by Kaitlin Wasylyk, Guest Author
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Some PR professionals may believe that any publicity is good publicity; however, in Bob Parsons' case, I beg to differ. Bob Parsons is the CEO of one of the largest web hosting domains on the Internet, GoDaddy.com.
GoDaddy.com is well known for its racy commercials and pushing them to the extreme with celebrity ads. However, Parsons’ recent stunt has critics and others taking the position that this time Parsons has gone too far.
Parsons posted a four-minute long video on his Twitter account that shows him hunting and killing an elephant in Zimbabwe. In this graphic video Parsons is seen shooting an elephant and later posing like a triumphant hunter for several pictures next to the dead carcass. The video also shows the elephant carcass being carved up by several local villagers wearing GoDaddy hats and passing out the meat as rock music blasts in the background.
An organization's success or failure is tied to appropriate behaviors, values, and principles of top executives who follow a defined set of values that help them to work effectively across cultures. Actions by chief executives like Parsons (who doesn’t seem to care what others think or, for that matter, what his own customers think) can have a destructive effect on an organization.
The animal rights activist group PETA and GoDaddy.com customers have been the most vocal opponent of Parsons’ video. PETA has proclaimed Parsons the “Scummiest CEO of the year” and has since closed its account with GoDaddy.com, encouraging others to do the same.
What was Parsons Response to PETA's new campaign against him? “This is the first time I've gotten a letter from PETA. They told me they're sending me a certificate calling me the 'Scummiest CEO of the Year.' I'll tell you, if I get it, I'm framing it and putting in my office.”
In a CBS interview Parsons added, “The blowback — you've got to look at who it's coming from: a small but very, very vocal group that moves in unison, inspired by PETA." Ironically that “small union” inspired by PETA has encouraged more than 20,000 GoDaddy.com customers to transfer their accounts to Namecheap, a competing company who is capitalizing on Parsons' idiotic mistake. Namecheap has announced that it will donate $1 to the Save the Elephants fund for all accounts transferred from GoDaddy.com.
Adding insult to injury, more than 23,000 people have signed a petition asking Parsons to donate to organizations working on humane solutions to protect crops and wildlife in Zimbabwe. So I guess that’s not such a small group of people after all.
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| Bob Parsons, GoDaddy CEO, with dead elephant. |
GoDaddy.com is well known for its racy commercials and pushing them to the extreme with celebrity ads. However, Parsons’ recent stunt has critics and others taking the position that this time Parsons has gone too far.
Parsons posted a four-minute long video on his Twitter account that shows him hunting and killing an elephant in Zimbabwe. In this graphic video Parsons is seen shooting an elephant and later posing like a triumphant hunter for several pictures next to the dead carcass. The video also shows the elephant carcass being carved up by several local villagers wearing GoDaddy hats and passing out the meat as rock music blasts in the background.
It didn’t take long for this viral video to enrage viewers and spark a major public controversy. Needless to say, Parsons is a public relations nightmare. His arrogant attitude and insensitive response to this tornado of controversy has shown him to be less than remorseful. Even more distasteful are his self-proclaimed heroic actions to hunt “problem elephants” to keep them from trampling the locals’ crops, and his response that “Things couldn’t be better for him.”
Controversies and public relations blunders do happen but this is one that won’t fade into the background any time soon given Parsons' bold and unsympathetic response to the public. The worst part: he’s not even pretending to be sorry.
In a world where reputation is everything and one wrong action can diminish years of hard work, one would think that the face of a hugely successful company would be smart enough to understand how his controversial behavior can negatively impact his company. Maybe Parsons is too pious to even care but that brings me to the obvious question, “What in the world is his public relations team thinking?”Controversies and public relations blunders do happen but this is one that won’t fade into the background any time soon given Parsons' bold and unsympathetic response to the public. The worst part: he’s not even pretending to be sorry.
An organization's success or failure is tied to appropriate behaviors, values, and principles of top executives who follow a defined set of values that help them to work effectively across cultures. Actions by chief executives like Parsons (who doesn’t seem to care what others think or, for that matter, what his own customers think) can have a destructive effect on an organization.
What was Parsons Response to PETA's new campaign against him? “This is the first time I've gotten a letter from PETA. They told me they're sending me a certificate calling me the 'Scummiest CEO of the Year.' I'll tell you, if I get it, I'm framing it and putting in my office.”
Adding insult to injury, more than 23,000 people have signed a petition asking Parsons to donate to organizations working on humane solutions to protect crops and wildlife in Zimbabwe. So I guess that’s not such a small group of people after all.
Parsons seems to have underestimated the effect of his apologetic attitude on those outside of PETA and how audiences now regard GoDaddy.com. One thing is sure: It’s going to take a public relations miracle to pull Parsons out of the hole he dug for himself and his company.
The moral of this story? It doesn’t take much to change impressions in the court of public opinion. Next time, think twice before you engage in a stunt like this, especially when you’re the face of a successful company.
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Kaitlyn Wasylyk is a junior communication major (public relations) and fashion minor at in the School of Communication and the Arts at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. She is an active member of Marist's Red Foxes Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. She plans to pursue a career in public relations after graduation.
The moral of this story? It doesn’t take much to change impressions in the court of public opinion. Next time, think twice before you engage in a stunt like this, especially when you’re the face of a successful company.
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