Your Slice Of The Pie

Yesterday, Domino's Pizza launched a live webcam feed that enables customers to watch their pizza being prepared in real time. More than just a digital gimmick, it's part of the company's ongoing efforts to confront some unsavory impressions of their pies and to improve products and services.

Over the last couple of years, the messages from online posts and focus groups were loud, clear...and pretty harsh. Customers felt the pies were actually inferior to bland microwaved snacks and had "crust that tasted like cardboard".

Instead of burying the negatives, Domino's management confronted the problems head-on and went transparent. They did this by spicing up their pizzas with an added ingredient: online video.

The Pizza Turnaround video on YouTube captured the reactions of Domino's franchise owners, management and marketing teams, and even the chefs who craft the pies. Face-to-face, they reinforced the brand's values to viewers. And online visitors ate it up--with well over a million views!

The results: in 2011, the company's sales rose by nearly 20%.

So take a tip from Domino's. Open your digital doors and let customers in with relevant content that shows them how to enjoy your products and what your brand really means. If your advertising and marketing menu for the rest of 2013 doesn't already include a healthy portion of video, you need to place your order. Now.