99.99% of Your Traces Are (Probably) Trash (SRECon NA 2024).pdf
Learnings from SxSW 2011
1. TBWA NY
LEARNINGS
FROM
SXSWi 2011
Monday, January 30, 12
RUNDOWN
2. SXSWi had its biggest year ever, but the irony of it is that you don’t have to physically be in Austin to take
away the trends and platforms that will shape our digital future. We have the technology to experience the
conference and buzz surrounding it remotely. But the true magic of SXSWi can’t be found on the internet - it lies
in the individual conversations, the networking opportunities, and what happens when thought leaders have the
chance to collaborate in person.
19K OFFICIAL 40% GROWTH 1,307 LICENSED
ATTENDEES FROM 2010 FOOD TRUCKS
Flickr: laughingsquid
Monday, January 30, 12
3. “Instead, I focus on what I do remember: the engaged conversations. The
one on one discussions of what someone is working on. Helping a friend
design a book cover or solve a thorny entrepreneurial problem. Sneaking out
to go to a taco stand for lunch with a very cool CEO...” - Seth Godin
Photo: xgray, Flickr
Monday, January 30, 12
4. SXSWi PLATFORMS TO WATCH
SXSW often serves as the test drive of the biggest technology platforms out there today: think Foursquare and
Twitter. This year’s players continued the social commerce trend sparked by Groupon. Others seemed to be
only relevant to the geek set - “conference platforms” that may only be of use when hundreds of early adopters
are within close quarters of each other. Either way, it was also incredible to see how little people used
Facebook to socialize - they instead communicated through group texting and check-ins.
GROUP MESSAGING
SOCIAL COMMERCE
The most tweeted about app,at
SXSW, GroupMe allows users to
A location-based mobile maintain SMS relationships in
A mobile startup looking to add a game clusters as well as one-to-one
service that just launched a
layer to the world we already live in. communications. A cross-platform messaging
rewards program - saw a 30%
increase in check-ins at SXSW. app recently bought by
Facebook that allows simple
PHOTO SHARING
and intuitive group
conversations.
Google confirmed the existence Photo sharing app Instagram
of Google Offers, and the plan
to tweak its model to turn users
to repeat customers. Winner of the SXSWi
Text continues to shine. It shows the
user’s innate desire to capture
and share beautiful images.
People’s Choice Award.
Flickr: Elliott Smith
Monday, January 30, 12
5. SXSWi PLATFORMS TO WATCH
The self-proclaimed future of location-based apps. A mobile startup looking
WHAT IS IT? to add a game to the world we already live in. Players discover cool new
places, participate in challenges, share their activity with friends and even
earn virtual (and sometimes real-world) rewards.
22 year old Boston “ninja” Seth Priebatsch, who believes that
WHO’S BEHIND IT? smartly engineered game mechanics could improve not just
consumer loyalty, but also major world issues like climate change
and education through locally organized action.
SCVNGR could be the solution for repeat business with a larger audience. The current game world is
built for customer acquisition, not loyalty, which is the root issue that most brands are trying to solve.
WHY DO WE Groupons expire, and FourSquare offers rewards that are too generic. "The problem with the Mayorship
paradigm is that it rewards a select few," Scvngr's SVP Chris Mahl told Fast Company. "We think that
NEED TO WATCH? alienates the broader consumer base."
SCVNGR is partnering with businesses to empower users to “change the rules” and create their own
CHANGING challenges at their most frequented locations, giving an unprecedented amount of attention and
activation that rewards regulars by giving them a status that distinguishes them from everyone else.
THE RULES SCVNGR’S latest app, LevelUp, offers users a ladder of rewards and discounts for brand or small-
business loyalty, similar to how players can accrue power in video games.
Source: Fast Company, TechCrunch
Monday, January 30, 12
6. SXSWi PLATFORMS TO WATCH
One of the “veteran” report-your-location-to-your-friends mobile services, with
over 5 million users who share their location on a handy social map, write bite-
WHAT IS IT? sized reviews on their favorite spots, and provide real-time community answers
(“How long is the line?”) and reap rewards from local businesses.
Stanford University computer science geek alum Sam Altman, who in his SXSW
panel, coined the term the Life Graph: a data set of all the places that you go,
WHO’S BEHIND IT? that serves as a powerful, unique model of who you are. The Life Graph serves
as the insight backend of Loopt, helping to provide contextually relevant tools
that Altman believes could revolutionize the personalization of mobile services.
In the past two months, Loopt has released some game-changing innovations.
