SXSW Part One: The Good, The Surprising, and The Underwhelming
The RED VELVET team painted the town red during SXSW ‘23. One of our favorites? The Dolby Experience at Brazos Hall (pictured above). // PHOTO CREDIT: Madison Rains, 2023.
How did we feel after South by South West this year? Well, we’re glad you asked.
Did you know that South by Southwest (SXSW) initially started out as a way to keep the bars on East 6th Street occupied during University of Texas’ spring break? We do…because we’ve grown up alongside SXSW, Austin’s annual all things tech, music and film festival since 1987, and because this is the first year it’s ok to say we’re over the pandemic hump, we were ALL over the proverbial map this year - working programs, attending official and unofficial SXSW events and talking about what we experienced with just about anyone who wanted to converse about it.
Which leads us to this post, written by all of us. It’s the first of its kind, and we’re brimming with thoughts to share (if you have the inclination to read all that’s below!). Experiential marketing in this space has come a long way, and has a ways to go still. Hope you enjoy our recap, and if you’re so moved, would love to hear your thoughts too in the comments section or hit us up HERE.
The good:
PHOTO CREDITS: BRITTANY ARRAMBIDE, 2023
ICON - the 3D stage was the best we saw and, as a bonus, the permanent installation remains as a gift to the city. The companion program addressed affordable housing and was (one of) the only experiences that invited a true conversation between brand and attendee. As a call-to-action, this was also the announcement and launch of a design competition (contestants build homes under $99K and winner gets $1MM and winner gets announced at SXSW 2024) – a brilliant and accessible way to get skin in the game.
META - gave an interesting and intriguing talk that pulled a large, invested audience: ensuring the metaverse is equitable and inclusive for everyone. This was a risky move considering this is the elephant in the room, but it paid off, as Meta needs to build back up its trust equity and transparency is one of the best ways towards achieving this. They also offered an early look at their VR headsets with ambassadors to ensure accessibility.
DOLBY - The shining rookie of SX this year (and we’re not just saying that because we took part in the production). Dolby went all in. They transformed an iconic venue, highlighted corporate partners, offered exclusive panel and artist access to badge holders, drenched attendees in the Dolby experience, maximized survey collection opportunities and most importantly, embraced Austin culture (hello food truck of our chicken-and-waffle dreams!).
ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE - This publication took over ACL Live for four (4) straight days which felt impressive and big and totally on brand; it was one of those activations that just felt very congruous with what SXSW has always been about: great, honest live music. (And a private party at Howards followed to boot.)
PHOTO CREDITS: ROKU CITY, 2O23
ROKU CITY - We already sensed there was something big coming as they teased a Pop Up Roku-themed diner that required reservations, which were immediately snagged within minutes the system was live. Our only disappointment was that this activation didn’t last more than two days so more people could experience it. The actors/actresses they hired truly transcended what is typically a standard brand ambassador, and they were able to talk intelligently and convincingly about the brand. This was an honest immersive experience for someone who was NOT a Roku subscriber before, and for those already a Roku user, this activation made us fans for life.
SHOWTIME “CAMP YELLOWJACKETS” - Showtime chose to focus on one show versus some of its entertainment peers whose activations included several; this allowed them to create a deeply immersive and focused experience for guests. From friendship bracelets that gained entry, to ax throwing, plus grilled bites and batched cocktail/mocktail options…it was themed from start to finish and engaging for folks who’ve not yet seen the show. Current fans enjoyed some of the easter egg details - and the sinister undertone - woven throughout. Kudos to Kamp Grizzly for this entirely enveloping production.
The surprising:
PHOTO CREDITS: GENESIS COSME, 2023
DORITOS - This activation felt old school in the best possible way (read: they weren’t trying so hard, and that stood out amongst many who were). Festival goers got to walk up and experience it for what it was. A few of us just happened upon this activation and it was a surprise and delight moment because it felt organic. Maybe we were simply delighted to see a brand as big as Doritos go the unexpected route (small and relatively humble)?
