Domino’s Pizza YouTube video scandal: What to learn from it
Posted by Manuela Barreto @ April 16th, 2009 in New Media Tips
Talk about generating negative press for your company…but more importantly, would you do such a thing if you knew you’d get big time sacked?
Well, two brilliant Domino’s Pizza employees didn’t think so. They thought it was funny to videotape themselves abusing takeaway food and doing unhygienic things in the kitchen of one Domino’s Pizza branch.
The posting of the video on YouTube which was also generating close to a million views before it was put down yesterday was what uncoverered the identity of the employees, who were both tracked down immediately and issued arrest warrants.
What was social media’s role in this story? On one hand, if it hadn’t been for YouTube and the posting of the videos online, the staff from Consumerist.com would not have contributed to work out the location of the Domino’s branch.
On the other hand, this clearly shows you how anyone with a camcorder can ruin a 50-year old brand’s reputation by putting content of such nature live on the Web.
Moral of the Story
How can brands counteract these types of actions? First and foremost, keep a close eye on all social networks (Facebook, Twitter). Be alert on what’s being discussed, what people are saying about your brand, whether your brand is on the spotlight or not, good/bad reviews, etc.
News can spread like wildfire specially through Twitter. Domino’s however, was quick in responding to this mess. They immediately fired back by creating their very own Twitter account (dpzinfo) to promote positive coverage, interact with customers, tweet back and more importantly, THANK THEM for their support.
The company also posted its own YouTube video featuring the chief executive in an attempt to repair the damage and send a message of apology and reassurance to its loyal customers.
Lastly, it never hurts to learn and teach employees about new media and social media. What’s better than having your own employees put in a good word for you without asking them to do so. This can prove two things; employees are happy and content at the workplace + more positive PR for you on behalf of your employees.
If your employees are happy, you’re happy, therefore, it’s most likely your customers will also be happy with you, your product and your services.
Last 5 posts in New Media Tips
- Social media's potential is endless - May 7th, 2010
- Insights on The Social Media Landscape: a break down of 10 major social communities - April 23rd, 2010
- Social media, do as experts do - April 8th, 2010
- Make your content more accessible online. Journalists are turning to social media for information - February 26th, 2010
- Preliminary step to define your brand's social media strategy - February 17th, 2010
Comments
United Breaks Guitars; Social Media and PR - Guardian Force UK
July 14th, 2009
[...] them or worse, proven about them, on sites like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. The RyanAir and Dominos Pizza cases really come to mind and bad handling of a social media PR storm cost these companies a [...]
Social Media and HR « HR Club Sydney
July 21st, 2009
[...] Media is being talked about a lot lately. We’ve seen news break first on twitter, employees are fired for things on facebook and politicians like Obama and Kevin Rudd use it as part of campaign strategies or as a means to [...]
Social media privacy settings and online reputation management
August 14th, 2009
[...] Moreover, the rise of social media as an information source for recruiting, and stories about employees damaging their brand, knowingly or not, show that expertise in social media is a vital [...]
Carroll B. Merriman
April 24th, 2010
I totally agree with Barbara’s comment. Many thanks for sharing such an informative article with all of us. I’ve bookmarked your blog will come back for a re-read again. Keep up the good work.
Ferrari phones fan
July 3rd, 2010
Thank you so significantly, I have been browsing for some posts on this for weeks and you’ve got just what I want! It’s incredible how details and technology can get the ideal of us at times! Google rocks yea!