Another SXSW in the books – an exhausting yet exhilarating 10 days of panels, featured speakers, obligatory Tweeting, strong coffee, tradeshow booths, BBQ and breakfast tacos, day parties and a serious lack of sleep!  For a conference originally steeped in music and film since 1987, it’s safe to say that SXSW Interactive has become the belle of the ball in Austin during mid-March – more than 25,000 attendees strong.

What started as a small confab for the tech savvy and digitally inclined, SXSW Interactive has morphed into a schizophrenic five days of sensory overload.  The conference thrives on having 20 or more interesting-sounding panels, mentor sessions, workshops and core conversations happening at any given time – combined with dozens of apps designed to organize it all.  Although many of the panels had a distinct ‘101’ feel to them and a few panelists appeared unprepared, there were a few diamonds in the rough that left behind some interesting and possibly compelling residue. Some key takeaways:

1.     Mobile devices will become ‘mobile wallets’ over the next two years, linking consumers to loyalty programs and location-based services (still answering the privacy policy questions).  Supporting this will be more relevant product messaging and brand content delivered through mobile tagging (QR codes, MS Tags, JAGTAG’s, etc.) and integrated into offline and online campaigns. However, some panelists stressed that tagging will become obsolete in the next few years, as full-image recognition linked to search becomes a key campaign engagement tool for marketers.

2.     Much as location-based apps Foursquare and Gowalla were all the rage at SXSW 2010, this year group texting took center stage. New companies GroupMe, Beluga and Yobongo seemed to make the most noise during the conference with parties and demonstrations throughout.  This collection of services enables groups of people to participate in real-time chats on their smartphones – either through conversation or texting.  And since connecting and learning seems to be the real upside of SXSW Interactive, what better test-tube for a new app or service than the dotted and hyperactive geography of downtown Austin in the throws of technology?

3.     PR and marketing agencies need to exercise flexibility in the planning process and learn to adapt to changing requirements while aligning campaign deliverables with shifting business needs – the brand and the customer needs.  The days of rigid fiscal year marketing plans are long gone.

As SXSW Interactive gave way to SXSW Music on Wednesday, Austin started looking less Silicone Valley and more True Blood.  The perfect weather was probably tough on the indie rock vampire set, but it suited me just perfectly.  Musical highlights included:

OFF!

Screaming Females

Obits

Ume

Shabazz Palaces

John Vanderslice

The Head and the Heart

Night Horse

Kasey Anderson and the Honkies

Wanda Jackson

Looking forward to SXSW 2012!

Steven McDonald from OFF!

My 14^th go-round at SXSW consisted of many firsts – my first year attending as an Austin resident, my first year as an Interactive participant and my first year organizing the first annual San Diego Hoe-Down for the San Diego Music Foundation.

Attending both SXSW Interactive and Music required a 10-day commitment to learning, networking, eating, drinking and rocking – with very little sleep in between said activities.  Interactive was bigger than ever with more than 15,000 attendees – at least 600 were technology media – jammed into overcrowded hotel conference rooms for five days, discussing everything from mobile apps and geo-location marketing to brand influence and customer service.  Despite a few less than spectacular panels and speakers, and a lack of electrical outlets to recharge drained laptops and mobile devices, SXSW Interactive provided a fertile forum for discussion and brand building – both personal and professional.

A couple of key takeaways:

1. Mobile marketing (apps, SMS texting programs and WAP sites) is the new inroad for brand engagement, stimulating a recurring debate among panelists around brands building their own mobile apps vs. sponsoring or marketing through pre-existing apps and mobile platforms.  Much like social media two years ago, mobile marketing has been infected with bright shiny object syndrome. Regardless, strategy must drive the decision to incorporate mobile into your brand marketing plans – does it support your brand goals and objectives?  Do you have a follow-up strategy in place?  How are you measuring success? The importance of understanding your customers – and their needs – before jumping into mobile is a fairly obvious yet often overlooked first step.  Are you providing value, education and relevance to your consumers?  Brands are perceived by what consumers are saying about them, so their mobile apps should be more about functionality, convenience and user experience than brand imagery and entertainment – built in location-based sensitivity designed to change consumer behavior should always be in the strategic conversation.

1. Location is key, but privacy policy is king – lots of talk about geo-targeted social media marketing with location-based platforms Foursquare and GoWalla at the center of numerous panel discussions.  A humorous contribution from one panelist entertained the idea of joining Foursquare so he could check-in at “I don’t care where your eating,” located at the corner of “Who gives a sh*t” and “TMI.” Both Foursquare and GoWalla kept the privacy-control debate alive and kicking during panel discussions – positives and negatives associated with the increasing trend of telling people exactly where you are at any given time.  Foursquare also received high praise among conference attendees for incentivizing consumer behavior through points and prizes – in addition to connecting friends through location sharing.

In spite of the tragic news of Alex Chilton’s passing just days before a scheduled Big Star performance at SXSW Music, some festival highlights included:

1. Lenny Kaye
2. Alejandro Escovedo
3. Chuck Prophet
4. Whitey Morgan & the 78’s
5. The Waco Brothers
6. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
7. Band of Horses (in a church)
8. Vivian Girls
9. Ivan Julian
10. Dengue Fever
11. Deadstring Brothers
12. Sondre Lerche

I’m tired, my ears hurt and I need to do a Master Cleanse, but I’ll definitely be back for SXSW 2011.