1. art and entertainment
2. shows and events
3. festival

#StoryConnect
SXSW
Interactive
A StoryConnect@Omnicom 2015 Report
Powered by
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3
StoryConnect@Omnicom at SXSWi 2015
3 Sto
4
StoryConnect@Omnicom Lounge
4 Sto
5
SXSWi 2015 By the Numbers
5 SXS
7
SXSWi 2015 By Trend
7 SXS
8Gaming
7 Ga
9Food
8
10Start-Ups
9 Sta
11
Music & Sports
10 Mu
12Healthcare
11He
13
12 Sto
15
Connect With Us
About Us
13 Ab
Co
2
STORYCONNECT@OMNICOM
at SXSWi 2015
Powered by Resolution Media, FleishmanHillard,
and Annalect’s data intelligence suite, StoryConnect
@Omnicom provided a content newsroom for SXSW
Interactive 2015. An always-on, data-driven, socially
-enabled, content and advertising center, this official
SXSW lounge allowed visitors to see news, trends and
surprises from SXSW as we made big data small.
The Resolution, FleishmanHillard, and Annalect
partnership represents the only global content
marketing offering that leverages enterprise media
monitoring with audience and advertising data to
amplify programs through paid media – all of which
is measured at the scale of a global holding company,
Omnicom. The value proposition of the combined
agencies is focused on “Data-Driven Content that
Performs.” The partnership combines:
•
•
FleishmanHillard’s best-in-class social and
traditional media monitoring (FH TrueIQ) and
content marketing (FH ContentWorks) at global
scale and consistency
Resolution Media’s proven audience segmentation
(ClearTarget) and measurement capabilities (in
conjunction with Annalect data sources and
•
tools), as well as global enterprise paid social
(Current@Resolution) and paid search capabilities
Annalect’s proprietary publishing platform
(Assembly) that delivers data visualization and
insights, inside a secure, collaborative environment
Here, we’ve compiled the top insights and trends
coming out of SXSWi 2015 to help your brand be at the
forefront of relevant conversations in the year to come.
SXSW INTERACTIVE 2015
An incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital
creativity, the annual SXSW Interactive Festival in
Austin, Texas, features five days of compelling
presentations and panels from the brightest minds in
emerging technology, scores of exciting networking
events hosted by industry leaders, and an unbeatable
lineup of special programs showcasing the best
new websites, video games and startup ideas the
community has to offer. From hands-on training to
big-picture analysis of the future, SXSW Interactive
has become the place to preview the technology of
tomorrow today.
3
STORYCONNECT@OMNICOM LOUNGE
Located at the JW Marriott in the heart of downtown Austin, the lounge allowed visitors to view real-time insights
via thirteen data visualization screens. As the technology tracked and reacted to the top topics at SXSW, visitors
could personally interact with the technology via touchscreen, revealing custom conversation dashboards
related to specific topics of interest, and isolating any extraneous chatter.
Each day, we curated, monitored, amplified, and optimized content around one of five topics, in order to change
the way both attendees and non-attendees experienced the energy, excitement, and innovation of SXSWi 2015.
GAMING
FOOD START-UPS MUSIC & SPORTS HEALTHCARE
The pressing need at a show with the magnitude of SXSW is helping participants keep up. With so much to do and
so little time, they need a way to prioritize and avoid FOMO – the fear of missing out. We used our approach to data
intelligence to catch them up on things they may have missed, and reveal the people, events, and innovations
making the biggest splash, so they can tailor their SX experience to be the most significant and impactful.
4
SXSWi 2015 | BY THE NUMBERS
Sifting through the mountains of information generated at SXSW, StoryConnect@Omnicom tracked and analyzed
top trends and conversations to determine the winners, the losers, and who and what at SXSW are shaping the
future.
THE FUTURE OF VIDEO SHARING
You couldn’t turn a corner, go to a bar, even check
Twitter without hearing about SXSW’s breakout
app, Meerkat. Ironic, since Twiter banned
the live-streaming app from it’s social graph right as
SXSW was kicking off. Be it Twitter’s sanctions or
the bright yellow shirts sporting the Meerkat logo
that dotted the SXSWi crowds, the perform storm
of promotion catapulted Meerkat into the SX
record books, with a 30% growth in users daily
during the festival. Whether or not the app will be
around by next year’s SXSW, only time will tell, but
its rise has AdWeek predicting a “new adoption of
video and personal sharing,” a trend paved by apps
like Snapchat and Instagram.
VIRTUAL REALITY
Gaming may still be struggling to earn its fair share
of voice among the music and film crowds at SXSW,
but across the river at the SXSW Gaming Expo,
virtual reality had everyone talking. Both traditional
gaming brands and brands just wanting in on the
action (Mazda actually had the most mentions of any
brand) are taking the bold step off of the screen and
into reality. Transcending gaming, the push to get
off the couch and get moving is a trend affecting
many verticals, breaking through the clutter with
immersive experiences requiring a more active
presence.
