SXSW 2012: Five Big Ideas To Change Your Business

8/2/2019 SXSW 2012: Five Big Ideas To Change Your Business

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SXSW INTERACTIVE 2012 1




In opening Weber Shandwick’s post-SXSW 2011 guide, I noted that the bar hadbeen set sky-high by the brand activations we saw at the interactive estival oneyear ago. From the looks o things on the ground in Austin this month, marketersdid their best to exceed all expectations – at SXSW and beyond.

SXSW has or years been a prime arena or disruptive ideas. It’s a place to connectwith and learn rom the best o the best, and a place to be recognized or shakingthings up in creative ways. As exciting as this is, the environment also presentsa massive challenge or marketers: How do you navigate this terrain when theopportunity to innovate is everywhere? How do you choose where to ocus – andhow? The rehose o all the things to be tried and tested can overwhelm even themost energetic among us.

This post-SXSW wrap is more than just a recap o the best o the event. It’sour guide to the most important themes to emerge rom the intellectual andentrepreneurial sandbox in Austin – and how to mobilize to make the most o them

CHRIS PERRY , PRESIDENT, WEBER SHANDWICK DIGITAL

BIG IDEAS, BIG INFLUENCE,

B IG OPPORTUNIT IES: SX SW 2012

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Weber Shandwick Digital teammembers (L to R) Adam Keats,

Chris Perry, Marcy Massura, andMananya Soobhawan at SXSWInteractive 2012 in Austin, Texas.




Innovation is being tossed around so indiscriminately these days that the word is notone I invoke casually. While to some it might just mean something new, that somethinnew has to deliver results to be truly innovative.

As Robbie Whiting, a digital industry observer, remarked in his SXSW talk, makingthings people want is greater than making people want things. When consideringanything labeled “innovative,” it’s important to ask i it helps drive the creator tobigger objectives than just doing something new. Does it connect people in a newway? Does it make people see a brand in a dierent light? Does it get people talking?Will it sell?

SXSW was, as ever, thick with innovation. PepsiCo* worked with MAYA Designs tocreate a convergence-themed presence that posed the question, “What I?” – andgave people a whole new way to ponder the answer. Providing a hands-on social

giting experience, their prototype vending machine allowed one person to sendPepsiCo sot drinks to riends. They also passed out 200 Livescribe smartpens withSXSW-customized activity books, allowing people to earn points in a live, in-eventcompetition ocused on ideas and exploration. It was one o the most buzzed-about activations at SXSW – and one people not just talked about, but activelyparticipated in.

When innovating, best practices don’t enter the equation. Innovators recognize thatthese are only the best known practices. The real potential is in the unknown. That iswhere market leaders are born and exponential growth is realized.

SXSW 2012 showed how much opportunity there really is or companies to beinnovative – now, more than ever. Social business, ar rom being a bolt-on, is aboutmarrow-deep embedding o principles and practices that transorm what you do andthe results that you drive rom doing it. That change can be scary, but so is losingmarket share to the competition. The exhilaration o making things people wantdoesn’t just eel good, it is good – or customers, employees, and the bottom line.

*Weber Shandwick client

MATT DICKMAN, EVP, SOCIAL BUSINESS INNOVATION

NO T ALL SOCIAL BUSINESS IS

I N NO VA TI VE, BUT Y OURS SHOULD BE

PepsiCo’s innovative vendingmachines allow customers to gitsot drinks to riends via SMS, witha personalized message.

Illustrated QR code in banner photograph by Yiying Lu of Walls360.com




Since its inception, SXSW Interactive has been a hub o digital infuence. Originallyknown as “geek spring break,” the conerence has evolved in both scale andsubstance. Thanks to the growing popularity o social networking and emergingtechnology, 2012 was a gathering spot or cultural mavens, celebrities, rock stars,bestselling authors, artists, athletes, TV and lm directors, and comedians. Comingtogether in Austin or the biggest digital conerence o the year, this diverse groupo taste-makers connected with one another, shared inormation and opinions, andcreated content rom within the event itsel.

This cross-industry convergence has orever changed how we think about theinfuencer landscape and one thing is or sure – the digerati at SXSW are moreinfuential than ever. Few recognize that more keenly than the senior executiveswho were in Austin, engaging with digital and social infuencers in a serious way.There were VIP dinners and executive meet-and-greets at SXSW, happening

around the clock and all over the city. Ralph Santana, CMO o Samsung*, amajor Interactive sponsor, was one o an increasing number o C-suite brandrepresentatives on the ground in Austin. Their presence at the Samsung BloggerLounge, a popular locale or connection and sharing among SXSW attendees,made the brand a more human, impactul part o the SXSW experience. In essencethey were showing – not telling – attendees that Samsung believes in the powersocial engagement.

However, infuencer-centric strategies shouldn’t just be brought out at SXSW.Progressive brands are building sustained infuencer programs – ever-evolving,rich conversations – with these connectors. Infuencer relationship managementhas become, a strategic marketing discipline that companies are embeddinginto business.

