SXSW 2017: Experiential Marketing of the Future

If there’s any marketing extravaganza industry leaders get hyped for, it’s South by Southwest. This year, SXSW rolled out a slew of hot experiential trends. The world’s leading conference in high-tech business, digital innovation and—of course—business promotion is back. Now, we’re here to bring you the highlights.

Neuroscience in Marketing

Yeah, it sounds ambitious. It’s surprisingly capable, however, and it was showcased as a live marketing art display. The brain-friendly experiential displays highlighted SXSW’s collection of high-tech displays, showcasing AI-powered neuroscience bots. Dubbed ‘pre-suasion,’ the event mashed up digital complexity and the average consumer’s daily wants and needs.

Sony’s Wow Factory

Above all brands, Sony’s tech display probably won. Its knock-out collection of ‘techsperiments’ revealed its global Wow brand campaign. Packed with sonic motion music entertainment, projection-mapped VR experiences and an encompassing ‘Wow Factory,’ Sony thrived in SXSW.

Amazon’s Delivery Drones

While Amazon’s high-tech delivery drone program might be old news, its live demos have been heavily anticipated. SXSW became Amazon’s platform for presentation, proving the delivery program’s existence. Until now, many have rightfully scoffed at the feasibility of such a program. Tested across the UK and Germany, Amazon’s drone fleet hasn’t seen many audiences—until now.

Xperia Touch

Consumers are knowledgeable about touchscreens, but Sony—again—surpassed all expectations. It presented the Android projector, the Xperia Touch, and let visitors test out its flat-surface projections. Useable on the wall, the floor or even on a table, the Xperia Touch promises to be one of today’s leading augmented display technologies.

Levi’s Commuter Trucker Jacket

The clothing brand, Levi’s, got its presentation as well. The brand has partnered with Google to make ‘smart clothes’ capable of integrating SMS, Google maps and more. Levi’s presented a live tech demo, letting users try out its Commuter Trucker Jacket. Capable of reading swipes, taps and a slew of other inputs, the Trucker Jacket was one of SXSW’s most hands-on displays.

The Fortis Exoskeleton

It’s about to get weird. While the rest of SXSW went crazy over self-driving cars, projectors and jackets, Lockheed Martin presented its Fortis exoskeleton. Strapped to the body, the exoskeleton adds skeletal support. It helps the frail walk, helps construction workers lift heavy objects and—well—exists as one of the event’s coolest pieces of technology.

How Netflix Created A Gilmore Girls Pop-Up Program with Local Coffee Shops

If you are a planner and looking for a creative idea for a future event, look no further than Netflix's Gilmore Girls pop-up program. Netflix signed up more than 200 coffee shops for its unique Gilmore Girls event. The purpose of this pop-up program was to spike viewership for the remake of the Gilmore Girls series. The cult classic was revived on Netflix on October 5. Later this month, Netflix will release “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” that takes an in-depth look at each of the series' main characters in segmented fashion. About Netflix's Gilmore Girls Pop-up Program

Netflix worked with Allied Experiential to recruit over 200 cafes throughout the United States for its pop-up program. The entertainment company redesigned each coffee shop into the Gilmore Girls' hangout of Luke's Diner. Netflix personnel hand-picked specific coffee shops based on strategic location, right down to the neighborhoods in which these sites are situated. The aim was to connect with those who are most likely to watch the Gilmore Girls series as well as young professionals. Netflix gurus believe that those between the ages of 20 and 30 are the target demographic for the remake of Gilmore Girls as these individuals were most likely to have enjoyed the series during its seven year run in the early 2000s.

Why the Gilmore Girls Pop-up Program Succeeded

The Gilmore Girls pop-up program was scheduled for what the company refers to as “Gilmoreversary”. This is the date that the series first aired. The event was a smashing success, attracting hundreds of fans at nearly each participating coffee shop. Some cafes reported that fan interest was so high that pop-up goers spilled out onto the street. Netflix equipped each cafe with signs, coffee mug sleeves with Gilmore Girls branding and a baseball cap/flannel shirt combination for staff. Netflix even went as far as providing money to the coffee shops for free java between the hours of 7 AM and Noon. Each coffee shop was also provided with Gilmore Girls branded aprons and shirts to sell to pop-up attendees.

It is clear that Netflix went all out with this event. The online streaming service even went as far as sending one of the series' actors, Scott Patterson, out to the pop-up at Luke's Diner in Beverly Hills. Part of the reason for the event's success is the fact that Netflix took the extra step of advising each coffee shop with specific guidelines as to how they should promote the pop-up through social media channels. Gilmore Girls ascended to the number three trending Twitter topic on the day of the pop-up. Netflix's Gilmore Girls pop-up is an example of the type of detailed planning and creativity that every planner can draw inspiration from for future events.

Looking for a venue for your own experiential marketing event?  We have multiple event spaces that are perfect for events of various sizes, so you can be sure that you can fit any size crowd inside. Whether you're planning one event or a multi-venue tour, make sure one of your stops is at Soho Studios!  Contact us today to get started.