2:00 PM
to 3:00 PM
Help Save SXSW from Marketer Douchebaggery
81 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Zeb Dropkin, Emily Hickey, Ben Essen, Nihal Mehta, Ryan Daume, Emily Gannett
event::about Is SXSWi in danger of being ruined by the influx of marketers to the conference? Coming off of SXSWi 2010, Jolie O'Dell struck a cord with her post WHY SXSW SUCKS "Too many people, not enough tech... dodging and evading these shallow douchebags... only to find swarms of douchebags showing up an hour or so after the location is made known..." We're bringing some smart, caring minds together to move the chatter in the halls into the light of a focused panel. Can SXSWi adapt, or will it be overrun? Has the conference jumped the shark? Voices for both the tech/creator side and the marketer side make up the panel. We're aiming to land on solutions - this isn't meant to be bitch session. How can we address the challenges of a changing audience and optimize the conference for interactions that are valuable? Are some social ground rules called for? What will the audience for SXSWi 2015 look like? Can we envision how it could kick ass? This isn't a challenge unique to SXSW. Most communities struggle similarly to adapt and build value. How can we learn from their mistakes and solutions? The SXSW conference is as resilient as its participants — show up and help #saveSXSW.
3:30 PM
to 4:30 PM
Do Agencies Need to Think Like Software Companies?
136 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Allison Mooney, Amanda Kelso, Matt Galligan, Rick Webb, Robert Rasmussen, Ben Malbon, Rob Rasmussen
event::about How much do marketers (& their agencies) need to know about technology? Advertisers and brand marketers are entering a brave new world -- one where code is on par with content. "Consumers" are now "users." So should "marketers" be "developers"? Enter the hybrid marketer. More and more agencies are finding they need to educate and cultivate a new breed of people who understand tech from a marketing and brand perspective, and who have a consumer mindset. At the same time, agencies are adopting practices--agile development, continuous deployment--learned from the tech world. But should they really try this stuff at home? Should "marketers" be worrying about, say, the video capability of the latest iPhone, or pushing the envelope with HTML5? Or should they just stick to their core competencies and work with established software companies / dev shops to realize their ideas? How else is technology affecting the agency model and the creative process?
event::tags Panel, #agileagency
5:00 PM
to 6:00 PM
Block Party Capitalism: Where Analog and Digital Intersect
81 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
event::about What do pickles; vinyl records, urban chickens, Farmville, flea markets and Tumblr have in common? They are all part of 'block party capitalism,' built on the idea that old-fashioned values like provenance, commitment, quality and authenticity are finding renewed commercial and social relevance through new technologies. This next evolution of our digital world is where off and online intersect to make everyday life more economical, meaningful and pleasant. A pickle merchant in Brooklyn starts on a skateboard and through bloggers and hard work grows into a sustainable business. Vinyl records in San Francisco flourish as people showcase their passion for better sound and feel on Tumblr's Vinyl Sunday's. Backyard chicken farmers in Dallas suburbs multiply through an online community to share tips on raising coops, while flea markets across the U.S. grow into modern day malls driven in large part by the viral loops of mobile media. This panel includes start up founders, large companies and local entrepreneurs who work at the intersection of this analog and digital movement. They will help us explore how it’s changing the way we buy, sell and live.
event::tags Panel, #blockpartycap
9:30 AM
to 10:30 AM
Brave New World: Debating Brands' Role as Publishers
109 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Gary Kim, Lora Kolodny, Pawan Deshpande, Tom Ashbrook, Joe Pulizzi
event::about Gone are the days when brands needed to rely on high profile stories to establish credibility—today, brand marketers become content curators by mingling content from trusted sources with their own material. Long gone is the need to purchase ad space in a relevant trade publication—instead, marketers just create their own site on the topic. At a time when the line is increasingly blurred between the role of marketer and publisher, it is a brave new world out there for brands. As part of a lively debate on what role brands should play in this brave new world, experts from the publishing, marketing, and internet worlds will come together to address some of the most heated concerns about this changing landscape—including matters of transparency and trust, concern over copyright and fair sharing, and where to draw the line between reporting and selling.
