Domino's: Honesty IS the Best Policy

Click to the Domino's Web site these days, and you're likely to see a headline like the one I saw the other day: "You asked for better chicken, and we delivered."

Owning up to its shortcomings--and responding, in a very high-profile campaign--has helped Domino's boost sales and profits during the past 18 months.

There was a lot of buzz when Domino's announced via its ad campaign in 2010 that it was tweaking its products due to harsh customer comments such as "tastes like cardboard." The move was gutsy and risky. In fact, the company went a step further and began posting videos and photos of its Pizza Turnaround program, reinventing its pizza "from the crust up."

Honesty paid off: Domino's began seeing significant increases in revenues and share, a trend that continues to this day. And the company is involving customers in the message as well. It invites customers to post Facebook photos and videos of food they've ordered from the company, showing how it looked when delivered. The idea is to demonstrate that what you see in a Domino's ad is what you'll get in the box when you order.

I like the way the Domino's blog reinforces the "you asked for it, you got it" theme as well as announcing new products and special offers. Honesty is the best policy!