I didn’t expect to open TikTok and see a masterclass on PR response and reputation management, but that’s exactly what I got this weekend.
When I opened the app and mindlessly scrolled, I saw a viral video from a woman’s experience ordering California Pizza Kitchen mac & cheese takeout, only to receive a pan of cheese sauce with no noodles. The video has over 3 million views at the time of this posting and could have been a PR mini crisis for CPK. Instead, the brand leaned in o the virality of the moment and immediately responded in exactly the right fit for the platform.
Within a few days, the brand sent the user a doorstop delivery of a container of raw pasta, a certificate for free mac & cheese for a year and an additional certificate for free pizza for a year. The freebies ensured the customer’s negative experience turned into an enthusiastic positive, while the raw pasta had just enough humor and quirk to ensure the inevitable follow up content from the customer would play well on TikTok. The response perfectly matched the media.
Even better? CPK leaned into the virality of the situation on its own social as well. On the spot, the brand created a promotion offering all customers nationwide half price mac & cheese for the rest of the month. The promotion was announced via a cheeky video from CPK’s chef, showing how mac & cheese *should* be cooked, complete with a full serving of noodles. The video was a stitch of the original creator’s viral video, showing that CPK wasn’t shying away from the situation and was instead handling it head on.
With 8.7 million views, CPK’s response video has far outpaced the original video and showed how a quick-thinking and platform-appropriate response can turn a negative situation into a positive brand management masterclass. *Chef’s kiss*
