FUMBLE: DOMINO'S SHOULD HAVE BEEN MONITORING ITS BRAND PRESENCE ONLINE

You’ve got to feel sorry for Domino’s Pizza. Two kids – employees – armed with a camcorder and astonishingly bad judgment, do gross things with food in the kitchen, announce that it will soon be eaten by some hapless customer, then upload the footage to YouTube. This is the kind of thing that could happen to virtually any organization – “quick-serve restaurant” sector or anywhere else for that matter – at any time. Every employee represents your brand, especially when it’s a bad scene, so smart organizations are constantly watching their own backs online in blog chatter and on social media sites. Ed Lee, the new Managing Director of our com.motion social media division here at Veritas, does exactly that for a range of our clients, and he was astonished that Domino’s only became aware of the infamous YouTube tape AFTER it had gone fully viral. This, despite our sympathy, is where we cite the Fumble for Domino’s. As an international brand, and one with sizeable communications resources, they really should have been on this one themselves. Now, to give credit where it is due, I commend Domino’s for not over-reacting in their crisis communications. It’s always a fine line to walk, between trying to blow out the flames and potentially fanning them even higher, and Domino’s wisely played it cool at first, responding largely in the social media realms where the problem first arose (YouTube, with amplification via Twitter). They kept close watch on how the story was playing out, and adjusted their strategy as it rolled. Overall, most seem to be taking the issue as managed – not a systemic failure, but an isolated case of brand vandalism. But the lesson for all organizations is that it’s imperative to keep close watch on what’s being said and posted about you online. Read our more detailed analysis of the Domino’s debacle here.