I’m sure you’ve heard the news about the Domino’s Pizza YouTube video. How many links were you sent about it? I know I was sent a few, through Facebook and through Twitter. It’s a sign of the times and a testiment to the power of social media how quickly the video was spread and how fast the damage was made to the company’s reputation.
As noted by Patrick Vogt in his Forbes article , within a few days of posting their video, the unsavory antics of the Domino’s Pizza employees received more than a million YouTube hits from global sources. It took Domino’s 48 hours to respond to the video. They didn’t issue a formal press release but responded by opening a Twitter account after the incident and posting a YouTube apology. Various estimates were made as to the cost of this debacle to Dominos’ reputation. A national study conducted by HCD Research using its Media Curves Web site found that 65% of respondents who would previously visit or order Domino’s Pizza were less likely to do so after viewing the offensive video.
Overall, you really get a sense that Domino’s response was too little, too late. Clearly their ear was so far from the ground that they were floating on a balloon of their own reputation, a bubble which has been heavily deflated by this recent set back.
I find it interesting how Domino’s main competitor Pizza Hut has attempted to learn the social media errors of its nemesis by publicly advertising for a Twittern to look after their Twitter account for the summer. Although some have argued that perhaps Facebook would be a more appropriate medium for Pizza Hut, the point is, they’re getting their presence out there and marketing themselves in a positive light and progressively learning about social media.
So what are the lessons we can learn?
Monitor what is being said, blogged and filmed about your company as it happens, and not when it’s too late
One thing you can do right now is set up a Google Alert for your company’s name. These handy alerts which can be read in an email or an RSS feed are sent one your topic of choice is detected by Google. This is a fast way to begin your social media monitoring.
Be Proactive, not Reactive
As was mentioned before, Domino’s response was too little too late. Why didn’t they have a social media body out there? Don’t make the same mistake Domino’s did and start to create an effective social media campaign suited for your business. It doesn’t have to be anything hugely elaborate, but make sure it has a clear objective and is managed properly.
Know where your audience is
As talked about in her article, Liana Evans makes some great points about how to use the appropriate social medium to target your audience. By doing this you could save yourself a lot of time and resources.
Social Media is a high speed train travelling at a substantial pace… are you on board?
0 Responses to “The Domino Effect”