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Three Main Lessons from SXSW

By: Riku Vassinen

28 presentations, panels and keynotes.

73 pages of notes on my Moleskine.

Plus lots of VR and AR demos and company booths.

Constant feeling of missing something out.

More interesting people, discussions and food for thought in a week than you usually have in months.

Sleep deprivation mixed with jet lag.

Painful muscle spasms in your leg because of 20hrs in plane to and from.

Too much fried food.

3D and Cheetos version of your head.

SXSW 2018 is over and it was truly inspiring experience.

Having had couple of days to reflect, these were the main threads that emerged across multiple different disciples:

1      Big data to smart data

Many of the talks this year raised concerns about the way companies have been collecting data. As data points become more immersive such as facial recognition, the right way to utilize the data might not be hoarding masses of data. It is about using your data in smarter way. Blockchain could enable companies to utilize useful data but without the need for massive database around you. GDPR will be changing the data landscape radically in Europe.

In my Final talk of SXSW, Samantha Mathews introduced SoulPrize: innovation competition to create unified personal identity server device and accompanying platform that gives each person ownership over their own personal information and the ability to leverage that data as they choose. Currently they have raised already 10 million to the purse to find the solution.

Also it is good to remember that data itself is meaningless. What insights you can derive from data separates you from the rest. Immediately when we move to the interpretation of data, we will also start to manipulate data.

2      Integration of everything

Many people back home have asked what is the buzzword of SXSW? And to be honest there is not any. Cutting-edge marketers have realized that it is not about shiny new object or catchphrase, but how that sexy new thing works with all the other touchpoints. Our audience does not separate digital and other ways of living. As AR and VR gets more mainstream, they will become as natural part of our life as using social media or messaging.

So many of the talks were about how to tie all the strings together. How you mine data from VR? How blockchain can help different industries? How cannabis industry is essentially forced to leapfrog in all the aspects of technology because of regulations? How legacy industries can work together with start-ups to innovate? How AI fuels all the parts of consumer journey?

The succeeding marketers in 2018 are integrators and conductors of this complicated world.

3      AI requires and allows us to be more human

It was refreshing to hear many viewpoints about how discussion about AI is almost too soon. Many speakers said that we are currently using maybe only 50% of our human intelligence. In Australia there are fewer women in top leadership positions than there are men name John, Peter & Dave. USA reached all time-high in amount of female CEO´s: 5%.

All the research pinpoints that diverse teams are more successful but the same time 78% of people don´t trust their team mates. To survive era of AI we need to start working better together and appreciate and make better use of diversity.  

Algorithms are also build by man and that means there can be biases (whether in training set or implicit). Interesting side effect in the rise of machine learning is that we need to start to focus more on “softer” things: selling, empathy, understanding come easily to humans than to robots. Whereas studying maths does not really make sense as robots will eventually be better in that in any case.

Steven Wolf Pereira compared AI to flying. Human needs to take the reign in take-off (setting your business goals) and landing (analysing, optimizing, changing the course). Actually flying is done by machines or planes.

In his Annual SXSW Interactive ending speech/rant Bruce Sterling talked about the need for our industry to add more art to tech. In many ways art is basic research of digital (and of course right now the worry in US is declining investment to basic research). You tinker and play with new digital things and eventually those plays will turn into future.

It is great to solve problems of today, but through the exploration of technology we can solve the opportunities of future.  

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SXSWAPAC 2018 Daily Recap #5

In our last daily recap from SXSW2018, we look at VR Cinema, the countless offline experience opportunities afforded by digital, and how advancements in Artificial Intelligence are driving the need for more human intelligence.

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How to Lie With Your Data

“Data does not lie”

Sometimes I hear this comment in meetings. It makes me cringe, because data itself is not yet proof of anything. Data tells one part, but..

Every chart is a manipulation of sorts. When you create a chart from your data, you have to make a decision about the various ways you are portraying your data. Some of the decisions you need to make:

-Range

-Space

-Color

-Form

-Text

-Marks

-Conventions

The following two charts have the same data but quite different visualization:

More misleading charts can be found here.

