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Brand Integration at SXSW

SMU Advertising Seniors: Alan Sarieddine and  Alex Daly-Hill

Throughout our experience at SXSW we attended multiple activations, conferences, and events highlighting not only brands products and services, but the movements they are working on curating. The most prominent examples during SXSW involved brands integrating themselves with their communities based on their mission and story. Increasingly, consumers are more conscious than ever about the brands they choose to support. They want to know more than just what a company is selling; rather what they stand for, their values, personality, and how they are making a positive impact on the world. Brands that can effectively communicate their mission and story have a better chance of building a loyal following and gaining market share.

RokuCity embodied the chaos of SXSW with a 3 floor funhouse, where the visitor is transported into a physical representation of the TV software. Entering in groups, you follow a circuit of rooms, with numerous branded photo opportunities, merchandise, food and accessories including temporary tattoos, face jewels, and purple hair extensions. Throughout this experience there is no mention of the product, until the final room where you land at a living room, followed by an open top garden for a chance to socialize and relax. The event conveyed the personality of Roku, and made a lasting impression on visitors regarding their values, and identity. At no point was the product, price, or details mentioned, however recall for the product, product placement inside, and opportunities for earned media is bountiful.

Porsche, as expected , presented a showcase of car displays; an electric 911, concept future card, SXSW livery model, and an inflatable duck-embedded white 911. However, that ultimately was not the primary focus of Porsche’s house. The car brand used these models as excellent props to gather people at their convention, encourage photo taking, and direct ears to their rolling schedule of  presenters who detailed the projects Porsche are working with outside of automobiles, and the other brands and products they’re utilizing and learning from. While select visitors may be encouraged to purchase the car, this was not the sole purpose of the convention so they didn’t focus the car specifics but instead shared the ideas, and knowledge valuable to them. Speakers and shows highlighted the roles Porsche plays in the Arts, Tech and Corporate spheres, and what the brand does besides producing cars.

At the heart of Rainey Street, a University of Texas cookout featuring live music, free barbecue, photo booths, and alumni centers took center stage. Utilizing the prominent attributes of the university and state, visitors were temporarily welcomed into the school’s family, mixing with alumni, staff, and enjoying student driven entertainment through exhibits and music. Like Porsche and Roku, no mentions of the schools cost, reputation, ranking or life is displayed or explicit, rather the atmosphere and intangible qualities of the event are the star of the show. As SXSW is a 21+ event, it is unlikely that prospective students visited this location, however the earned media distributed worldwide post event from family members, friends, & scholarly connections to young academics is invaluable. It also offers an open ‘university’ style event for individuals who haven’t experienced an american, or southern campus, creating a unique touchpoint for potential future consumers.

One of the key benefits of integrating a brand’s mission and story into its marketing efforts is that it allows the company to connect with consumers on a deeper level. By sharing their values and beliefs it can build a sense of community with their customers and create a more emotional connection. This, in turn, can lead to increased loyalty and advocacy. By doing so it help it can also help to differentiate the brand from its competitors. In many industries, products and services can be commoditized, making it difficult for companies to stand out. Focusing on values and beliefs can create a unique identity that sets them apart from the competition. For those willing to make the effort, the rewards can be significant.

In conclusion, the trend of promoting a brand’s mission and story over its products at events like SXSW is a reflection of the changing expectations of consumers, and the recall an experience evokes over a traditional presentation, or advertisement. Ideas and movements, over pieces and products took center stage at SXSW in a world where identity is no longer cache, but the main attribute. Brands that can effectively communicate their mission and story have a better chance of building a loyal following and gaining market share. While it can be challenging to integrate a brand’s mission and story into its marketing efforts, the rewards can be significant for those that are willing to make the effort.

 

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From Passion to Profit: Secrets of the Creator Economy

Advertising Seniors: Phillips Wood and Ryan Parry

The rise of the creator economy has been one of the most significant changes to the world of entrepreneurship in recent years. It’s a transformation that has seen entrepreneurs and creators shift their focus from building products and services for consumers to building a company with the consumer, not for them. The creator economy is all about storytelling, community building, and social media, and it’s changing the way we think about entrepreneurship.

