Shock Value Can a controversial ad get customers to notice your great offer? It worked for this company.
By John Draper
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Everyone remembers GoDaddy.com's Super Bowl ad: a buxom womanappeared before a panel in increasing stages of undress. Aghast,Fox yanked the company's ad before it could be aired a secondtime.
As sole owner of the discount domain-name registrar, Bob Parsonshad shelled out the $5 million for the ads from his own wallet, sonaturally, he was sore--at least until 2.6 million people shot toGoDaddy.com to watch the ad. Sales skyrocketed--from $102 millionin 2004 to more than $200 million projected for 2005. "To grabconsumers' attention, you have to polarize [them]," saysParsons, 55.
However, he adds that controversy can flop if the consumers solured don't get a good deal when they arrive. The Scottsdale,Arizona, company sells domain names at a rock-bottom $8.95 peryear, and unlimited customer service is free. "The idea is tomake a little money from a lot of people," says Parsons."[If] you get a good deal, you don't mindcontroversy."