Data itself is the same, but how data is represented is vastly different. The one on top takes liberties with range, uses color to make the point. Numbers itself are right but the presentation is not really following the best practices.

Scott Berinato, senior editor for Harvard Business Review, shared his manipulation matrix that is useful when you analyze the motives behind a chart (X-axis is Intentions from bad to good, and y-axis Execution from bad to good)

We human beings are not rational. First we feel. Then we try to relate. Just after that we think. Therefore data is not the whole truth but how you present your data can be a whole lie.

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SXSW 2018 Daily Recap #4

In today's recap, Michelle Xu talks about AI taking over the human part of creative content. Meanwhile Daniel van Leeuwen and Riku Vassinen debate data - the new oil or the new oil spill?

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SXSW: 5 takeaways from Austin

by Josie Brown

1.     Voice, sound and gesture are taking over from text in our screen-less future. Hardware for AI-powered voice assistants, audio assistants and the topic of designing for a screen-less future was more tangible than last year. As AI emerges as the engine to power our digital lives, there were more examples from Google, from Bose with an AR audio concept – even an Air DJ deck controlled by gesture - of how brands make a move from the visual web to audio web Implication for brands & marketers: Expand the definition of the personality of our brands to include their voice and spoken style and start designing impactful audio experiences.

2.     Acceleration of the shift in physical retail towards brand experience. Physical retail spaces will continue to evolve to provide value to shoppers based on human connection and the engagement of all 5 senses. Stores will become marketing experiences, letting online channels and technology power an intelligent “Retail OS”. Opportunity for brands & agencies: create unique experiences that consumers want to spend time with – ultimately experiences that consumers will pay for. Themes to consider: bring communities together, deliver wellness services, educate or entertain.

3.     Virtual Reality is not dead…but still seeking scale. Entertainment, Education and impactful visual experiences are being created for Virtual Reality, but they are not reaching mass audiences. VR house Felix & Paul created a fun movie trailer for Wes Anderson that is worth dusting off the VR headset for – content like this could drive more mass viewing. A UK production, in conjunction with Sky featuring David Attenborough, called “Hold the World” shows where subscription content for VR viewing could go. Considerations for brands: look at ways to impact audiences with VR Train sales teams to engage with VR to have more impact. Create content good enough that consumers want to watch with headsets at home. Design immersive education experiences that are compelling and drive action.

4.     Sustainability rules, especially when chefs shape culture From growing sustainable businesses to supporting sustainable food sources, consideration for the planet is shaping where consumers shop, eat and share their experiences on social media. The food industry in particular showcases this direction as cooking and how we eat is influenced by celebrity chefs on TV, restaurant owners and food influencers on social channels telling stories of sustainable produce and sustainable living through good food. Application for brands & marketers: tell the real stories of good husbandry and the contribution to a more sustainable future.

 5. Data needs human effort to take off and land

The impact of machine intelligence and using data to improve effectiveness was the dominant theme at SXSW in 2018 but there are polarising points of view. From Elon Musk’s fear that AI could destroy humanity to more optimistic outlooks from Tim O’Reilly who believes AI can help create new marketplaces and get more from the same resources to create value.

Implication for brands: the use of data was discussed across every category, but the key take-out is that thoughtful human direction is needed to ask the right questions of the data (in preparation for take-off) and to apply creativity to address the opportunities that data can illuminate (landing the data insights in real action).

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Cannabis Is Leapfrogging Technological Innovation

The great thing about SXSW is that you learn new perspectives on things you know very little about. “Cannabis Tech Stack”-talk was one such talk where I didn’t really know any of terms and had to Google every few minutes (terpene profile, strain type, etc.). And for good reason, the cannabis industry isn’t exactly booming in Singapore.

But elsewhere it is.

