Domino’s Pizza Case S tudy - reputation management online

1. Domino’s Pizza Case Study- reputation management online

2. Domino’s Pizza Crisis 2009 • On Sunday the 12th of April 2009, twoDomino’semployees from a branch in North Carolina upload a film on YouTube • The footage is filmedwhiletheyare at work, showingdisturbing images of themselves violating healthcodes with unsanitary actions, whilstpreparingfoode.g. putting cheese up his nosebefore putting it into sandwich etc. Above: An image of the footagethatwasavailable from YouTubebefore the video was removed

3. Domino’s online crisis • The video becomes a viral sensation with more than a million hits on YouTube 3 daysafter it wasuploaded(source NYTIMES.COM) • Hoax has rippleeffect in social media bleedingintoconversations in twitter, other social media forums and mainstream media • 65% of respondents who had visited Dominos Pizza saytheywould not visit Dominos Pizza afterseeing video (source Wall Street Journal, HCD research, 2009)

4. Timeline of Dominos response Source: management communicationquarterly (SAGE) – 4th December 2011

5. Whydidn’tDomino’srespond faster? ”Twothingswedidn’tanticipate. The firstthingwedidn’tanticipatewas the pass-alongvalue, or the pass-along nature of thisparticular video, becausetherewas a lot of “Man, youought to seethisgoing on.” And the sheerexplosion of interest from the traditional media.” Tim McIntyre, Vice President, Communications, Dominos Pizza

6. A hoax is a threat • A false claimcanbecome a real threat • Even though the company knew the claimwas false, the public perceivedit as being real • The video wasplausible • Imagine yournightmare scenarios • Avoid a meteor crisis

7. Do Domino’sdeliverduringcrisis?

8. PRventive • Act fast • Not enough to proactivelyuse internet as a communication platform • Need to useyoureyes and earsand listen to all the conversations – not only the oneswhichyouareengaged in