The Quisenblog

“Our product sucked!”

Not exactly a textbook way of launching an upgraded product image, but definitely attention getting. That’s exactly what Domino’s Pizza is doing. The brand started running spots with clips (I suppose actual verbatims) from customer focus groups where the people panned their pizza: “The crust tastes like cardboard.” “The sauce is like ketchup.” And on and on.

Here’s a 4-minute corporate video that launched the same time as the new campaign.

The brutal honesty of the campaign is refreshing. While many client-types would deem such a strategy “risky,” to me it makes sense on so many levels. For one, Domino’s own research showed that 67% of ITS CUSTOMERS thought its product was in dire need of an upgrade. People didn’t order Domino’s for the quality of the pie. They ordered for the convenience, price and reliability. When you set out to launch a new campaign, you have to start with where your customers are.

Secondly, by taking such a non-conformist tone, Domino’s has been able to attract a ton of attention outside the advertising space. Over 700 daily newspapers covered the campaign. Late night talk show hosts have jumped on board. The campaign has been a trending topic on the Social Media circuit. Any idea what the “value” of this media coverage and conversation is worth?

Most importantly, this campaign provides a “sea change” moment for the brand. Rather than soft pedal a new formulation, the brand is jumping in with both feet, drawing a line in the sand. From this day forward, the brand seems to be saying, we will stand for something different.

Now, of course, the pressure is on Domino’s to pay it off. The proof is in the pizza, to borrow a metaphor. If the “big changes” the brand is promising turn out to be temporary or not so big, and customers’ perceptions of it remain the same, then all this publicity will have been wasted. Worse, they will alienate any new customers that may have come over as the result of this campaign. The brand will have damaged itself but good.

Then again, small risks limit you to small rewards. Bold steps can lead to “curve-jumping” results.

Only time will tell if this campaign from Domino’s is a success. But for the sake of all brands who are content to sell a below-average product, I sincerely hope it will be.

Posted by Mickey

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Mickey On Customers brand association, Customers, Domino's Pizza, focus groups, new campaign, product, successful campaign, Value

In this scene from the movie “City Slickers,” trail-hardened cowpoke Curly (played marvelously by Jack Palance) sums up the secret of life for city slicker Billy Crystal:

One Thing. The secret of life. Also the secret for succeeding in business. Another term for your One Thing is your Brand Vision. It is the one thing your customers agree you do better than any of your competition. The one thing you want your customers (and non-customers) to think of every time your name comes up.

So what is your One Thing? Is it fast, cheap, attentive, sturdy, sleekly-designed? Is it reliable, techie, funny, intuitive, caring? Summing up your competitive strength in one word might seem simplistic, but in truth, one word is all your customers and prospects will reserve for you.

And please, no boiler-plate terms like “world-class customer service.” In addition to activating my gag response, it doesn’t mean anything until you back it up with specifics. It may make management feel all warm and fuzzy, but to the customer, it’s just table stakes.

Think you have your word? Make sure none of your competitors can use the same word to describe themselves. If they can, you need a new word.

Once you’ve discovered your One Thing, figure out how to engineer more of it into your products or services. If you determine your word is ‘”reliable,” for example, consider initiatives that will reinforce that strength in your customers’ minds. A super-long warranty, no-questions-asked return policy or a zero-deductible repair policy would be a few examples.

The strongest brands have always had their One Thing. A few examples: Ferrari. FedEx. McDonald’s. The Grateful Dead. Four different brands, and you probably have no problem coming up with a single word to describe them.

So how about you?

Posted by Mickey

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Mickey On Customers brand vision, Business, City Slickers, competition, Customers, FedEx, Ferrari, McDonald's, The Grateful Dead