Will Brands Ruin the SXSW Experience?

Originally posted on my employer's blog,  Rosetta Currents

I just spent five days taking in all that SXSW has to offer: inspiring speakers, thought-provoking panels and incredible parties. The event definitely lived up to the hype as the “must attend” interactive conference. So what’s the deal with the fatalistic blog headline? The event is on its 27^th year and bigger than ever. This year SXSW officials expected over 300,000 attendees during the week of interactive, film and music events. Then I saw this CNET headline. “At SXSW, brands take over.” It read like a death knell to all that’s cool about this event.

Walking the long Austin Convention Center hallways, I couldn’t disagree with CNET’s assessment. Brands were out in force. I was invited to take a picture in front of a green screen and get some Oreos, charge my phone thanks to American Airlines, and listen to a cliché-looking blond hologram from 3M. Even my SXSW souvenir was co-opted. Gap was the official T-shirt sponsor of the event. For $25 bucks, I got a shirt that confirms I am a digital nerd and a 30% discount on one regularly priced pair of 1969 jeans. I love the shirt but it does make me feel a long way from being part of an indie event.



“The original posse is probably aghast at what [SXSW] has turned into,” Brian Solis said in the CNET article. That’s not to say brands are the only ones pushing their products at SXSW. Ironically, Mr. Solis was at SXSW to promote his new book and he wasn’t alone in pitching his wares. It seemed like every keynote speaker or panel participant had something they were hawking. Tina Roth Eisenberg, who gave an inspiring speech, talked about her popular design blog, her tattoo business, and her task list app. Jonah Peretti, BuzzFeed CEO and Founder, while talking about creating great content also slipped in how his company is able to help brands create ad stories that are 10x more effective than regular ad units. Julie Uhrman, Founder and CEO of OUYA, gave a keynote that was more like a 60-minute infomercial about her $99 free-to-play game console.

You’d think with all this blatant marketing it would drive attendees away. But what I witnessed was just the opposite. Droves of people lined up for everything. I missed out on the free Oreos because every time I walked by the installation the line was always too long—which brings me to my point about brands and the SXSW experience. It all comes down to the value exchange. Since the event has grown so large and there is so much to choose from, the experience bar has been raised. I might not have wanted to wait a half hour to snag a free package of Oreos but I was as happy as a honey badger that just swallowed a cobra to stand in line to get a book autographed by Randall of Honey Badger YouTube fame. That’s me. For another SXSWer, the value exchange is different.

So maybe I should re-title this post “Will SXSW ruin brands?” Wow, that would really blow the minds of the SXSW crowd who miss the early indie days. The truth is, as SXSW grows there will be more pressure on brands—and for that matter—speakers to deliver an experience worthy of the attendee’s attention. I am looking forward to seeing how brands up the ante next year and continue to make this the go-to event for creativity and innovation. Or as keynote speaker and MSNBC host Rachel Maddow dubs it, “a cross between Lollapalooza and a political convention.”