By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains readers,

Here’s your Tuesday Deal:

1. Facing Facebook

A lot of companies have finally bitten the social media bullet and created a Facebook page. However, once they’ve signed up, written their profile and nabbed a few friends, they’re wondering why fans aren’t “liking” their page by the thousands. Truth be told, we Captains have been wondering the same thing.

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By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Monday Deal:

1. And now for something completely different

Who better to give advice on creativity than John Cleese? Not only is he a talented actor and comedian, but he also writes and produces his own films—and has won countless prestigious awards for most of them. He’s the kind of guy that not only thinks outside of the box, but would somehow make the box itself hilarious. And fortunately for us mere mortals, he opened up at the Creativity World Forum on how to tap into your own creativity again and again.

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By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Friday Deal:

1. Looks like someone could use a free coffee

When it comes to guerilla, I’m like a crazed groupie. I love, love, love guerilla. For those of you who think I’m talking orangutan, a guerilla campaign is an unconventional way to promote a product. The approach usually takes place in public areas and is intended to get maximum results from minimal resources. Why do I love it so much? Because rather than calling out to your audience in a way that they expect, you’re flipping the switch and inviting them to interact with your brand. In the triathlon of advertising, guerilla is considered mile 26. It’s hard to achieve, but it feels so good when you do.
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By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Thursday Deal:

1. It ain’t rocket science. It’s better.

Not only does Sony have amazingly innovative products, but they know just how to market them. According to Sony, their latest laptop, the VAIO notebook, has more computing power than the first rocket that went to the moon.

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By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

It’s Viral Wednesday! Indulge in a little viral video hoopla:

1. Viral video isn’t magic, it’s marketing

Everyone loves a good viral video. In fact, I don’t know anyone who hasn’t yet laughed at Charlie chomping on his brother’s finger, rocked out to Numa Numa or shuddered when Chris Crocker asked us to just LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE! But what a lot of people don’t know is that most viral videos don’t just “magically” get three hundred million hits. First, they have to be marketed.

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By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Tuesday Deal:

1. How to score a second date

You know that feeling you get when you’re out on a first date and things aren’t going well? Maybe you’re not clicking. Maybe you’re just not that into him. Or maybe your date never stopped talking about how awesome he is at bench pressing/drinking/being awesome. Been there, done that. I can honestly say that it’s no fun to listen to someone tell you for two straight hours how much they bench press, no matter how good your dinner might be (true story). And according to Carlos Hidalgo of MarketingProfs, the same goes for companies who dabble in B2B business.

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By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Monday Deal:

1. Admen. They’re cutthroat.

I missed Mad Men last night. In my body’s battle to stay awake, my eyelids won victoriously. So, in an effort to satiate my weekly jones for smoking, drinking, sexism, feminism and adultery, I decided to check out Dan Goldgeier’s recent post on AdPulp called “The City of Brotherly MadMen.” Apparently, The Philadelphia Inquirer did a story about their city’s own past ad history this past week. And if you thought Don Draper was cutthroat, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

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By Ted Page, Captains of Industry

Patricia Neal, the great actress who passed away on Sunday, August 8th,  may be best known for winning an academy award in Hud, starring Paul Newman; but I will always remember her for her role in The Day The Earth Stood Still,  and for the night in Providence when I met her. Fred (my biz partner here at Captains) and I were at the opening night gala for the Providence Film Festival at the state house. Our short film, There Once Was a Man from Pawtucket, had opened the festival, and Patricia Neal was the guest of honor. I’ll never forget seeing her for the first time.  Read more Share This

By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Friday Deal:

1. Moms need to wine

There’s just something soothing about swilling ‘98 Bordeaux. Or even a Two Buck Chuck. Whatever’s handy. According to about 266,926 moms, that first sip can really take the edge off a tough day of carting your small humans to soccer/dance/basketball practice, wiping up various bodily functions, and simply trying to keep your offspring alive and tear-free. In fact, there’s an entire fan page and website dedicated to Moms and their desire uncork after a long day, “Moms Who Need Wine.” Read more Share This

By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Wednesday Deal:

1. The ultimate quick fix

As Americans, we have hard work and discipline hardwired into our systems. According to our forefathers, the harder you work, the better the payoff. Which means more money, a bigger house, and ultimately, a better life. But sometimes, just sometimes, the possibility of a shortcut can be so tempting that resistance can be futile. The latest quick fix sweeping the nation of “a little hard work never killed anyone”? Butt-toning shoes. Reebok’s EasyTone sneakers claim that they can firm both legs and butts without the wearer even having to break a sweat.
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By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Tuesday Deal:

1. Up(load) your butt

It takes me forever to find a good pair of jeans. Mostly because I have an ample behind. I can admit it. Baby got back. So when I’m hunting for a decent pair of denims, I never settle. They have to fit perfectly because I know if they’re just one millimeter too big, too small, too short or too long, I’ll never wear them. I’ve always known this about myself, but what I didn’t know is that a lot of other ladies feel the same way. Which is why I applaud Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s latest work for Old Navy, a Web application called “Booty Reader.” On the app, Madame Eva, the site’s fortune-teller, asks ladies to upload pics of their badonkadonks so Old Navy’s “backside recognition technology” can analyze their womanly shape and provide a jean suggestion that will perfectly encase their derriere. I love this campaign. And not just because it’s creative and fun, but because CP+B found an insight that rings true for most women no matter what their size. The only hold up might be women’s willingness to upload their butts. Shouldn’t Old Navy at least offer dinner and a movie first?

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By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

For your Monday Deal, I’ve decided to address another fellow blogger, Elaine Fogel. Her excellent blog post on MarketingProfs captivated me so much that I’ve decided to use my Deal to answer her questions at the end of her post. In case you didn’t get a chance to read the lovely Elaine’s low down, here’s a quick summary. Basically, Fogel fears for journalism’s life. She’s afraid that everything that made journalism a great and reliable method of collecting important news and dispersing it to the masses is slowly dying at the hand of citizen journalism. Things like fact checking, truth, integrity, and even taste are all but lost. As a blogger and marketer myself, I hate seeing one of my fellow comrades in distress, so here’s my best attempt to put Fogel’s mind at ease.
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