Can I get an amen? OK maybe it’s too soon in this post to ask for that. But really, I could not help but to think about the shitstorm that has happened over the last 7 days with Dominos and Amazon, and that maybe companies big and small, might want to take the time to better understand how they go about branding themselves either using social media or not.

I know, we’re not talking about a branding issue here. Or are we?

You see, it’s not so much how they brand, but rather, how fast, or the pace and the speed in which they do it. The reason I’m thinking out loud about this, is that I’ve now watched in 3 very high profile cases (Amazon, Motrin and Dominoes) how quickly large brands have moved to incorporate damage control via certain media channels, formats and vehicles- which led me to postulate-

Why don’t they move this fast in branding in general, controlling the brand or creating and shaping the message? What’s holding them back?

I suppose we can sit here and be quick to criticize or answer that question by stating a) If they are moving too fast then they must be trying to shove the message down out throats, and grab market share. And of course we know that’s not cool with their core audience, the blogosphere,  social media pundits, marketers and the Twitter mob, etc., etc., etc. Right?

Or… We could criticize them for moving too slow and missing the boat and of course that’s not cool with their core audience, the blogosphere, social media pundits, marketers and the Twitter Mob…Right?

So they can’t win.

But what strikes me is this. Have you ever heard this statement? “You never know how fast someone can run until they’re running for their life.”  Which always begs this question: Why don’t they run like that all the time?