event::tags Panel, #curatedebate
11:00 AM
to 12:00 PM
Banking on Big Brands/Celebs for the Web
44 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
event::about 2010 was a pivotal year for Web TV, with more influential brands and celebrities recognizing the creative opportunities that the platform offers. Celebrities like Kevin Pollak and Will Arnett went online to create original professionally produced content to strengthen relationships with fans. Additionally, major brands including Wrigleys and Mountain Dew joined this medium to purdue the opportunity to exponentially increase its brand reach to a vast global audience. With entertainment and advertising luminaries testing the waters of the digital space, this panel examines the most effective ways in which content creators can capture the attention of brands and create content that will not only resonate with its target audience, but be organically integrated so audiences do not feel as though they are watching ads. It will include how digital studios, like AOL, provide a unique platform for brands/celebs looking to team up and engage in quality content and matching creators and celebrities with these forward-thinking brands. AOL is a leader in the integrated web and mobile video content platform, available on-demand to a global audience. AOL develops, produces, packages, programs, markets and distributes original content. AOL collaborates with celebrity talent and creators to provide professionally-produced, brand-friendly content and is strategically programmed and curated by Amber J. Lawson.
event::tags Panel, #sxswbigbrands
12:30 PM
to 1:30 PM
Brand Journalism: The Rise of Non-Fiction Advertising
87 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Bob Garfield, Brian Clark, David Eastman, Kyle Monson, Shiv Singh
event::about Hard to believe it's been 11 years since The Cluetrain Manifesto, and we're still doing the same f***ing panel. And we're still trying to teach big companies and ad agencies how to communicate like humans, how to listen, and how to use transparency as a messaging tactic. Brand Journalism is a way to take those decade-old ideas and incorporate them into actual campaigns (we know, we've done it). The first step is to teach agencies and clients to think like publishers instead of marketers--it's not a new idea, but it's one that is rarely executed well. In this panel, Brand Journalism pioneers will share some of the secrets, successes, and obstacles of their award-winning campaigns.
3:30 PM
to 4:30 PM
Storytelling through Advertising: Engaging Players in Online Games
60 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Manny Anekal, Mike Sego
event::about What do Gillette’s Venus, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland and Skittles have in common? They have all successfully used virtual worlds and game play mechanics to engage players online. Social games, in particular, continue to be a growing form of entertainment, reaching nearly one out of every two Internet users and offering a unique platform for marketers to reach a specific target audience. However, social games always face the challenge of engaging players in a meaningful way without annoying them or detracting from the online experience. This session shares case studies from leading companies and discusses practical ways that brands have turned to social gaming to develop immersive campaigns that actually engage users and keep within a game’s narrative – and the serious risks of doing it wrong.
event::tags Dual, #SXSWSocialGames
5:00 PM
to 6:00 PM
Brand Consistency Is Killing Digital Advertising
102 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Justin Cox
event::about Companies often stress the importance of consistency—a consistent image, voice, strategy, etc. Countless models and presentations have been created to help brands maintain continuity. But, does consistency really equal success? It certainly can for things like product quality or customer service. When it comes to the world of marketing, however, consistency is overrated and overused. This issue is most apparent in the digital space, where print and TV campaigns are routinely repurposed as banner ads and pre-roll videos. Compounding the problem, marketers often duplicate digital ads across sites that have little in common with one another, ignoring the fact that consumers behave differently as they move around online. New disciplines and technologies have emerged, giving the industry unprecedented ways to reach consumers. Digital advertising should reflect these changes and inspire brands to be flexible, schizophrenic even. An argument could be made that no two ads should ever be the same. To achieve this, the industry must embrace a new order of advertising—one that champions inconsistency. One where publishers and agencies work together to create custom marketing content. Where ads for Heineken can’t be replicated as ads for BudLite. Where consumers experience advertising that is inextricable from the place where they are experiencing it. And where the goal is not to keep a brand on track, but to create unique experiences that compel consumers to engage on a deeper level.
event::tags Solo
9:30 AM
to 10:30 AM
Daily Deals: Where Ads Become Content
100 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Aaron Batalion, Jim Moran, Jonty Kelt, Tricia Han
event::about Local deals, once relegated to the weekly circular, now drive the fastest growing sector in internet history. Groupon, LivingSocial, BuyWithMe and others created a billion dollar industry almost overnight. Local publishers have influenced our spending for years, but they are finding a powerful new monetization vehicle as offline commerce comes online. Hundreds of publishers have launched Daily Deal products in the last six months, and this is just the beginning. The founders of LivingSocial, DailyCandy Deals, Group Commerce and Yipit will discuss the future of the Daily Deal space and how local media companies, apps and directories are adapting to it.
