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Trends and Insight in association withSynapse Virtual Production
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How Big Brands Can Avoid Screwing Up Their SXSW Experience

17/03/2015
Advertising Agency
New York, United States
130
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Why Fernando Espejel, VP, Digital Platforms, FCB Chicago, thinks the bigger brands should head to Austin

When one thinks about what brands are present at SXSW, the automatic assumption is that its either a brand new startup or an established technology firm (i.e. Microsoft). One does not instantly consider the presence of traditional brands such as GE or 3M at a tech conference. But all three of those brands are at SXSW and all three are doing an amazing job at bringing awareness to themselves with a unique blend of social media and experiential content marketing.

Food trucks are huge in Austin, especially during SXSW, and the largest grouping of them is near famed Rainey Street, a location GE has leveraged for their benefit. They have set up a bbq stand that they named ‘GE’s BBQ Research Center’ which invites guests to witness how GE can use their scientific approach to make better bbq, another huge thing here in Austin. The lines have been huge and at this point, are invite only, leaving other visitors of the food trucks to wonder what they’re missing out on by not being able to sample the culinary products of the company founded by Thomas Edison.

 

One of the main problems some brands face when they do set up shop at SXSW is making themselves relevant to the audience. Many rely on PR stunts, while others spend millions simply giving away useless novelty items. 3M on the other hand, did neither of these and is having amazing success in engaging the SXSW contingent. They set up a tent directly across from the convention center displaying what everyday items use 3M products, which surprised nearly everyone who visited the tent. Additionally, within the tent, they had a ‘post it’ wall to crowd source the best restaurants, venues and parties (decision being a common problem here in Austin) – super simple execution to a truly brilliant idea. The most impressive execution though, came through social media. 3M has a Twitter campaign where you can tweet them if you have a blister from all of the walking (another common problem here) and they’ll send someone to your location to deliver a blister bandaid (which again, few people know is a 3M product). The most common phrase from the tent and Twitter campaign was ‘3M makes these?’.

 


To summarize both of these examples, large brands should come to SXSW and they should definitely try to engage the attendees; as a large group of them are social media influencers with huge followers. But to do this correctly, brands must do three things:

- Be relevant to the conference and its culture

- Provide utility to the attendee

- Rely on conversations around the brand, not about the brand to reach the audience


Fernando Espejel is VP, Digital Platforms at FCB Chicago

Credits
Work from FCB US
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