 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. | 
