SXSW Interactive '15 Trends Recap

BPN RECAP

SXSW ‘15

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Began in 1987

Held annually in Austin, TX

10 days of panels, keynotes, media presentations, workshops, music showcases, film screenings and more…

Broken into three main sessions:

Interactive: 3/13 - 3/17

Music: 3/17 – 3/22

Film: 3/13 – 3/21

WHAT IS SXSW?

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Began in 1994

Fastest growing segment of SXSW

2015 featured:

800+ interactive sessions

51,000+ registrants

Spans a variety of topics including technology, media, mobile, software, gaming, social, etc.

SXSW INTERACTIVE

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THE REASON EVERY MARKETER SHOULD ATTEND SXSW:

“The sensory overload has become a

metaphor for the modern world.”

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- Tim Leake, Adweek

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It has gotten so big that the agenda doesn’t revolve around a singular theme anymore

Everyone has a different experience

However, there are some commonalities:

SXSW IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT

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Most Common Words in SXSWi Panels

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TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

THE ‘QUANTIFIED SELF’ 2.0ROBOTICS AND AI BECOMING MORE ACCESSIBLE

AUGMENTED REALITY/VR = NEW STORYTELLING ENGINES

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THE ‘QUANTIFIED SELF’ 2.0

WHAT’S NEXT?

Big data as the new wonder drug

Vast amount of data from devices need analytical algorithms to decipher it

Smart textiles

Incorporating nano-technology for performance

Provide haptic feedback to users

Wearable technology and apps are growing in popularity

Devices expected to total 50B by 2020

Apple Watch sold more units in one day than Android Wear in all of 2014

“Is the Apple Watch the beginning of smart watches or the end of cell phones?”

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ROBOTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ARE BECOMING MORE ACCESSIBLE

WHAT’S NEXT?

Advances in automation

ex. Resource management: massive inefficiencies in energy and aviation

Augmented intelligence: man + machine (see: Iron Man)

Robots and AI will become smarter “reason about reasoning”

Not just rule driven (0s and 1s)

Rank patterns of behavior/interest for predictive application

Data + hyper-connectivity + advancements in processing power = growth of AI

Slippery slope

Great potential to help mankind

Range of negative consequences

ex. Massive unemployment as a result of job automation

ex. Technology takes over, a la Terminator

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AUGMENTED REALITY AND VIRTUAL REALITY ARE THE NEW STORYTELLING ENGINES

WHAT’S NEXT?

Potential application in the fields of:

Visual commerce/virtual showrooms (ex. Lowe’s Holoroom)

Entertainment

Music

Sports

Journalism

Not just for gamers anymore

Immersive experience for users

Headsets (ex. Oculus Rift) will be challenged by mobile devices (ex. Samsung Gear VR)

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MARKETING TRENDS

THE DEATH OF ADSUBIQUITY OF BEACONS AND CONNECTED DEVICES

‘EMPATHETIC DESIGN’ PUTS EXPERIENCE FIRSTMOVING BEYOND COOKIE BASED TARGETING

PERSONALIZATION VS. PRIVACY

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THE DEATH OF ADS

WHAT’S NEXT?

Native, content based approach will become the new normal

Focus on environment, user experience and delivering value (see: GoPro, Red Bull)

Time spent buying models vs. CPMs, CPEs, etc.

Quality of consumer interactions, not volume

Finding ways to adapt to new screens will mean less reliance on IAB standard units

Consumer attention = scarce commodity and they want instant gratification

Storytelling is key

“Behave like tomorrow’s programmers, not yesterday’s marketers”

Push vs. pull messaging

Consider scale vs. platform

Consumer behavior and context changes from platform to platform

Fragmentation is a challenge, requiring agility

As experiences become more intimate, quality must increase

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COMING SOON: THE UBIQUITY OF BEACONS AND CONNECTED DEVICES

WHAT’S NEXT?

Connected smart technologies, aka the “Internet of Things”

Potential for many applications, such as in homes

Coming, but not a reality yet

Marketers talk about it, but most consumers do not know what this means

“Walled gardens” will challenge data flow

Number in the thousands. Will soon reach millions

Mainly used for commercial purposes today

In-store sales triggered by beacons projected to grow 10x in the next year (to $44B+)

Micro-level targeting reaches consumers at shelf/POS

Complement to standard, macro level targeting (ex. geo-fencing)

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‘EMPATHETIC DESIGN’ PUTS EXPERIENCE FIRST

WHAT’S NEXT?

Marketers trying to find ways to augment experiences

What can you provide to the consumer journey that will add value?

Flexible permissions/enhanced preferences

Greater control for consumers over the flow of data

User centered design approach intended to provoke emotion and influence behavior

“Experience economy” = winning based not only on products, but also on user experience

Be careful – things like push notifications have a fine line between helpful and annoyance

Focus on “surprise and delight”

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CONTEXTUAL MOBILE UX IN THE BEACON WEARABLE AGE

BPN’s own Chris Hiland addresses the panel about the experience economy

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MOVING BEYOND COOKIE BASED TARGETING

WHAT’S NEXT?

Expect a shift toward targeting via ID based social platforms (Facebook/Twitter)

Provide utility for users

Loaded with data for marketers

Opportunity for cross-device targeting and sequential marketing

Deliver scale

Cookie based targeting is hitting its limit

Server logs and cookies are not real people (ex. shared computers)

Weak offline connection

Cross device targeting is difficult

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BRANDS TRYING TO FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN PERSONALIZATION AND PRIVACY

WHAT’S NEXT?

More privacy controls for consumers

Opt-in / opt-out

Consumers will expect more transparency in terms of what data is collected and how it is used

Facial recognition technology in-store

Give and take for consumers

Give up information in exchange for more relevant ads

Ex Machina / Tinder

Controversial tactic, but effective in creating that 1:1 connection

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WHAT IS THE NEXT EVOLUTION?

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MINORITY REPORT?

Gesture controlled computers

Reconnaissance drones

Augmented reality

Personalized ads

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PLANNING TO ATTEND SXSW?

TIPS FROM A FIRST TIMER

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BE PREPARED

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SXSW CAN BE OVERWHELMING:HAVE A GAME PLAN, BUT BE FLEXIBLE

Considerations:

What are your goals? What are you trying to accomplish while you’re there?

What are your areas of interest?

What topics are we discussing within the agency/with clients?

Who are the keynote speakers for the session?

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PACE YOURSELF…

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…AND DON’T LET FOMO WIN

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MAKE SOME TIME TO EXPLORE AUSTIN

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QUESTIONS?