In the last two weeks Domino’s has taken a beating in the social media realm, both on the national and local level. From thoughtless employees creating a brand–devastating video prank, to a Chicago–area pizza order being screwed up and delivered late, these situations where published for all posterity using social media. Domino’s was forced into a defensive position, and published two very different apology videos.

As discussed previously on this blog, Domino’s recently had to combat a viral YouTube video showing two employees using disgusting “secret” ingredients to make a sandwich that they implied was later served to a customer. Domino’s responded via YouTube with a video featuring the president of Domino’s USA, Patrick Doyle, apologizing.

While it was a positive move for Domino’s to post an apology in the channel where the debacle initially began, it could have been better. The video was cold and corporate-feeling and lacked personality. Mr. Doyle was clearly reading from a script and hardly acknowledged the camera.

On the other hand, a Chicago-area Domino’s hit the nail on the head with an original and genuine video apology given by the owner of the franchise, Ramon De Leon, and the store manager, Ernesto “Junior” Royal. The franchise owner @dpzramon saw a Tweet from @interactiveAmy on Twitter complaining about her pizza order being messed up and then delivered late. Within hours @dpzramon contacted Amy via social media and then followed up with this video apology.

No script was utilized for as both men showed personality and spoke from the heart about the situation. They admitted error on their part, vowed to make it right and discussed how they were going to prevent a similar occurrence in the future. They apologized again, said there was no excuse and asked for the opportunity to make it up to her by remaking the order. Clearly, they saw an opportunity to turn a problem into an opportunity to market their commitment to “wowing” their customers.

Which video apology resonated most with you? Which would make you want to try eating Domino’s pizza again?

Information is a prescription that when properly administered can ease fears. With the possible pandemic of Swine Flu (H1N1) you may find a few employees nervous. And considering the media debate about avoiding public transportation, confined spaces and staying home with even the slightest symptom, who wouldn’t be? This is unknown territory for most of us, and with that comes new fears. So here are a few ways you can help remedy the tension at your company.

1. Send company-wide email alerts to communicate new updates made by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As the cliché goes – information is power. Take the lead to provide information to your employees and you will help bring comfort to your organization. You’ll find current and reliable information on the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/index.htm.

2. Set up an RSS feed for CDC updates.
As the communicator you should be aware of updates shortly after they are released to the public. You can ensure this by setting up an RSS feed. RSS means Really Simple Syndication. The CDC website has a “subscribe” button – this is your RSS feed – click it. By clicking that button you’ve helped the CDC syndicate new information. Follow the instructions to set up a news feed so these updates will automatically be routed to you as soon as they become available.

3. Post an FAQ section on your intranet.
Let your employees know what you expect during this potential pandemic. Is it okay to come to work if they just have a headache? At what point should they go home or stay home? What do you expect in terms of communicating with customers and clients during this time? Is it okay to NOT shake others’ hands? Ease co-worker’s nerves by letting them know how your company expects them to act during this time.

You’ll certainly think of other smart things to do, and they’ll likely be based on one key commitment – communicating information. Keep communication in the forefront, and you’ll be much more likely to maintain a relaxing environment.