5
SXSWi 2015 | BY THE NUMBERS - cont’d
GLOBAL INVOLVEMENT
SXSW has always been a convergence of the factions:
music, film, brands, agencies – and maybe a few
hippies. But in a growing trend of global interest in
festivals like SXSW, countries have been turning up
to support their native start-ups, and in turn, their
nation’s technology and innovation industry. As
this continues, it could facilitate relationships and
partnerships between start-ups and their governing
bodies, allowing greater access to advances in
science, medicine, technology, communication (to
name a few) and promoting collaboration to solve
problems that transcend country lines.
CONTEXT IS QUEEN
If you had any doubts about the old saying, quash
them. In a world of competing music vendors –
iTunes, Google, Pandora, Spotify, artists themselves
– one thing is certain: listeners no longer identify with
one genre, they identify with mood. Blame it on our
upbringings – teachers and parents urging us to
identify which face on the chart best matches our
feelings – or our fear of committing to just one genre;
whatever the reason, music brands have picked up on
this shift, and our now aligning their music (playlists,
discovery, even classifying artists) with moods and
situations. Working out? There’s a playlist for that, all
searchable by types of workout, age, gender, rhythm.
Turns out, the marketers were right: to reach your
audience, you must consider their location, mood,
and actions in this very moment.
VIDEO: SXSW Recap 2015
Resolution Media and FleishmanHillard
6
SXSWi 2015 | BY TREND
GAMING
Across the river from the StoryConnect@Omnicom
lounge, the SXSW Gaming expo brought together
brands, thought leaders and fans to talk about the
future of gaming.
The winner? Clearly Game of Thrones. Not only did
GOT game makers win share of voice on the trending
#Telltale Storytelling Panel, but they scored quite a
few of total gaming mentions. Mazda also came out
on top, with its virtual driving experience earning
them 482 mentions.
The loser? Well, gaming. While its cultural importance
is obvious in mainstream channels, SXSW Gaming is
still trying to carve its niche. Gaming earned 9% of the
total SXSW share of voice, while music still proves to
be the ultimate conversation-starter.
VIDEO: SXSW Gaming Trends 2015
Storytelling and virtual reality are the true trends
to keep an eye on. Brands that integrate scripted,
dramatic content with gaming in a seamless way are
winning —and will continue to do so.
INFOGRAPHIC: Gaming at SXSW Day 1
7
SXSWi 2015 | BY TREND
FOOD
The real reason everyone flocks to Austin year to
year? The food (and drinks). The most talked about
foods led us to the longest lines that led us to the
food trends we expect to dominate 2015.
Unique fusion proved to be the way to go: Chi’lantro,
a surprisingly pleasing blend of Mexican fare and
Korean BBQ received more mentions than any
other SouthBites food truck. But whether it’s Korean,
American, or downright Texan, BBQ seems to win
every time. Sorry tacos.
Of all the crave-worthy cuisine, at the end of the
day, SXSW is really more concerned about their
cocktails. Of all the food-related conversations, drinks
dominated with 54% share of voice, followed by
breakfast with 26%. We’d say the craft cocktail trend
is here to stay.
VIDEO: SXSW Food Trends 2015
Austin has a knack for setting the food truck trends.
This year’s trend? Getting out of the trucks and into
brick and mortar establishments. With the popularity
and saturation of food trucks picking up over the
past five years, chefs and mobile restaurateurs are
looking for the next big thing – is it sustainability or
is it the most obscure mash-up? If SX fans have a say,
it’s looking good for the Oreo-Churro.
INFOGRAPHIC: What’s Cooking at SXSW Day 2
8
SXSWi 2015 | BY TREND
START-UPS
With the colossal number of start-ups that flock to SX,
critics claim each year looks a little more formidable
for those hoping to stand out. With this year’s trends
and breakouts, they might have to rethink that.
Dubbed the first real SXSW breakout star since
Twitter, Meerkat allows users to live stream their
surroundings to their followers. Those followers
sync with a user’s Twitter followers – well, they did,
until Twitter pulled that plug. While the set back
didn’t affect Meerkat in the least (the company
reported their users grew 30% daily during SXSW), it
raises a host of questions about the future of personal
live broadcast and privacy rights.
VIDEO: SXSW Start Up Trends 2015
Another nod for start-up success? Start-ups were
mentioned 32,944 times in social conversations,
47 percent of those about startups related to audio
and music. Other notable start-ups focused on
social good and ways to help small businesses
succeed, like Honest Dollar, this year’s ReleaseIt Pitch
Competition winner, who’s providing amazingly
affordable retirement plans to small companies.
And finally, it seems they’re doing something right if
they’re getting global attention - France, Germany,
Ireland, Israel and Spain showed up in Austin to
support their native startups and do their part to
create environments conducive to entrepreneurs.