event::tags Panel, #dailydeals
11:00 AM
to 12:00 PM
Congratulations! Your Brand Is About to Become Obsolete
80 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Andrea Ring, William Charnock
event::about Blockbuster had it all figured out. Kodak was America’s favorite company. Tower Records was the place to be. Cunard was the fastest way to travel. Alas, no more. Each of these companies were blindsided by innovation. In the blink of an eye, their entire reason for being disappeared into thin air. Every day companies new and old, small and large, start down the path to obsolescence. Some have no idea that they are in trouble, others are fully aware and are begging for help. It’s a challenge that can only be addressed by changing culture and behavior, and by a mix of traditional and digital thinking. 1)Identify the opportunity (brand, consumer, behavior, competition) 2)Convince the right people that they have a problem (get thee to the CEO) 3)Build things for consumers and internal audiences (useful things) This session will train people to think differently about how they approach problems, to look at fixing the big picture instead of tactical problems, and to see the opportunity in change.
event::tags Dual, #R-GAsavebrands
12:30 PM
to 1:30 PM
Influencers Will Inherit the Earth. Quick, Market Them!
74 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Anthony Ha, DJ Patil, Joe Fernandez, Mike Yavonditte, Sloane Berrent
event::about With a growing number of marketing activities taking place online today, the search is on to find the best way to market to online consumers. In this panel, we’ll discuss how influencer marketing may just be the ticket everyone has been waiting for and how best to use it. Influences are at the top of the knowledge dissemination pyramid. Look at “RT @guykawasaki” and you immediately get a sense of the power influencers have to spread information. They have a unique ability to surface interesting information and package it in a way that makes people want to click-through and act, whether through purchasing or retweeting. The idea behind influencer marketing is that it centers around identifying influencers, marketing to them and then marketing through them to reach the consumers whose attention they hold captive. With this tactic comes issues, like how do you identify top influencers in things like traveling, fashion or even cupcakes? It’s no easy task. Computational algorithms and semantic analysis however have progressed to the point where technology can now allow us to locate influencers in any topic in the world. In this panel, you’ll hear from the experts dissecting online influence and the marketers employing such maneuvers to intelligently reach their audience on their own turf.
event::tags Panel
3:30 PM
to 4:30 PM
Haters Gonna Hate: Lessons For Advertisers From 4chan
97 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Marci Ikeler
event::about Scientology protests. Gaming Time Magazine's Most Important People poll. Sending Justin Bieber to North Korea. 4chan is "the internet hate machine" that crosses boundaries with the real world. 4chan's two unusual features - it's anonymity and its lack of archiving - have made it into a hotbed of creativity that is almost single-handedly responsible for every major internet meme in the past 7 years. So how has this racist, homophobic, sexist community managed to create break-through communication with spreading power that any advertiser would kill for? In this presentation, we will use 4chan as a lens to illustrate how modern advertising can better communicate with hyper-connected, hyper-social communities. By following the lead of the 4chan community (albeit with less pornography), advertisers can learn how to hack the attention economy and succeed in the face of changing consumer behaviors.
event::tags Core Conversation, #hatersgonnahate
5:00 PM
to 6:00 PM
Old Spice Resurrected: How Aging Icon Pwned Internet
116 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
event::about Old Spice used to be synonymous with old(er) people. But in the last 5 years the brand has rejuvenated its image and become part of pop culture, with the social web playing a significant role in this transformation. This session will highlight the strategies and dynamics that enabled this success. Panelists will include creatives, strategists and producers from Wieden+Kennedy in Portland, Oregon (the agency behind "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like") and will be moderated by none other than Justine Bateman. A few topics that will be discussed: What are the ingredients that make for a meme-able idea? What’s the best way for brands to activate and engage online communities? What were the 5 most important lessons learned and how do they apply to me? How did “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” end up wearing jeans in the hot tub? How do I get FREE BODYWASH?
