If you’re reading this you’re one of thousands of marketers that will descend upon Austin for the annual SXSW Interactive Conference. The event has historically been a hotbed for emerging technologies and digital counter-culture, though over the past few years it has captured increasing attention from brands vying to connect with a new generation of consumers. The goal of this guide is to help you navigate the chaos that lies ahead and get the most out of your SXSW experience. For more tips and tricks, be sure to follow @360i during the week, and visit blog.360i.com for regular updates.

1. SX S W CHE AT SHEE T
360i’S CUR ATED GUIDE TO THE BEST OF SXSW INTER ACTIVE 2013
→ HELLO THERE
If you’re reading this you’re one of thousands of marketers that will descend upon Austin for
the annual SXSW Interactive Conference. The event has historically been a hotbed for emerging
technologies and digital counter-culture, though over the past few years it has captured increasing
attention from brands vying to connect with a new generation of consumers. Over five days, you’ll
have your pick of 800+ educational sessions—not to mention dozens of parties where you can rub
elbows with tech A-Listers (and perhaps even a few celebrities). It will be an exhausting jaunt, but
no doubt will leave you feeling inspired and full of new ideas.
The goal of this guide is to help you navigate the chaos that lies ahead and get the most out of your
SXSW experience. For more tips and tricks from our team of savvy SXSW experts, be sure to follow
@360i during the week, and visit blog.360i.com for regular updates.
START HERE 10 SESSIONS FOR 7. HOW TO THINK AND ACT
LIKE A NEWSROOM
MARKETERS TO CONSIDER David Berkowitz, VP of Emerging Media
at 360i, joins this exclusive event with
panelists from Mondelēz International,
Our team pored through the SXSW PanelPicker to bring you this list Oreo and Expion to explore when &
of can’t-miss sessions. how to think like a newsroom, and what
technologies and processes can help
tap into the real-time zeitgeist to not
1. PRESENT SHOCK: WHEN 4. BACKYARD TO BRAND: MAKER only affect public opinion, but also affect
EVERYTHING HAPPENS NOW CULTURE FOR BUSINESS a brand’s bottom line. March 10, 3:30-
4:30p @ Piano Bar (421 E 6th St)
This talk is about the new “now,” how This talk explores how to bring the
to develop for it, create content for it, spirit of the backyard inventor into your 8. THE FUTURE OF LOCATION:
do business in it and, most of all, live in business, and what role brands should
it. March 9, 5-6p @ Austin Convention play in the DIY revolution. March 10, FROM SOCIAL TO UTILITY
Center Ballroom D 1:15-1:30p @ Hilton Austin Downtown Foursquare CEO & Founder Dennis
Room 616AB Crowley talks about the new era of loca-
2. SPREADABLE MEDIA: tion-based services March 11, 12:30-1:30p
VALUE, MEANING & 5. HOW CAN BRANDS WE LOVE, @ Austin Convention Center Exhibit Hall 5
NETWORK CULTURE TELL STORIES WE SHARE?
9. THE ECONOMY OF THE GIF
This session will explore how to better Google presents experiments in ads,
apps, social & mobile that are reimag- This talk will explore the history of the
understand the way content circulates GIF and why the photo-video hybrid for-
within contemporary networked culture. ining advertising’s future. March 10,
3:30-4:30p @ Austin Convention Center mat experiencing a renaissance. March 8,
March 8, 5-6p @ Austin Convention 3:30-4:30p @ Omni Downtown Longhorn
Center Ballroom EF Ballroom G
6. THE BIG POWER SHIFT IN MEDIA 10. DIGITAL DRAMA: GROWING UP
3. CONTAGIOUS: WHY THINGS
IN THE AGE OF FACEBOOK
CATCH ON BuzzFeed CEO & Founder Jonah Peretti
shares advice on how your business This panel will explore how the
Author Jonah Berger explains the six can adapt to a world where social is Facebook generation (Millennials) dif-
elements at the core of word of mouth the biggest growth engine. March 12, fers from the ones that come before it.