At the Next Gen Entrepreneur: Rise of the Creator Economy seminar at South by Southwest, experts in the field provided insights into how entrepreneurs can tap into the creator economy and turn their passion into profit. Colin and Samir, two of the experts who are both co-founders of shopify, emphasized that the key to success in the creator economy is building a brand that reflects who you are and what you care about. Your content should be authentic and engaging, and it should resonate with your audience. When you build a community around your brand, you create a loyal following that will support you and advocate for you.


Social media is one of the driving forces behind the creator economy. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube allow creators to share their content with a massive audience and build relationships with their followers. In this new economy, social media is the digital word of mouth. It’s a way for creators to get their message out there and to connect with people who share their values. Social media also allows creators to be authentic and transparent, which is essential in building trust with their audience.

Building a community is another critical aspect of the creator economy. When people identify with a particular brand or product, they are joining a tribe. They’re aligning themselves with a belief system and associating themselves with a group of like-minded people. This sense of community is incredibly powerful, and it’s something that traditional businesses can’t replicate. The creator economy allows entrepreneurs to create products and services that align with their passions and values and attract a community of like-minded individuals.

To tap into the creator economy, entrepreneurs need to focus on their passion. They need to identify what they are passionate about and build a brand around that passion. This means creating content that reflects who they are and what they care about. When entrepreneurs focus on their passion, they can create authentic content that resonates with their audience and builds a community of loyal followers.

Creatives and operators are another essential aspect of the creator economy. Creatives use YouTube, social media, and other platforms to gain a following by creating content. However, they may lack the skills to monetize their brands themselves. To solve this problem, they lean on operators to manufacture and sell their products, building profit for both parties involved. This is similar to creatives and brand managers within the advertising world, where they both lean on each other for help to produce outstanding work.

The creator economy is not just about making money. It’s also about making a difference in people’s lives. Entrepreneurs in the creator economy have the opportunity to create products and services that align with their values and have a positive impact on their communities. By building a community around their brand, they can create a loyal following that will support them and advocate for them.

In conclusion, building a brand in the creator economy is not easy. It takes hard work, dedication, and a willingness to take risks. However, the rewards can be enormous. Entrepreneurs have the opportunity to build a business that reflects their values and interests by focusing on passion, building a community, and leveraging social media, they can turn their ideas into a successful business. They can create products and services that have a positive impact on their communities and make a difference in people’s lives.

 

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A Run-Down of Interesting Things at SXSW – Porsche x Transformers x Live Music Event

Written by SMU Graduate Advertising Students:
Gabriela Vascimini and Shelby Steur

The Porsche Activation was an incredible combination of innovation and entertainment. The perception of the Porsche brand is sleek yet transformative, this reinforces the well thought out partnership with Transformers for this event.


Sprout Social x TikTok

The session Ephemeral trend culture is transforming business allowed me to think about more unique ways to implement tiktok into every industry. Allowing relevance and social communication to take a front seat approach. Jamie Gilpin CMO of sprout social said “The only constant is absolute change”, this comment brought to mind how little we know about the direction social media will take and to use this to our advantage when completing a campaign.

Agency and Creators Mixer

The Agency and Creators mixer gave professionals a chance to meet each other and connect with others in the same industries. I was able to meet several people in both the nonprofit and purpose driven marketing categories. This gave me the opportunity to discuss what to look for throughout a job search and tips for success. It was amazing to talk to someone who was doing the work I look forward to in the future.

