Pizza Turnaround; Breadstick Standstill

Jameson and I ordered Domino's tonight at my insistence because I've been totally mesmerized by the Pizza Turnaround campaign. Some will argue that it's an admission that Domino's had shitty pizza. Well, yeah, it is. But it's also the only way they could ever get customers (like me) who had made up our minds that Domino's = failfest to try it again. Also, it's an admission that they are listening to what people are saying, and their social media has gone from crisis management to being reactive and receptive.

Anyway.

The new pizza was pretty, pretty, pretty good. I'd say at least Pizza Hut quality. But I'm not here to talk about pizza. I'm here because online we ordered breadsticks:

Pretty standard, 8 pieces with dipping sauce. Yum. We received:

Perhaps Pizza Turnaround really was just an ad campaign, and not an actual recommitment to quality? Sad face.

Twitter and YouTube for Crisis Control? Interesting..

Most of you savvy communicators have probably caught wind of the Dominos YouTube video incident. In case you didn't: two employees of a Norh Carolina Dominos store created an online video while doing disgusting things to the food they then supposedly served up to unknowing customers. Cheese in the nose and then on my pizza? Vom.




Anyways, Dominos obviously had a public relations crisis on their hands after the video became popular knowledge. I mean, afterall, I wouldn't be too quick to order a pizza from there after seeing that, even if I knew that MY Dominos probably was clean and law-abiding.

Dominos launched the usual crisis measures by reaching out to those who were aware of the video, and firing the employees responsible for this fiasco. They even filed for the arrest of the two offendors. The pizza franchise was criticized by some after this, for not taking a full-blown PR course of action. However, it seems as though Dominos was considering a different approach to the crisis.


Dominos seemed to recognize that an online crisis may be better handled with an online response. In the days after the incident, Dominos launched its first corporate Twitter account (dpzinfo) and vowed to "listen" to consumer's concerns regarding the video and other issues. They also posted information on the incident to its corporate Web site, and released its own YouTube video featuring the company's president Patrick Doyle. Doyle apologized to consumers for the incident and explained what the company would do to rectify the situation.


Using social media and online tactics, Dominos has responded to a crisis in a more direct way, allowing for direct feedback. I'm very curious to see how well this pans out for them!

Loving Me Some Subway

I meant to blog on this last week, but my anger caused me to hold off, so I may write a more rational post. Now, I say, screw that.

As many of you I'm sure have seen, Dominos is attacking Subway needlessly in their "People prefer Dominos subs over Subway two to one in a taste test" campaign. Thank you, once again Crispin Porter Bogusky. Here are my problems with this campaign, which have been summarized nicely by several other people:

1) As AgencySpy puts it, people who eat Subway subs will not substitute Dominos subs. Dominos subs aren't healthy, so of course they taste better! That's like saying I like chocolate bunnies better than carrots. Of course I do, but that doesn't make them equal.


2) This campaign has become like the other CPB campaigns. More about the agency than the client. This only improves CPB's image of being out there and dangerous and risk-taking and innovative. It does not focus on the needs of Dominos and the needs of its consumers.

3) This was aired during American Idol:



In response as to why, the CEO had this to say: The letter arrived from Subway earlier this month. Upon receiving it Brandon challenged his marketing team and lead agency Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Miami, to come up with a plan to leverage it. "I said ‘listen this is a bit if a swipe at us, suggesting there is an integrity issue around the test we did and how we did. I don’t like it,'" Brandon told Brandweek. "It made us want to scream even louder about our two-to-one taste claim results. When they asked me to be in the ad, I had to be a team player.”" Domino's plans to continue running the ad for awhile.

Let me reiterate: "When they asked me to be in the ad, I had to be a team player."

No, I think this kind of response, while attention getting, is childish and a response like that is spineless. If you wanted the commercial done, own up to it. If you didn't, don't do it. Don't make your agency take the fall. In the end, your agency needs you more than you need your agency. Even though, I know every agency wishes it were the other way around. However, that dynamic creates an atmosphere where the brand gets to portray itself as it desires rather than the agency (ahem, CPB) showing itself off. With that kind of power, they should be doing the most insightful work possible, not the most annoying/craziest.

Now, I am off to get some Subway.

Nine Inches of SCAM?! Crispin Porter Bogusky's Alleged Diet Book...

So Chuck Porter and Alex Bogusky are writing a diet book. My first reaction? This has GOT to be some sort of promotion for themselves or CP+B's brands. I mean:

• Would the men who catapulted the King to iconic status and made it possible to stalk your pizza's path to your belly really be criticizing the "big conspiracy in America" regarding portions and overeating? Directly from the Amazon description: "[T]wo of the best tricksters in the industry explain how you as a consumer are being duped, and how you are actually a part of the conspiracy to make you fat." STFU.
  
• They're CP+B! Writing a book on paper is far too conventional for them. It's 2008. This should at least be a streaming video.
• "The Nine Inch Diet?" Hi, euphemisms.

And arguments for this book actually being what it claims:

• Amazon has a pretty intense description of what the book will be about, including psychology of eating and pop culture references. Looks pretty legit so far...
  
• I guess ad men writing a book on a 9" plate diet is pretty unexpected. Is this just a Madonna moment for Chuck and Al as they reinvent their identities?

A few of us Yaybies have met Chuck, a fellow Gopher alum. I got the impression that he was a smart, kind guy, and I don't like to think he'd pull a fast one on America in the form of self-help materials. We don't raise 'em like that in Minnesota. But the possibility had to be thrown out there...

Now let's hear your thoughts!