The Relevancy Read

Hot takes, early calls and astute observations, carefully curated.

A Sampling

We took our talents to Texas for SXSW

March 28, 2023

Unsurprisingly, AI was the talk of the town.

Fears surrounding this rapidly improving technology were certainly expressed, but overall, optimism was high regarding the revolutionary impacts it will have in the fields of medicine and transportation, as well as its role as a tool (NOT replacement) for creativity. We just have to make sure it doesn’t wipe out humanity first!

And, of course, everyone’s on mushrooms.

Venture capitalists, scientists, academics, and policymakers were pushing psychedelic substances. The conference had an entire track dedicated to psychedelics, with an overarching theme of integrating Virtual Reality for safe mind-altering experiences. Further to our report and Design Movement: Surrealism, SXSW-sponsored artwork and merch were decidedly trippy.

Web3 and metaverse conversations took a backseat.

Stressing that these shifts will not kill marketing, content, and consumer engagement as we know it, panelists agreed that the key to Web3 will be ownership and consumer control, while progression in the metaverse will be stalled until we have something to do in these worlds beyond chatting and hanging out. In the meantime, useless brand activations in the metaverse are not worth the box check.

The streaming wars are in full force.

From Paramount, to HBO, Showtime, and others, this year’s pop-ups and brand activations were overwhelmingly run by streamers. Amongst consumer decision fatigue, exorbitant content budgets, and dipping stock prices, the streaming space is staring down the barrel of consolidation, with the fight to be the last man standing playing out live on the streets of Austin.

But overall, brand activations were a bust.

Most branded pops-up felt uninspired and forgettable, relying on a complimentary drink ticket to get you in the door of disappointing attempts at engagement. Given the consumer's shortening attention span and elevated expectations, these days its best to go big or just stay home. Kudos to Porshe, Lush, and Showtime for making a real mark.

Esther Perel wants to save intimacy amid AI.

Psychotherapist and relational-intelligence expert Esther Perel gave an inspiring talk on maintaining human intimacy in an era of hedonic-treadmill technology, social media, and dating apps. Her silver bullet strategy? Put down your phone, turn off the T.V., and have sex. With all the talk of sex robots, this advice saw a packed ballroom breathe a collective sigh of relief and the only standing ovation we witnessed over countless conferences attended.

Disney reminded us how technology should be used for joy.

Revealing an adorably clumsy roller-skating robot, a life-sized Hulk, and a magical, tiny, talking Tinker Bell, the happiest place on earth emphasized how they are using technological innovations to expand the emotional connections between their characters and guests. No matter the era, Disney remains dedicated to happiness, creativity, and dreaming.

Speaking of happy people, the Midwest is having a moment.

We stumbled upon a "Midwest House" activation on Rainey street and heard about the startup scene and green energy revolution booming in the land of friendly people. As companies continue to scale in this region and consumers look for more affordable, outdoor-friendly living situations, think Midwest-as-muse for your next brand initiative.

The MLS is coming for American football.

As MLS gains momentum in the U.S., the NFL’s negative press continues, creating opportunity to steal consumer mindshare. With a clean slate for mobilizing modern sports fandom, the league is taking a localized approach to stadium-building. At Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz stadium, playlists and sound bites reflect the city’s vibrant music scene. In St. Louis, local beloved restaurants replace sad, bad stadium food. On the heels of an Apple TV streaming deal, we’re watching to see what brand moves the MLS flexes next.

Further to fandom, it seems every brand is moving to membership models.

Modern loyalty programs aim to preserve brand allegiance through premium member offerings, as consumers have endless choices at their fingertips. Amid this fight, we see brands losing sight of core quality and everyday customer experience—a prime example is Resy, whose CEO spoke about a pop-up restaurant in Kyoto, Japan made for Amex Platinum members, while the app’s reservation system has become glitchy and frustrating for most regular users. The reality is, today’s consumer prefers optionality, so having a great, accessible offering is critical.

Finally, the future is hemp and seaweed.

From industrial building materials to “regenerative apparel,” hemp is experiencing a renaissance as legalization in the U.S. sparks innovation and brings manufacturing home. Texas Hemp Processors and Patagonia are high on the large-scale adoption of hemp in consumer products. Another sneaky hero ingredient fighting climate change is under the sea; we heard from Symbrosia whose seaweed-based cattle feed reduces methane emissions from cows by over 80%.