Keynote: Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Conversation with Jennifer Salke

This inspiring conversation between acclaimed actress, activist, and philanthropist Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Head of Amazon + MGM Studios  (and former head of NBC studios) Jennifer Salke was surprisingly enlightening and relevant to the world of advertising and branding. While positioned as a film event, both women offered great insight as to the importance of storytelling when trying to communicate any message––including an advertising message. Those in attendance were first treated to a sneak peek to their latest project, a spy thriller series starring Chopra entitled Citadel. Citadel, premiering April 28th, is a new kind of show––a global program. Other than the “mothership” series, two additional foreign series will also be released, one taking place in Italy and one in India, existing with the same universe as Citadel. This has never been attempted before, and is truly a groundbreaking moment for TV shows worldwide.

Salke emphasized the importance of globalization in today’s entertainment world, a sentiment deeply echoed by Chopra, who began her career starring in Bollywood and Hindi language films prior to becoming an actress in Hollywood. She noted how, during the pandemic, many people began to watch foreign shows with subtitles and the practice has become far more mainstream. Chopra then shared a sweet anecdote about her mother’s love for Korean dramas, and mentioned how that was when she realized television and acting could truly transport audiences to anywhere in the world. The most notable point that Chopra and Salke left the audience with was a call for greater diversity in television––not just in regard to how actors look, but how they sound and the languages they share their stories in.

Content Creator Meet-Up & Panel

This exciting event began with a conversation and information question and answer session featuring Netflix star and social media sensation Harry Jowsey and his manager Jeff Duncan, CEO of Ingenuity Live, and talent and influencer management company. Both offered insights into the content creation world from the wildly varied perspectives of talent and business manager, making for an incredibly well-rounded presentation. Following their discussion, they opened up the floor to questions and then encouraged all of the content creators in attendance to mix and mingle with each other, launching the conversation with some icebreaker questions. As a content creator both for a fashion brand as well as for my own personal brand, I found it  interesting to meet content creators on both the business side and on the lifestyle/personal brand side. After the event, I caught up with Harry and we talked a bit more about what it is really like being a content creator, from dealing with negative comments to landing your dream brand deals. He emphasized the importance of creating content that brings out your personality, and this is true whether you are creating content to bolster your personal brand or as marketing content for an established company. One thing is clear––short form video content is the new frontier in advertising, and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

VW & Lucasfilm Join Forces with special guest Doug Chiang, Executive Creative Director at Lucasfilm

While it’s clear that the Disney and VW execs didn’t have to force anything when it came to joining together their two iconic brands, countless hours of strategy, research, and an impeccable attention to detail were all necessary to pull off this epic partnership––something that audiences got a special behind-the-scenes look at during this panel. The panel, featuring Ty Ervin (Vice President of Marketing Partnerships at Disney), Gilbert Heise (Chief Strategist of Volkswagen Brand), Kevin Lane Keller (E.B. Osborn Professor of Marketing and Senior Associate Dean for Marketing & Communications at Dartmouth College), and none other than Doug Chiang, Executive Creative Director for Lucasfilm, was moderated by Co-Editor in Chief of Variety Magazine, Cynthia Littleton.  The panelists discussed how storytelling intersects with marketing messages, and how brands can connect with audiences authentically by using both nostalgia and excitement for tomorrow to make marketing messages resonate with them more deeply.  They also stressed the importance of maintaining audience trust, especially with dealing with beloved IP such as Star Wars, and how to keep character integrity while balancing it with creative freedom and new ideas. Chiang quipped that successful brands all share three inherent qualities: Artfulness, character, and humanity.

Those in attendance even got to see a special preview of a still-under-production forthcoming TV spot that will continue this epic collaboration: it features none other than Star Wars icon Grogu, those infamously curious Jawas, and more familiar faces to promote the latest season of Disney+ hit The Mandalorian. Still, Star Wars is only the beginning for the partnership between Disney and Volkswagn––Heise seemed to be constantly hinting at upcoming projects involving the two powerhouse brands featuring different Disney-owned franchises, while Ervin seemed sworn to secrecy. We can only wait to find out as to what’s next.

