Episode Overview

Podcast: Making It with Jon Davids
Episode: 228 - This piece of paper brings in 100's of customers (steal the strategy)
Date: November 11, 2025
Host: Jon Davids

In this episode, Jon Davids deconstructs how simple, even quirky, in-person marketing tactics can drive massive customer engagement and profitability. By analyzing viral real-world promotions from restaurants and retail, Jon reveals the foundational strategies for making any business “contagious”—from using a game with a clock, to a handwritten sign, to a running man in yellow spandex. Drawing from psychology, social media virality, and solid marketing math, he breaks down what works and how to adapt these approaches across industries.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Real-World Case Studies in Viral Marketing

• Clock Game at Kitchen Garage Restaurant, Lebanon

  • Tactic: A large outdoor clock with a sign: “Pause the time at 10.00 seconds and get the meal you ordered for free.”
  • Mechanics:
    • Customers must purchase a meal first to play.
    • The process happens outside the restaurant, drawing crowds and attention from passersby.
  • Jon’s Analysis:
    • "You can't just walk in off the street, step up to the clock, smash the button, and get free food. It's only for paying customers." (02:09)
    • The clock creates a spectacle—players are both participants and social proof.

• The Dancing Café / Free Donut Offer

  • Tactic: Sign saying “Walk in dancing for a free donut.”
  • Implementation:
    • Used by small shops and major brands like Krispy Kreme.
    • Dancers often get filmed and shared on social, amplifying reach.
  • Impact:
    • "They also create a vibe in the store when customers are constantly dancing. And this is a huge brand builder because you become known as the cafe where people are dancing." (03:32)

• Glide Pizza's Running Man / QR Code Stunt

  • Tactic: Performer in yellow spandex with a QR code on his head, actively blocking the code while hilariously evading people.
  • Purpose:
    • Promotes free pizza (by scanning QR), but creates buzz through the chase.
    • Generates viral, shareable moments as people try to “win” the reward.

2. Four Key Tactics Behind the Magic

A. Build for Virality

• These promotions are engineered to go viral on social.
• "And a lot of people still in 2025 hear this and they think, yeah, okay, cool, got it. What else? They know they should do it, but they still leave it until the very end of their planning." (12:10)
• Jon urges: bake virality into the idea from the start—design for shareability.

B. Get the Marketing Math Right

• Promos only work if the business stays profitable.
• Control when offers are available, how many are redeemed, and costs vs. upsell potential.
• Example:
  • "Maybe every time we give away a donut, people typically buy a cup of coffee. Or 70% of the time we give away a donut, the customer buys a dozen more donuts." (17:06)
  • For pizza: cap number of giveaways, offer follow-up discounts for those who miss the offer.

C. Pattern Interrupts

• Effective marketing interrupts routines, making people notice.
• Having customers actively participate (dancing, playing a game) is especially memorable.
• "When they expect it, and then you do it, they don't even notice. But when you do something they didn't expect, they can't avoid it because their brain clicks into action." (22:04)

D. Social Proof as a Crowd Magnet

• People instinctively gravitate toward what others are doing—lines or public challenges spark curiosity.
• Reference to Robert Cialdini’s book Influence:
  • "Social proof is one of the six core principles of influence." (27:38)
• Real-world example: Changing hotel sign messaging from “help the environment” to “most guests reuse their towels” bumped reuse by 26%.

3. Adapting the Tactics—Industry Use Cases (41:35)

Jon applies these tactics to other types of businesses:

• E-commerce:
  • Sell an item for a super low price (e.g., $0.38) with a minimum for free shipping, encouraging upsell.
• Local Stores:
  • “Catch the manager” day: customers snap a selfie with the manager in a funny hat, post to social for a chance to win.
• Professional Services:
  • Host “Roast my Business” sessions at trade shows; bring comedy and interactivity for memorable engagement.
• Restaurants:
  • Secret menu password; reveal cryptic hints on TikTok, offer exclusive treats for those in the know.
• Gyms:
  • One-minute challenges on equipment with free sessions as prizes; bonus: reward winners with guest passes.
• Software Companies:
  • Gamify demo videos: hide a question, reward viewers who answer on the sales call.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the importance of virality:
  • "Do you know of any other time in human history where you have the ability, without middlemen, to push a piece of content out into the world and have it distributed for free instantly to millions and millions of screens? There's never ever been a time like this." (14:19)
• On pattern interruption:
  • "Every great piece of marketing has some sort of pattern interrupt built into it. If you allow people to stay on autopilot, they'll miss it. So you gotta do something that's out of the ordinary." (22:49)
• On social proof:
  • "The genius isn't just in the clock. It's in the crowd the clock creates." (32:00)
• On making profitable offers:
  • "If it's a good business, someone in the back has done the marketing math and they're making money doing it." (18:03)
• On bringing the tactics to any business:
  • "Guys, the opportunities are endless. Get my best stuff to your inbox at johndavids.com. Let's go out and make some money." (48:31)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:02 – Intro to the clock game at Kitchen Garage
• 03:10 – The dancing café and “free donut” sign
• 04:38 – Glide Pizza's QR code running man
• 12:10 – Why these tactics are designed to go viral
• 17:06 – The “marketing math” behind free offers
• 22:04 – Pattern interrupt and active participation in marketing
• 27:38 – The power of social proof, Cialdini’s Influence
• 32:00 – Social proof in action and crowd psychology
• 41:35 – Applying tactics to e-commerce, local stores, services, gyms, and more
• 48:31 – Encouragement to apply the strategies and Jon’s sign-off

Conclusion

Jon Davids masterfully uncovers the logic—and psychology—behind simple but sensational marketing stunts that fill stores and fuel buzz. By blending creative tactics with viral thinking, calculated math, pattern interrupts, and social proof, he shows that any business, digital or physical, can create moments that turn everyday customers into brand evangelists. Whether you run a bakery or a B2B SaaS, these strategies are proven, adaptable, and ready to make you stand out.

“The opportunities are endless… Let’s go out and make some money.” – Jon Davids (48:31)