GoDaddy shifts gears: CMO Fara Howard talks about-face from provocative Super Bowl ads to focus on small businesses

GoDaddy has been known for its irreverent and racy spots with models — perhaps, most notably, its Super Bowl ads featuring former professional race car driver and model, Danica Patrick, back in 2010. It could be fair to say the web hosting and domain registration company knew how to make waves in the sports marketing space. But the company has sat out the Big Game for the last few years. It’s also moved away from its cheeky, sports-related spots to focus on small businesses and entrepreneurs, said GoDaddy CMO Fara Howard. “I could answer this question in a lot of different ways,” Howard said on the latest episode of the Digiday Podcast when asked about the shift in marketing strategy, “but I believe that we need to tell that story by showcasing actual customers using our products and having success.” On this episode of the Digiday Podcast, Howard talks about the push to boost product awareness, focusing on customers instead of celebrities, how it’s incorporating AI into its products, and the roadmap ahead.