivered in thirty minutes or less.

This situation should cause companies of all sizes to pause and examine proactive and reactive social media strategies. Blogger, Facebook, My Space, Twitter have seeped into mainstream marketing, advertising and PR. Actor Ashton Kutcher now has the bragging rights of being followed by 1 million on Twitter, which he triumphantly reported as being more than CNN has.

The New York Times quotes a Domino's spokesman. “We got blindsided by two idiots with a video camera and an awful idea.”

The New York Times reports that Dominos top brass got alerted to the online food fiasco from a blogger. Later, Dominos created a Twitter page to help put some shine back into the Dominos brand. Some members of the online community live by the golden rule.

In response to the alleged hoax cooked up by franchise employees, Dominos U.S. CEO Patrick Dolye shot back with his own YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l6AJ49xNSQ

The was video watched by only a third of those who watched the alleged video hoax. "It sickens me that the actions of two people could impact our great system, where 125,000 men and women work for small businesses owners around the U.S. and in 60 countries," Doyle said in the video.

There is no question that social media--relating to individuals or communities rather than in outdated broadcast models--has come of age.In the Digital Age, social media gives consumers their own printing press. With YouTube and sites like Magnify.net they also have their own broadcasting towers.

Small groups of bloggers can chase down corporate greenwashing and attack multimillion-dollar companies with Pitbull-like power. Online communications need to be monitored and shaped in ways that internal and traditional external communications are distributed.

Unilever Chief Marketing Officer Simon Clift recently outlined five key strategies for marketing in today's digital landscape. In the AdAge article, Cliff said that customers are not morons they are the ones defining your brand. http://adage.com/print?article_id=135943

It is a whole new world where customers can control communications--good and bad--about your company. It is unfortunate, but some companies are just getting on board with a solid, yet static website. Those just accepting a Web 1.0 site are far behind.

In the Web 2.0 world, Dominoes brand was "hijacked" leaving Dominoes execs scrambling to respond to the situation. "This was an isolated incident. The two team members have been dismissed and there are felony arrest warrants out for their arrest. The store has been shut down and sanitized from top to bottom. There is nothing more sacred to us than our customers' trust," said Doyle in his response video.

Most customers can see through the unsavory actions of two individuals YouTube video. In the short-term, the alleged hoax might leave a lingering mess in subconscious minds of customers. You have to give Dominoes credit for a rapid response to a unexpected nightmare.

However, the one mistake the YouTube response made was not directing Doyle to look into the camera. His message would have been delivered more effectively if he looked viewers straight in the eye. That is the kind of talk he needed to have with his customers for effective “brandaid” damage control.

Rapidly, rebuilding brand loyalty is not a pie in the sky goal for Domino’s, whose reputation up to this point has been squeaky clean.

Just in case sales slip, Domino’s may want to fire back against the social media smear with ads that show pizza makers scrubbing up for work like a heart surgeon. Or, show the pizzas being made in a high-tech clean room next to computer chips.

Chances are, however are they will want to put this incident behind them and continue focusing on the companies smart (and timed right) big taste bailout package promotion. It has all the right ingredients to become a successful campaign.

Roger Rosenbaum is a digital and social media strategist. He can be reached at info (at sign) socialmedia.biz.