From year to year, the global interest in startups and
their capacity to effect change grows. Turns out, even
nations suffer from FOMO.
INFOGRAPHIC: Startup Madness at SXSW Day 3
9
SXSWi 2015 | BY TREND
MUSIC & SPORTS
Music historically dominates the SXSW conversation.
Combined with SX sports and the non-stop chatter
around March Madness, StoryConnect@Omnicom
was able to analyze a range of conversations to
reveal insights and trends coming out of the
entertainment world.
Ronda Rousey earned a new title at SX this year: most
talked about panelist at SX Sports. Her panel, “UFC:
Women Breaking Ground Inside the Octagon,” gave
further proof for the rise in women’s interest and
participation in the conversation around sports. In
fact, 42% of #SXsports mentions came from women.
VIDEO: SXSW Music Trends 2015
Spotify, Pandora and Soundcloud put up a good
fight to come out on top at SXSW, representative
of the larger battle music entities are fighting to be
the go-to source for music for fans. SoundCloud
dominated 56% of the conversation, more than
Spotify and Pandora’s share combined. For the
industry as a whole, trending conversations
denounced music genres, instead highlighting a
focus on appealing to listeners’ context and mood.
With access to such a wide variety of music via apps
like Spotify, fans have an easier time identifying
their current state versus their favorite type of music.
INFOGRAPHIC: Music and Sports at SXSW Day 4
10
SXSWi 2015 | BY TREND
HEALTHCARE
Conversations coming out of SX Health focused not
only on cutting-edge technologies being applied to
medicine (like using 3D printing to create
transplantable body parts), but on how to learn
from the tragedies and epidemics of the past year
and apply experiences to make the future a better
place.
Seen at SXSW: granola-eating health nuts and
carnivores consuming upwards of 40 pounds of
BBQ – all sporting some kind of fitness wearable.
Within the assortment of athletic accessories, Fitbit
dominated the SX conversation, with 82% share
of voice, despite Samsung’s large presence at the
festival.
VIDEO: SXSW Healthcare Trends 2015
It’s nothing new - every year, some technology, idea
or trend promises to end world hunger, solve world
peace, or give you six-pack abs while sitting on the
couch watching Netflix. Whether or not any of these
applications make it to the masses, the groundbreaking discussions had at SXSW spur conversations that
made attendees and non-attendees alike consider
the future of health and medicine and its effect on
their own lives. In one of the most talked about panels coming out of SX Health, Malcolm Gladwell and
Bill Gurley discussed … well, a lot. But some of the
most interesting topics included technology’s role,
both good and bad, in the healthcare system, and
how the government’s involvement is changing the
future of medicine. A small example of a big trend:
how can individuals play an active role in their own
wellbeing with the changes in policy and growth in
government involvement.
Other social conversations highlighted a shift in
focus to global well-being – understanding that health
is a concern that transcends borders. The ongoing
fight against Ebola and other epideics made up 15%
of all SXSW Health conversations, discussing
improvements to biomedical suits that will
expedite response times, and monitors to detect
symptoms in first-responders.
INFOGRAPHIC: Thinking Health at SXSW Day 5
11
CONNECT WITH US
www.ResolutionMedia.com
@ResolutionMedia
www.FleishmanHillard.com
@Fleishman
www.Annalect.com
@Annalect
#StoryConnect
VIJI DAVIS
Chief Marketing Officer
Resolution Media
vdavis@resolutionmedia.com
DARRELL JURSA
Senior Vice President & Partner
FleishmanHillard
darrell.jursa@fleishmanhillard.com
JOE RAAEN
Global Strategic Partnerships
Annalect
joe.raaen@annalect.com
12
ABOUT US
ABOUT RESOLUTION MEDIA
Resolution Media, an Omnicom Media Group
company, is one of the largest digital performance
agencies in the world. The company manages more
than $1.2B in media investments, with more than
1,350 specialists in 60+ offices worldwide. Resolution’s
international network delivers digitally-integrated,
full-service solutions in the areas of search, social,
local, mobile, behavioral and content marketing.
ABOUT FLEISHMANHILLARD
FleishmanHillard is the world’s most complete global
communications firm, specializing in public relations,
public affairs, marketing, paid media, and transmedia
and social content. FleishmanHillard delivers on
The Power of True, reflecting the firm’s high values,
and unique ability to guide clients through a world
demanding unprecedented authenticity and
transparency. FleishmanHillard is part of Diversified
Agency Services, a division of Omnicom Group Inc.,
and has 80+ offices in 30 countries, plus affiliates
in 42 countries.
ABOUT ANNALECT
Data driven marketing solutions are often complex,
but working with a partner to deploy them should be
simple. We’re not a technology or data company
claiming to understand marketing. We’re marketers
first. By way of Omnicom, wecome from creative,
media, public relations, direct response and other
core marketing disciplines to offer solutions that solve
your marketing problems. How do we know they work?
Because we’ve been there before, just like you.