Carnival of Capitalists

Did you see us in the Carnival of Capitalists posted at the Social Customer Manifesto? Mine was the "spotlight post".

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Sexy Advertising: GoDaddy

It's time to take another look at the state of sexy advertising. Today's we focus on the Go Daddy commercials, which star Candice Michelle in provocative and humorous bits. Let's consider how these GoDaddy ads do with our famous 3 tests for evaluating sexy ads to Go Daddy:

Do you remember what the ad sells? Or do you only remember the sex?
Yes, you remember the company. The "Go Daddy" name is used when referring to the ads and the girls. But do you know what GoDaddy sells? Maybe not.

Is the ad hot enough to be remarkable (literally)?
Yes, "Go Daddy commerical", "Go Daddy girl", and "Go Daddy Candice Michelle" girls are frequently used search engine queries, and the ads are discussed and linked from numerous blogs and websites.

Is the sexy ad part of a whole brand identity or just a one-off titillation?
Definitely a whole brand identity. The woman in the ads, Candice Michelle, has become the face of the business. That certainly humanizes a tech company providing a commodity service, and Go Daddy has obviously decided to sell the sizzle, not the steak.



Go Daddy should take care that their lovely model doesn't completely overshadow the business in this sexy advertising. They would be wise to make it clear that they sell domain name registration and webhosting services, even while the eye candy holds the audience's attention.

Retail Store Success: 17th Street Surf Shop

17th Street Surf Shop has grown from a single small shop in Virginia Beach (on 17th Street naturally) to a prosperous regional chain. Growth in the popularity of surfing explains the company's success somewhat, but strong results from related merchandise is really the driver of this retail store's business.

Actual surfing gear is a tiny niche market. But it also conveys an image that 17th Street and other surf shops use to sell a lot of clothing. Surfing-inspired clothing includes several popular brands that mainstream department stores and discounters don't carry -- leaving a nice market for surf shops. The shops also cater to skateboard fans; a niche closely related to surfing.

Use your core niche and brand image to sell related merchandise to a wider audience. You'll soon be riding a wave of retail store success.