Loopt Rewards debuted at SXSW, seamlessly integrating location, deals, and
WHY DO WE mobile apps together. “You will get a message: ‘Microsoft is giving away a
Kinect at this street corner’ and you will SXSW attendees racing across the city
NEED TO WATCH? to get there first,” Loopt founder Sam Altman told Wired.com. In April, Loopt Qs
launched to allow users to get useful information about a place in real time.
Think of it as Quora meets location-based networking meets Yelp.
Flickr: xgray Source:Wired, Mashable, All Things Digital
Monday, January 30, 12
7. SXSWi PLATFORMS TO WATCH
GroupMe is a free service that hosts group
WHAT IS IT? texting, and allows users to maintain
relationships in clusters as well as one-to-
one communications. It was the most used
group messaging app at SXSW.
Co-Founders Steve Martocci and Jared
WHO’S Hecht’s longtime love for Phish sparked the
need for a way to communicate with their
BEHIND IT? group of friends at shows. Before launching
GroupMe, the duo put their time in at
GiltGroup and Tumblr.
WHY DO GroupMe is aiming to push its utility
beyond the nerd sector to families, friends,
WE NEED pointed out that brands who want to reach
businesses, and brands. Fast Company
TO WATCH? conversation shared in the public could set
out to VIP customers and don't want the
up a priva t e GroupMe to enable
interaction among fans. Expect innovation
fthat takes advantage of the photo sharing
space and micro-blogging space.
Flickr: LaughingSquid Source: Fast Company, TNW Apps
Monday, January 30, 12
8. SXSWi PLATFORMS TO WATCH
WHAT IS IT?
A group messaging app, recently acquired by
Facebook, that allows you and other iPhone users to
create “pods” share messages, locations, and photos
with each other.
WHY DO WE NEED TO WATCH?
Beluga has mastered mass compatibility; even non-Beluga users can receive messages and
respond to the group seamlessly. It’s like the mobile chat room of the future, but with less
“a/s/l”? The notification “mute” feature made the platform a favorite among techies.
The Facebook acquisition may bring Beluga to the mainstream. The platform has already
implemented a Facebook Single Sign-On Features that help users engage in social
experiences will be a critical advantage as digital usage continues to shift toward mobile.
Flickr: kk+ Source: Wired, TechCrunch
Monday, January 30, 12
9. SXSWi PLATFORMS TO WATCH
WHAT IS IT?
The top mobile photo-sharing platform, with almost 3
million users. Snap photos to show the world what’s
going on in your life and follow your friends’ photo
updates as they move through the world. Apply filters
that transform regular photos into vintage-inspired
works of art.
ATTENDING IN STYLE
Just in time for SXSW, Instagram revamped its feed,
splitting it into “Following” and “You” for a seamless
commenting experience, allowed a looser location
naming system, and added a Tilt-Shift filter to the mix.
Instagram continued its hashtag-enabled high-profile
brand partnership program with PepsiCo’s Brisk.
WHY DO WE
NEED TO WATCH?
Instagram has empowered the user’s innate desire to
capture and share beautiful images. Entrepreneurs are
already building on Instagram’s photo eco-system.
Products like Keepsy, Postagram, and Hatchcraft bring
Instagram back into the physical world for more
permanent social memories, and brands digging
deeper into the platform to bring their storytelling to
life in more poignant, personal ways.
Flickr: Simon Collison Source: Mashable
Monday, January 30, 12
10. THE AD WORLD INVADES AUSTIN
Agency presence continues to rise at SXSW with more panels debating how to the traditional model needs
to take on a more hybrid role. As the industry becomes more reliant on digital, thought leaders discuss how
we improve our content, operations, and culture to shift one-off campaigns to valuable and meaningful
platforms and communities.
Don’t always delegate to the digital guy.
Fix mistakes in wild.
Every agency should speak tech. Let the tech experts educate
colleagues about new startups and tools.
Have technical leads on every project:
responsible for prototypes, working
examples, proof-of-concepts, and technical Like software companies, try killing things
oversight. This way, a technical strategy
can come through in everything from
GUIDING PRINCIPLES that aren’t working--don’t always polish it.
platforms to campaigns. FOR THE NEW
HYBRID AGENCY Infiltrate your process with prototyping
as a means to get rid of the archaic
Be honest about what you have to learn. pre-production phase.It gives you more
time to fail sooner and more time to
enhance and iterate the idea.
Use social media to ask consumers what they want.
Don’t force ideas through channels.
Like software companies, try killing things It’s time to let the channel dictate
that aren’t working--don’t always polish it. content specific to it.