After the event, I was able to chat with Chiang for a few minutes and thank him for the insights he’d shared with us. We talked about the intersection between branding and storytelling, and he emphasized how he truly believes that storytelling is the backbone of a solid brand. He mentioned that George Lucas always stresses this as well during the creative process, saying that every component––whether in regard to a film, a book, or a TV spot––must have a story to tell. Even products, in order to become iconic, must have personality. And, when it comes down to it, that’s exactly what VW and Disney joined forces to do. They showed audiences that their vehicle was more than just a mode of transportation, but a living, breathing character full of personality––just like R2D2 and C3PO as they ooh and awe at the in the TV spot.

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SXSW: brAIn gAIn

Temerlin Advertising Institute graduate students:
Jackson Ferris and Christiana Savo

The SXSW conference is an exciting opportunity to learn about the latest trends, innovations, and ideas that are shaping the future of technology. Our focus this year will be on a recently trending topic that is sure to affect future generations, Artificial Intelligence. The future of AI is somewhat intimidating! We’re unsure of the scope of changes to come. Nonetheless, we’re looking forward to hearing from industry professionals speaking about how it’s going to change the functionality of the industry- and by that we mean any and every industry. We’ve already been exposed to the controversy of ChatGPT in the educational space but if we’re being honest, this is only the beginning of navigating conflict around AI. We’re looking forward to SXSW because hopefully, it will settle some of our concerns about the future. Maybe by the end of this weekend, we’ll feel in control of AI.

There are many events that offer unique insight from industry leading experts on this topic but we decided to focus on these two:

Can There Be AI Art Without Artists?

How to Think—and Lead—in Ways AI Can’t

These two sessions will provide us with unique insight into the philosophical, applicable, and realistic future of artificial intelligence in our society. The first event “Can There Be AI Art Without Artists?” promises to be an exciting thought-provoking discussion about the ever-increasing threat of AI art in modern artists’ life. While I’m sure this event is going to question future creatives’ roles in all industries, it is also important to consider the benefits of how the technologies can impact the art world. Among the questions that are going to be discussed, one is sure to revolve around the topic of the owner of any work of AI art. The key issue of authorship has been a topic of discussion in the art world in the past, but the traditional mindset of, the artist being the sole creator of the artwork, will no longer be the status quo. Is the algorithm, the artist that trained the algorithm, or the creator who prompted it, the real owner of what is produced? The legal and ethical ramifications of this generation’s decision will determine the intellectual property and ownership of many beautiful and horrifying works in the future.

Another issue that this event will explore is the question of creativity. Can AI be truly creative, or is it just replicating existing patterns and styles? While AI can generate impressive artwork, some argue that it lacks the true creativity and imagination of human artists. However, others argue that AI can be a creative tool that inspires artists to push the boundaries of their own creativity. Finally, this event should also explore the economic implications of AI-generated art. With the rise of generative models, it’s essential to consider how this technology can impact the livelihoods of human artists. Will AI-generated art replace human-created art, or will it become a new modality that can coexist alongside traditional art? Can AI-generated art be profitable, and if so, who should benefit financially? This is just one of many events that promise to be a fascinating exploration of the intersection between technology and creativity. This is sure to be the genesis of many future discussions both legally and morally that will plague the art world for the coming months if not years.

Industry leaders are concerned that AI is a threat to the current model of which they work, and how they manage their work force– will there even be a workforce to manage? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We as humans will evolve to work in congruence with AI; it will become a tool to increase knowledge, and productivity, and push the boundaries of innovation more than ever before. I’m not sure how yet, but I hope to find out more at the How to Think—and Lead—in Ways AI Can’t session. This event promises to provide an intriguing perspective on how to utilize AI in roles pertaining to leadership and decision-making. We expect the event’s central theme to be that although AI can be a powerful tool for processing vast amounts of data, but the opposition is that it’s fundamentally incapable of replicating the full breadth and depth of human experience. The speaker, Nick Chatrath, argues that human experience and judgment are essential for effective leadership, and that the ability to think more like a human will become increasingly critical as AI continues to advance. I am excited to learn more about how Chatrath believes human leaders can use their unique skills to stay ahead of the curve and make informed decisions that reflect the full spectrum of human values. I hope this event will be able to provide the audience with practical advice in ways they can utilize AI to lead in ways they cannot and vice versa. Speaking of the philosophical implications of AI’s effect is fine but I would really look forward to seeing what we can do with AI currently to impact our professional lives and as a result the work we produce. Understanding how AI and humans can work together to achieve better outcomes is crucial, and I am excited to explore these topics at “How to Think—and Lead—in Ways AI Can’t.”

