By: Stephen Andrews, Vice President, Fusion PR
It’s hard to know where to even start with this one. Talk about damage to a brand in the most extreme way I think I’ve ever witnessed in nearly 20 years in this business.
I suppose we should begin by introducing you to our two “stars” of the Domino’s Pizza debacle. Kristy is an incredibly annoying young woman who is our budding cinematographer and Michael our disgusting sidekick / star who following Kristy’s direction, with some adlibbing, manages to convince me that every single negative stereotype about the millennial generation is more than true.
Don’t believe me? Have a look for yourself. Don’t plan on eating during, prior or even after you view this. And it should go without saying; I will NEVER eat at a Domino’s again.
In keeping with the food metaphors, this is a whole big bowl of wrong on so many levels, from the sponge scene representing a potential criminal violation to the insidious glee Kristy seems to take as Michael contaminates a small, but important piece, of our beloved American food supply chain.
From a messaging / brand standpoint this is a disaster. In any crisis situation a crisis is defined by a trigger event (thanks for posting on YouTube Kristy) and becomes a full-blown crisis once the reputation of the brand or business is affected negatively by the trigger event.
Well, we’ve certainly got the trigger event and I believe it’s safe to assume these Michael and Kristy cinematographic masterpiece well continue to damage Domino’s reputation. So the communications challenge becomes dealing with this crisis, containing the crisis from doing further damage to Domino’s reputation (read – lost customers and revenue) and figuring out how to go about repairing the damage done and continuing to affect the Domino’s brand.
The Internet is truly wonderful tool for massive communication, right now unfortunately for Domino’s, this will continue to fuel the crisis. Domino’s corporate communications department is attempting to address the crisis. You can take a peak into Tim McIntyre’s attempts to address and contain this crisis here.
McIntyre is following the proper crisis procedures, though it seems somewhat hollow, or lacking true substance. For instance McIntyre is publishing responses / information on steps Domino’s is taking. They seem lackluster and more like he’s following a checklist than has any real stake in fixing this situation and mitigating damage to Domino’s. It appears McIntyre and Domino’s are merely going through the crisis motions.
Here’s what Domino’s should be doing:
- Tell us all exactly what happened, where it happened and how this could possibly happen.
- Notify each and every customer who placed an order from that location during the time these videos were made.
- Have a compensation package prepared for each and every customer during the times the video was shot.
- Fully identify the culprits and let us know what actions are being taken, including firing, the possibi
lity of criminal charges and what police or regulatory agencies have been invited to not only review the situation, but also inspect and declare “clean” this specific Domino’s and every other (yes each and every one the 50 year-old brand, Domino’s in some 60 countries) Domino’s around the world. - Tell us what actions have been taken to ensure this cannot EVER happen again.
As a final suggestion, from deep down inside the angry part of me… I’d like to see a follow-up video the smug Kristy and juvenile Michael at their court hearing, their first day in jail and a “where are they now,” follow-up piece detailing their rapid slide into homelessness and a lifetime of being forced to eat out of dumpsters. At least they’ll probably get cleaner, safer food.