5 Great Marketing Moves to Expect at SXSW Interactive 2015

Now that spring is upon us, that means conference and convention season is in full swing, including SXSW Interactive 2015 in Austin, TX. Brands from all around will gather at SXSW to showcase, network and promote their brands with an arsenal of marketing tactics they’ve been cooking up for months.

From hashtags to rescue dogs, marketers have pulled out all the stops to make their brand stand out. Here’s what you can expect from this year’s brands in attendance:

Hashtag for a Cause

It’s exciting to watch how brands are going two different ways with this one this year! For the Instagram sector, BBH New York has teamed up with Share Our Strength with a promotion an Instagram food photo strike. Instead of snapping a photo of their food, they ask that you snap a photo of their napkins with the hashtag #FoodPicStrike and tag @GreatNationsEat. Photos will be added to their microsite to display all those who participated.

Supply and Demand

We have all fallen victim to our phones dying when we need them most and Mophie knows how a show like SXSW means a lot of draining batteries, which is why they’ve brought in just the pups to help. If you take a screenshot of your dying battery and hashtag #mophierescue and a St. Bernard dog with handler in tow will arrive with a Mophie Power Reserve to charge your device. Not only is Mophie utilizing their own product to be a solution for a common problem, but they’re definitely reeling you in with adorable dogs.

Namaste Away From Caffeine

Usually coffee is the go-to acquainting tool but why not try something new? With the help of YouTube yoga guru Adriene Mishler, Swarovski and Misfit are having their own Digital Detox to promote their Swarovski Shine fitness wearable. By giving consumers and marketers a relaxed place to go, brands are already distinguishing themselves amongst the crazy crowds of numerous vendors. Brands also have the undivided attention of viewers thanks to the quiet environment of a yoga studio.

Wearable Trends

As soon as you arrive at SXSW Interactive, you hurry up to pick up your name tag lanyard and then aimlessly wander around to find the next big thing. Later in the day, you hear about that awesome brand with that amazing display and yet you were too busy running around to see it in time. Luckily, Sapient is going to help prevent that from happening again. On the lanyard you’ll find the hashtag #SXSBest is printed, which will lead you through social platforms to all the best attractions in Austin. Instead of scrambling around to find the best booth, Sapient found a way to concentrate the best of the best together.

Swim in the Shark Tank

Along with well-established brands at SXSW, you’ll see a lot of startups trying to get a leg up any way they can. Leading up to SXSW, PayPal sought out some of the best and brightest innovators to buy them a ticket to the event and allow them to pitch Daymond John from ABC’s Shark Tank. Two semi-finalists have been chosen and when John picks his winner, they’ll receive $30,000 and one-on-one consultations. By pulling from the pool of everyday entrepreneurs, PayPal has established themselves as more than a payment service, but a wish granter giving hopeful startups a little more confidence.

Which marketing campaign has you most excited for SXSW?