Unimpressed by his pizzas at 8 CBD Ben Butler
Punters - and the market - had been less than impressed when Meij unveiled a bunch of new toppings (peking duck, pork belly, blue cheese) and a price cut to $8 in an announcement he had earlier hyped as something that would "revolutionise" the pizza market.
The Facebook chat was quickly flooded with pitches for multi-level marketing scams and invitations to watch Rihanna and Justin Bieber sex tapes.
One post promised "a great paying, proven work from home opportunity... This is not a scam... NO SCAM 100% legit". Sounds plausible. Another poster said "great pizza" before moving quickly to a pitch for a "work from home opportunity". Like delivering pizza?
Tinkler on edge
The game of "Where's Wally?" may be over for Singaporean Nathan Tinkler (pictured), who must front the NSW Supreme Court at 11am Thursday, or face arrest. Tinkler's whereabouts have been a source of particular interest since he failed to appear last Friday after being summonsed for a public examination by the liquidator of his Mulsanne Resources. Instead, the former Novocastrian's lawyers launched an abortive "abuse of process" claim to stay the proceedings.
Unimpressed, counsel for the liquidator, Robert Newlinds, SC, told the registrar: "We are not convinced that Mr Tinkler has ever had an intention of complying with this summons. An easy way to test is to ask, 'Is he here?' "
Tinkler's silk, Alec Leopold, SC, admitted his client was not in the "court precinct". Newlinds countered that Tinkler was "defying an order of the court", adding: "We want to make it 900 per cent clear that if Mr Tinkler is not here next Thursday we will be applying to have him arrested."
Tinkler's public relations spokesman, Tim Allerton, later called journalists, stressing that, while Tinkler was not in court on Friday, he was in a hotel room two minutes away and available to attend if ordered. On Tuesday, Newlinds called Tinkler's solicitor, Scott Harris, to take the stand. Under oath Harris admitted that while he had not spoken to Tinkler on Friday, he believed his client was still in Singapore ... and had been the day before.
Outside court, Allerton then explained that he was now told that Tinkler had been in a hotel near Singapore airport. Ready to fly to Sydney, if needed. And he would definitely turn up on Thursday. CBD will believe it when it happens.
Regatta de plonk
It will be high jinks on the high seas on Friday, when more than 90 boats of all shapes and sizes take part in the annual charity Yachting Regatta on Sydney Harbour.
Over the years rival teams have been known to fire water bombs at each other, with others wearing pirate patches and laying in wait around the harbour for surprise "attacks".
The event, sponsored by Colliers International and hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club, has already received entries from AMP Capital, Australand, Charter Hall, Lend Lease, Mirvac and Thiess. Rosemary Smithson, chief executive of the Sir David Martin Foundation, said that more than 1700 guests were expected to attend, with more than 50 volunteers on hand from the property and construction industry. It aims to raise $400,000 for the foundation, which provides emergency accommodation and counselling facilities for homeless young people.
The Melbourne event, hosted by John Bertrand, is on March 22 at the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, near Ricky Ponting's new pad.
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Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
When Domino's chief Don Meij unveiled new toppings (peking duck, pork belly, blue cheese) and a price cut to $8 he described as potentially "revolutionising" the pizza market, both punters and the market were unimpressed. His Facebook defence of the rollout was overwhelmed by spammy posts and irrelevant pitches, highlighting a poor public reaction and short-term reputational risk for the brand.
The article says Domino's announced toppings including peking duck, pork belly and blue cheese alongside a price cut to $8. According to the piece, investors and punters were "less than impressed," suggesting the announcement did not deliver the market enthusiasm management had hoped for.
Don Meij's Facebook thread was quickly flooded with multi-level marketing pitches, porn invites and other spam messages. For investors, this episode underscores how social media engagement can be hijacked and potentially damage a company's public messaging and brand perception if not managed carefully.
The episode is a reminder that product announcements and price moves can generate unpredictable public reaction and that management communications on social platforms carry reputational risk. Investors should monitor not only fundamentals but also how companies handle public relations and social media response.
Nathan Tinkler is a Singaporean former Novocastrian who was summoned for a public examination by the liquidator of his Mulsanne Resources. He failed to appear at one hearing, must front the NSW Supreme Court at the specified time or face arrest, and his lawyers unsuccessfully sought to stay the proceedings.
In court, Tinkler's lawyer admitted Tinkler was not in the court precinct and his solicitor said he believed Tinkler was in Singapore. His PR spokesman later said Tinkler was in a hotel near Singapore airport and ready to fly to Sydney if needed. The liquidator indicated they would apply to have him arrested if he failed to appear at the next hearing.
The annual charity Yachting Regatta on Sydney Harbour features more than 90 boats and is sponsored by Colliers International and hosted by the Middle Harbour Yacht Club. The event has entries from companies including AMP Capital, Australand, Charter Hall, Lend Lease, Mirvac and Thiess and aims to raise $400,000 for the Sir David Martin Foundation.
The Melbourne event is on March 22 at the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, hosted by John Bertrand. Like the Sydney regatta, it supports the Sir David Martin Foundation, which provides emergency accommodation and counselling facilities for homeless young people.
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