event::tags Panel, #freshershest
9:30 AM
to 10:30 AM
Outsourcing Social Media Professionally Without Selling Your Soul
41 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Elizabeth Bellanti, Eric Schwartzman, Kate Buck, Nicole Simon
event::about At first, Social Media was simple. It was about you and your voice as an individual. Today is different. Do companies, organizations or even individuals spend time on social media which could be much better spent on other activities? Yes! But how do you outsource your "voice"? Will it damage your brand or credibility? Can you control your message? What will your customers say? Can it be done at all? Yes! You need to change your mind set about how social media is done, leave the Silicon Valley way of thinking behind and start thinking like a professional. This panel will give you an insight into how to be a pro at social media outsourcing while staying in charge. We will discuss the do's and don'ts and how to make sure your voice is authentic. You will learn about the importance of systems and documentation, hear about tools to manage your activities with partners and which aspects of your online presence you should never give away. Also we will share best practices and real life examples, as well as take a look at working internationally. No matter if you want to outsource your social media activity, or you are an agency or virtual assistant who works with clients, you will leave the panel with a better understanding of how to utilize partners and worker bees without breaking the bank or selling your soul. If you have any questions and suggestions, please ping us through twitter or mail. Use the website to share your story, tip or trick!
11:00 AM
to 12:00 PM
The Legal Ramifications of Saying “I’m Sorry”
32 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Daniel Goldman, Chris Morran, Fred Taylor, Margaret DiBianca, Paula Berg
event::about Is your legal team hindering your social media success? Is someone redlining every blog post, tweet, and comment you compose, costing you valuable time, sterilizing your messages, and taking the “social” out of “social media?” In a court of law, is there really a difference between the words “I’m sorry” and “I regret?” Join a panel of career apologists and apologetic lawyers to understand what the legal risks of saying “I’m sorry” really are, how companies like Southwest Airlines get away with it every day, and how to craft an air-tight apology.
event::tags Panel, #sorrysxsw
12:30 PM
to 1:30 PM
Everyone’s Wrong about Influence. Except your Customers
63 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Valeria Maltoni
event::about What is influence? For a decade, Malcom Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" has served as a touchstone for those who believe that influence resides in the hands of a select few. Not so, says a new generation of marketers. They believe that thanks to the democratizing power of the Internet, anyone can be an Influential. Both camps are wrong. True influence flows from drawing together people with shared interests. This session focuses on the process of identifying areas of relevancy among your customers and prospects, building community, and allowing others to amplify your influence as you meet their needs.
event::tags Solo, #sxsw-influence
3:30 PM
to 4:30 PM
The Last of the Launch-and-Leave 'Ems
11 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Anjali Ramachandran, Conrad Lisco, Mel Exon, Peter Parkes
event::about Negotiating the new handover. Agencies are building fewer static campaign-oriented sites and more platforms, communities and services. Cutting the apron strings between agency and digital product immediately after launch doesn't make practical sense, but maintaining the relationship indefinitely is costly for the client and creatively stifling for the agency. This panel will explore solutions that are most likely to be beneficial to both parties as well as the members of the service they are trying to build: a new plan for launch, propagation and perpetuation.
event::tags Panel, #mxmlaunch
5:00 PM
to 6:00 PM
Hispanic Marketing After the 2010 Census
13 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Jerry Rocha, Kety Esquivel, Reinaldo Padua, Roberto Ruiz, Michael Munoz
event::about After the 2000 Census, companies began paying more attention to the Hispanic market. The estimated buying power at the time was $500 Billion and has steadily increased since then. However, large corporations still struggle when it comes to marketing to Hispanics because they do not understand the subjective culture of the Hispanic marketplace--beliefs, fundamental priorities, modes of communication, technology adoption and buying habits (such as who makes the purchasing decisions in the household). In this presentation, we'll explore the diversity of the Hispanic market such as how Hispanic markets in the U.S. vary by Designated Market Area (DMA). For example, how Los Angeles is different than Miami. We'll discuss commonalities in marketing to this group as well as how to translate your brand attributes so that they have cultural significance to Hispanics. Hispanics adopt new technologies at a faster rate than the general population making them segmented since they are heavy consumers of both online and mobile media. Therefore, the media marketing mix has to be more diverse. We'll show where the Hispanics are, what they are consuming, and how to reach sub-demographics such as "Hispanic females aged 18-24 in Dallas." We'll also discuss the nuances of marketing to 2nd and 3rd generation Hispanics--some of whom may only speak English but who still identify strongly with the culture.
