Yes, Our Pizza Sucks! Domino’s Latest Credibility Investment

Are you willing to stand naked in front of your customers?

Most business owners simply don’t have the courage. They prefer to turn a blind eye to any uncomfortable truths about their business. You know, those stomach-twisting characteristics or traits that might cause customers to bolt for the nearest competitor:

Drawbacks to a product offering.
Gaps in knowledge or expertise.
Shortcomings and oversights in service.

To further mask their vulnerabilities and insecurities, business owners project a slick and polished image of infallibility. And this controlling behavior breeds the habitual corporate-speak, hype and chest-thumping clichés that consumers have come to loathe and reject.

But Domino’s Pizza bucks conventional wisdom by having the courage to face criticism and reveal an uncomfortable truth. By listening to its customers, the company learned the harsh reality about the quality of its pizza:

“Pizza was cardboard”
“Mass produced, boring, bland pizza.”
“Processed cheese!!”
“Microwave pizza is far superior.”

No longer willing to ignore the truth, Domino’s took action and reformulated its product to create a better tasting pizza.

Sounds great so far, but how do you convince the skeptical public that your pizza has improved and no longer tastes like cardboard slathered in ketchup and processed cheese? How do you persuade consumers and get them to trust that this isn’t just another marketing ploy or gimmick?

You reveal your warts – a credibility investment of power and control.

And that’s exactly what Domino’s is doing with its pizza makeover marketing campaign. The company readily admits that its old recipe was universally offensive to taste buds.

Yes, Domino’s admission seems counter-intuitive. But when you admit the drawbacks of your product or service, you automatically elevate the believability of your message. Now no one would question Domino’s sincerity in trying to make a better tasting pizza.

And you might recall that Domino’s is no stranger to making bold credibility investments. By risking material wealth, the company revolutionized the pizza industry — way back in the 1980’s — by guaranteeing delivery within 30 minutes or your money back.

Here are two things that you can learn from the latest marketing efforts from Domino’s Pizza:

1.) Listen to your customer’s unvarnished opinions about your business. You’ll likely be provided with an eye-opening perspective, which will help you improve your products or services.

2.) Credibility requires an investment that goes beyond words. And every business or organization can invest Power and Control. Begin by looking at what you are keeping from your customers, and have the courage to stand naked.

(Watch the videos below to gain a better appreciation for Domino’s credibility investment. The first was taken from Domino’s website. The second is a tongue-in-cheek promotion that recently aired on The Colbert Report.)