Social responsibility has moved from the edge of a brand’s identity to the center.
And with that shift, the role of CMOs has evolved to also include advocacy. A lot of companies are playing catch-up in a culture where they can’t afford to NOT have a point of view.
SXSW is well-known as the launchpad for many technology start-ups like Twitter, FourSquare and Meerkat. While there are fewer breakout launches these days, the tech talk was still abundant with panel after panel diving deep on AI, VR, AR and an entire alphabet soup of acronyms changing the media, communications and computing landscape. One thing that stuck out this year was that conversations around love, empathy, creativity and humanity rose above the cacophony around speeds and feeds. This SXSW seemed more about emotions than emojis.
For SXSW Interactive 2016, I set my sights on a mobile-health-only education track. I did this for two reasons. First, to better understand the latest in what mobile development and wearables companies are doing to connect technology with customers’ health information. And second, to better understand what genuinely connected fitness and wellness can do for consumers.
SXSW, the annual music, film and interactive conference took place in Austin, Texas last week. Ketchum had a team on the ground and here are ten things that we spotted. There are lessons on content, organizational change and workflow.
Not knowing what to expect, I went to SXSW 2015 feeling a bit intimidated. Like any PR professional worth their stuff, I did my homework. I downloaded the SXSW Go app, researched sessions and speakers and spoke to colleagues and friends who had attended in the past. I have to admit, even after all that prep, it was still hard to wrap my mind around what I was walking into this week.
I was blown away. I left SXSW feeling energized, smarter and more curious than ever. The speakers were dynamic, their content was interesting and the attendees were friendly and cool.
Here are the “three S’s” that stood out from my experience:
More than anything else, SXSW is a realm of possibilities; the promise of a smarter and more transparent future. Austin is teaming with change-agents, event-activators and dynamic speakers – meaning everyone is bound to come away with something different. The sessions you attend, conversations you have, and gut insights you carry back to your native office all shape your purview of what transpired. Personally, I’ve noticed three themes at SXSW:
A biochemist, cosplay Sailor Moon and Malcolm Gladwell walk into a bar …
That would be the opening to a pretty hilarious joke if it wasn’t bound to be realized at #SXSW2015. This year’s conference promises to be the biggest and most diverse yet and, luckily for me, I’ll have a front row seat (or slab of carpeted wall to lean on) for the festivities.
As a SXSW first-timer (thank you for sending me Ketchum), the inevitable ensued once word spread that I’d be headed to Austin. Colleagues from New York to Seoul began to stop by or call with advice and words of wisdom from past excursions. Needless to say, I took both mental and written notes. This post is the byproduct of their collective SXSW wisdom, along with a few predictive insights that I managed to come up with all on my own.
I’ve compiled the insights below in what I hope will be my first of many SXSW Survival Guides (click to tweet).
From once a small spin-off conference to one of the world’s most talked about events, SXSW Interactive 2015 kicks off this week (March 13-17) in Austin, Texas. Whether you’re a 2015 conference attendee or tracking the action via social media, you can truly tailor your experience depending on your vantage point.
As it’s my fourth time attending, I always tell new attendees to be prepared for full sensory overload! Be open to serendipity and have a willingness to explore the unknown throughout every minute of the conference (click to tweet).
Last week, I had the chance to visit SXSW Interactive on behalf of Ketchum. I wasn’t there specifically for any clients we work with, but instead, Ketchum sent me alongside my Ketchum Social Media colleague Jon Bellinger to spot trends for the upcoming year; meet and greet with Internet culture luminaries like CollegeHumor.com, the founders behind the movie Browncoats: Redemption, a few select reporters, etc., and more.
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