To start off, I have to say that eight days ago I had no idea I would have the opportunity to go to SXSW. After a fellow Salt Lake City team member was not able to attend, I was awarded the opportunity to represent MRM//McCann as a Global Brand Ambassador at the SXSW Interactive conference. I was THRILLED. I was in shock. I was humbled, realizing that I was heading to the ultimate digital experience — any marketer’s dream.
Twenty-four hours after hearing the news, I landed in Austin, Texas. Having visited Austin several times before SXSW, I had developed a fair perception of the city. Austin is: BBQ, music, food trucks, people, dancing, sun, laughter and Texan. The first 30 minutes in the city surpassed my expectations tenfold.
The SXSW experience: Tech, BBQ, convention center, tacos, people, inspiration, music, robots, virtual reality, interconnectivity, data, biotech, failure, design, coffee, human behavioral trends, more food, dancing, new people [networking], human behaviors, apps — lots of apps, laughter, emojis, learning and lack of a full night’s rest.
What impacted me the most? The humans. Whether it be people such as Kris Hammond who work to improve workplace efficiencies using Big AI, Willie Nelson an iconic music disruptor of our time, or the thousands of people uniting for the digital mecca of SXSW. All technologies have a common theme: striving to make human processes more agile and empowering the user.
The human element in technology is driving the future. Everything we design, everything we create, ultimately enhances the user experience, and the user experience influences the design. So as marketers, we need to think about our human relationship with technology. Everything is interconnected; we just have to harness the potential. Reflecting on everything I learned during the five days at SXSW, here are three digital trends I recommend following the progression of over the next year:
1. Artificial Intelligence – AI is everywhere and is advancing at alarming rates. We will see increasing workplace efficiencies by analyzing and interpreting big data, robotic prosthesis, neuroscience, fluid design and the integration of AI into the medical and education sector.
2. Connected Cars – The shared ride industry is booming with innovators such as: Flexdrive, Getaround and Vinli. These companies offer services beyond traditional car sharing that are changing the necessity of owning cars, and reducing our carbon footprint.
3. Smart Cities – In all transparency, a number of our nation’s cities are running on transportation systems designed 50 years ago. Cities are starting to integrate multiple systems, so users can choose to use efficient means of transportation that are designed to make everyday travel easy and affordable. Smarter cities will open up the amount of urban space available, use less finite resources, and start to capitalize on commercialization with things as common as a stoplight.s
I can’t thank MRM//McCann enough for this life-changing experience that allowed me to build relationships with the Global Ambassador team and MRM//McCann representatives from all over the globe, and exposed me to the brilliant minds and innovations paving the way to a digital future.
Shared rides, ride subscriptions, car renting and connected vehicle platforms are changing the future of cars. The session “The Future of the Non-Flying Auto Industry” featured four passionate leaders representing companies that change the way we think about car ownership. “Six billion cars go un-utilized. We are going to see a shift from ownership to access,” said Sam Zaid. As consumers, there are ways to use transportation more efficiently and reduce our carbon footprint. The panelists candidly shared their perspectives on car subscription services and consumer-to-consumer car renting/shared rides, to one platform to connect all cars.
1. Car subscriptions: Jose Puente, GM and Co-founder of Flexdrive, kicked off the conversation, “Looking at the micro trends, we believe that there is an opportunity to provide a new option to the market: subscription.” Flexdrive is all inclusive and designed for someone who needs a car all of the time. The subscription for the cars includes all the costs (yes, insurance as well), and you can use the cars for shared rides.
2. Car connectivity platform: “Technology inside the car is fragmented and outdated. The car is probably the most disconnected device on the planet,” said Mark Haidar, CEO of Vinli. What is the solution? Haidar’s company, Vinli, is democratizing technology in cars by developing a universal car connectivity platform with an open ecosystem of apps and services. The brilliant part about this service is that there are no limitations for future app development.
3. Shared and rentable cars: Sam Zaid, CEO of Getaround, pioneered a service where the user can rent their personal car for profit. In San Francisco, there are more than 2,000 Getaround users. Between Uber, Lyft and Getaround, people can live car-free. “One of the most important impacts we are doing is the fact that you can utilize these assets more efficiently.” More efficient transportation decreases our carbon footprint.
What about the autonomous car?
The panelists predict we will see autonomous cars in consumer hands between 2020 and 2025. There are a few hurdles to tackle along the way. “It's not about the technology and the car, it’s about the regulations to enable consumer adoption,” said Haidar. Our society’s infrastructure isn’t ready. One of the biggest roadblocks will be updating current infrastructure to accommodate the autonomous vehicles.
IgniteSXSW invited 10 speakers to share stories and tips on how to get ahead in life. The catch: each presenter is only given 20 slides, auto-advancing every 15 seconds. The topics ranged from designing infographics, addressing failure, the similarities of dance and UX design, satire and human behavior marketing. Outlined below are Randy Krum’s tips on what NOT to do when designing info graphics.
Randy Krum’s 7 Deadly Sins of Infographics Design:
1. False – The visuals do not match the data. Make sure the scaling and proportions actually represent the data.
2. Haphazard – Do not throw all of the data on the page. The visual should be the main point you would like to convey with supporting copy and statistics when applicable.
3. Textual – Want to visualize the data. Add textures that help the user understand the infographic, not distract.
4. Questionable – Be hyper-transparent of your resources. Always include sources and more information on where the data comes from, if available.
5. Confusing – Don’t confuse and overwhelm your audience with too much content. Make it a clear structure.
6. Repetitive – Don’t use the same chart styles over and over. Your audience will become numb to the data.
7. Verbose – You want simple text with visuals. Avoid adding paragraphs of copy to the layout.
Howdy! I am Lauren Probst, a Senior Account Executive from the Salt Lake City office. I’ll be taking over our Instagram (@MRM_McCann) - so tune in for real time updates. Can't wait to share Day 4 SXSWi with everyone!
The Audience Reactive Composition (ARC) is one of the most innovative experiments I’ve seen at SXSWi. From a design perspective, the RAC appears to be to be pure technology. The magic unfolds when the people start to interact with the objects to produce sound. Five unique instruments create the electronic melodies based on the user’s touch and engagement. Best part: the instruments are programmed to decide where to take the rhythm next so they produce actual music, not just a series of sound. The designers accomplished their goal of sparking new ways of thinking when it comes to human connectivity, technology and creativity.
