Lindsey’s Daily Deal

By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ Readers,

Happy Monday. I hope this makes it better:

1. What it takes to be a (web video) star

Making a great web video is nothing like making a great pop song. According to Axis Of Awesome, an Australian comedy group, all you need for a Top 40 hit are four simple chords. And though Axis manages to use those same chords in their own viral video in an effort to make their point, they used a big idea as well and presented it in a new and exciting way—which is what makes their video so interesting to watch. Not to mention that it’s got 2,665,660 hits and counting. Check out Axis of Awesome’s Four Chord Song and learn just what it takes to be the next Pink!, Jason Mraz, Mika, Alex Lloyd, Elton John, U2, Maroon 5…

2. Twitter me this

Did you know that 53% of Twitter users don’t tweet? Recently, Edison Research/Arbitron Internet and Multimedia Series performed a study based on three years of data that surveyed 1,800 Tweeters and found that compared to Facebook, Twitter usage is much lower, 7% vs. 41%, and the people who are Tweeting are usually following companies, brands or products. Maybe in the future Twitter will become strictly a business-based venue, like LinkedIn.

3. You just got Iced

This weekend I got “Iced” by my bros. What does an icing entail you might wonder? Well it involves some serious trickery, a six-pack (or more) of Smirnoff Ice, and a group of truly diabolical friends. Let me break it down for you.

It all started when I arrived at my friends’ house Saturday and made a beeline for the beer fridge. But as soon as I reached into the 30 of Miller, I should have known that something terrible was going to happen. All eyes were on me as I pulled out a clear 12 oz bottle of Smirnoff Ice Raspberry Burst rather than the frothy can of beer I was hoping to sip on. As soon as the bottle was visible, a chorus of  “You just got Iced bro!” erupted around the room. My friends explained that I had to get down on one knee and “chug” the sickeningly sweet elixir that’s reserved for only underage high school kids and men who are extremely secure with their masculinity.

To stall my impending doom, I asked my (ex) friends how they came up with this new drinking strategy anyway. They admitted that they found it on a website called Bros Icing Bros. The rules are pretty simple. You hide the offending drinks anywhere your fellow bros dwell and once they stumble upon one, they must take a knee and chug the Ice—no matter what. If someone refuses, they’re immediately “excommunicated and shunned” (ahem, Brian) and your icing abilities are revoked—FOREVER.

Although the game can be hard to swallow, literally, it’s pretty entertaining. In my opinion, it’s opportunities like these that companies need to take advantage of. Although I wouldn’t like to see any of my fellow bros getting their stomachs pumped due to an intense game of Icing, it’s not every day people create games about products that go viral. All companies should begin to think about how their consumers actually use their products and be the first ones to create games, videos, and events that are based around the consumers’ experience. Though I haven’t yet heard Smirnoff’s thoughts about Bros Icing Bros, I’m thinking that if they can’t beat ‘em, ice ‘em.

Until tomorrow,

Captain “I’ve been Iced” Lindsey