Exclusive | Online identity equally important like offline: GoDaddy's Sodhi

As India surges ahead of other developing markets on the adoption and implementation of internet and other technologies, hurdles to overcome lack of awareness and appropriate infrastructure however, don’t seem seize.

Industry studies and reports indicate that the growth of internet as a platform, especially because of mobile and social developments is remarkable. Though India today has 250 million users, hurdles like domain penetration which is just about 2% may hinder the growth further on. Researches also cite that the problem in India is people are not aware of the importance of building their identity online. Just as in the offline world, we place the importance of building our identity; similarly in the online world it’s also important to build your identity.

Picking this idea, GoDaddy, the technology provider dedicated to small businesses has announced the launch of its latest integrated marketing campaign to educate India’s small business community and individuals on the importance of creating an online identity. Through this campaign, GoDaddy aims to accelerate the adoption of domain names, positioning it as the first step towards creating an identity or ‘Pehchaan’ online

Adgully caught up with Rajiv Sodhi, VP & MD, GoDaddy India to know more about the campaign. The campaign comprises of two fun creative’s along with search, display, email and social media advertising. It targets two distinct audiences – small business owners and individuals, with the simple message - ‘Internet pe pehchaan banao, duniya ko dikhao’ or “Create an identity on the internet and showcase your talent/products/services to the world”.

While the first commercial released last year focused on awareness, the current one is more into creating a need than making them aware about the brand.

“As Internet adoption in India continues to grow, having an identity on the Internet to showcase your business, hobby or interests is gaining importance. Securing the right domain name is the foundation for building a compelling online presence and the first step to creating an identity on the Internet. Our new campaign illustrates what having an online identity can do for you and your business, and at the same time stressing on the urgency of picking the right domain name for yourself before someone else does”, explained Sodhi.

The two TV commercials feature a talented barber and a father, both facing different dilemmas. In the first commercial, the barber, aptly named NutCutLal for his signature style and eccentric haircut, becomes famous and people from different walks of life queue up to get his signature haircut. NutCutLal realizes that unless he gets an online identity, his fame might fade away and his talent is likely to go unnoticed, resulting in anonymity. The second commercial is based on the insight that every Indian parent starts dreaming big for their child, right from the start. The commercial shows different fathers, whose sons have the same name – Rajesh Varma – talking about future aspirations for their son. The voice over calls out that only one Rajesh Varma can get a unique identity by booking a domain name on the Internet before anyone else does.

“The digital space is equally important. The objective is to educate and drive engagement with entrepreneurs and web professionals who are there. So we are going to be doing a lot of engagement on the social media. GoDaddy is taking the lead in educating different audiences with a view to fuel the growth of the domain name industry. While NuCutLal aims to establish the importance of an online identity among small business owners, Rajesh Varma is focused on creating a need for domain names among individuals”, added Sodhi.

Speaking about India as a market, Sodhi states that GoDaddy has seen a fantastic year in India. “India being both a priority and an exciting market for the brand, we have had great time learning in this market. India is also our first market outside the US and hence a priority. We intend to grow wherever there is adoption of internet. Internet adoption is concentrated in the top ten metros where the bulk is. Growth per se the tier two and tier three towns in the country are more bound to grow. Volume per se is in the metros,” added Sodhi.

Speaking of the challenges the brand faces, Sodhi opined, “Most consumers think coming online is not for them but for someone else; while others are of the opinion that it’s too costly. India is a very value sensitive market. Also the Indian consumers expect to be serviced, DIFM (Do It For Me), that is another big challenge and GoDaddy is working its best to get its hands on this market”.

Happy Creative has worked on the creatives of the campaign with a simple brief of how GoDaddy can drive people to making an identity.

Shedding light on the roadmap for India, Sodhi said, “Today marks an important milestone for GoDaddy where we are trying to see where domains and internet identity becomes critical to Indian people. The New Year will see more parts and solutions making it easy for the end consumer to come online. People, who have invested in online, are securing their presence and using all the best practices that GoDaddy has”. By: Archit Ambekar | Twitter: @aambarchit