6 Quotable Quotes from SXSW Interactive

- March 16, 2011 by Kevin Lane, Copywriter

South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive offers five days of presentations, panels and product demos delivered by some of the most innovative thinkers and doers in emerging technology. I just returned from the conference in Austin, where I had the pleasure of hearing where digital and mobile are headed, best practices for integrating new technology, what modern consumers want and need, and how agencies can put these tools to use for clients. To sum up my experience, I’ll feature the best quotes I heard from industry experts, along with a brief interpretation of each.

SPOILER ALERT: If you follow us on Twitter, you may have already seen these quotes in my live tweets from SXSW Interactive, but here I provide additional background and explanation. And if you don’t follow GDC on Twitter, what are you waiting for? Click here, then click the “Follow” button.

Quote #1:

This one comes from Ben Malbon, Director of Strategy at Google Creative Lab, who sat on a panel called “Do Agencies Need to Think Like Software Companies?” The discussion centered around whether marketing agencies should handle tech development in-house or outsource it to established software companies. The panel agreed that in-house is most economical, so long as the agency is agile. Combining the disciplines of technology and marketing is where the magic is waiting to happen.

Bottom line: Those coming up with the idea should be the same ones implementing it.

Quote #2:

“Social Media Data Visualization: Mapping the World’s Conversations” brought together some of the leading minds in the burgeoning field of data visualization. The practice basically turns exhaustive amounts of data into an easy-to-understand image-based summary. Companies are using it in a variety of ways: to create visual aids for internal presentations; to distill lengthy industry research studies into a single synopsis; and to chart their social media metrics in real-time web applications. In the quote above, Adam Bly, Founder of Visualizing.org, explains why.

Bottom line: Data visualization prevents information overload and keeps data simple.

Quote #3:

There were umpteen different presentations on geo-location, so I think marketing will definitely see a lot of innovation in this area as Facebook Places, Gowalla, Foursquare and others expand their reach in 2011. In “Building Fences in the Sky: Geo-Fencing Has Arrived,” Placecast’s CEO Alistair Goodman spoke on how the company uses geo-fencing, a virtual fence around a physical location, for mobile marketing. The North Face, White House Black Market and Sonic Drive-in have used this technology to ping people’s mobile phones in order to notify them of nearby sales and promotions.

Bottom line: People are open to mobile marketing that’s automatic, relevant and useful.

Quote #4:

Marketing continues to enter the space of applications and tools (e.g. mobile apps, online games, interactive sites) because people are more interested in what you do for them than what you say to them. And since one’s health is ever-changing, anything that helps us better track and manage it is always relevant. Margaret Morris, Senior Researcher at Intel, participated on a panel titled “Health: Is There Really an App for That?” and shared her insight on why we as marketers need to remember that health apps have to factor in the unpredictable, imperfect human element.

Bottom line: When building health apps, think about emotion as a health behavior.

Quote #5:

Now that everybody and their mom are on Facebook, every marketer and their boss are trying to figure out how to measure its value. The panel “Value of a Facebook Fan: Does It Matter?” featured social media experts who shared their views on why it does indeed matter, but it’s not the only thing that matters. As Forrester Research Analyst Melissa Parrish notes above, what matters more is the value brands create when the intelligently, actively use Facebook and other social mediums to connect with people. After all, I will quickly forget that I’ve “liked” your brand, but I will always remember that you responded promptly to the question I posted on your wall.

Bottom line: The value of a Facebook fan is zero, until the brand does something to create value.

Quote #6:

Speaking of promptness, the “Real-time Marketing in a Connected World” panel discussed how brands are adjusting their lengthy lead times from yesteryear to integrate in-the-moment communications. The best example was how Netflix’s soaring business model is rooted in real-time marketing – they’re there for you really early in the decision-making process – whereas Blockbuster is dying a slow death because brick-and-mortar stores take much longer to get to than your laptop or TV. On the whole, the panel stressed how real-time marketing (both proactive and reactive) helps your brand keep consumers in the loop, which makes them feel valued and appreciated. Foursquare’s Product Manager Siobhan Quinn brought up how this can be very effective for crisis communications.

Bottom line: Real-time marketing is being there when and where a customer needs you.

These six quotes are just the tip of the iceberg, but hopefully they give you a good idea of what your organization should be considering for your current and future marketing efforts. Because what happens at SXSW Interactive will quickly gain traction, and you want your brand be an early adopter. Otherwise, you might not be relevant and reachable to your customers, and that’s what being interactive is all about.

Want more quotable quotes from SXSW Interactive? Check out GDC's Twitter feed to see all 14. And feel free to email me at klane [at] gdc-co [dot] com if you have any specific questions or comments.

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