Overall, we’re looking to forward to productive discussions and collaborative workshops around AI this weekend in Austin. Our minds will remain open, and we’ll be challenged to wrap our brains around a future that is not fully ready for us yet as humans. We’re fortunate to experience this evolution that will change humanity and we’re excited to hear from the leaders aspiring to get us there.

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SXSW: Realself // House of Modern Beauty

Charlotte Cutts & Noemie Mwanzuzi

The road to SXSW was different for all of us. Some of us got here Thursday others drove early Friday morning and one of us unfortunately was under the weather.

While the first two days were filled with long walks and  sessions like Designing better ecosystems, Advertising detox, and design thinking in practice we woke up early to finally see what all the hype was about realself/ House of modern beauty.

Upon arriving there was a wait but badges had priority. We signed a disclosure form and entered the house to explore. The RealSelfHouse of Modern Beauty offers consultations and treatments of Dysport, Emsculpt, HydraFacial, Invisalign, Natrelle, Restylane, SkinCeutical, TempSure Envi, and Vivace. Various assistants of the brand, dressed in Millennial Pink, approached us and discussed the benefits of each procedure and service. Surgeons and service providers were readily available to answer any questions. Walking through the house there were displays of success stories from procedures. We saw some travel sized goods and mistakenly thought we could get them. As we progressed through the house into the backyard there is a cute little bar covered in vines and dressed with pink flowers. Very chic and modern. Further into the backyard there were make shift  tents with women getting procedures done as well as a stage for beauty panels through out the day.

Overall, the activation was clean, bright, feminine, and youthful! The procedures appear to be very professional and trustworthy. 10/10 would recommend.

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SXSW: A Psychologist and an Ad Guy Walk into a Bar

Palmer McGraw and Hilary Monroe

Dan Monheit, Strategy Director at Hardhat agency, and Dr. Melissa Weinberg, Psychologist with LifePsych, used five famous advertisements from the past twenty years to illustrate the intersection of Psychology and Advertising. Given all of the research done in the field of psychology regarding behavioral economics, Monheit asks strategist to consider, “how can we use all of this information to create better ads?”

Budweiser’s “Wassup” ad that ran at the 2000 Super Bowl utilized the strategy of vernacular jack to attach the brand to a phrase. By repeating the phrase over and over again in the ad, they attached the feeling of wanting a Budweiser beer to that phrase. The popularity, and utter hilariousness, of this iconic add caused the phrase “Wassup?” to be used over one million times a day, making every utterance a subtle add.

P&G’s 2010 U.S. Olympic ad entitled “Thank you Mom” was enormously successful despite the short time frame they had to make it and the extensive sub-brands they needed to incorporate into the spot. However, by creating content that resonated with audiences on an emotional level they perfectly crafted a commercial that evoked what Monheit and Weinberg dub the memory availability bias. This bias essentially means that it is easier to recall content that is both emotional and personal, so ads should work to create advertisements as such to enhance recall.

TAC, an Australian safety initiative, created a campaign to lower car fatalities to zero. This advertisement was successful because they implemented the framing effect. This explains that they way that we interpret information has little to do with the information itself. It is how the information is communicated that makes us engage with it.

In 2006, Apple created a campaign that was enormously successful because they utilized the peak end rule. This strategy explains that judgement of experience is not how we felt during it, but how we felt at the end of it. Monheit and Weinber suggest that strategists pick 2 or 3 key points and place the most important at the end because that is what people will remember.

