The Interactive portion of SXSW is like the Mardi Gras of the creative and technology industries. For one week, downtown Austin was transformed into a hub of activity and excited chatter about the next big thing. Brands, marketers, entrepreneurs and executives from all over the world flood the streets to get a peek of what could be the future of technology.
The PromoJam team had a blast hosting events and attending sessions over the week of SXSW Interactive and we're here to bring you the trends that you'll be talking about in 2013 and beyond.
Big Tech
From Google Glass, to Leap Motion and the introduction of the MakerBot 3D Digitizer, technology products made a huge impact at this year's interactive tradeshow. The common thread that linked all these technologies together were an increase in more humanistic technology - technology that extended the human experience, a crossroads almost of technology and reality.
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Google's wearable interface - Google Glass - made waves late in 2012 with its augmented reality technology. During SXSW, the tech giant introduced its Mirror API for Project Glass and the types of apps that will be featured, including Gmail, Path and Evernote.
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Similarly, Leap Motion had techies talking about the move to more sensory technology that were independent on any actual tactile surface. Gone will be the days where we are confined to the physical spaces of our technology - the future will see us interacting with our technology on a more sensory and organic fashion. Introducing their 3D gesture-control device, Leap Motion tracks users' hand and finger gestures within an 8-cubic-foot-area, and at sensitivity levels 200 times that of the Microsoft Kinect.
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Speaking of 3D, the other big innovation revealed at SXSW was 3D Printing - MakerBot and 3D Systems introduced their versions of 3D printers that will have amazing influences on the future of manufacturing on both an industrial and smaller scale. The future ubiquity of 3D printing (a MakerBot 3D Replicator printer costs just under $2,000 and the newly launched 3D Doodler Printing Pen retails for about $100) will have so many repercussions for many industries outside of manufacturing as well!
Check out the video below to see the amazing potentials of 3D printing!
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Big Data and the Content Debate
From Big Tech, the other big topic at SXSW was Data and Content. Many of the panels brought up the topic of content and how it is a constantly evolving and increasingly immediate avenue to create real world impact. From the Oreo campaign at the Superbowl to examples of how content is affecting the music industry, one thing is certainly clear - real-time, rich content is still very much king.
The key to creating valuable content is not just about flooding the network with any drib and drab of content, but about taking the time to create valuable and interactive content that is meaningful to your audience. To help achieve this goal, it is critical to have data - data about your users, data about their habits, and lifestyles - and converting that into real-time content that is valuable and creative.
Now, all that sounds great but how does it work in the real-world? Let's look at some case studies of how some brands have used data to mine for some hopefully great content during SXSW:
The Best: Samsung Galaxy Lounge #TheNextBigThing
The award for best content and brand integration will probably have to go to Samsung and their activations for their Galaxy products. The lounge was open to the public all week and was a perfect of example of integrating data (consumer needs/wants) into creative content.
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Employing Near Field Communication (NFC), galaxy smartphone users could tap on Samsung codes found all over the city to order cupcakes, drinks, a battery pack and apps for their phone! In the lounge, guests were introduced to the real-world applications of the Samsung Galaxy. With booths filled with interactive activities, guests could use the Samsung Galaxy to order up a custom ice-cream float, a grilled cheese sandwich, or design and print their own t-shirts and buttons.
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By bringing their technology into real-world and everyday applications, Samsung and their #TheNextBigThing campaign at SXSW did a great job of creating WOW content that spoke volumes about the company's creativity and innovative brand philosophy.
The Good: Mashable's Memes
From the "Y U NO Guy" to the "Ridiculously Photogenic Guy" to the "Trollface", the Internet has seen an explosion of Memes that have defined a new of communication for us. Web publishing maven Mashable took this knowledge and created one of the most popular trends coming out of this year's SXSW. By bringing in the famous Grumpy Cat and Scumbag Steve, Internet folk from all over flooded the Mashable House over the course of the week to catch a glimpse of the Meme-phenoms.
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Taking it one step further, Friskies sponsored an amazing Interactive display of the Grumpy Cat projected on one of the houses along the main thoroughfare of SXSW - sixth street, no doubt putting Mashable at the top of the ladder of relevant and trending content.
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The Bad: SideCar and Uber
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If you've ever been to SXSW, you know that trying to get around can be a drain. Finding a cab? Even more insane. This year, mobile apps Side Car and Uber came out with full force, offering free rides to SXSW attendees. The idea was there - address the needs and concerns of attendees and offer them free service to get more exposure and klout for your product. The downside? Both companies didn't expect the backlog and congestion that SXSW would bring to the streets of Austin. The networks were jammed with requests and apps were not responding in time to meet the needs of thousands of walk weary attendees - resulting in more negative content than positive and a case of Data overload.
The Unsung Hero: Car2Go
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On the flip-side of that traffic fiasco, one little company had an amazing impact on SXSW - not because of its grand claims and fantastic marketing strategy. Car2Go, a pay-by-the-minute SmartCar service (akin to ZipCar) made waves with its easy-to-use system and readily available blue/white SmartCars all over the city. By placing their cars front and center at the Convention Center, Car2Go impressed attendees with just how easy it was to get a car to roam around Austin. With word-of-mouth recommendations that spread faster than word of the Grumpy Cat's appearance, Car2Go is definitely one to look out for at a city near you and will be buzzed about as upcoming app for other future events and applications.
And there you have it - PromoJam's report on the trends happening at SXSW Interactive. The team had an unbelievable time exploring the city and learning more about the world of technology and creativity. This has definitely got our creative cogwheels turning so be sure to stay tuned for more exciting news from the PromoJam team in the near future!
Don't forget to check our PromoJam's social channels for more fun updates and real-time news from the ground as the team continues their experience at the Music conference!
