Monday Memo

A Byte of Knowledge

Domino's hid behind "30 minutes or free" for years.

Speed was their whole identity. Their security blanket.

Meanwhile, focus groups were tearing them apart.

Customers called the crust "cardboard." The sauce? "Basically ketchup."

Internal teams saw the feedback. Leadership knew.

But they buried it. Because hey...at least we're fast, right?

Then Pizza Hut and Papa John's got faster.

Suddenly Domino's had no edge left.

Just genuinely bad pizza with nothing to hide behind.

And within a two years the stock cratered over 80%.

So in 2009, CEO Patrick Doyle did something wild.

He ran national TV ads showing real customer hate comments scrolling across the screen.

Then he looked into the camera and admitted: "Our pizza sucks."

They rebuilt the recipe from scratch.

And eventually the stock climbed from $8 to over $400 in a decade.

But the reason we bring up the Dominos revival...

Is so you never forget that avoidance is a lie we tell ourselves.

Ignoring a problem doesn't shrink it.

And the longer you wait to confront it, the deeper the roots grow.

So whatever you've been dodging...that broken funnel, that weak offer, that feedback you keep burying...stop circling it.

Walk straight through.

🚀 Whether you're selling a $50 supplements or a $10,000 coaching program – having these 5 'Copy Blocks' on your landing page could be the difference between crickets and an avalanche of cash flow.

Discover All 5 'Copy Blocks' Now

Something to Ponder

We Asked – AI Answered

Our Question: 

“Search for the some of oldest examples of a marketing principle being established and how it has stood the test of time.”

AI's Answer: The Origin: Claqueurs & Paid Applause

Roman Emperor Nero (54-68 CE) hired groups called claques—paid audience members who applauded his theatrical performances to trigger crowd enthusiasm. These weren't casual fans. They were organized, rehearsed, and strategically placed throughout venues.

But here's the kicker: the practice predates even Nero.

Carthaginian merchants (as early as 217 BCE) used "market shills" who would loudly praise products and create artificial crowds around stalls. Ancient texts from Plautus's comedies reference these tactics—he literally mocked merchants who planted fake customers in plays like Aulularia and Pseudolus.

📜 The principle: People assume the actions of others reflect correct behavior.

🧠 Why It Works (The Psychology)

Dr. Robert Cialdini formalized this in his research at Arizona State University, but the mechanism is hardwired into our evolutionary biology:

• Informational conformity: When uncertain, we look to others for guidance—it's a survival shortcut
• Normative conformity: We want to fit in and avoid social rejection, which meant death in tribal societies
• Cognitive shortcuts: Following the crowd reduces mental effort and decision fatigue

Solomon Asch's 1951 conformity experiments proved this brutally. Participants gave obviously wrong answers on simple visual tests just because confederates answered incorrectly first.

👉 75% conformed at least once. One-third conformed on the majority of trials. These weren't ambiguous questions—the correct answer was visually obvious.

⏰ How It's Held Up: 2,200+ Years Later

💡 The Modern Proof

BrightLocal's 2023 survey found:

• 98% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses
• 46% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
• Businesses with 4+ stars capture 94% of all clicks

Amazon's entire empire is built on star ratings. Airbnb lives or dies by host reviews. TikTok's algorithm is literally social proof mechanized—the more engagement, the more distribution.

Even negative social proof works. Research from the Wharton School found that "banned" or "sold out" labels increase desire. Scarcity signals that others already chose.

🎯 The Takeaway for Marketers

The Romans understood something Silicon Valley rediscovered:

Humans are herd animals dressed in suits.

We don't make independent decisions—we make socially validated ones. Every testimonial, every "bestseller" tag, every "1,000 people are viewing this" popup exploits the exact same cognitive vulnerability Carthaginian merchants used in outdoor markets.

"When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other."

— Eric Hoffer, The Passionate State of Mind (1955)

The tools evolve. The psychology doesn't.

Thanks for reading the Monday Memo.

Until next time!

The AI Marketers

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