Marijuna is legal currently in 9 states and medical marijuana in 29 states. Canada will legalize recreational marijuana mid-2018. Australia wants to become the biggest producer of medical cannabis.The international market for cannabis is projected to hit 31.4 billion in 2021.

So this industry is no longer about hippies and weirdly-dressed potheads bumbling around. In SXSW there were (smartly dressed) experts on cannabis-related CRM, venture capital, data solutions and Agritech. Because of the regulatory landscape there is now an entire ecosystem of cannabis-related specialists:

The mind-blowing fact was that in many ways the cannabis industry is leap-frogging in technological innovation, not unlike Indonesia (with people first accessing the Internet via mobile - bypassing the desktop) and China (people skipping credit cards and paying via mobile). The marijuana industry is only around 5 years old so everything is brand new. The panelists said that regulations have actually forced them to innovate harder.

There are five key innovation areas within cannabis industry right now:

1      Agritech and genetics

A growing number of marijuana growers are moving into greenhouses and experimenting with ways to improve the quality of the product.

2      Brand building in a post-advertising era

By nature of the industry, dispensaries are not able to advertise their different wares. That requires them to find new ways to connect with customers. Also different states have different regulations so it is challenging to create a “Coca-Cola” of cannabis. When you cannot use traditional promotional channels, retail experience and data become more important. Word-of-mouth is also essential. Cy Scott (who now heads a marijuana marketing intelligence company) co-founded Leafly that is essentially a Tripadvisor for marijuana.

3      Retail innovation

Cannabis dispensaries are at the forefront of both NFC-technology and how to innovate the retail space. In-store experience is essential when you cannot really build your brand in other ways.

4      Data spine across everything

Marijuana companies are data-driven. Real-time data fuels everything from production to retail experience.

5      Blockchain as part of the way of working

Nicholas Cooper (CEO of TriGrow systems), whose company creates end-to-end cultivation solutions for the cannabis industry,use Blockchain in their internal projects. With a product where origin and ingredients plays an important role, Blockchain can help you to track the supply chain and to ensure the quality of the product. 

So you heard it here. Cannabis start-ups will be the same to US digital innovation as WeChat has been to Chinese digital innovation. Apparently there are no restrictions to invest in some of these companies as a foreigner, so maybe this will become the next Bitcoin?

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By: Riku Vassinen

Well this is one way of using AI...

Cheetos launched the Cheetos Vision app during SXSW that makes a Cheeto version of your face. Cheetos VP of marketing says in Chief Marketer:

Cheetos Vision is a “style transfer” app created by an AI process known as deep learning. This involves a convolutional neural network “learning” Cheetos images using intense computation. We started with just still photos and were able to expand it to video for launch.

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SXSWAPAC 2018 Daily Recap #3

In today’s Daily Recap, what’s the biggest epidemic currently facing human beings? What on earth is a ‘gravity score’? And just how important is inclusivity in beauty?

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SXSWAPAC 2018 Daily Recap #2

Today’s Daily Recap looks at the future of retail, Elon Musk’s AI fears, and why we should remember that technology must serve humans and humanity, and not the other way around.

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From Big Data to Smart Data: How Blockchain is Enabling Both Convenience and Security of Your Own Data

By: Riku Vassinen

“Data is the new oil, but it is also the oil spill”

-Brian Behlendorf, Hyperledger

This year’s SXSW has been heavily focused on AI - and to make AI work in your organization you need to have useful data to derive actionable insights. There has been talk about big data, but an increasing notion that companies might have too much data. Bigger is not always better. You need smart data that can drive action for your company.  

Historically when people have been presented with the choice of convenience or security, the majority has always opted for convenience. You give massive amounts of data to Facebook because it is then convenient to be in contact with your friends and stalk your ex-spouses. In the “Business of Blockhain”, Brian Behlendorf and Amber Baldet talked about “the fetish of big data”.

Companies are increasingly collecting vast amounts of data that is not necessarily even useful for them at this point, or that they should not be owning in any case. The more data you have shared with different companies, the bigger the probability that one of these platforms will be hacked at some point. But it is the selection between convenience and security. There has been no indication that the masses would actually start to worry about privacy and security…until it´s too late.

