HIGHLIGHTS

SxSW is the biggest event of the year for the global tech industry. From product launches to celebrity keynotes, the Austin super-festival attracts brand marketers from

around the world seeking the ‘tomorrow’.

This year, Karmarama teamed up with Unilever to curate a programme of events at SxSW specifically around the challenges affecting both their today and their tomorrow.

We wanted to bring this valuable experience back with us and share our thoughts on

SxSW with our clients, partners and friends.

LAURENCE KEMBALL-COOK

CEO, PAVEGEN

LAWRENCE WEBERMANAGING PARTNER

FOR INNOVATION, KARMARAMA

PETER DOLUKHANOVCTO KARMARAMA & FOUNDER OF NICE

AGENCY

TIA MCPHEEHEAD OF BRAND &

GLOBAL CAMPAIGNS, BBC WORLDWIDE

THE RISE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Lawrence Weber, Karmarama’s Managing Partner for Innovation spoke about human relationships with technology and the supposed rise of the robots, a term the press have played up. But we’re not quite headed for a Terminator apocalypse yet, saying “A robot can’t even put in a coin in it’s pocket yet, so I don’t think we need to worry.” Though with the rise of Artificial Intelligence, it seems the film ‘Her’, starring Joaquin Phoenix falling in love with his Siri-like digital personal assistant in a future world, is fast becoming a reality. Lawrence ended by saying that it’s likely that we have “five to ten years to work out our relationship with AI before the GAFAM [Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft] platforms will make the most of all our data we hand, them and dominate this space.”

HER MOVIE TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzV6mXIOVl4

GETTING CLEVER ABOUT DATA

SxSW was filled with technologists demonstrating how far data has come, how much is being collected and more crucially, how brands can begin to utilise it effectively. Karmarama’s CTO and founder of Nice Agency, Peter Dolukhanov saw personalisation as a big topic for brands, and mobile as the future of data utilisation. At SxSW, big data was brought to life by IBM’s Cognitive Studio showing off the incredible capabilities of IBM’s Watson technology. “It was an immersive experience” Peter said. “Before entering, you’re met by an IBM representative holding an iPad, you give over some personal data and your social profile. In return, you get a wristband, and then as you enter the Cognitive studio, the whole experience is personalised. Watson already knows what I like at the bar, and will make recommendations to the bartenders before I am served a unique, personalised cocktail, based on the mood I’m in.” Peter cited this as essential technology for brands moving forward as the people are seeking a more satisfying, immediate and useful experience at every point in the consumer journey.

http://www.thoughtsoncloud.com/2016/03/ibm-cognitive-studio-immersive-experience-sxsw-2016/

MAKING VR CONTENT VALUABLE

Tia McPhee, Head of Brands and Global Campaigns at BBC Worldwide made her second visit on behalf of BBC Worldwide, wanting to discover what is happening in the world of content. Tia was interested in the storytelling capabilities of VR technology, stating “if you don’t embed your user as a character in the story you’re telling, VR will fail.” Tia used the example of the UN’s deeply moving ‘Clouds Over Sidra’ VR video documenting the daily life of a 12-year-old Syrian refugee. Doug Barr, CEO of Pixiedust VR stated that “VR isn’t about the places you can go, it’s about the places you can’t.” With this in mind, Tia explained that using the medium of VR to present this content, “gives people an experience as close as you can get without actually being there.” Tia believes “the mass response people share with VR is what’s most exciting” and it will be important for brands to take note of the smartphone as the future of mass adoption of VR technology.

http://www.thespace.org/news/view/clouds-over-sidra-chris-milk

SMARTER CITIES

Another side of the SxSW is the experience for start-ups. Many entrepreneurs head there to showcase their latest innovations and products. It’s often hard to cut through the noise but for those who do, SxSW is a huge platform for success. Laurence Kemball-Cook, CEO of Pavegen, spoke about his SxSW experience representing the UK as a tech ambassador for Trade & Investment and Tech City. Laurence founded Pavegen, a technology company helping communities around the world generate renewable energy from kinetic movement on floor tiles. With the help of Shell, Pavegen installed 200 tiles into a local football pitch in Morro da Mineira, a favela which had not benefitted from tourism and private enterprise development in Rio de Janeiro. His advice for attending SxSW: “While you’re there, go and meet the global tech community. And try and make a friend a day.”

http://www.pavegen.com/projects/shell-football-pitch-rio-de-janeiro#sthash.269mLUGA.dpuf

THANK YOU Karmarama would love to speak to you about your innovation challenges

and how we can help. Find out more at www.karmarama.com