It’s not enough to shake a ew hands once a year. Marketers and communicators –and even the C-suite – have to listen and respond on an ongoing basis. Where theSXSW community goes, industries ollow. Are you ready?

*Weber Shandwick client

I N F L UENCER -CENT RIC ST RA T EGIE S

AREN’ T JUST FOR SX SW

STEPHANIE AGRESTA, EVP, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Weber Shandwick’s EVP, ManagingDirector o Social Media Stephanie

Agresta with most tweeted keynotespeaker Baratunde Thurston, heado digital or “The Onion” andauthor o How to Be Black .

Weber Shandwick’s Meg Martinwith author and ormer chie evangelist at Apple, Guy Kawasaki.

Photo courtesy Esteban Contreras, Samsung.




It seems like not so long ago that watching TV while scanning your email and textmessages was a technologically advanced approach to content consumption. Butnow, with a ull 70 percent o tablet owners saying that they use their devices inront o the tube, the “second screen” seems almost antiquated.

Hence “Three Screen Minimum: The Convergence o TV & Social Media,” a panelI moderated in ront o a standing room only crowd at SXSW Interactive 2012. I the 15 minute line out the door wasn’t indication enough, the hundreds o tweetsfying with the #3ScreenMin hashtag showed us that this topic isn’t only interestingto a ringe o geeks. When I asked by show o hands which audience members wertechies and which were marketers, the marketing crowd outnumbered tech-headsby 100-to-1.

The audience wasn’t shy about asking tough questions. One got to the point:

Who’s the bad guy who’s holding up even more acceleration in the convergence oTV and social media? Panelist Eric Bruno, SVP o Consumer Product Managementor Verizon Communications, was rereshingly rank in his response. While it wouldbe un to nger a bad guy and string him up, Bruno said, there’s probably no badguy. Instead, he admitted, “there are a lot o scared guys.”

What do the metrics say? According to panelist Fred Harner, GM o Digital or cabnetwork SportsNetNY, the numbers don’t lie: Oering second and third screenexperience results in increased viewing both on television and online. But, echoingBruno, he also cautioned that the sheer volume o possibilities or social mediaintegration could put ear into networks. Nobody wants to be too cutting edge ortheir own good.

Challenging Harner, panelist Soraya Darabi, co-ounder o mobile app

Foodspotting and ormer digital strategist or ABC News, said that rom herperspective, nobody’s at risk o being “too cutting-edge” anytime soon. “Whydoesn’t every TV show end with a question?” she asked, noting that i viewers arealready sitting there, device in hand, it’s up to program makers to engage them.Darabi recounted how, during the Oscars this year, it was her Twitter stream thatturned the broadcast into an enjoyable experience that kept her awake untilthe end.

Missed opportunities or nimble adaptation during live events are plentiul,highlighting the need or service oerings, production companies, and networksto empower spontaneous interaction with audiences. But perhaps the toughest

CHRIS PERRY , PRESIDENT, DIGITAL

C O N V ERGENCE CHANGES EV ERY T HI N GFOR CONT ENT

SXSW postcard ad. Carries the keymessage or any content creatorlooking to build a an base.



6SXSW INTERACTIVE 2012

question came at the end, when someone asked the panel why there’s so muchocus on “orcing traditional content as a square peg into the round hole o social media.” The onus is on content creators to approach their work rom theperspective o today’s digitally connected, socially networked world.

Nailing that means you can break all the rules and nd success online. Just ask theInvisible Children marketing team that put together the controversial Kony 2012video. Despite the act that the average YouTube viewing session has plummetedrom our minutes to less than one minute, the 30 minute video about Aricanwarlord Joseph Kony achieved nearly 100 million views across YouTube and Vimeoin less than one week. By expertly threading social media through the narrative, thevideo gives viewers the sense o being part o a larger community. By tapping intothe timeless human need to connect with other humans, the spread o Kony 2012suggests that need may be growing stronger thanks to our increasing expectationo digital connectivity at all (or most) times.

So or content creators who blame fagging attention spans or the lack o tractiontheir work gets, they might instead consider that their product simply isn’tcompelling or social enough by design. That’s a challenge or brands, programmakers, and networks to tackle – and it won’t be xed by a restorm o tweets.As one o the most ubiquitous posters pasted on walls across the SXSW campusnoted, “I’ll be interested i you’ll be interesting.” It’s an idea that transcends TVs

and devices. The call or compelling content creators is more urgent than ever.




In the days leading up to SXSW, there was escalating buzz about start-ups like Highlight,Sonar, and Banjo – mobile apps that run in the background o your device, constantlyscanning your social graph and sending alerts when someone rom your network (orsomeone you want to be part o your network) is nearby. Making shared interests knownand accessible to people in proximity o one another seemed a certain hit.

