Just got back from SXSW. This is part 1 of a 5 part series of recaps I’m going to post about the 2011 SXSW Conference in Austin, TX. I’ll cover brands, products, technologies and overall experience over the next week or so. So, here goes.
Steve Jobs you’ve done it again. Your launch of the iPad2 during the conference was absolutely genius. But let’s not stop there. Apple was everywhere. Let’s dive in and talk about it.
Success of Pop Up Store.
As you’ve probably heard, Apple did a “pop up” store in Austin, TX to sell the iPad2. Incredibly successful…I talked to one of the retail guys as he stood outside the store managing the line. As he told me. Apple did the following:
- Rented an unused retail space for 5 days during the conference, and literally popped-it up a day or two before the event
- Apple NEVER does “pop up” stores. And, this secret was very well hidden within Apple
- Quick mobilization of staff. Even employees didn’t know about it. They were told to simply show up at the store and get ready to work.
- The line was never really that long. I heard from one person who waited two hours, and a friend of mine actually got in there in 2 minutes on Friday night around 10:30
iPad2, SchmiPad2,
You know what? As successful as the iPad2 launch was, there were still plenty of original iPads around. And, I had to look pretty hard to find someone using another tablet. Samsung did a smart thing and put 5 or 6 of their new tablets on a side table in the “Samsung Blogger Lounge” where lots of smart people spend their time, and I never once some someone playing with it. Sign of the times?
Bottom line here was that a good chunk of people were using the iPad- either original or iPad2. It’s the perfect device for a conference like this. Not the bulk and heft of a laptop to carry around for five straight days, but small enough to quickly bang out some notes from a keynote speaker or panelist. (Still don’t believe it? I took a walk down the aisle as a keynote presentation started- here’s what I saw….)
Don’t forget the iPhone
Over the course of 5 days, you meet a lot of people from different backgrounds, businesses, and geographical locations, but one thing still seemed constant- everyone seemed to have an iPhone3 or iPhone4. I know Apple is losing it’s grip on the smartphone category, but you’d never guess it here.
Final Thoughts
SXSW is traditionally a place where brands and agencies spend a lot of money to get noticed. Big sponsors like Chevy, AOL, AT&T, and SAMSUNG probably spent a good chunk of money for signage, events, people, parties and more. All Apple did was rent a store, sell a few million dollars worth of iPads, and let their product do the talking.
Nice work Apple.
As the Dialogue team ramps up for SXSW (the Super Bowl of Social Media Conferences) we’re still interviewing some great marketers out there. Mike Volpe is our featured Social Marketer today. If you haven’t already, take 30 minutes on a Friday afternoon to watch Mike and Karen Rubin talk Inbound Marketing on their weekly television show/podcast/live-streaming event, Hubspot TV
About Mike
I’m Mike Volpe, and I love Marketing! I work as VP Inbound Marketing at HubSpot, where I get to lead a team of marketers as well as create a lot of content on our blog, for our TV show, and by speaking a lot too.
1. What one trait or habit got you to where you are today?
Passion! You need to find a job that allows you to leverage your passion. I mean it’s late at night right now, but I’m having fun writing about marketing because I love it. Focusing on your passion makes everything else a lot easier.
2. Your work day just started, what’s the FIRST thing you do and why?
Read. I read my email. I read blogs and news in my RSS reader. I read Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. I read my reports in HubSpot analytics. You need to know what is going on before you can do something productive.
3. What makes you efficient with your day?
Seclusion time. I need at least 1 hour a day where I have zero interruptions and I just crank through all my inboxes and tasks. If not, it starts to back up and the problem gets worse. I tend to really focus in on things, and if I get distracted, I have a lot of trouble refocusing, so I need to comepletely uninterrupted time to be super productive. I actually book this time in my calendar, and if I am in the office, I will go hide someplace so no one can bother me.
4. Your Favorite Business book of all time?
New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott. He recently rewrote a lot of it to update it for a new addition. The month that book came out, I sent him and email with the subject line “Our company (HubSpot) was based on your book”. While HubSpot was founded before the book came out, it was a true statement. We had lunch the next week and David and I are friends now, and he’s been a great advisor. I should also mention that “Inbound Marketing” by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah (the foreword is by David Meerman Scott) is another take ont he same subject, with probably more “how to” examples.
