If you woke up this morning and were wondering what the formula for Bernoulli’s Principle is, you’re SOL. That’s because you’d probably use Wikipedia to find your answer online, but today, there is no Wikipedia.

Wikipedia has blacked out their domain name today in protest of the SOPA and PIPA legislation that is currently under discussion in congress. The SOPA and PIPA acts, if passed, allow the government to block certain domain addresses (i.e. www.captainsofindustry.com) to prevent Internet piracy. In plain speak, that means if a website is hosting a pirated version of Pirates of the Caribbean, the government can block that website from United States users by imprisoning their domain name. To still access that site you’d have to type the IP address in your browser—very hard to remember if you know it at all.

This is a good example of serious “brand issue awareness,” if you will. While lots of people who use Wikipedia know about SOPA, my guess is that there are millions of others who have no idea what the law is. When they wonder today why Wikipedia is down, they’ll all discover SOPA, and the negative effect it’s had on their ability to gather information from the Internet. That’s some serious issue awareness.

Well Wikipedia has never taken a stance on an issue before this, but here’s why their taking action, just FYI:

When Wikipedia shuts down on January 18, people will understand that we’re doing it for our readers. We support everyone’s right to freedom of thought and freedom of expression. We think everyone should have access to educational material on a wide range of subjects, even if they can’t pay for it. We believe in a free and open Internet where information can be shared without impediment.

AWESOME TIP: The IP address for Wikipedia is “91.198.174.225″. Now you can still use it all day!

One of the long-held ideas and manifesto proclamations here at Captains of Industry is “websites are now TV channels.”

As of late, it has occurred to me the inverse is also true: “TV channels are now websites,” or a more specific corollary, “TV shows are now websites.”

One of my idols, Joss Whedon, writer of Toy Story, producer-writer-director of Buffy, Firefly, and writer-director of the new Avengers movie was recently quoted saying that making internet videos or web shorts are “the punk rock of filmmaking.”

In 2008 when the Writer’s Guild of America went on strike, Whedon and his merry band of collaborators created a low budget web series called “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” starring Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion among others. It was wicked awesome! And for the time and for an internet series, it was huge.

More storytellers embraced the medium to tell episodic narratives, from the wonderful Felicia Day’s The Guild (www.watchtheguild.com) to local funny dude Rob Corddry’s “Children’s Hospital.” Others followed like www.thecastingoffice.tv and www.watchtheleague.com.

Once upon a time, TV shows were brought to you by and sponsored by singular products. In the early internet age, TV show-related web sites were treated like ads for the TV shows, just additional marketing to push people to watch the program with interspersed product commercials. Later, shows like “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” used their online offerings to further expand the world of its characters through original web shorts.

Will the future bring us a traditional broadcast TV show that is merely a vehicle to push eyeballs to a website? The online series itself is becoming the product.

Regarding this punk rock DIY digital story-telling evolution, Joss Whedon said “I want to be a part of that.” As content creators, how can you be part of that? As an avid TV follower, if the stories are well-told and the characters are compelling to watch, I will tune in. As long as I can relax on my couch while clicking, surfing, and viewing.

By Ted Page, Captains of Industry

I really enjoyed this short film by Tom Wigglesworth about a shop in Paris that sells very hard to find parts for old pianos – or, as it’s described in the film – a kind of organ bank for pianos.

The thing that really stood out for me was the idea of searching for a sound that doesn’t exist. I relate to that concept a lot because every time we at Captains make something, whether it’s a new brand or a video, we’re also searching for something elusive: a feeling, an emotion, a great story. That moment when we find it is not unlike hearing music played on an instrument that never existed before, or had been forgotten, that piano tucked away in the corner of an old house that just needed a few strings – and someone wanting to play it.

By Jean Levassuer, Captains of Industry

With so many options available under the umbrella of “online marketing,” it’s hard to know where to start. There’s a tendency I’ve noticed for people to use what I think of as “buzz platforms.” These include the big social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but also include the random new network you just read about in AdWeek. If you ever find yourself asking “How could we use this platform,” pause for a moment. Why do you want to use that platform? Is your target audience on that platform? Facebook ≠Twitter ≠LinkedIn ≠ Jumo. They all have their own uses, audiences, benefits, and drawbacks. You need to pick the platform that’s right for you.