When push came to shove, and the all-day, all-night SXSW lie was in ull swing, theseapps seemed to get orgotten or purposeully closed down. Yes, battery lie was aconcern. More crucially, SXSW struck many we talked to as the last place anyone needsa serendipity engine. With tens o thousands o attendees, separated rom most o us bya maximum o two degrees anyway (six degrees became obsolete about a decade ago),the place to nd rich connections was in ront o one’s ace – not staring at the phone. Thereturns on a serendipity app at an event like SXSW were negligible.

That said, the underlying theme o rictionless sharing is a big one. Content – be itshort-orm posts on social platorms, apps, or other online experiences – needs to be asrictionless as possible in order to reach consumers in relevant communities o interest.Helping people to help you nd and share your story is a simple concept, but it’s notalways easy. Some key areas on which to ocus:

1) Develop a brand narrative that people will pay attention to; the content crush maybe overwhelming, but a good story is still hard to come by.

2) Tell your story where people in your brand’s communities o interest are alreadygathering – and where you can add substantial value. Make it easy or them to ndyou, by insuring your site is mobile-riendly, engaging your most vocal customerson social platorms, and connecting them with one another.

3) Enable people to share your story. That can mean multiple ormats – text, graphics,video, and more – that are easily distributed across the micro-networks that orm

every user’s daily online experience.

Using a ramework to make content rictionless is key to igniting conversations acrosssocial platorms and all corners o the web. Make sure you have one, and that you’vemapped your brand’s communities o interest and key touchpoints to all relevant angles oyour compelling story.

The web is ertile ground or connecting with the right people with your brand. Just makesure you’re planting the right seeds in the right climate at the right time o year – orpeople who need what you have to oer.

ADAM KEATS, SVP, DIGITAL

F R IC TIONLESS CONT ENT IS CRUC IA L

Weber Shandwick’s Ben Rissmanand Segway inventor Dean Kamen.

Weber Shandwick’s Jackie Danickiand Smashing Pumpkins ront manBilly Corgan.



9SXSW INTERACTIVE 2012

FURTHER READING

Weber Shandwick’s team was active on the ground at SXSW, working on clientactivations, speaking on panels, meeting the industry’s best and brightest, and soakingup new ideas. Here are some o our dispatches rom the eld in Austin, as our teamposted them in real-time on our Social Studies blog (http://socialstudiesblog.com):

SXSW Interactive 2012 Through Our EyesThe story o this year’s event, told through our team’s photos rom SXSW on Pinterest:http://is.gd/sxswpix

Diary of a SXSW NewbieWhat’s it like or a rst-timer at the mother o all interactive events? MananyaSoobhawan reports on her inaugural SXSW: http://is.gd/sxswnew

Brands and Bite-Sized Content: How to Win on the Short Form WebHow do you engage online communities in as little as 140 characters withoutcompromising brand integrity? Danny Olsen has the inside scoop: http://is.gd/snacky

Keeping It LegalHow can social media teams and lawyers work together to keep companies out o trouble? Heather Wilson has some pointers: http://is.gd/legalsxsw

Five Community Management Lessons from SXSWBen Rissman highlights simple community management tactics in evidence at theinteractive estival: http://is.gd/5cmlessons

To Scan or Not to Scan?QR codes were put to the test at SXSW. Andrew Lane did some digging to nd outwhat kind o results those ubiquitous little squares are yielding or marketers:http://is.gd/qrcoderesults

Notes from a Professional DisruptorHow does an outsider bring about change in risk-averse, policy-thick corporatecultures? Jackie Danicki asked one who’s done it or some o the world’s largest, mostregulated companies: http://is.gd/disruptnotes

What Brands Can Learn From the Guy in a Chicken SuitI there’s one place eccentrics can eel at ease, it’s SXSW. Marcy Massura reveals whatmarketers can glean rom the ways o the eathered one: http://is.gd/bawkbawk

Health and Hip-Hop: Lessons for Marketers

Stacey Bernstein reveals how rapper Paul Wall and his business partners are bestingmore established health brands online with their unconventional approach to engagingonline communities: http://is.gd/hiphophealth

Agency as Innovator: The Evolution of Making Things People WantAre we living in an era where the line between marketer and inventor has blurred?Greg Swan notes how some – like Weber Shandwick – are making productsthemselves, with great success: http://is.gd/agencyinnovator

Weber Shandwick’s Adam Keatswith Yiying Lu, designer o theamed Twitter “ail whale” and

co-ounder o Walls360.

Clever marketing stunts at SXSW2012 included giving away money– here, rom an app to help yound cheap, close parking spots.

http://socialstudiesblog.com/




http://is.gd/sxswpix


http://is.gd/sxswnew



http://is.gd/snacky

http://is.gd/snacky

http://is.gd/snacky

http://is.gd/legalsxsw



http://is.gd/5cmlessons



http://is.gd/qrcoderesults


http://is.gd/disruptnotes



http://is.gd/bawkbawk



http://is.gd/hiphophealth



http://is.gd/agencyinnovator










http://is.gd/snacky






CONTACT

Chris PerryPresident, [email protected]

Jackie DanickiDirector of Social Communications212.445.8040

[email protected]

SXSW 2012: Five Big Ideas To Change Your Business

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