If you’re a business owner like I am, this can be a pretty scary time. We’re all taking in less revenue, our costs continue to build, distribution methods are being turned on their heads, and there’s no answer to when it will end. It’s scary! But business growth in uncertain times is possible. Here is an incredible example.
By Paul Kobylensky | April 20, 2020
But it’s important to remember that we’ve done this before. Many times, actually. From the Great Depression and the financial crisis of the late 2000s to multiple resources-impacting wars, uncertain times are about the only thing we can be certain about. Yet, throughout each of these examples, there is a litany of companies and quick-thinking leaders that not only survived catastrophe but brought their companies out the other side stronger than ever. When some saw the end, they saw a chance for business growth.
We’re going to take a look at one of these success stories. Then we’ll discuss why it worked and how you might want to take a few pointers. Hopefully, it will inspire you to hold on to optimism and keep growing.
*This is to inspire and energize my fellow entrepreneurs, not official business and/or financial advice.
The Domino’s Success Story
Many of my clients are musicians, myself included. And if you were a struggling artist before 2007, you’re more than aware of the unappetizing experience that was late-night Domino’s. But the Domino’s Pizza of today is a very different affair than it was back then. And it’s all because of one of the worst moments in the company’s history.
Their rise and fall
Up until the mid-2000s or so, Domino’s had been a powerhouse in the delivery pizza business for decades. With their 30-minutes-or-less guarantee and Noid mascot (remember him?), they were as much a part of 1980s American culture as MTV. But like many companies that reach the top of their industry, their hunger for higher profits quickly deteriorated into an inferior product, a lackluster customer experience, and corners cut at every opportunity. And their customers let them know it.
Sales slipped into a massive decline in the early 2000s with people preferring the taste, service, and upbeat image of competitors like Papa Johns. Needless to say, when the financial crisis hit at the end of the decade, things went from bad to worse.
an opportunity for business growth
While many companies around the country found themselves in bankruptcy, Domino’s found themselves with an opportunity. Instead of bailouts and bureaucracy, they chose paradigm-shifting innovation and taking a hard look inward to fix the problems that put them there in the first place. They chose business growth.
How They Did It
The product was improved, their service was improved, their culture was improved, and they began to innovate the delivery pizza industry on a level that rivals the biggest companies in tech. But most importantly, they humbly admitted their faults in a marketing campaign that will go down as legendary.
The marketing campaign
I vividly remember seeing the first television commercial announcing Domino’s new direction. Not once did they “sell” me pizza. Not once did they use familiar marketing techniques to make me want the Domino’s experience. Instead, they APOLOGIZED for their previously unremarkable product. Then they committed themselves to improve my whole customer experience from ordering and delivery to in-store and online interaction. I was blown away! I mean, who starts a commercial by saying their product was garbage?
But they weren’t done. The commercial also “invited” me back with a money-back guarantee if I wasn’t 100% satisfied. There was nothing to lose. But they still had to deliver. And deliver they did.
Reinventing pizza delivery
The vastly improved pizza was just the tip of the iceberg. The company also renewed its past focus on fast delivery of quality pizza with a passion for service. That meant a game-changing fleet of new custom-designed delivery vehicles, online and app-based ordering, online order tracking from payment to delivery, cleaner, and brighter stores, and much more.
Now customers can order Domino’s right from their phone, watch their order’s progress, interact with a delivery driver who (should) takes pride in their work, and get a piping hot pizza quicker than any other pizza delivery in town.
A TECHNILOGICAL FOCUS ON THE FUTURE
Even with all of that, Domino’s continues to strive for better. In this news story, CNBC details a ton of future improvements they have yet to roll out. And we’re not just talking more cheese. From customizing your shopping experience through AI technology to drone and driverless car delivery, it’s clear they remain committed to their promise of improvement.
Domino’s Return to the Top
Today, all of these efforts have brought them from rock bottom to being the number one pizza delivery company throughout the world. In just a few short years, stock in the company enjoyed a meteoric rise from near failure to the very top. And, according to this Marketwatch.com story, it continues to rise, even during the COVID crisis.
What Can We Learn From Domino’s?
A lot apparently. With stay-at-home orders being the new normal, delivery service is essential to keep the country going. And companies that had no previous intention of offering these services are stepping up and changing their tune at an incredible pace. From other chains and local restaurants to grocery stores, delivery is the new normal. Heck, even my local cigar lounge is offering to drop off your favorite stogies.
And delivery is only one aspect of the fast-paced innovation. Companies are also creating online ordering platforms and adapting to new work-from-home processes that are sure to hang on long after the virus. There’s no doubt when this is all over; US business will have moved the needle in a very positive way.
What Does This Have to Do With Copywriting?
As a professional marketer, I’ve found all of Domino’s efforts come down to two things that I’m very passionate about, making it all about people and the art of communicating with them.
Making it all about people
When the 2000s financial crisis hit, Domino’s was already hurting, bad. They had put the bottom line above all else. That’s why their product was admittedly terrible, their delivery service was a joke, and their in-store experience (for customers and employees) was abysmal.
But once they realized that it was the customers and employees that drove the bottom line, it became a rocket ride to the top. Want an example a little more close to home? Take a look at the massive changes Gibson Guitars is smack in the middle of. It’s the same thing. Better treatment of employees, better quality, and offering the products the people want are helping turn the iconic brand around.
The art of communicating with them
So you’ve bought in. You’re going to use this downtime to strip away the excess, focus on the people, and get your business into fighting shape. Great! But it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t let the people know.
The ad campaign Domino’s led their charge with was nothing short of astonishing. They knew that no matter how much better their brand became, it still came down to communicating the changes to the customer. That’s why every detail of the marketing was so vital.*
*It’s also why finding the perfect copywriter is so vital.
I’m definitely not recommending spending money you shouldn’t. And everyone out there looks at the current financial climate and is tempted (or forced) to start cutting their budgets. But what if you didn’t? What if instead of trying to avoid the worst, you adapted and worked to bring about the best? What if there was never a better time to market the crap out of your business, services, or products? You might find yourself experiencing business growth in uncertain times.
Want to know how?
Like your favorite Netflix episodes, I’ll leave you there. Uuuggghhh!
Tune in next week to learn how to tell the word about the new bigger, better, stronger you.