Blockchain could actually allow companies to access relevant data about you (with your consent) but you could control it more easily. For example you could let companies access relevant data on a case-by-case basis but not let them store your data. Blockchain could allow better user control of your data but still enable companies to offer the convenience that users crave and appreciate.

It could even enable you to monetize your own personal data. Digital platforms have build their businesses around data, but maybe the next big innovations are driven by data-first companies who take privacy seriously.

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SXSW as seen by someone from a 3rd world country

By Brandie Tan

Obviously the title is click bait. The Philippines, despite being a 3rd world country, is not by far behind the rest of the world when it comes to marketing and advertising. In fact the country has produced some of the world’s best.

I was sent by J. Walter Thompson and Mirum Asia Pacific as part of a team of delegates to the Interactive track of SXSW 2018. Now, Interactive? Isn’t SXSW about Music and Film? It is. It’s also about Interactive which is about innovation, marketing and the future. The future is what SXSW is all about. New Films, New Music, New stuff. Marketing and Advertising belongs in the “Stuff”.

Which bring me to my first observation. Really good advertising should really belong to the Music and the Film track of SXSW. This is because the work doesn’t look like advertising and therefore looks like it belongs within popular culture.

Observation two. Being innovative doesn’t always mean being technologically new.

And my final observation is that the best advertising is something people go out of their way to interact with. To watch, to listen to, to play with, to find useful everyday. You might say that the best advertising is a product on its own.

These three simple observations would probably be helpful to any marketing team and agency no matter where they’re from in the world. First world to third world.

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Trust, Cogency & Authenticity in an Anti-Ad World

A panel comprising Jason Viglione of Olapic, Nadine Chahine of Montype and Gay Gaddis of T-3

Increasingly people are skeptical and disillusioned with the way brands are engaging with them and flooding them with one-sided marketing messages. Brand trust and authenticity is at an all-time low - people want to be part of a story where they have the opportunity to build a positive, symbiotic relationship with brands that contribute to their identities. This session explores how brands can gain trust with co-creation strategies, ultra-transparent campaigns, and personalized design cues. (Courtesy of SXSW site)

Top lessons on being authentic with your audience

1. Being authentic doesn’t mean badly shot pictures.

2. Being authentic means telling your client what she needs and not what she wants.

3. Being authentic means working with people who really love your brand.

4. Being authentic means finding meaning in every element in your communication

5. Being authentic to your customers means being current.

The panel was an interesting set. I myself having been a photographer and designer before, found their current jobs interesting:

Jason is the Director of Global Technical Support for Olapic. He is at the front line of ensuring that brands are able to make effective use of the authentic content and assets they rely on to reach their audiences in an authentic and trustworthy way.

Dr. Nadine Chahine is an award winning Lebanese type designer working as the UK Type Director and Legibility Expert at Monotype. She has an MA in Typeface Design from the University of Reading, UK, and a PhD from Leiden University, The Netherlands. Nadine’s research focus is on eye movement and legibility studies for the Arabic, Latin, and Chinese scripts. She has numerous awards including two Awards for Excellence in Type Design from the Type Directors Club in New York in 2008 and 2011. Her typefaces include: the best-selling Frutiger Arabic, Neue Helvetica Arabic, Univers Next Arabic, Palatino and Palatino Sans Arabic, and Koufiya. Nadine's work has been featured in the 5th edition of Megg's History of Graphic Design and in 2012 she was selected by Fast Company as one of its 100 Most Creative People in Business. In 2016 her work was showcased in the 4th edition of First Choice which highlights the work of the 250 top global designers practising today. In 2017, Nadine was selected by Creative Review to their Creative Leaders 50 which aims to celebrate, educate and inspire those who are leading creative businesses, organisations and teams in the UK.

