Peersuasion: SXSW Insight
By Anthony Schneider
Interoperable, viral, location-based promotion
The consensus among most interactive folks: this year's SXSW wasn't mind-blowing stuff. No huge announcements, no killer app. Sure there was the Twitter announcement of @Anywhere which will let sites embed Twitter, making it fast and frictionless. Sorta major. But really this year's SXSW was more evolution than revolution… and a lot of BBQ and beer.
Who won the marketing and promo prize? My vote goes to Chevrolet who scored big with interoperable, viral, smart branding and promotion–online, offline, and in-line.
If you attended SXSW, you couldn't miss the new Chevy cars lined up outside the convention center, the test drives, the road race updates, the recharge stations, the Gowalla check-ins. Chevy everywhere–and they got it right:
- Brand everywhere. Road race updates, test drive announcements, logos on all things print and digital, Chevy Volt Recharge stations and branded power strips, plus shiny new Chevys graced the entrances to the Austin Convention Center. It all adds up to powerful brand immersion.
- Newsworthy. The Twittersphere buzzed with road race updates, and most of us had friends on teams and honestly cared who won (congrats Team Detroit #detchevysxsw).
- Helpful. Chevy recharge stations and branded outlets provided juice for our mobile devices and laptops. SXSW'ers could plug in at the Chevy Volt Recharging Station or find a Chevy power strip outside a conference room. (And people need an outlet much more than they need a tequila shot at SXSW). Thank you Chevy.
- Timing. Like comedy, the secret of good promotion is timing. Well, there's the Toyota recall, which is tragic news but let's face it, opens a door for Detroit. And at this year's SXSW like any geekfest, there was a happily quenchable need for charging stations.
- Techy. This year Chevy debuted Quick Response (QR) codes, sponsored Gowalla check-ins and launched a new location-based mobile app called Chevy iReveal. Chevrolet used QR codes (those Rorsharky squares you've seen in magazine ads and on some labels in hip grocery stores) to provide info on cars at the flip of an iPhone. They also did a geolocational promo with Gowalla and created a mobile game app. No rocket science, but understanding and embracing interactive technologies is smart at a broad-based interactive conference.
- Legs. Online adjuncts and extensions will keep the promotions alive, spur referrals and seed a potential customer base, not to mention build their test drive roster and grow email optins. While they were at it, Chevy gained Google searches, Twitter friends, Facebook fans—and booked a few thousand test drives.
Not quite a thousand Chevy flowers are blooming, but a lot.