Finally, in 2007 Unicef created a campaign which drew on the licensing effect. This theory explains how we seek balance with our decisions. It is why once we accomplish something challenging, such as finishing a huge school assignment or meeting another personal goal, we give ourselves permission to indulge or, in other words, “treat yourself!”

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SXSW: Neuroscience Proves Advertising’s Effectiveness

Conrad Li and Lauren Howard

“Great creative is about the gut feel and neuroscience proves it to be real.”

As advertisers we assume that great creative pieces will automatically result in high-recall and brand recognition. Human brains are decidedly lazy and have to be working all the time to gather and understand information, which means that advertisers need to work hard to make both the advertising message interesting and memorable.

In order for brands to be successful with their advertisements, they need to be understanding of the different ways to connect with consumers. They need to reduce the cognitive load that consumers are experiencing through their advertisements so that viewers don’t feel overwhelmed, but still understand the idea and message of the ad. Brands need to focus on three kinds of thinking to be successful and reduce the cognitive load: Brand Kind, Behavior Kind, and most importantly Brain Kind.

Brand Kind is the reality or relationship consumers have with brands; they are looking for “friends with benefits” relationship where they get what they want from the brand without too much effort. Behavior kind deals with the ability and opportunity for ads to bring a change in behavior such as making a purchase. Brain Kind is the most important one for brands to focus on and it deals with the visual shortcuts that allow brands to connect consumers using as many senses as possible. When ads only use one sense to reach consumers, there is not as much engagement, recognition, resonance, or relevance.

The speakers throughout this session showed that they used neuroscience to measure the key metrics stated above. Some of the world’s most memorable and well performing ads rated highly in engagement, but sometimes had the lowest brand recall. By using neuroscience, the presenters were trying to find a sweet spot between creativity and memory. Since memory is a finite resource, creatives need to find the best way to garner as much of it as possible. They believe that better experiences and engagement of senses can help with brand recall, but too much will lead to cognitive overload.

Brands that use creative ways to create moving ads (such as video) and experiential setups have the highest recognition, resonance, and relevance. Ads such as Sony’s Bravio Balls and Apple’s 1984 have high recall and recognition because of the ways they engage the brain. In the end, ads that have great creative elements that involve using different senses and direct brand messaging are the ones that stay with us the longest.

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SXSW: 4 the Win Win

Alex Lily and Rosendo Martinez

The power of social good and corporate consciousness is a rising trend at South by, so much so that it has merited its own track “Social & Global Impact”. Regardless, it has been evident in almost every panel. People want to get behind brands that positively impact the community and the world, and it is important, now more than ever, that brands become beacons of positive change.

Throughout the conference, videos of Elon Musk saying, “you should not just focus on fixing something, work on something that inspires.” This has become a clear motto for SXSW, as people focus on not only acquiring new customers and growth but also making an impactful social and environmental change to the world in which they work; thus, a win win for everyone.

In Rohit Bhargava’s discussion of his book 7 Non-Obvious Trends Changing the Future in 2019, he explored the trend “enterprise empathy”, which positions businesses to showcase their involvement in the community and connect with customers on an emotional level. One example he gave, is that of the supermarket industry in the UK in which grocers like Tesco offer slower lanes and quiet hours so that customers with specific mental and health needs can shop in comfort and at leisure. Thus, they were able to tap into an underserved market and change the daily lives of their communities by making grocery shopping more accessible for all. By tackling the problem emphatically, companies are able to better strengthen their mission, engage with customers, and find new avenues for growth.
In a fireside chat with Christopher Gavigan, the co-founder and chief purpose officer at The Honest Co., and Nina Montgomery, the author of Perspectives on Impact and Perspectives on Purpose, aptly titled, “Moving Beyond the Buzz of Purpose & Impact”, both discussed the struggle of businesses and social enterprises to tackle and hold on to purpose in a meaningful way. Both said that it was evident that social impact as the purpose of a company is great driver of growth and brand engagement but it is critical that companies ingrain this purpose in to the entire culture and strategy of the business. You have to “show up in a meaningful way” in order to create a “global and iconic brand”.


