Bob Parsons is balding, in his mid-fifties, and has a diamond earring in his left ear. How do I know this? Because he let me know. Bob Parson also runs the largest Internet domain registrar in the world, GoDaddy.com, and he does something few company figures dare to do – he bares it all. His blog, Hot Points is his voice for personal thoughts as well the inside dirt with GoDaddy. Do I know who runs Network Solutions? Nope. But I know what’s happening at GoDaddy.
Let’s take a look a these two competitors: Network Solutions and GoDaddy. I did some digging for Network Solution’s CEO. His name is Champ Mitchell. The only info about him was a ‘personal’ letter on phishing in the about section of their site. Thanks for the phishing info Champ.
Mr. Parsons has a full blog (that is touted twice on the home page) and has a “chairman’s page” on the site itself. If I have something to say, Parsons offers a link to email him at his email address. Mr. Mitchell tells me to email or call the main customer support number. Google Bob Parsons and you get a plethora of interviews. Google Champ Mitchell and you get third party press releases. So who do you think I’m going to connect more with? The poindexter, gray suited Champ? Or the confident gaze of Bob?
A Brand as a Relationship
A company brand is the intangible part of its relationship with customers. As human beings, we relate more closely with other human beings than we do things. When a brand like GoDaddy has a visible personality behind it, we connect with them. If in some small way I connect with Bob Parsons, then I just made a stronger connection with the GoDaddy brand. That is a powerful thing that money can’t buy. Think of other personalities such as Warren Buffet, Steve Jobs, or Bill Gates. Whether you love them or hate them, these personalities have become icons for the brands they stand behind, and have a dramatic effect on your feelings with the brands they represent.
In some cases, the only humanity to a brand is its leader’s personality. Take Josh Jones as an example. Josh is the owner of DreamHost, a much smaller hosting company than the monolithic GoDaddy. Josh sends all his DreamHost customers a monthly newsletter. Josh’s writing and quirky comments gives me anything from a staunchly raised eyebrow to an outright laugh. July’s newsletter ended with “Oh crap. Well, now that the aura of desolation and despair has been shattered, I totally understand if you want to unsubscribe.” and it’s signed ‘boringly, Josh’. August’s newsletter was sent to tell everyone he had nothing to say. I find myself reading these newsletters just because of Josh and his odd humor and personality. I would have little to no idea about DreamHost as a company if it weren’t for Josh. He is the only human face to my hosting experience, and in an industry that thrives on automation, that makes a difference.
I am a complete hypocrite
In researching this post I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. When observing the effect these brand personalities had on my customer experience, I was well aware how powerful they were. Yet despite this awareness, the company side of our site is completely devoid of personality. It gives little insight into the people behind the work. No ‘about’ section, no bios, no personality at all. Just a nameless, faceless company and a body of work. When Ian and I were discussing the upcoming Apples To Oranges redesign, we knew that this was a weakness, and one that we wanted to correct. By adding information about ourselves, it gives customers a personal side to the company, and a boost of confidence prior to inquiring about work. So for now I’ll have to ask for your forgiveness for being nothing more than black 12pt Arial set on white.
Published on September 13, 2006
Resides in User Experience
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8 Responses to “Bob Parsons - personality behind the brand”
1
bricktop on September 14th, 2006
I’ll bet you didn’t even think about writing this up as a post until you found out NetSol’s CEO was named Champ. To funny and you aren’t a hypocrite - this post is the start. I suggest you put a “hot or not” poll on the front page - a vote for Bob takes you to this blog post - a vote for Champ sends you to snubster or postsecret where you can anonymously admit to being a complete tool. ;b
2
Ryan Nichols on September 14th, 2006
You bet, a name like Champ is just too hard to pass up.
I think I’ll name my own son ‘winner’.
3
Lidia Anain on September 23rd, 2006
What a great article! My spouse and I were just debating these two very different approaches when builging a brand. Thanks for backing my point so I can win, AGAIN!
4
Ryan Nichols on September 23rd, 2006
hahaha. Sweet victory over a spouse. Though I’m quite a foreigner to it myself, I can still live vicariously through others who experience it.
5
Samuel Koh on April 10th, 2007
My comments are many moons after your post. Nevertheless, what an inclination you have about branding with personality and I could feel the vibes while reading them. My Macbook cracked somewhere and they refused to support that. But I still love the story behind Apple - that of Steve Jobs! And the next one I am buying is going to be a MacBook Pro + iPhone! Its no longer about money. Its about passion. Its about love.
6
LovelyAngle on April 10th, 2008
It’s a pain in everyone else’s butt. Let’s just stop discussing this crap, the topic is too questionable.
7
Josette Hubbard on June 14th, 2008
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8
godaddy client on July 22nd, 2008
Bob parsons is no serious for me, he is a walking joke. I prefer serious businessmen, i don’t mind their private lives.