Domino’s is a pizza chain that is known for its bold marketing campaigns and rebranding of its stores. One of the most memorable campaigns was launched in 2009, led by then-President of USA Operations J. Patrick Doyle. The company began using a new slogan, “Champion Our Customers,” and promoted its value of listening to customer feedback. Domino’s paid close attention to complaints and responded directly to any criticism, a strategy that ultimately helped the pizza chain turn around its reputation.
The word domino has several meanings. In most contexts, it refers to a tile used in various games played with the tiles. The pieces are arranged on a table or other surface in lines and angular patterns, and they usually bear from one to six pips (small dots) in an arrangement similar to that of a die. A complete set of dominoes contains 28 such pieces.
In some games, dominoes are placed so that their ends match up; this makes them a perfect fit for each other and causes the piece to fall in an orderly fashion. Other games require the player to place the dominoes in an arithmetic pattern based on the total number of pips on each end of the domino. Some players also use the dominoes to create art. A domino artist may draw a layout for a domino art piece on a paper, then use a pencil to mark where each domino will go. Some artists build structures with dominoes that can include straight lines, curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, and even 3D structures such as towers and pyramids.
One of the most popular uses for dominoes is to create a chain reaction, in which one domino falls and triggers a cascade of others. This can be used in games such as the game of “flip-flop,” in which the player tries to knock over as many dominoes as possible before his or her opponent.
The domino effect is also a metaphor for the way in which a small victory can lead to a larger one. For example, if you start the day by making your bed, you’ll likely have a much more productive morning. That’s because a small victory sets the tone for the rest of your day.
As writers, we can use the domino effect in our storytelling to help readers understand our plots. For instance, if your hero takes an action that runs counter to what most people think is logical, you’ll need to give him or her enough motivation or reason to justify doing so. Otherwise, the scene won’t rise to the level of being believable. This is a great way to raise the stakes in a scene and increase the tension. If a reader can’t believe what your character is doing, they won’t care about it or want to read about it. Likewise, high-action scenes need to be balanced by moments of reflection and insight that give readers a chance to breathe.