event::tags Panel, #LatinoMKT
9:30 AM
to 10:30 AM
Unwritten Rules: Brands, Social Psychology and Social Media
94 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Ben McAllister, Kate Canales
event::about When a friend invites you to dinner, you bring wine or flowers – not $100 cash – as a gesture of thanks. That goes without saying. But if a brand comes to dinner, what should they bring? When it comes to social media, there are unwritten rules for how to behave that many brands simply aren't getting. Brands are grappling with social media as they try to find a place at our virtual dinner table. Some brands get it, some gaffe it. The rules, it turns out, are hidden in basic social psychology. The established behaviors of friendship are the prevailing rules of the road in social media: sharing valuable information, entertaining one another, support in a crisis, celebration of a personal achievement. But the established behaviors of transactions (the way we historically interact with brands) can feel awkward and forced in social media. So how can brands build trust with their networks while being social like a friend? This session will look at social media behavior and what brands can do to become a delightful guest and valuable contributor at our virtual dinner party.
event::tags Dual
11:00 AM
to 12:00 PM
Branded Entertainment: Do Brands Hurt Good Storytelling?
64 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Jesse Albert, Kristin Jones, Matt Di Paola, Shira Lazar
event::about Once upon a time, good content was the domain of traditional broadcast. Trouble is, broadcast models are proving incapable of adjusting to a world that now offers free distribution methods, ubiquitous production and infinite consumer choice. Bad for broadcast, but an unprecedented opportunity for makers and marketers alike. This panel is for anyone who lives to tell a story. Content producers will learn how to assess brand participation in their project, navigate new funding models, and bullet proof their elevator pitch. Brands will get the goods on how to identify the next hot content property, and how to leverage it beyond boring old advertising, sponsorship and product placement. Help us kill the outdated pilot season model once and for all, and make the ideas that originate in the digital world sing even louder.
event::tags Panel, #brandsvsstories
12:30 PM
to 1:30 PM
Real-time Marketing in a Connected World
56 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Adam Lavelle, Siobhan Quinn, Angela LoSasso
event::about Brands must learn to connect in real time or get left behind in today's on demand environment. They must think like real-time publishers, where timely messages are attuned to consumers’ current needs. This session explores what it means to be a “marketer in the moment,” and how brands need to reinvent themselves to remain relevant. This session is sponsored by iCrossing.
event::tags Panel
3:30 PM
to 4:30 PM
Marrying for Money: The ROI of Relationships
33 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
Speaker Jen van der Meer
event::about You CAN measure the ROI of relationships - personally, and professionally, and this seminar will show you how. No spreadsheets needed for this lecture, and only minimal algebra. Bring a cocktail napkin, a flair ink pen, and learn how to calculate the net present value of your future mate, your pet, or the 8,299 followers of your company's Twitter feed. Yet ROI alone will not tell you the ultimate value of your relationships. What other indicators do you need to be looking at to predict whether or not you, your future mate, your pet, or your followers will be happy with the relationship in the long run? Strong relationships depend on other factors - connection, a sense of fairness, health, humor, fun, the ability to learn and evolve together, and a sense of overall engagement with each other, and with life. At a more macro level, communities need to understand the equity they are building not just economically, but socially and environmentally as well. As the social graph reveals a huge volume of data about our actual relational behavior, we have an opportunity to pause for a moment: to consider the value system reflected in how we measure each other, ourselves, our relationships in the world. Participants will walk away not just with a clear and precise method for how to measure ROI, but also a holistic framework for measuring return on social behavior.
event::tags Solo
5:00 PM
to 6:00 PM
Speaking to Geeks
6 schedule::attendees
Location
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom F
eventtype Panel, Interactive
event::about Being geek is “in” today but how do companies and marketers talk to these currently-hip-but-not-hipsters and become part of the pop culture landscape themselves? Representatives from the pillars of geekdom: anime, comics, videogames and films share how they use social marketing to reach and win over the smart and the skeptical and reap the benefits of nerd word of mouth.
event::tags Panel
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