Last week, the largest interactive and marketing convention in the United States kicked off in Austin Texas at SXSW (South by Southwest). Didn’t get to attend? No worries. Because we diligently keep up with the trends of new, digital media – we are here to bring you the top four things you need to know about SXSW 2015.

1. Meerkat & Live Streaming.

Every year there’s one app that stands tall above the rest. In 2007, the micro-blogging site Twitter was launched, catapulting hashtags and instant communication into the daily vernacular. So, what is the hot app of 2015? If you watch any of the tech buzz, you’ll know it’s Meerkat.

Meerkat is taking the same frame of thought that we learned through Twitter about always-on communications, and brings it to the live streaming arena. Bloggers can now evolve from written prose and reporting to hosting their own live newscasts, interviews or any other activity they would like to share with the world. While Meerkat may not be with us for long, it’s star certainly shined brightest this year. This tells us that even if the platform fails, live-streaming technology is here to stay. Team Focus thinks that it won’t be long until YouTube may be launching a stand-alone app to compete directly with Meerkat to leverage the hundreds of millions of people that already have a YouTube account.

Hype Rating: 5 out of 5, but we expect this star to burn out quickly (more Foursquare than Twitter).

2. Virtual Reality is virtually upon us.

Virtual Reality is virtually upon us and ready to dominate how we interact and watch media. To understand what we mean, take 90 seconds and watch this YouTube video from a company called Magic Leap.[youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPMHcanq0xM”] 

Virtual reality is still a bit clunky and you have to wear a fair amount of equipment to get a true immersive experience, but the speed of the technology is improving; and in a few years, you can expect this style of gameplay to be commonplace in arcade environments – and not long after that, right in your home. The first place it may show up, is in your car. For example, imagine a heads-up display where your instrument panel allows you to see more of your surroundings.

Hype Rating: 3 out of 5, we’re still waiting for VR to move beyond some of our older memories – VR Gameboy anyone?

3. New “Old” Apps are “Coming of Age” for marketers.

Here’s what we mean: You’ve heard of the app Snapchat (maybe – maybe not), right? Instagram (of course you have)? These apps are currently NOT offering an open platform for paid advertising. This gives companies and brands an opportunity to test platforms with unique audiences. This means we’re also in the midst of advertising adaption mode, all while figuring out how to use these new tools to reach consumers. Knowing that the format of messaging also has to change to match the individual and unique quirks of each new app – it can be a constant game of trial-and-error. This will keep marketers heads spinning, but also attributes to the longevity of certain apps in the marketplace. Just think about how it was before Facebook monetized its platform!

Hype Rating: 1 out of 5, there’s no hype, because it’s just part of the strategy now.

4. It’s a huge party – and you should want to be there.

SXSW is one gluttonous experience of celebrities, techies, rising stars and huge brands. It’s a 24-7 hype machine and can be completely overwhelming, but also completely worth it for at least one trip. It’s also an allegory into the world as marketers see it, full of potential and sometimes drowned in advertising. SXSW may bring to you a new understanding of how many different tools our industry has in the digital age and it can force marketers to reexamine current methods. We can’t simply rely on the things we learned from being “first” on Twitter or Facebook, we have to continue to adapt our messages to the best tools available to reach our audience. Now if you’re asking how you know about which audience to reach with which channel, app, website, ad platform, or whizbang? Well, you just may find the right answer at SXSW2016. We’ll see you there!

Hype Rating: 5 out of 5, go at least once… it’s important to experience!

Thomas Broadus
Director of Interactive & New Media