SXSWorld
Issue link: https://sxsw.uberflip.com/i/130442
AARON ROGOSIN Sonos Playground Enchevitch also stresses the need to create an experience that will keep the company in attendees' heads after the week is over. "If you can connect in [the right] way, then the impression stays much longer than when they leave Austin," he says. "With SXSW, and the confluence of fans, partners, press and industry folks, the playground installation was seen as a rich experience." There were other rich experiences to be had in addition to those offered by Samsung, HBO, A&E and Sonos. The mobile Wi-Fi provider Hobnob outfitted shuttles throughout the SXSW area with free Wi-Fi during the festival, while lifestyle and media company Vice hosted thousands for free music, movie screenings and more, just south of the Austin Convention Center at its Viceland activation. Ultimately, the unifying aspect of all of the activations is that they tied the experiences they provided directly to the companies that offered them. Samsung stressed the access to a cooler lifestyle that it seeks to "We're a company of music lovers who make products for music lovers ... People who come to Austin are music lovers, so having an experience rooted in music has to be key—but it must occur in a way that the person feels that we, as a company, see music as our core as well." associate with its products, and offered the chance to see Prince as proof; HBO and A&E gave attendees the opportunity to have a hands-on experience with their programs; Sonos demonstrated the capabilities of its new Playbar as it hosted performances by the sort of artists its customers are likely to want to listen to; Hobnob demonstrated the usefulness of mobile Wi-Fi; and Vice gave a hip experience consistent with its brand. As marketing gets more experience-based, the brands that do it well are likely to follow that trend. ■ To find out more about how to market at SXSW, visit sxsw.com/marketing S X S W O R L D / M AY 2 0 1 3 37