South by Southwest is an embarrassment of riches—thousands of speaking sessions, concerts and informal events happening all at once in the heart of Austin. So many great choices means attendees have to navigate which tracks and speakers are really worth their time, and which ones they can skip to hit an early happy hour. To make your life easier, Red Fan’s team of marketing experts (also Austin locals) has sorted through the sessions for you and made a few recommendations on can’t-miss events in each category.
This list is part of a larger SXSW series—check out the rest of our SXSW insider tips here!
Advertising & Brand Experience: It’s been estimated that humans in the 21st century experience somewhere between 4,000 and 10,000 advertisements per day. Most of them wash over you due to some combination of bad timing, poor fit and an unclear message. But, the ads that break through often stick with us and leave an indelible impression on the culture. This year’s SXSW Advertising & Brand Experience Track features experts breaking down how to reach your audience, build a personal brand and navigate an ever-changing media landscape. Here are the sessions we’re marking on our our calendars:
Brand Activism: No More Business as Usual
As millennials and Gen Z come of age, companies have increasingly responded to pressure from younger and more politically-minded consumers by making activism a core tenet of their brand identity. This panel, featuring Lyft Director of Social Impact Lisa Boyd and several corporate social impact experts, will delve into the ways brands can embrace activism in a way that feels authentic to their customers. Check out this session on Sunday, March 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the JW Marriott, Salon GH.
Bye Boring, Hi Bold: The Future of B2B Marketing
B2B marketing campaigns have long struggled to keep up with their hipper consumer-facing counterparts. Building a memorable and distinctive brand has only become more important over time, leading B2B marketers to get savvier with their techniques. To learn more on how to create a punchy B2B campaign, stop by this session on Sunday, March 12, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the JW Marriott, Salon GH.
Start-up to Scale up: Why Brand Building Matters
Congratulations! You’ve built a successful startup, steering your once-in-a-lifetime idea through pitch meetings, funding rounds and late nights. Now, your company is stable but needs a fresh approach to scale from startup to established company. In this session, hear adam&eveDDB Group of Head Effectiveness Les Binet, who shares the framework founders need to consider to level up their brand strategy to match their growth expectations, The session will be held on Sunday, March 12, from 1 to 2 p.m. at The Courtyard (208 W 4th Street).
Cannabis: Less than ten years ago, cannabis in the U.S. was a $3B industry—roughly the same size as California’s pistachio market. Recent and widespread adoption of medical cannabis programs in the U.S. (48 states have at least some form of medical cannabis program) and the increase in legal recreational cannabis markets has buoyed cannabis to a $30B+ industry. This rapid growth has led to unpredictable market conditions and scalability issues—topics that are covered in depth during this year’s SXSW Cannabis Track. See our recommendations below!
Cannabis Market Melts Down: What’s Next?
The last several years have not been kind to the cannabis market—a combination of supply chain issues, overproduction and the slowdown of sales in mature state markets have pinched profits considerably. This panel, featuring MJBiz Chief Content Strategy Officer Pam Moore, will touch on the state of the market in 2023 and outline what cannabis leaders think is coming next. For more info, attend the session on Friday, March 10, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Austin Convention Center, Room 9C.
Cannabis Marketing Campaigns with Bite
It’s no secret that cannabis marketers have more obstacles than most when it comes to putting together a strong campaign. Legal constraints put severe restrictions on direct advertising and social media campaigns—making ambitious cannabis companies think outside of the box to create memorable marketing moments. If you’re looking for ideas to take your campaigns to the next level, check out this panel on Sunday, March 12, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Austin Convention Center, Room 9C.
Accelerating the Science of Cannabis
Like the cannabis industry as a whole, research in cannabis has only really caught stride very recently, putting it decades behind other areas of agricultural research. Strict government regulations surrounding cannabis research and institutional hesitance to work with cannabis companies further places the nascent industry in a murky regulatory environment. Addressing this backlog will take a historic collaboration between public and private sectors—a necessity if we want to understand the science behind one of the fastest-growing sectors of the American economy. You can learn more during the session on Friday, March 10, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Austin Convention Center, Room 8ABC.
