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Reddit peppers Go Daddy boss with sexism questions

Kevin Murphy, September 4, 2015, 15:40:19 (UTC), Domain Registrars

Go Daddy can’t seem to shake off the legacy of its long-running, sexually suggestive TV advertising.
In an “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit yesterday, CEO Blake Irving seemed to face more questions about sexism, women in technology and equal opportunities hiring than any other topic.
He made about 70 posts during the session, at least 10 of which related to Go Daddy’s relationship with the equally-fair sex in some way. Some Reddit users wondered aloud whether some such questions had been planted by Go Daddy sock-puppets.
The “best”-rated question on the thread addressed the company’s old TV commercials, which in the early days regularly featured scantily-clad, large-breasted women. Irving said:

The old ads helped GoDaddy build massive brand awareness in the US. They weren’t helpful to our reputation as an egalitarian provider of services though, and they didn’t do enough to tell people what we actually do. One of the first things I did at GoDaddy was pivot the advertising to reflect what we did and who we did it for. When 58% of small businesses in the US are run by women you should reflect the great work they do as small businesses. That’s what we’ve done with our ads over the past two years.

Irving joined Go Daddy in December 2012. Its ads since then have focused less and less on the prurient interest.
Irving also pointed out in one answer than a third of the company’s executive team is female.
He was also asked a number of questions about the new .ski gTLD (he was wearing a branded baseball cap in the AMA’s accompanying photograph).
Go Daddy employees also seemed to be out in force, asking multiple questions about this year’s corporate Christmas party.
When asked about the prospects for new gTLDs versus .com, Irving sat on the fence:

We’re seeing steady increases in awareness and the first instances of big global brands using the names (like abc.xyz and brand TLDs like home.barclays). We expect this to continue to drive new gTLD sales over time. For the foreseeable future, COM will likely remain the most desired name in the US and outside. It’s universally recognizable around the world. Either way, our goal is to provide the best choices available for each customer and the new gTLDs make getting the perfect name for you much more likely.

When asked “Does your burning evil raise your body temperature?”, Iriving replied:

Ummmm …. GoDaddy is an eco-conscious company, so we are firmly against practices that are harmful to the environment, including the use of malevolent forces as a fuel source. But, I do like a good bike ride to get my heart pumping.

The whole AMA can be read here.

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Comments (1)

  1. Douglas says:
    September 4, 2015 at 6:24 pm

    I think the new GoDaddy adverts I have seen here in the UK are good, they showcase there basic services and get to the point.
    Interesting point on the new gtlds. COM will always be around, remember that a packed market often helps the premium product.
    COM will always be the choice when it is within reach of a company or startup. Some of the new gtlds are quite good too and have their own markets. Unfortunately some are less desirable.

    Reply

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