It may be tempting for small business marketers to roll their eyes at the thought of spending $3 million on a single ad spot. Smart marketers, however, pay attention. To them, SWOT is more than a misspelled law enforcement team. They know that strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats can arise at any moment. Another’s weakness is an opportunity for them, no matter how large the competitor. Such is the case with my new domain registrar, NameCheap.

When I went looking for a new host, all I knew was NameCheap came to my attention from a variety of sources, there was a discount that translated into about $100 savings for me, and that the company’s online rep (Michelle Greer) was there to quickly answer my questions (BTW, Michelle offers marketing consulting services).

As it turns out, NameCheap had a plan. Enter STRATEGY. Yes, small business people, strategic planning is your friend and this year’s Super Bowl has provided a perfect case study. NameCheap knew that a good number of people are pi**ed at GoDaddy’s ongoing sleazy ad campaign and decided to do something about it. They held a video contest. They offered discounts. They grew their company. All because the industry giant spent around $6 million on two Super Bowl ads. Paul Chaney at Conversational Media Marketing interviewed Michelle and did some research on his own. His conclusion: Namecheap is, quite possibliy, the real winner in GoDaddy ad debacle. Check it out.