It is all too convenient to comment in hindsight about how businesses handle crisis events. A characteristic of crises, for those who have experienced them firsthand, is that they are unplanned and therefore much of the response is enacted quickly, assuming organizational paralysis is not occurring.
Because of the inherent urgency of a crisis, analysis of responses will naturally reveal imperfections in how a crisis is managed. As researcher Brooke Liu of the University of Maryland correctly notes in the March 2010 issue of Public Relations Review, crises are frequently judged by the amount of negative publicity created from the event.
When Domino’s responded to a viral YouTube video of employees spitting on pizzas, among other acts, the company’s response was criticized for being too slow. ReadWriteWeb even entitled a post, “Domino’s: How One YouTube Video Can Ruin a Brand.” Read the rest of this at Bulldog Reporter.
Rich Becker
1 year ago
Bob,
I wholeheartedly think it was the wrong communication, and possibly the wrong medium that resulted in backlash. Hindsight is always easier than in the moment. However, in Domino’s case, they clearly lacked the critical thinking skills that are necessary to appropriately address the issue because they were too worried about perception.
Framed up differently, this case was pretty simple. Two employees ran amuck. Instead of being sorry, Domino’s only needed to be appalled and let those employees go. Common sense wins over pat PR.
Best,
Rich
Bob
1 year ago
Hi Rich, I actually think Domino’s did okay in the its response; my point was regardless of how well an organization does, it’s still going to suffer, rightfully or not. In the case of Laguna Honda (the rest of this post is at Bulldog Reporter), the situation was easily prevented.
Thanks for your comments, as always.
Bob