AN UNWELCOME DELIVERY

Domino's Pizza has become the latest company to learn how quickly a brand can be tainted in a Web 2.0 world--and how important it is to monitor social media. On Apr. 13 a prank video made by two Domino's employees in North Carolina hit YouTube. In it, one of the pair sticks cheese up his nose and "sneezes" into a sandwich he's making--using that cheese. After Domino's learned (from a blogger) about the video, it issued a statement and created a Twitter account to answer questions. And in a YouTube message, Domino's USA President Patrick Doyle conveyed his outrage, announcing the impending arrest of the workers (who said they never delivered the befouled food), a scrubdown of the outlet, and extra vigilance in hiring.

But such responses may be too little, too late these days. Doyle's apology didn't come until 48 hours after the gross-out video was posted, at which point it had racked up nearly a million views--and lots of play on other social media sites. Twitter had been abuzz with questions about Domino's silence. On LinkedIn, users created a forum on what the company should do. ("Develop a new store model with visible/viewable food prep areas," suggested one PR professional.)

Then there's the question of how to counter such a visceral image. According to University of Pennsylvania psychology professor Paul Rozin, who studies disgust, words aren't enough. "Disgust is powerful," he says, and not easily neutralized by reason. While regular patrons who have positive associations with Domino's may be less affected than others, Rozin says, the company can't do much to dispel the offending image--short of showing "pictures of attractive people eating Domino's pizza next to waterfalls."

If there's a lesson here, experts say, it's that companies must have an active presence on the Web--to monitor their brands continuously, perhaps enlisting loyal customers to help deal immediately with any damage. Domino's, says Scott Goodson, CEO of Web-savvy ad shop StrawberryFrog, "had to stand up to the video all by themselves." Pizza Hut just announced it is seeking a Twitter-based intern to monitor its reputation online. And Domino's own Twitter account now has more than 1,000 followers. The company hadn't wanted to "jump in without a strategy," says spokesman Tim McIntyre. But "we were kind of pushed."