NOTE: This is a repost of yesterday’s blog post over at Compete.com, my client, and the best event planner (Kristen) and Moderator (Stephen) I know.
Does content drive transactions? It’s complicated right?
We asked ourselves the same question last week at tastybytes, our ongoing (and traveling) luncheon series bringing together lunch, digital marketers and lively conversation.
At The MODERN at the MoMa, We were joined by Digital and Social luminaries Mason Nelder (Verizon Wireless), Colin Hynes (RueLaLa), David Schreibstein (Ogilvy) and Steve Rappaport (Advertising Research Foundation).
After a brief introduction by Stephen Dimarco (@sdimarco) the panelists agreed that indeed conversation does drive conversion, but after that, it gets a little tricky. Here are a few “bytes” of conversation from last week.
“Content is anything that is a catalyst for conversation” @masonnelder
“Authenticity is paramount. Brands need to be careful with ‘advertorials’. Users know when they’re being sold something” @colinhynes18
“When reviewing content on user-review sites like Yelp, Zagat and more, pay attention to the content and where it’s ranked on a 1-5 scale. Look closely at the ’3′s and the ’4′ s (not the 1’s and 5’s) to see what they’re saying and why they are saying it. The ’3′s and the ’4′s are usually the most well thought out answers that drive understanding” @steverappaport
“Mobile content is a new way to engage, but brands are still thinking through what can be said and done on a much smaller device” @dschreib
“Mobile content is a new frontier, but at the end of the day, brands still need to know more about you to make it relevant. Tricky to do via a smartphone” @masonnelder
The tastybytes conversation continues. If you’re interested in learning more, head on over to our Linkedin Group or follow the hashtag #tastybytes from time to time as we’ll be coming to a city near you in 2012.
NOTE: for a quick look at Compete’s last TastyBytes event in Boston, take a look here.
So you don’t have time to read a full-fledged blog post today? That’s ok. I’ve teamed up (at least this one time) with the great folks over at Open View Ventures and Open View Labs and we shot a 90 second video recap of SXSW. [Big thanks to Corey and Amanda!]
Check it out. And go ahead and follow these guys over on Twitter. They actually walk the talk, and create, and curate some pretty compelling content…
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.
