Comments on: Imagine if every brand was as honest as Domino’s http://www.brandstoke.com/2010/01/12/imagine-if-every-brand-was-as-honest-as-dominos/ Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:56:28 +0000 hourly 1 By: Kirk http://www.brandstoke.com/2010/01/12/imagine-if-every-brand-was-as-honest-as-dominos/comment-page-1/#comment-1475 Kirk Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:43:32 +0000 http://www.brandstoke.com/index.php/2010/01/12/2937/#comment-1475 Great rant, Michael! This discussion seems to lean in two directions: 1) Those who embrace Domino's for their transparency, such as incorporating a Twitter feed at http://www.pizzaturnaround.com/ for comments, both positive and negative 2) Those who are unwilling to trust Domino's for so recently confessing to crimes that were so widely evident for so long Thanks for your comment. Great rant, Michael!

This discussion seems to lean in two directions:

1) Those who embrace Domino’s for their transparency, such as incorporating a Twitter feed at http://www.pizzaturnaround.com/ for comments, both positive and negative

2) Those who are unwilling to trust Domino’s for so recently confessing to crimes that were so widely evident for so long

Thanks for your comment.

]]> By: Baldovski http://www.brandstoke.com/2010/01/12/imagine-if-every-brand-was-as-honest-as-dominos/comment-page-1/#comment-1473 Baldovski Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:40:10 +0000 http://www.brandstoke.com/index.php/2010/01/12/2937/#comment-1473 "Or like your partner saying, “I cheated on you, but now I’d like to try to make it work."" Exactly. Think the person who got cheated on feels duped? Like, you cheated on me, and now — now that you're in trouble — in your best Dr. Phil voice, you're going to trumpet the cornerstones of love and fidelity, as if you invented virtuous behavior. While the admission of poor quality is refreshing, it's incredulous that Domino's suddenly chose to take action because of Twitter posts or "tastes like cardboard" remarks or the unrelenting passion of its committed staff. Then, their solution? A campaign about fresher, better tasting ingredients. Besides that customers expected that all along, doesn't that position sound familiar? Isn't that what the Camaro-driving pizza guy from Louisville has been talking about — for years? I love the part of the video in which product improvements are attributed to "the best chefs" testing recipes and ingredients; the woman exclaiming the sauce has "garlic and oregano;" the cook telling us gleefully about "real cheese;" and the company leader telling us how chefs worked "day and night and weekends." Guess what? They didn't need to do any of this. There are no less than a half dozen places within two miles of my house where they could have learned in no time how to make good pizza. As far as garlic and oregano and real cheese — Domino's is supposed to provide that. Sloppy management, poor quality control, lackluster advertising, unsuccessful innovation, a competitor on fire and probably scores of disenchanted screaming franchisees less competitive than when they invested in the company; a former pizza giant rolling downhill, a one-time American icon becoming less relevant each passing day — those are the reasons for the The Pizza Turnaround. I get it, though. We all do. But seems to me "The Pizza Turnaround" will be determined a success if it results in a business turnaround. Humility is cool, and it's endearing. No arguments there. But the enthusiastic confessions about what was always obvious make this curious. “Or like your partner saying, “I cheated on you, but now I’d like to try to make it work.”" Exactly. Think the person who got cheated on feels duped? Like, you cheated on me, and now — now that you’re in trouble — in your best Dr. Phil voice, you’re going to trumpet the cornerstones of love and fidelity, as if you invented virtuous behavior.

While the admission of poor quality is refreshing, it’s incredulous that Domino’s suddenly chose to take action because of Twitter posts or “tastes like cardboard” remarks or the unrelenting passion of its committed staff. Then, their solution? A campaign about fresher, better tasting ingredients. Besides that customers expected that all along, doesn’t that position sound familiar? Isn’t that what the Camaro-driving pizza guy from Louisville has been talking about — for years?

I love the part of the video in which product improvements are attributed to “the best chefs” testing recipes and ingredients; the woman exclaiming the sauce has “garlic and oregano;” the cook telling us gleefully about “real cheese;” and the company leader telling us how chefs worked “day and night and weekends.” Guess what? They didn’t need to do any of this. There are no less than a half dozen places within two miles of my house where they could have learned in no time how to make good pizza. As far as garlic and oregano and real cheese — Domino’s is supposed to provide that.

Sloppy management, poor quality control, lackluster advertising, unsuccessful innovation, a competitor on fire and probably scores of disenchanted screaming franchisees less competitive than when they invested in the company; a former pizza giant rolling downhill, a one-time American icon becoming less relevant each passing day — those are the reasons for the The Pizza Turnaround.

I get it, though. We all do. But seems to me “The Pizza Turnaround” will be determined a success if it results in a business turnaround.

Humility is cool, and it’s endearing. No arguments there. But the enthusiastic confessions about what was always obvious make this curious.

]]> By: Devin Meister http://www.brandstoke.com/2010/01/12/imagine-if-every-brand-was-as-honest-as-dominos/comment-page-1/#comment-1471 Devin Meister Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:14:55 +0000 http://www.brandstoke.com/index.php/2010/01/12/2937/#comment-1471 Take your pick of casual dining chains: Applebee's, Chili's, Cheesecake Factory, et al. They are guilty of basically shoveling crap, premium-priced crap, but crap none the less. Especially when it’s touted as “fresh” and “original.” But at least most of them give the perception that somebody along the way has tasted the food. I mean, really, Domino's was surprised that people think their crust tastes like cardboard? Do they even eat their pizza? Have they eaten any other pizza? Take your pick of casual dining chains: Applebee’s, Chili’s, Cheesecake Factory, et al. They are guilty of basically shoveling crap, premium-priced crap, but crap none the less. Especially when it’s touted as “fresh” and “original.” But at least most of them give the perception that somebody along the way has tasted the food. I mean, really, Domino’s was surprised that people think their crust tastes like cardboard? Do they even eat their pizza? Have they eaten any other pizza?

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