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…
In the marketing flurry that is SXSW, lots and lots of brands try different gimmicks to get your attention. It’s sensory and information overload: Lots of free food, schwag, t-shirts, drinks, BBQ, invite-only parties, you name it. Girls on Roller Stakes, Chipmunks Fighting Scantily Clad Men (yes you read that correctly) and soooo much more.
But what rose above the fray was Fedex. They parked a Truck a block from convention center and gave out some free lunch. Sure, lots of other companies gave you free lunch, but Fedex gave you the lunch experience. And, they didn’t ask for your email address, offer to give you a free iPad or anything else. They simple Delivered.
Here’s how.
Acknowledge that you’re “buying” us with a free lunch (no one else did that)
And very clever use of “we understand”
Fedex Truck- Actually it’s a food truck wrapped as a Fedex Truck
Changing Menu every day
Clever Packaging
It’s ALL in the Details
Ummm, hello, delicious….
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.