KEY PANELS: #COMCOM #AGILE AGENCY #MGM LAUNCH #SELL IDEAS
Monday, January 30, 12
11. U NDBI TES
ENCY SO
AG
!
!
!
Monday, January 30, 12
12. BEST IN CLASS BRANDS Pepsi shared its commitment to try
vitrually every new social platform that
comes along, and learn from startups
KEY LEARNING: Maybe “fail fast” is a bit of to import their techniques and
a myth. It gives us the the option to cop out. process for quicker brand actions.
IDEO teamed up with the National
Campaign to Prevent Teen and
Unplanned Pregnancy to re-brand
birth control. The result was a lesson
in honesty. By cutting through medical
and public health jargon and talking
about sex the way real people do, the
final product - a program called
BEDsider - was able to strike a strong
cord with the target demographic.
Flickr:: Brennan Moore Source:: Edward Boches
Monday, January 30, 12
13. UN DBI TES
NCY SO
AGE
Flickr: Brennan Moore
Monday, January 30, 12
14. SXSW 4 JAPAN
Social influence and technology for good
were top of mind at SXSW this year -
and when tragedy struck abroad - voicesfromjapan.tumblr.com connected
attendees took action fast. SXSW4Japan the festival (and the world) to what the
was a tangible demonstration of people of Japan are seeing, hearing,
technology’s capability to mobilize and feeling.
people for good
From the panel stage, via Twitter and
his iPhone, Architecture for Humanity's
Cameron Sinclair announced a
$75,000 commitment from donors to New York Times editor Bill Keller
re b u i l d i n g f ro m t h e J a p a n e s e cancelled his appearance due to the
earthquake. Architecture for Humanity tragedy, but the festival held a town hall-
also helped spread the #honyaquake style SXSW for Japan event instead, with
hashtag to coordinate volunteer updates, a call-in from Keller and the
translation efforts for foreign nationals latest news and information on how to
on Twitter who needed to get good
!
help and flex the power of the SXSW
information amidst the panic on the community.
ground in Japan.
The misguided companies that tried to
capitalize on the tragedy saw little
support. Bing’s attempt to garner retweets
by offering to donate $1 to the Red
Cross, and was quickly called out for its
http://sxsw4japan.org/ was self-promotional nature. Upon criticism
created in Samsung Lounge Bing stopped the campaign and donated
after hearing the news. It raised all the maximum amount on offer.
over $100k during the festival
Source: ContagiousMagazine, Fast Company,, ZDNet
Monday, January 30, 12
15. “We've had the largest oil spill in the history of humanity, and two nuclear
power plants are on fire. What's it going to take to get you to do something?”
- Bruce Sterling
Sci-fi futurist, Father of CyberPunk and SXSW
vet Bruce Sterling closed the Interactive
festival with a challenge to the younger
attendees to take action and solve world
problems caused by older generations with
t e chnolo gy. St erling called on more
passionate virtuosity - a love for innovation
and a dedication to true capability. He
reminded SXSW that the world needs more
than ideas - it needs implementable solutions.
Flickr: xgray Sources: BDW, SXSW
Monday, January 30, 12
16. THE FUTURE OF NON-PROFITS IN THE DIGITAL AGE
PROBLEM
Engagement in nonprofits is down due to the
lack of awareness concerning fundraising
opportunities in the digital space - not the
current economic environment.
SOLUTIONS
Donating can be made fun and rewarding
with social gaming.
Nonprofits need to move more quickly (with
limited resources) like tech startups, and mimic
creative agency processes in order to hire and
retain the talent necessary for innovation.
Flickr: Gordon McGregor Sources:SXSW, BDW
Monday, January 30, 12
17. WHAT MAKES A CAUSEBUILDING
GAMING FOR GOOD GAME ENGAGING?
#GAMESFTW TOP 5 SOCIAL
IMPACT GAMES OF 2010
5
!
Macon Money is a non-digital
community-based game
designed to send bonds to
different parts of the Macon,
Georgia area. Recipients from
different ethnic and
socioeconomic backgrounds
have to creatively collaborate
to find the opposite piece of
their bond and cash it in as a
team. Once redeemed, players
can use their money at local
shops, thus uniting the
community and growing their
local economy.
Flickr: xgray Resources: Games for Change, #GAMESFTW, Causebuilding #GAMESFTW
Monday, January 30, 12
18. WHAT MAKES A CAUSEBUILDING
GAMING FOR GOOD GAME ENGAGING?