During the Bumble brand activation called the HIVE SXSW in which they took over Jo’s Coffee, each corporate employee passionately referred to the social mission of empowering women. Clearly, this purpose is deeply ingrained to the cultural foundation. It is reaffirmed in each and every way the brand grows, even so that expansion into India challenged the company to culturally adapt by ensuring women’s safety.

When companies have a mission and become champions of social improvements, they strengthen from the inside out. SXSW once again empowers executives, employees, and innovators to gear their companies to become leaders of positive social and global impact, a win win for everyone.

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SXSW: The Bumble Hive

Madison Cansler and Michael Bailey

Starting the weekend off with a bang, SMU Temerlin Advertising students are in Austin for SXSW Interactive!

Day 1 began at the Austin convention center to grab badges and then we let the fun begin!  Students scattered around event in search of seminars that ignite their interests.

Some of the first events attended included Designing a Better Media Ecosystem Without Ads, Spectrum at Thomas, The Spurs Interactive, The Future of Enterprise Marketing, and the Bumble Hive: An Experiential Meetup.

The highlight of the morning was consulting with former SMU student, Chelsea Maclin, VP of Marketing for Bumble. Bumble is rapidly evolving the app to ensure relevance to its growing user base. Maclin also relayed her experience  with Bumble operating in a small apartment, and contrasted that with the 100 plus employees spreading the app to India and Mexico.

Chelsea Maclin, VP Marketing at Bumble

Bumble’s success has come from evaluating all marketing efforts against being: 1) glocal, 2) integrated, 3) sustainable, 4) measurable, and 5) impactful.

Ending the session with a group pic with Maclin, the SMU Temerlin Advertising students are excited to make our school proud and see what else the weekend has in store!

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Navigating the Waters of Data-Driven Storytelling at SXSW Interactive 2018

Temerlin Advertising Institute graduate students Jessica Phillips and Catherine Scholl

Complexity, Complexity, Complexity

In an enlightening talk about data-driven storytelling, we heard from a panel of professionals about how they combine art and scientific data to execute seamless storytelling in their companies. The panel consisted of Renee Lightner, User Experience Technologist at Viacom, Russell Goldenberg, Editor at Polygraph / The Pudding, and Alex Simoes, CTO at Datawheel. Each member of the panel provided unique insight into perspectives and paradigms within data-driven storytelling through the lens of each of their respective disciplines.

Lightner opened by explaining the importance of online versus print graphics. Online graphics allow users to see the full picture and interact with the content, allowing for a better experience. A strategy she keyed in on was “complexity,” repeating a visual over and over so the reader grasps the content. Additionally, she said it’s important to allow the opportunity for the reader to explore the data on their own. Graphics should inform the reader while still allowing room for them to explore and take in the information at their own time in their own way.

Goldenberg explained the process that The Pudding goes through when providing content.

  • Start with an idea. Collect data. Analyze. Present.

The first three phases explore, while guidance is the final outcome. Great data does not matter – unless, it can be explained with a great guide. As we enter a world of AI with more data and more accurate data, consumers will be overwhelmed if it is not curated in meaningful ways.

Simoes’ approach to storytelling integrates data, extracts and matches entities and indicators, and builds integrated stories. Entities can be, for example, Los Angeles or coal mining, while the indicators within these categories can be something like exports or employment. Together, this information leads to integrated stories on the economy, education, health, etc. The outcome must be aggregated data that is easy to read, interactive, and entertaining. These three ideas seem to be a central theme to creating rich storytelling.

This panel was just one of so many incredible talks that we have attended this week. The atmosphere is absolutely electric as people immerse themselves in SXSW Interactive and all Austin has to offer.