Domino’s Pizza | New Recipe #Fail?

We’ve all seen it, the new Domino’s Pizza marketing campaign. It’s all over the internet and television. In case you’ve missed it, here’s the abbreviated version of what’s going on: Domino’s has a reputation for fast delivery of horrible tasting pizza. After receiving some harsh criticism from consumers, they decided to grow from the feedback instead of ignoring it. They changed their entire pizza recipe and then boldly asked consumers to give them another try. They basically said, “We know we suck, but we are going to make it better.”

Although I admire their transparency and use of social media for this brilliant marketing campaign, I have one question: Is it possible to be too transparent? Right now, on http://www.pizzaturnaround.com, there is a live Twitter feed with feedback on the new recipe. I’ve been monitoring that feedback for several days, and I’m sad to say that much of it is negative. Is anyone else getting a flashback from when Coke changed their formula back in the 80s?

Did they take their transparency too far? Would they have had more success changing the minds of consumers and changing their company’s reputation if they didn’t put themselves in such a vulnerable position by putting the Twitter feed on the site?

I spoke to @ShellyKramer who knows almost everything about branding and these were her thoughts: “Domino’s had something really, really bad happen to them. And it shook them to their core. As a result, they take social media, and its inherent power, very seriously. It’s not as if someone couldn’t see those same comments if they did a search. Domino’s is just being ballsy enough to put them up there, in front of God and everyone, for the world to see, in real time. Is it good? Is it bad? Is it harmful to the brand?

Heck, I don’t have all the answers. But the more I think on it, I think it’s kind of cool. There is nothing like instant feedback. And nothing like showing the world “We value our customers; we care about what they have to say, we listen when they talk.” This is that, to the Nth degree. It actually kind of makes me respect them. A lot. That is brave. Very brave. Who knows where it will go. Who knows if they’ll leave that functionality on their site. But, for me, I think it makes an impressive statement.”

What about the old Domino’s pizza recipe? Don’t worry, according to http://www.colbertnation.com, “If you get nostalgic for the classic recipe, you can always order the new pizza and then spread some ketchup on the box and eat it.” You can see the twitter feed and learn more about this by visiting http://www.pizzaturnaround.com.

Thank you to http://www.flickr.com/photos/roelestcoolest/2847716917/ for the Domino’s logo photo above.