1. What digital will do…
Learnings from SXSW 2012

2. Digital will be tactile
Digital is moving beyond a lifeless
existence, and is quickly becoming an
entity that emits a physical reaction to
your action.
Jawbone’s UP band tracks your daily
activity and vibrates to prod you along.
Sifteo cubes are bringing more hands-on
and game-like elements to learning.
And with just a tap, NFC will transfer the
photo you just took on your phone to a
frame on your desk.
Technology in your hands will become
more seamless with the world around
you, and the most compelling experiences
will be technology you can touch.

3. Digital will sense
As the engineers of the Xbox Kinect said,
“the more senses we use, the more we
understand.” That said, it’s crazy how
much that box on your TV will be able to
sense using your physical data.
When you are sitting, it will automatically
serve you movies, and when you are
standing, it will serve up game content.
Based on unique facial expressions, it will
know if you are happy or sad and serve up
the right music from your playlist.
It can hear a sneeze and respond with
“bless you”.
Xbox calls it a next generation interface,
but it may be the best friend you’ve ever
had…

4. Digital will finally connect us
Collaborative consumption is popping up
everywhere. From AirBNB which allows
you to rent out a room in your home, to
RelayRides which does the same for your
car. Sharing resources is a new way of
connecting with people in a community.
But beyond the rising adoption of these
services is how brands are getting
involved. GM has partnered with
RelayRides to make renting your car as
simple as a touch of your cell phone using
their OnStar system. While it makes GM
digitally progressive, it’s also a new and
unique way to capture test drives.
This opens up the possibilities for
recommendations to come in the most
‘social’ of ways. Hands on time in
someone else's shoes.

5. Digital will also be creepy
The most talked about tech of SXSW
were location apps that tell users about
relevant people in close vicinity.
So you’re at a party, and get pinged that
the person who just arrived has three
friends in common with you from your
last agency. Oh, and you both love the
Dodgers, Red Bull, and Lady Gaga.
Instant conversation starter, but in
practice, most of the connections at SXSW
tended to be weak.
Yes, me and some random guy both like
Nike, but that isn’t enough for a
connection. And now it’s awkward that it
even came up.
Sorry Nike fan. It’s my apps fault.

6. Digital will be one-of-a-kind
Mobile data will continue to bring context
to content.
For example, FourSquare knows if you are
in your home town or traveling. It knows
if you are a coffee connoisseur or a
Starbucks die hard.
It takes your geo data, overlays it with
behavioral data, and spits out a one-of-a-
kind recommendation that drives action.
For brands, the use of data is crucial for
more efficient and effective use of media
dollars. It is the intersection of
social, local and mobile. It allows the right
message, to be given to the right
person, at the right moment.
Minority report is officially here.

7. Digital will be dynamic
Price tags are a dated concept. We accept
this in the hotel industry where at SXSW a
room at La Quinta is priced like a suite at
the Hilton. Dynamic pricing isn’t new, but
we are seeing it in new places.
Taxi service Uber offers rates based on a
combination of distance and demand (be
careful on New Years!).
Klout, which measures social
media, offers perks based on users’
influence.
But what happens when these worlds
collide? When your receipt total at a store
changes based on your number of Twitter
followers. With businesses trying new
ways to ‘reward’ customers, we may soon
find out how far people will go to release

8. Digital will beam me products
3D printing, which is the ability to print an
object using a digital file, could be the
future of commerce.
Let’s say you need a certain size wrench
to complete a project. Instead of heading
over to Home Depot, you will be able to
download a digital file and print out a
fully functional tool at home.
Break your wrench? Scan the old with
your phone, and send it to the printer.
While not efficient YET for household use,
there are some practical applications
today. Astronauts no longer need to
worry about having all the right tools.
With a 3D printer, they could create them
on demand in space. Which means we are
that much closer to Star Trek status. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ-aWFYT_SU

9. Brands at SXSW
Brands were on full-force at SXSW. Here are a couple of standouts.
Google Village. A full block taken over Real-time infographics from
Free rides from Chevy & HootSuite.
with each house representing a different Pepsi and Samsung measuring
Much needed in the rain.
offering, from maps to Android the real-time pulse of SXSW

10. But the winner was…FedEx
Always be charging is the key to SXSW survival. FedEx delivery people let you plug into
their jackets for that extra charge to keep you going.

11. Thanks from Austin