According to a panel of marketers speaking at ADWEEK House, this is not necessarily a reflection on SXSW itself, but rather a new approach to experiential, driven by shifts in digital technology and consumer preference.
I thought it was fascinating to hear about how experiential marketing has to have a digital component nowadays—how a physical experience gets translated into social content—but also how that digital element must contend with a growing fatigue related to social platforms, which hardly deserve that moniker anymore.
I am generally skeptical of people who predict a decline in digital consumption or screentime, but if the appeal of events is getting people together in person, then maybe a pop-up creates a more compelling memory if it gets you to put your phone away.
8. Waymos were everywhere. They make the death of driving feel plausible
Austin is one of the few cities in the country with Waymos, and while I was there they felt ubiquitous. Maxell Tani at Semafor remarked that they really do make something that felt unthinkable for a long time—the end of driving—feel quite inevitable.
9. Big technology companies were conspicuously absent
The ubiquity of Waymo was in direct contrast to the conspicuous absence of any of the other big technology companies. None of the hyperscalers had any activations, advertising, or any attendees that I could see.
This is in part because many technology companies now prefer simply to host their own events to promote their new products, an opportunity that allows them to craft the narrative as they see fit and invite only their most ardent boosters.
Another reason is that, if SXSW used to be where consumer technology companies went to break out, all of the most important AI companies of the day belong to—or have received significant investment from—the incumbents.
As such, there is no need for guerilla marketing or a launch event; these companies came into the world fully formed and financed, bypassing the need to make use of SXSW as a marketing machine.
10. The next generation of directors will come from YouTube
I hosted a panel at ADWEEK House exploring how YouTube creators are increasingly bypassing the traditional movie production and distribution channels.
The timing could not have been more poignant, given that the YouTuber Markiplier has brought in more than $21 million on his self-financed film Iron Lung, which debuted in February. The film, which cost $3 million, has been a windfall for its creator, whose real name is Mark Fischback, and is a testament to the growing power of creators in the film space.
One of the panelists involved in the session was Aidan Gallagher, a YouTuber with a prolific following who makes content while exploring the country and living out of his van. Gallagher told me that he has written and filmed his first feature length film and is now just working to finance its distribution.
As technology makes film production simpler than ever, and distribution networks like YouTube amplify its reach, I have to imagine the next few years will see the emergence of a new wave of independent filmmakers who take their own route to auteurship.