5. 3 things on your desk right now/3 things you can’t live without
iPhone – Not because I am in love with Apple (I don’t like them much) but because it makes me a lot more productive, I’ll replace it the second something better is available (please Google… help!)
Google Apps - I used Outlook for years, but once I converted and got used to Gmail/Gcal, I am faster and more efficient
DropBox – Having all my important files available anywhere, and collaborating with my team more easily is great
With the combination of these 3 things, I have stopped carrying a laptop and a bag except when I travel on planes. I just walk out of the office. I have a laptop that mostly stays in the office, a desktop in my house, and also a netbook for around the house and sometimes travel.
6. Habit you want to kick in 2010
Checking Twitter too much! It is usually pretty distracting, and can be addictive. And to be honest, most of the super important stuff there ends up getting to me through other channels. But, I do need to make time for it, just in a few 10 minutes chunks during the day (TweetDeck on the iPhone helps a lot with this).
7. Habit you want to form for 2010
Inbox Zero. I have been getting better… around 100 messages in my inbox on average the past few months, rather than 300-ish – but I want to really try to keep it under 10-20, and maybe even hit zero. We’ll see… I mean, I just got rid of this message!
Many of you may not recognize this photo of Mike Schneider because he spent the better half of the fall growing a moustache for “Movember“. Now that he’s clean shaven, he is setting his sites on bigger aspirations, like being one of the Top 20 Karaoke singers at SXSW’s “Cog’aoke 2“. While he’s not mastering the art of social marketing and more, he’s QUITE the entertainer, and likes to “sing in the shower and in the car and on stage and at the mall and in meetings and on the phone”. If any of you are reading this and heading to SXSW, please vote for him.
On to interview # 17 of the “7 Habits Series“…
1. What one trait or habit got you to where you are today?
Fearlessness. I am just not smart enough to understand that there are things that cannot be done and that I should not be able to do them. I rarely shy away from a challenge and do not accept “no” or “can’t”. I heard those a lot growing up in the Midwest. I wanted to learn Chinese as a kid and I remember people telling me “that’s impossible”. One day I just decided that that line of reasoning was something that I could not tolerate and that if I wanted something, it would be better to take a risk and make it happen.
2. Your work day just started, what’s the FIRST thing you do?
I think. I start in the shower. I also think in the car, preferably with some new modern rock blaring. I let my schedule whirl around in my head a little bit and usually a few good ideas fall out from between the dates and times.
3. What makes you efficient with your day?
Efficiency. The bar is set very high for me. My efficiency role model is my best friend, Gregory Ng I’ve never seen anyone ideate, create and deliver like that guy. Assuming I’m somewhat efficient: devices, gadgets and software help me attain efficiency. I love the shiny. Evernote, a tool that syncs thoughts, notes and audio clips between devices is one of my favorites. I am using it now because I suspect I won’t finish this task before I have to move on to the next. If I cannot, maybe I will bang out a few questions from my iPhone later. DropBox is brilliant for sharing. Heaven forbid I ever forget my machine at work (power cord is another story), but if I do, the most important files are accessible via DropBox from any machine. As a look-ahead guy, I am aching for a tablet. I can imagine a bunch of ways that will make me more productive, particularly in sharing concepts in groups and in content consumption.
4. Your Favorite Business book of all time?
That’s like asking my favorite song of all time. I will not be able to answer with just one.
The Art of War.
Groundswell has a few good points.
Wisdom of Crowds and Black Swan are also highly worthwhile for any measurement / experiment junkie. Empirical thinking for the win!
And of course I enjoyed #Crushit by Gary VAY NER CHUK.
5. 3 things on your desk right now/ 3 things you can’t live without
Flip/Zi8
iPhone
moleskine
6. Habit you want to kick in 2010
If I can do something, one of my tendencies is to go ahead and assign the task to me. That’s not always good.
7. Habit you’d like to form for 2010
Balance. A little less work. A little more family, friends, beer and modern rock. Oh. Flossing. I need to floss regularly.
