Mariah Carey, Domino’s Pizza and Me: What We Can Learn from our Mistakes

by Dayna Steele, Vollmer Public Relations Media Consultant/Community Manager

Stuff happens.  It just does.  And we all know how these things can really be blown out of proportion and drag on for days, months, sometimes even years.  (Hello Balloon Boy Dad.)  However, if you handle whatever mistake has happened correctly and quickly, the ‘event’ will most likely fade into the sunset with nary a problem.

Mariah Carey’s acceptance speech at the Palm Springs Film Festival for the Breakout Performance award was rambling, breathy and just downright odd.  Oh how the tabloids and even mainstream media have speculated.  Already the story is dying down because she immediately addressed the situation and told the truth.  She had been celebrating and drinking champagne.  Maybe a little too much champagne.  OK.  Raise your hand if you’ve never imbibed just a little too much and done something stupid. 

Then there’s Domino’s Pizza.  Yuck.  So said a collective consumer voice from around the country.   The pizza chain recently acknowledged that the quality of their product had gone downhill, in an ad campaign no less, and has said they will fix the recipe, keeping the customer happy and getting free press all at the same time.  The jury is still out on the new pizza.  If this turns out to be that “New Coke” thing, hopefully Domino’s will admit this mistake and fix that as well.

And now we get to me.  I recently put together the January 2010 issue of Vollocity, the e-newsletter for Vollmer Public Relations.  I included links to three excellent posts CEO Helen Vollmer had written for PRWeek US but I attributed PR News.  Helen and PRWeek San Francisco Bureau Chief Aarti Shah worked hard to get those posts written, edited and posted prior to the holidays.  And I gave all the credit to another publication.  I am so sorry!

So, what do we learn from all of this?

• Admit the mistake happened as quickly as you discover it.
• Do what you can to fix it, just as quickly.
• Give a sincere apology.
• Learn from the mistake so that it doesn’t happen again.
• And if you are the other party?  Be gracious, accept the apology and move on.

Perhaps I could tell PRWeek US I drank too much champagne?  Or at least buy Aarti a bottle…