Gay cashed in $16,000 in 1989 to create a new breed of agency. Today, Gay is actively involved in T3 and as as writer and on women’s leadership, company culture and entrepreneurship. Her book, Cowgirl Power, was released in January 2018. It shares insights and examples for women to develop personal power and lead like fearless cowgirls.

By Brandie Tan

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The future of retail is... marketing experience

Physical retail is moving to experiential entertainment where stores become marketing experiences, letting online channels and technology power an intelligent “Retail OS”.

The future of retail will see more distinct roles for online and offline retail channels.

Physical stores become “Lifestyle Marketplaces” with high value experiences around education, community and wellness.  Online channels underpin an intelligent foundation for retail operations, where technology powers fulfilment, inventory and personalisation.

In an era where people don’t have to go to stores, they have to WANT to go to stores, brand experiences become a distinct marketing activity to compete for consumer attention. Rather than just charging the consumer for products, brands and services should aim to charge for experiences, says Joe Pine, retail strategist at SXSW.

At SXSW, PSFK presented their “Future of Retail” report with 10 trends underpinning how to build an integrated retail business harnessing both online and offline channels. They present a hierarchy of consumer retail needs where convenience and access comes through eCommerce and the high value consumer needs of aspiration, belonging and community are delivered in person with a branded experience.

Through examples ranging from Selfridges “Music Matters” concert venues in the department store, through to Lululemon’s meditation spaces and even “Holorooms” provided by home renovation store Lowe’s – where consumers can see in advance how to complete their DIY jobs, we were shown how shoppers can enjoy spending time discovering brands.

 This was brought to life clearly at another energetic panel including Underarmour’s Christiana DiMattesa, Director of DTC Marketing who shared examples of Underarmour’s grassroots marketing activities across the US, bringing consumers into stores to exercise and to participate in community events. Each of Underarmour’s stores now has a Community Manager to build local relationships with the community and to form partnerships that go beyond selling sports shirts.

As physical stores evolve their purpose in an integrated retail offer, DiMattesa talked about the importance of consistent and connected retail experiences between eCommerce, outlet shopping and physical stores. The goal is still to increase sales, but now repeat purchase may not mean going back to the same store. What starts in a branded experience may now convert online and repeat in an outlet in a department store. This brings a need for consumer data and shared metrics across the business like never before.

The implication for brands, and for agencies especially, is to think about creating consistent brand experiences across eCommerce and in-store experiences. Defining the nature of the relationship between the brand and consumer becomes even more important when you want to ensure that shoppers value the time they spend with you as much as they value the products they buy.

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2018 Tech Trends Report

You’ve undoubtedly studied trends within your own industry, but how can you prepare yourself and your business for what’s next in a world of continuous disruption? In order to see the future of one technology, you must look at the interconnected future of many technologies. Futurist Amy Webb, Professor at NYU Stern School of Business and founder of the Future Today Institute, released the 11th annual Tech Trends Report at SXSW 2018 which is available to download here - www.bitly.com/FTITechTrends2018 

There are over 225 trends in the report covering 20 industries, and the broad scope is intentional. To understand the future of technology, you must consider the past, present and future of all things. Otherwise, you are essentially looking at the world through a pinhole.  

Below are some key highlights  from the report but I encourage everyone to read the report themselves and see how the insights can be applied to your line of work/ industry/ project/ start-up/self.

2018 marks the beginning of the end of traditional smartphones.

During the next decade, we will start to transition to the next era of computing and connected devices, which we will wear and will command using our voices, gesture and touch. The transition from smartphones to smart wearables and invisible interfaces will forever change how we experience the physical world.

Everyone should be paying extremely close attention to China

Chinese government is investing hundreds of billions of dollars into artificial intelligence, genomic editing, green technologies and renewable energy sources, smart farming systems and space exploration.

No other country’s government is racing towards the future with as much force and velocity as China, and this could signal big shifts in the balance of geopolitical power in the years ahead.