#GAMESFTW TOP 5 SOCIAL
IMPACT GAMES OF 2010
4
!
People Power is a one-player
game that was created in
association with the
International Center on
Nonviolent Conflict.
The game puts you in a the
position of a change agent in a
small community: you have to
recruit people to your cause,
seek funds and take a series of
actions that raise awareness in
various districts. People Power
brings to life the fact that non-
violent movement takes careful
planning and recruiting of
dedicated team members.
Flickr: xgray Resources: Games for Change, #GAMESFTW, Causebuilding #GAMESFTW
Monday, January 30, 12
19. WHAT MAKES A CAUSEBUILDING
GAMING FOR GOOD GAME ENGAGING?
#GAMESFTW TOP 5 SOCIAL
IMPACT GAMES OF 2010
3
!
Participatory Chinatown is
designed to integrate
community involvement into the
urban planning and
development of Boston’s
Chinatown. You can play as 15
different characters of varying
“classes” and backgrounds and
explore the privileges and
challenges they face.
Flickr: xgray Resources: Games for Change, #GAMESFTW, Causebuilding #GAMESFTW
Monday, January 30, 12
20. WHAT MAKES A CAUSEBUILDING
GAMING FOR GOOD GAME ENGAGING?
#GAMESFTW TOP 5 SOCIAL
IMPACT GAMES OF 2010
2
Interrobang is league-based
game for grad school honor
students. Funded by the !
Microsoft Partners in Learning
Program, Interrobang sends
players to complete “missions”
that focus on exploring their
local environment, helping their
community or creating and
sharing art.
Interrobang crowdsources its
team-oriented missions, and
encourages players to
document the process via blog
posts, photo galleries or videos;
and are rewarded points for
suggesting missions and
connecting with the Interrobang
community.
Flickr: xgray Resources: Games for Change, #GAMESFTW, Causebuilding #GAMESFTW
Monday, January 30, 12
21. WHAT MAKES A CAUSEBUILDING
GAMING FOR GOOD GAME ENGAGING?
#GAMESFTW TOP 5 SOCIAL
IMPACT GAMES OF 2010
1
Supported by the World Bank,
this 10 week-long game
promoted real-world action and
broke the boundaries of digital !
last spring.
Evoke urged players all over the
globe to solve real-world
challenges with a focus on
helping communities in Africa.
Through a comic book style
narrative, players met weekly
challenges to combat world
hunger, use renewable energy,
empower women and create
better access to clean water. To
accomplish their goals, players
could use “super powers” such
as collaboration, creativity,
resourcefulness and
entrepreneurialism.
Flickr: xgray Resources: Games for Change, #GAMESFTW, Causebuilding #GAMESFTW
Monday, January 30, 12
22. GAMING FOR GOOD
Game designer (Evoke), researcher and author Jane McGonigal spoke about the
positive effects of gaming. Humans actually love to play games, and as
philosopher Bernard Suits put it, games “unnecessary obstacles we volunteer to
tackle:” perfect grounds for education, behavioral change, and real world action.
Games are fun in nature, and evoke “eustress,” a positive kind of stress that
gives us a sense of ambition, achievement, and makes us more likely to succeed.
McGonigal argues that in order for games to have true social impact, they must
meet the PERMA criteria:
POSITIVE Does it make you feel good?
EMOTION Is it cathartic?
SXSW
RELATIONSHIP Does it form a stronger bond with the people around you?
MEANING Does it give some meaning to your life?
ACCOMPLISHMENT Does it give you a sense of accomplishment?
Source: The Telegraph, MadeByMany
Monday, January 30, 12
23. GAMING FOR GOOD McGonical shared a number of statistics to prove that gaming (up to 21 hours a
week) significantly helps people prepare for real life:
In a survey of 7000 music gamers Research by the US Army has found
(think Guitar Hero), 67% of players were that 3 to 4 hours of video gaming
motivated to pick up an instrument for the per day reduces the effects of post-
traumatic stress disorder.
first time and 73% who were already
musicians started playing more as a result. Gamers have fewer nightmares than
non-gamers and are more likely to
Children who play cooperative games for have lucid dreams that they can control
just 25 minutes per week are more likely What you feel on a day-to-day basis
to cooperate with and help others in real life spreads to 250 people around you
directly and indirectly, so if playing a
Just 90 seconds of playing a video game game can give you positive feelings,
with an avatar that you consider ’sexy’ will you’re going to impact 250 people in a
boost your confidence for the rest of the day good way – which is clearly a good thing.
Source: The Telegraph, MadeByMany
Monday, January 30, 12