Here are a few examples of what I mean.

1. Are you trying to reach early adopters of online technologies? Then Twitter probably isn’t a good place for your marketing investment. Why not? Because early adopters left Twitter behind years ago in favor of more niche, less populated networks. Rule of thumb: if your parents are starting to use a social network, chances are that early adopters have already moved on.

2. Are you a B2B company trying to reach managers at large manufacturing plants? Overworked 40-50 year old men? I’d suggest avoiding Facebook. If they’re on social networks at all, they’re more likely on LinkedIn.

3. Are you a US-based manufacturer of transformers, trying to break into the Chinese energy market? If so, you might want to avoid a content marketing/blogging focus on your campaign. People in China, and many other countries for that matter, don’t use the internet in the same way that we do in the US, and blogging isn’t nearly as prevalent.

Social networks and other online marketing tools can have a huge impact on your marketing efforts, but only if used properly. Don’t ask, “How can I use Facebook?” Instead ask, “Where can I reach my audience online?”

By Alex McKee, Captains of Industry

Here’s an interesting commercial for Cuties—the miniature oranges that you buy in bulk at the grocery store.

It’s true, or so it would seem, that Cuties are made for kids. And as this commercial clearly points out, one of the most compelling benefits of Cuties oranges is that they are seedless, why, because ³”kids hate seeds.” Cuties are also small and bite sized thus, perfectly fitting into the hands and mouths of children looking for a healthy snack. Take a look at this spot and you will see a perfect scene in which a child softly falls onto the couch eagerly devouring a colorful, vitamin packed, Cutie orange. Advertising at its best right?

So what’s wrong with this commercial? Well, around 8 seconds into the spot a warning message stamps the image of a child on her back reading “eating while lying down may be a choking hazard.” Huh? Did someone miss that subtle detail? What genius shot this thing? And who actually gave it the green light for airtime? Maybe I misunderstand this whole advertising thing, but it seems to me that showing a situation in which a child can potentially die from using your product is NOT a good idea. And, pointing that act out during the money shot is an even worse idea. Products can have laws but advertising cannot. Communication is all about the details and this commercial missed the memo. Here’s a piece of free advice for Cuties: stick to the sandboxes and school lunches!

Watch it here:

http://youtu.be/sY8i5ulFz7I

Have a great holiday weekend! Stay merry with The New Kids on the Block.

By Anna Sternoff, Captains of Industry

Loving your job has been on the brain these days at Captains. Maybe it’s all the fuzzy good cheer of the holidays. Or maybe it’s because work can be downright awesome. I recently had a stellar customer service experience that is most certainly blogworthy. What made it really amazing was how genuine it was.

I am currently mired in the sinkhole that is wedding planning. It’s a weird time where everyone treats you like a princess, walking on eggshells and being generally saccharine sweet. While a plus for many ladies out there, I hate it. It’s weird. It’s just a wedding, guys; there’s no excuse for anyone to be all ‘zilla-ish, bride, groom or otherwise.

Which is why the genuine, irreverent and just awesome email exchange I’ve had with Magnolia Photobooth Co. has been ridiculously refreshing.  They set the tone with their quote-form, which let’s you pick who you are. Currently, you can be a few things, including bride, groom, wedding planner or Batman. When I filled it out, pterodactyl was a choice. Dinosaurs sell.

Then, Victor Hicks, the Market Manager emailed me possibly the funniest price quote I’ve ever received. Let me tell you, price quotes usually induce cold sweats as I think about my quickly draining bank account. Victor’s, however, referenced corn dogs and BFFs. We’ve kept up the banter and I look forward to getting his emails! (oof, yet again I disclose my uncool). It gets better, however. Victor then blogged about our email exchange (and here I am blogging about his blog. The Internet is SO META).

And for those cynics out there who are thinking “whatevs, he’s just a good salesman,” just hush up. Some people genuinely DO love their jobs.

Thanks Magnolia Photobooth!