Others will disagree with this https://amgreatness.com/2018/03/10/why-china-will-fail/

Policymakers won’t be prepared to deal with new challenges that arise from emerging science and technology

The tension between privacy and security will increase. As a result, we are likely to see regulations, rules and legislation that are either too restrictive or don’t acknowledge that science and tech are in constant motion. This could mean big problems for tech giants and startups alike - not to mention everyday citizens all around the world.

Decentralisation will accelerate and not in a way which blockchain advocates proclaim

Citing security concerns and infringements on intellectual property, some democratic governments around the world are restricting internet access and are banning certain content, effectively creating dozens of “splinternets.” Sweeping changes to data privacy regulations, called the General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR), will take affect in the European Union this year. China is cracking down on virtual personal networks, while the U.S. debates whether or not to allow ISPs to collect and sell subscriber data, meter access and throttle connection speeds. All of this points to a new emphasis ways to circumvent traditional ISPs using private and peer-to-peer networks. How all of this plays out once our connected homes, cars, and wearables go online is still unclear.

Biology is emerging as the most important technology platform

Molecular Self Assembling Robots are something which could have come out of a Black Mirror episode. It is a self-folding, single strand programmable DNA that can live inside living things .  It will eventually lead to a plug and play nano medicine (think wix for drug delivery). Rather than having to  take medication, we take mini robots which fix us autonomously.

All sounds really exciting but it could lead to a problem of overpopulation. Some say the only way to govern this will be through robots - they will decide who lives or dies based on different data points. Here’s a possible scenario -16 year old girl with a bright future gets pregnant. MSA robot analyses the situation and decides it’s better to terminate the pregnancy as it will be better for the girl and society. @charltonbrooker please make this into a Black Mirror episode ;-)

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New Model of Content Creation

By: Riku Vassinen

In the panel ”Science of Art: Using Data to Create Viral Moments”, Jean Ellen Cowgill from Atlantic 57 (consulting unit of Atlantic) shared their new content approach:

This is something that brands should take into account as well. Creation and planning  is still hugely important, but there should be more focus on distribution and resurfacing:

Distribution.  Algorithms from social media networks change constantly. It used to best practice to share photos in Facebook for the highest visibility. Now you should do live video or create a group for your most loyal fans. Next week it is something new. Also same content should not just be shared in different channels: you need to optimize. Currently LinkedIn is almost secret sauce to some marketers. Many brands get the same amount of engagement from LinkedIn than from Facebook and Twitter combined. At the same time LinkedIn presence for many brands are abysmal.

Resurfacing. This is essentially are we suck as brands. Once we have created and share content, we forget it. Half of all the visits to Atlantic come from articles over 1 month old. We fell into this fallacy of being really topical all the time and miss the opportunities to share existing content (maybe in modified form) again when it makes topical sense.

The model above is something that every brand should take into consideration.

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Natya Sekar Arum - Jr. Copywriter J. Walter Thompson Jakarta

I like ideas, I love to write & I devote myself to giving people another reason to dance with advertising. In this fast-evolving world, I'd love to know how innovation can create new ways to engage with people, especially the younger generation. I'm curious about what the future has in store for us.

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Sushi Teleportation? Yes please! 

By Natya Sekar Arum

Have you ever wanted to send your loved ones a home-cooked meal but they live across the country? Or have you ever had that urge to taste a dish during a cooking show that makes your mouth water? In the future, food transferral can be more than just your usual late-night Chinese takeout or at least, that’s what the Open Meals project from Japan is developing right now.

So, how does it work? Open Meals concept will first measure the actual food into certain sets of data: flavor (with a taste sensor), shape/color (via 3D scanner), nutrients and texture/density/moisture content (pressure sensor/MRI). Using “gel” as the material, the data will be stored inside a Food Base, a digital platform that acts as a food database. After the data is acquired, the Pixel Food Printer (which is currently under development for this project) will print it very small pixels that eventually will turn it into the dish that you want.

Interesting, huh? While waiting for it to come true in the future, in the meantime, I’ll just sit here with my takeout and imagine what Gordon Ramsay might say about this - FFS? (For Future’s Sake?)