labrocca said:
Marketing has to do with reaching your core audience by making a connection from the ad to the target. If he thinks his target is lusty teenagers then so be it. I love women just as much as the next guy but a hot sexy chick doesn't get me to buy a domain name at Godaddy. If anything...I feel as if we are viewed as complete idiots to fall for such low-brow advertising.
I can't help but feel these GD girls are some fantasy of Parsons and he doesn't give a crap about the marketing aspects.
First, I'm not a Parsons fan at all... at all.
Second, this kind of marketing does work. Look at the Hooters chain of restaurants, tire calendars (as mentioned above), and the list goes on and on.
You're dead on, marketing has to do about targeting your core audience. Established domainers and domain companies will not be swayed by any male or female model when it comes to making a decision on a registrar. But, that's the deal... GoDaddy is not pushing for the business of the established domainer (they'll take it, though), if they were they wouldn't hit you with 38 different add-on options that you don't need when you just want to buy a domain. There are a lot more people in the world who are not into domaining than there are who are into domaining. Marketing exclusively to domainers would be a waste of time. Domainers are smart to the industry and want to buy the most domains for the least amount of money. Non-domainers or Noob-domainers will naturally head to the brand name that sounds most familiar to them. To most consumers, especially when entering a product market they're not entirely familiar with, there is a certain amount of security in going with the most recognizable brand name ("they must be good, i hear about them all the time" logic).
I don't feel GoDaddy views me as a complete idiot to fall for this advertising, because I know I am not their target.
To sell domains to established domainers, all GoDaddy has to do is run a weekend special with a low price on a certain extension. To sell domains to those not in the industry, or to introduce people to the industry, they have to do what it takes to make a splash, create buzz, and get people talking about them (much like
every person posting in this thread is already doing).
Regarding marketing to lusty teenagers, take a look around at this forum and a lot of other domaining forums. There are a lot of lusty teenagers in this business, and some do surprisingly well.
Again, not saying I approve of using hot girls to sell domains or that I'd do it myself. But, if they would've signed the third in line at Microsoft or some industry insider tech blogger as their spokesperson... they wouldn't sell anymore domains. Goodyear doesn't waste their time marketing their tires to automobile engineers. Craftsman Tools aren't marketed to homebuilders. I'm not even saying that I think Parsons is "The Man". I'm just saying that I understand his marketing choice.