sensations. March 10, 12-12:20p @ Austin 12:30-1:30p @ Austin Con­ ention Center
v March 11, 12:30-1:30p @ Sheraton Austin
Convention Center Ballroom G Exhibit Hall 5 Capitol EFGH

2. PANEL-PICKING IF YOU’RE APP-INCLINED,
GRAB 'SXSW GO'
LIKE A PRO
The official conference app, SXSW GO,
is free and available for both iPhone and
Android. Use this service to view and
build your schedule in real-time and con-
nect with other attendees. Download at
SXSW takes its programming seriously. Very seriously. The http://sxsw.com/sxswgo.
elusive SXSW PanelPicker process is one of the most involved
and competitive of any major digital conference. Of the tens
of thousands of submissions received each year, only a tiny
percentage get to grace the stage(s) in Austin. That said,
managing your daily schedule can become an arduous task, as
attendees have hundreds of session options to choose from every
single day. Here are our tips for planning your SXSW schedule.
NAVIGATING THE PANELPICKER lot of trouble later on. Plan on hitting most
BEHEMOTH things on your “wish list,” but leave room
for the unexpected. There will undoubt-
The SXSW website lists every session for edly be new sessions that catch your eye
the entire conference, along with a de- or new opportunities that arise. Be open COORDINATE WITH YOUR GROUP
scription of the topics covered and a list of to the unanticipated—this is when much In advance of SXSW, connect with your
speakers or panelists. Searching through of the SXSW magic can happen. colleagues to cover off on those key
here can be overwhelming, so make the sessions that are most relevant to your
most of the search functionality to find
sessions based on topic keyword (i.e. CHECK OUT THE SCHED GUIDE brand. In some instances, a divide-and-
conquer approach can help you gain the
“content marketing”), speaker or brand/ Mobile event management startup Sched most knowledge from the week. When in
company name. puts out a comprehensive “unofficial” Austin, using Foursquare and group tex-
guide to SXSW each year that collects ting apps like GroupMe can be a great
HAVE A PLAN, BUT BE FLEXIBLE virtually every session, party or event way to help you communicate your plans
within a single easy-to-process schedule. with friends or colleagues.
Identifying a handful of sessions before You can peruse the 2013 edition at http://
you touch down in Austin will save you a austin2013.sched.org/.
TACO TIME TACO SHACK → 402 BRAZOS ST (AT E 4TH)
NETWORKING
What to order: Grab some breakfast tacos & the El Nino for a
spicy kick-start to your day.
JUST GOT
Who to meet: Perfect for the on-the-go breakfast meeting as
you head towards the Convention Center. Want a sit down?
You’ll need to get there early & be prepared to wait. With only
TASTY
four tables on the sidewalk, most people take their food to go.
It’s no coincidence that an app TAKOBA → 1411 E 7TH ST (AT ONION ST)
called ‘Foodspotting’ first debuted What to order: Mango-Habenero Margarita. A spicy yet
at SXSW. Austin’s food scene is
sweet experience—if you dare!
Who to meet: Anyone from colder parts of the world. Takoba
not to be taken lightly, with the not only offers delicious Tex Mex, but they also have plenty
bars, cafes and food trucks that
of outdoor seating available for soaking up the sun. Grab a
margarita and toast the Austin experience.
line the streets serving as perfect
opportunities to network with
other marketers, hang out with MAGNOLIA CAFÉ SOUTH → 1920 S CONGRESS
tech innovators and exchange AVE (AT E MARY ST)
ideas with people who you might What to order: Mag Mud, Chips & Hot Sauce (Black beans,
not have otherwise met. Here is queso, avocado & pico de gallo.) Your mouth will thank you.
a sampling of what Austin has to Who to meet: Someone you want to impress. This is the
offer during SXSW.
place locals go even when the SXSW crowd isn’t in town.

3. TRENDSPOTTING
SOUTH BY
THEMES TO EXPECT SURVIVAL KIT
In addition to what you’d normally
While each year there are unexpected SXSW break-out stars, the pack for five days away from home,
broader trends that emerge are what really set the pace for the year don't forget these SXSW essentials.
ahead. Here are some themes to have on the radar as you head to Austin.
