Pratfall Effect: Bad Pizza and How Embracing Flaws Can Elevate Your Community Credibility

[JoelR]

The pratfall effect is a psychological phenomenon where blunders can actually enhance a person's (or brand's) likability.

Did you used to love ordering takeout pizza from Domino's?  

Fourteen years ago, the CEO of Domino’s Pizza starred in their 'Pizza Turnaround' marketing campaign. The commercials embraced the criticism of their pizza at the time (it was bland! it tasted like cardboard!) and promised to fix the problem. He openly admitted their product wasn't up to par and pledged to fix it. This honesty not only humanized the brand but also won over customers.

Can we apply this principle to managing our online communities?

• Have you ever thought about openly acknowledging the shortcomings of your community platform or strategy? Could this transparency foster stronger trust and loyalty among members?
• What's the line between being relatably imperfect and unprofessionally flawed? How can we ensure that our admissions of imperfection don't backfire?

This idea isn't about glorifying mistakes, but rather about embracing authenticity in a world that often demands perfection. It's about turning 'oops' into opportunities and using candor to strengthen the bonds within our communities.