Go Daddy

With the SuperBowl upon us, I thought it might be fun to talk about an annual advertiser ... one that always captures a lot of attention at the SuperBowl.  Whether we like it or not.  Go Daddy.


Do you even know what Go Daddy is all about as a brand?


One of my colleagues at the agency weighs in on the brand, and asks a very important question. 

Thanks, John.  What's your experience?  Jim


What do you want to be remembered for when your career is over?  I thought about this question when I saw this humongous billboard in Times Square last weekend.

When I first sat down to write this blog post I was going to talk about Go Daddy’s marketing strategy.  A strategy that consists of racy ads that get people talking about Go Daddy in both a positive and a negative way.  


I was going to talk about how Go Daddy took it too far this time.  (note from Jim - I think they always take it too far, and I'm a customer!)


But, that is nothing new for people who have been following the Go Daddy brand.  I couldn’t have my first guest blog post be boring.  That would ruin your “Experience” on this blog.  After talking to very smart women I realized the real story is about Danica Patrick.

For those of you who don’t know who Danica Patrick, she is the only woman to have won an IndyCar series.  She also finished 3rd in the Indianapolis 500, the highest finish ever by a women.  These are two huge accomplishments in the sport of racing.   Patrick has made a huge impact on the sport, and paved the way for other females who have always dreamed of becoming a racecar driver. 

In the mind of some sports fans Danica Patrick is a superstar athlete.  But why would a superstar athlete feel the need to pose half naked on a billboard in the middle of Time Square? 

I understand that Go Daddy is her sponsor, and that she probably makes a lot of money doing these ads, but it takes away from her brand as a female racer.  Being the most successful women in racing, she could have easily found another sponsor and not shoot racy Go Daddy ads.  If her goal is to be a super model on the side, then maybe it is a good move.  I have not heard that she is pursuing that line of work though.

Kobe Bryant recently did a commercial for Nike. The commercial not only reinforces how good he is as an athlete, but he is also saying that Nike shoes elevate his game.  This is consistent with his brand. Having good sneakers is important to a NBA player of his caliber. 

Patrick could have looked for sponsorship opportunities that tie back to racing that would help build her brand as a racing superstar.  Does having a domain name from Go Daddy make her a better racecar driver?

After all the practice, hard work, and obstacles she has had to overcome to become the most successful women in racing history, she is risking her legacy by doing these Go Daddy commercials.   

Will Danica Patrick be remembered as the “Go Daddy Girl”, or “The Women that Changed Racing History?”

That is for you to decide.

- John Muscarello from Lippe Taylor

Join us for live tweets during the SuperBowl on Twitter at #SBExp!

Jim Joseph
President of Lippe Taylor
Author of The Experience Effect series
Professor at NYU