A domino is a small, rectangular piece of rigid material (usually wood, but also bone or plastic) that is used as a gaming object in a variety of games. Also known as bones, pieces, men, or stones, dominoes are set up in long lines so that when one is tipped over, it will cause the other dominoes to tip over, and so on, in a chain reaction. The term is also often applied metaphorically to refer to a sequence of events that has dramatic or catastrophic consequences.
A popular example is the Domino Effect, coined in 1961 by President Eisenhower after a series of U.S. air strikes against North Vietnam failed to deter the Ngo Dinh Diem regime and allow it to expand its control in Southeast Asia. As the United States devoted more resources to the conflict, the domino theory held that the failure of the first strike would lead to additional failures, with the consequence that the entire region could be overrun by communist forces. The term has been used as a metaphor for other kinds of cumulative and cascading chain reactions, such as those caused by an earthquake or terrorist bombings that cause subsequent events to happen more rapidly or spread in greater scope than might otherwise have occurred.
Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan had a vision of making pizza delivery as simple as possible for his customers. When he began advertising his pizzas in 1979, he made the bold promise that customers would receive their orders within 30 minutes or less. This was an unprecedented move for a company that had only 35 stores at the time.
To help make this work, Monaghan tapped into his knowledge of business and marketing. He created a system wherein Domino’s pizzas were delivered in specially designed aluminum heatwave bags, which helped to keep the pizzas hot and fresh until they reached their intended destination. He also incorporated a system of store front advertisements to promote his brand and raise customer awareness.
In addition, he hired an army of drivers and delivery boys who were dressed in uniforms that gave the company a recognizable look. These changes were meant to improve customer satisfaction and boost the company’s bottom line.
Currently, Domino’s operates more than 12,500 stores in the United States and internationally. Its most popular products include pizza, appetizers, pastas, and cakes. Domino’s uses a variety of marketing strategies to attract new customers and foster brand loyalty, including targeted internet advertisements and direct marketing via email and SMS. In addition, it partners with sports leagues and events to promote its brand and raise awareness.
The word domino is derived from the Latin dominus, meaning “lord” or “master.” A domino is any of 28 small oblong pieces, with a number of 0-6 pips in each half, used to play the game of dominoes. The most common domino sets are based on the double-six set, although many games can be played with larger sets of dominoes (such as the double-9 or double-12). In the past, domino sets were made of natural materials such as silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or a dark hardwood such as ebony; these materials lend the pieces a more unique and distinctive appearance.