Common Themes from #SxSW 2014

Badged or not, thousands of creative, tech, brand, communications, and scores of other professionals migrated to Austin, TX this past weekend for the 21st Annual SXSW Interactive Festival. I count myself as one of those in the mix (I’m a first-timer, so I was badged) who braved wind, rain, and the occasional sunshine to learn and network all while having a memorable time.

Although I didn’t attend as many panels as I had planned, the best learnings were in the conversations and connections I made over dinner, drinks and long waits in line. Nonetheless, there were some common themes that arose across those conversations and sessions which people can appreciate and apply to their life and work no matter what industry they are in:

Be Human Whether you’re face-to-face, separated by a phone or a computer screen doesn’t really  need to change the way you talk to your customers–especially in the digital space. Making people feel like they are not only being heard but you are truly listening goes a long way when trying to increase affinity for your brand. The best way to do this is come off as natural and human as possible at every customer touch point. Ask yourself, if someone stopped me on the street and asked about “Product A” would my response sound like what’s written on my website or in the last tweet from my brand handle? Chew on that.

Snapshot of FleishmanHillard black box lounge powered by FH’s monitoring system.

Understand the (Big) Data There is plenty of swirl on the topic of big data. Privacy concerns have their place in the conversation but what can be done with the information is immeasurably valuable for businesses. Making big data works means making it work to the advantage of your audience and customer. This means more relevancy, more customization and maybe more bucks in the bank if done really well.

Have Something Good to Share As a content strategist my frame of mind is moving further away from simply pushing out content to satisfy business demands to telling the side of the story that truly appeals to the audience. This concept has only been reinforced by what I’ve learned from SXSWi. A panel led by Jon Setzen, creative director at Media Temple, tells a few ways for people and brands to understand the meaning of good content and why your audience should care your brand. A few quotes you can take with you:

Content is anything that adds value to a reader’s life.

 

 Good content makes us feel something, even if we don’t understand everything.

Were you at SXSW this past weekend? If so, share some of your takeaways or let me know your take on these common themes!