REAL-TIME MARKETING & MEME CULTURE & THE SCIENCE
AGILE BRANDS OF SPREADABILITY WIRELESS CHARGER
Ever since Oreo’s much-discussed Is virality an art or a science? Memes ABC—Always Be Charging. You’ll be out
and about all day and outlets are a rarity,
“Dunk in the Dark” tweet—which aren’t magic. Web content can take so be ready with a portable phone charger.
garnered tens of thousands of social off for any combination of reasons:
shares within an hour—marketers quality of content, distribution chan-
have been upping their real-time nel, cultural relevance and others.
marketing efforts. Look for this During this age of social commentary,
conversation to evolve during SXSW, we expect SXSW to shed light on
with panelists exploring the new era of why #bindersfullofwomen blew up, UMBRELLA / PONCHO
social content creation and what this why BuzzFeed is such a power-house The weather in Austin can change on a
dime. Prepare for the worst, and hope for
means for the ways in which brand- and how brands can use a smart paid the best.
agency teams are structured. and earned strategy to create viral
moments of their own.
HOW TO USE BIG DATA
LOCATION GROWS UP COMFORTABLE SHOES
An industry buzzword for years, mar-
keters are increasingly asking how (FROM CHECK-INS TO UTILITY) You’ll be doing a ton of walking, so wear
shoes you will be comfortable in all day long.
“Big Data” can and should be lever- As smartphones become more
aged to inform marketing strategy. sophisticated, location-based platforms
Given the plethora of real-time data at will become more central to the ways
our fingertips, the effective manage- in which people explore their world.
ment of information is becoming a Using mobile GPS to locate a distinct
necessary practice for marketers. We location is just the tip of the iceberg, NOTEBOOK
expect that data will be a key theme with platforms like Foursquare and Don’t let a dead battery or tech fail limit your
in Austin, with marketers seeking Yelp evolving into full-on mobile recom- ability to record notes. Bring a pen and pa-
insight into how to make meaning of mendation engines that fuel discovery. per in the event you need to “go analog.”
the numbers to drive real results for
their brands.
THE BRAND-STARTUP DYNAMIC
BRAND STORYTELLING IN How can startups improve their odds
THE DIGITAL AGE of securing brand partnerships? How EYE MASK & EAR PLUGS
can brands vet opportunities from the Air travel essentials that no SXSW-er should
Decades ago, a brand’s story could thousands of startups that are vying go without.
only be told through a few succinct for their attention? Madison Avenue
lines of copy in a print ad or within the and the Valley will intersect in Austin
confines of a :30 spot. Today, the op- as stakeholders from both parties
portunities for richer brand storytelling engage in open conversations about
across digital platforms are many how to create stronger partnerships.
and they are powerful: from GIFs to EMERGEN-C
You’ll shake a lot of hands in Austin and
MARKETING TO MILLENNIALS
influencer partnerships to events that
bridge the gap between online and off. likely carry on with little sleep. Avoid ill-
ness by giving your immune system a much
Gen Y isn’t the prime target for all needed boost, drinking water and getting
CONTENT STRATEGY brands, but their famed digital habits as much rest as possible.
sure make them coveted among
According to an Econsultancy study, many marketers—especially when it
90 percent of marketers agree that comes to social media. The irony is
content marketing is increasing in that Millennials are often the most
importance, yet less than 40 percent vocal consumers when it comes to ENERGY BARS / SNACKS
of them said they have a content “bad advertising,” so winning them While there’s no shortage of great food in
strategy in place. SXSW go-ers this over requires a different approach. Austin, there will be times when a crazy
year will be looking to break through At SXSW, bank on hearing about schedule can infringe on your ability to
the content marketing hype and distill how brands can better engage this grab a hearty meal. Pack snacks to get
actionable ways to make their brands’ audience by creating authentic you through the end of the day—and to the
content more strategic and thereby, experiences that present a true Stubbs BBQ at the end of the tunnel.
more effective. value exchange.