MIDWEST HOUSE - This experience offered a bit of respite amongst the crowd and chaos - very low touch and understated, which was appreciated. Team members seemed to “happen upon it” versus it being a destination, but it made an impression for maybe being just that - a breather between what felt like over-hyped houses.
MUSEUM OF GRAFFITI (unofficial SXSW event) - Art of Hip Hop. Some of our team (gladly) paid $12 to go and were blown away. The experience was authentic. Open bar, gift shop, art. etc. It was a cohesive experience that felt special and REAL. Though a simple activation, Museum of Graffiti made an especially lasting impact on our creatives. The whole event felt relevant and meaningful and touchpoints made sense to the audience and for the reason why we were there - to connect, learn, and experience art and culture. For the price, they delivered a high value experience during SXSW week, especially for non-badge holders, and the takeaway was that the Museum of Graffiti really cared about the attendees and the curated content they shared.
The underwhelming:
“A [basic] photobooth does not make an activation”. Many of us were underwhelmed, if not a bit irritated with the number of “activations” that only contained photo-booths. There was a similar sentiment for those experiences that were hosted bars.
Marketing that did not play out as expected. There were several activations marketed on social media that promised more than what was delivered, which was disappointing and ultimately left a slightly sour taste in attendees mouths, and in some cases, created mis-trust.
Overall, the sentiment was that the festival as a whole missed an opportunity to feel cohesive and connected. It seemed to lack the “Austin” vibe/feel we’ve come to know and love (and we suspect people know and love too). This manifested in a few ways:
We felt a bigger hold from agencies outside of Austin (there’s more on this below).
Musicians protesting about pay before the festival was a bit, well, uncomfortable for everyone witnessing.
There was an overall sense that TV movie premieres eclipsed every other track…perhaps it was the celebrity hype or marketing push? This wasn’t a bad thing necessarily, just felt less “Austin”.
Badge vs. non-badge access was not as exclusive as in years past, which probably did not sit well with badge-holders (we did not poll many, but it's a strong hypothesis).
What next?
AFFORDABILITY:
Call it inflation if you will, but affordability for many brands wanting to participate in the festival truly came into play this year. Many people’d complained even pre-covid that SXSW had become “swollen” with corporate efforts and had lost its edge and magic. Agencies like us benefited from this of course, but when we take a step back and are truthful, we can’t argue that. In order for SXSW to thrive, there has to be space and allowance made for the “lighting strikes” once again, and that is made possible, in part, by accessibility. And this starts in our own backyard, several of the usual venues in Downtown Austin sat empty (meaning they were NOT bought out by a brand to be transformed), and we largely suspect it was because of what they were quoting for daily buyout rates.
FOCUS:
Get music back at the center again; consider how SXSW can honor Austin and preserve its live music heritage best? The payment/comp piece is a large part of this and for some of these burgeoning artists, the hassle is more than what it’s worth.
Find a way to cross the wires across film, music and tech tracks, because from an audience standpoint, this is where the magic happens. Brands that can do this will strike gold (and so will SXSW).
GO LOCAL:
Lean on local production. We saw several experiences that were struggling to figure out ways of working in Austin (from permitting to egress/ingress to street parking to load in/out nuances). Locals can speak to and enhance in a way that can better brands’ houses. Local production teams are savvy; this plays out in the end experience.
We saw a lot of work done by local artists BUT there wasn’t enough merchandising around it. Merchandise this more!
AROUND TOWN:
Fix the Rainey Street Experience. Rainey Street has been under construction for what feels like an eternity, making this a barrier to a seamless attendee experience. Please consider how this reflects on the SXSW brand. At the very least, provide a cellular partner/sponsor as cell service there was a pain point for many who visited.
Enforce sidewalk scaffolding for better flow
Fix the safety issue in getting over to the East Side of town
Need some strategic insight for your next brand activation? We’d love to hear from you.
