Social Media and the Domino's Scandal

All this talk about crisis communication in class made me want to delve into a little more.

Wanna a great way to ruin your company's reputation? Just take a look at the Domino's scandal. Why anybody would do this, I don't know. Its a one way ticket to a pink slip.

Well, a pair of genius Domino’s Pizza employees either didn't think about this or didn't care. They thought it prudent to tape themselves ruining takeaway food and doing horrific things in the kitchen of a Domino's franchise.

This video was uploaded to YouTube and hit nearly a million views before it was taken down. The two employees were identified, tracked down, and promptly arrested.

This clearly shows you how any moron with a camera can destroy the reputation of a well established brand. While socail media is a blessing for PR practicioners, it can also be a curse.

So what did we learn? First of all, keep a close eye on all social media. Facebook, twitter, blogger, youtube, the works. Know what is being discussed, what people are saying about you, whether you are in the spotlight or not, good/bad reviews, etc.

News can spread like wildfire especially through Twitter. Domino’s however, was swift in responding to this crisis. They immediately countered with the creation of their own Twitter account (dpzinfo). They promoted positive coverage, tweeted with customers, and most importantly, thanked customers for their support.

Dominos also created its own YouTube video featuring the CEO in an attempt to fix the damage and relay a message of apology and reassurance in an attempt to keep the loyalty of its customers.

Finally, a little more communication between the employees and management probably couldn't hurt. I have to imagine that anyone disgruntled enough to basically sign themselves up to get canned had to hate working at Domino's. Screening for that kind of thing and listening to the feedback is vital.

One last note, I wasn't able to find anything about what Professor Branigan said about Domino's "adding more cameras." So I didn't include that in the blog.