GoDaddy Out to Lose Bad-Boy, Essay Example

GoDaddy’s present image is that of a company that thrives on controversy. It is also seen as a brand that is fun rather than serious and primarily aimed at individual consumers rather than businesses. One cannot underestimate the power of marketing in shaping a company’s perceptions and this is also true in GoDaddy’s case. GoDaddy’s current image is largely the product of its Super Bowl ads that have employed Bar Rafaeli and Danica Patrick among others. These ads were often provocative and have made the company synonymous with web URLs.

GoDaddy wants to become a one-stop shop for small businesses in the future that doesn’t just sell them a web URL but also provide other services required to manage small businesses. GoDaddy still generates more revenue from selling web URLs but the profit margins are higher on small business support services, hence, the company’s decision to increasingly become small business-centered. This would require the company to develop a more serious and professional image that is well-equipped to help small businesses tackle their technology solutions. At the moment, the company is merely perceived as a funny and edgy brand that primarily sells web URLs. One doesn’t think of GoDaddy when shopping for technology solutions to running a business.

GoDaddy has acquired widespread brand recognition due to its TV commercials that have aired during Super Bowls. Ads during Super Bowls are not usually aimed at small businesses but the general population. One of the most important things in marketing is to use the right promotion channel and if GoDaddy wants to reach small businesses, it has to market itself to small businesses through the channels that reach a wide number of small businesses. Thus, one strategy for changing brand image would be to choose the right marketing channels to reach small businesses. One such channel would be business publications that reach small businesses such as Inc., Fortune, Forbes, and Entrepreneur magazines. Similarly, the company can also promote itself on TV channels popular among small business owners such as Bloomberg and MSNBC. Second strategy for GoDaddy to reposition its brand image may be change the present logo. When one sees GoDaddy’s logo, one cannot help but think of the company’s URL sales business. A new logo, coupled with the company’s widely familiar name, may present the company in more serious image. The current logo seems more suited to a company that sells casual lifestyle goods and services rather than a company that provides technology solutions to small businesses.

One marketing research method GoDaddy should employ is focus groups involving small business owners. One takeaway from Ms. Parker’s experiences with GoDaddy is that the company does provide good customer service but not properly equipped with the technology solutions customer demand. One of the benefits of focus groups is the potential of asking open ended questions. Focus group participants are usually willing to invest time in expressing themselves because they are often compensated. Another marketing research method may be surveys. The surveys provide anonymity which may encourage the participants to be more honest in their responses. The surveys can be distributed among a large number of people and statistical analysis of the responses would help the company better understand the customers’ perceptions of the brand. GoDaddy’s management should focus on research methods that either encourage participants to freely express themselves and/or can reach a large number of participants because large sample size would give a more reliable picture of the general perceptions.