Leaving aside the all-too-common worker idiocy…
1. Aaron Kwittken (see below) was wrong to call it social media terrorism. Social media sabotage seems more accurate: the miscreants were lacing pizza with snot, not arsenic or anthrax.
2. Does the current Domino’s situation constitute a crisis or an issue?
Crisis suggests a level of intensity and significance that’s not often warranted by circumstance. A crisis can put a company out of business. During a crisis, it’s not business as usual. Crises are turning points leading to fundamental, unprecedented action and change, followed hopefully by recovery. (On these levels, this could have been a crisis.)
Moreover, the word crisis wreaks of mayhem, attracting drama, adrenaline, extremity. These side-effects are annoying and distracting. If they can be kept to a minimum, at least inside the organisation, management can get on with the job of fixing things.
So-called crises are sometimes merely issues (topics in debate) or incidents (isolated events). Yes, people will call a thing what they will and crisis is no place for euphemism (see Sylvio Berlusconi on “camping weekend”). Correct diagnosis, then keeping the talks short and using the right words can soothe anxiety of staff, customers and others.
From the outside, a local Domino’s incident needed the speed and readiness of a crisis and the geographical treatment of an international issue. If Domino’s continue from here to show empathy, right action and transparency, they will recover.
Further Domino’s coverage and analysis
CNBC news video on the Domino’s story, including comments from communication consultants Robert Dilenschneider and Aaron Kwittken.
This Wall Street Journal blog offers a more granular review of how Domino’s mishandled then recovered the communication.
Aussie CEO’s too-long video response.
On overstating
Overstating is common in marketing and comedy–and it’s a communication trap. On a personal level, when we overstate, others eventually lessen their attention and belief in us and our message. On a corporate or organisational level, overstating can draw legal, regulatory or market ire if it crosses into the territory of false claims and dishonesty.
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