5 Positive Economic Indicators of SXSW
Just a few hints from SXSW that the economy is getting back on track:
- The SXSW program guide was the size of a phone book. And it was packed with ads
- Most of the new startups I saw that had recently landed funding were completely silly and useless (always a good sign)
- Ad people were everywhere at the show, as were their clients. I sat next to Draft FCB and BBDO on the plane to Austin, and Digitas on the return flight
- Even the publishing companies were feeling flush, sending big teams and throwing parties
- Cocaine
Future Fitness: The Power of Personal Data
Portability of Data
The advantage of mobile apps is that they’re not tethered to a device as gym equipment may be. Why would you want to carry any device around? It’s because of the data. Portability of data is essential for overall data tracking.
A Layer of Meaning
Current tracking methods track time and repetition but not overall progress or what it means to the user. Getting data is not so much of an issue as what the data actually means to the user. You can track data but then there is taking it to he next step and making it useful. What should I do to change my routine based on this information? How are the decisions I’m making impact my end goal? Where am I now andwhere do I want to be. Keep the end goal in mind. (e.g. LoseIt App)
Who Owns It?
We need to start with the categories we are most active in and create interoperable standards. There is a lot of question about who is going to own the platform level. Right now marketers are asking developers to obfuscate data so people can’t leave. There is a lack of protocols for data exchange, or friction (1. access for user, 2. price, 3. fragmentation.)
“We can spend our time building around the sensors or we can decide now what to do with the data.”
Seth Priebatsch (SCVNGR) Introduces “The Game Layer”
Seth posits that school is a game, its just a poorly designed one. The problem is engagement. The solution is a progression dynamic. Why not create gaming dynamic based on progressions? Start with a score of zero and finish with experience points- you can’t fail. Its just about how fast you get there.
Consider what the social fabric of game play would do to tax laws…
5 Things I Learned at SXSW
[Guest post by Tom Christmann, Executive Creative Director at JWT]
Okay. Just checked into the airport on foursquare. So now it’s time to write about all the insightful stuff I learned at South By Southwest Interactive, the annual coming-together (super-duper swarm badge!) of marketers, engineers, and cybernerds.
It was my first SouthBy and I was sort of overwhelmed. The crowds were enormous. I missed a lot of things I wanted to see. For instance, I still don’t know if my above use of the term “SouthBy” makes me a douche. Because I didn’t go to the panel entitled “How Not To Be A Douche At SXSW.” I suspect it does though, so I’ll stop now and just get to some of the things I took away from the craziness: Read more…
The Progress Bar’s Implications for Humanity
Had a great conversation last night with Evan Jones of Stitch Media, who presented at SXSW about “How Progress Bars Can Change the Way We Live.” He explained that progress bars were initially utilized to show how far into a long computing process your PC was. As CPUs get exponentially more powerful, the need for progress bars decreases, and yet we see them more than ever, albeit in alternative uses.
One example that Evan uses is LinkedIn (23andMe is another one that has frustrated me lately). Currently, I think LinkedIn says my profile is 70% complete or something like that. It’s a somewhat abstract metric: What is “complete,” and what are the benefits to being complete?
Evan points out that by emphasizing my unfinished business, LinkedIn is creating a subtle state of cognitive dissonance. I’m pretty sure I’m complete, but LinkedIn says I’m not. I can respond to this in a couple of ways:
A Drink With: #Hashable (and “other dude”)
[Guest post by Abby Leber, planner at JWT]
The Driskill – Saturday March 12, 1:16am. I bump into two guys wearing branded t-shirts. Self-promotion is rampant. I think the sentiment here is, if you’re not a walking poster, you’re underutilized.
Me: Hi Guys. Where’re you from?
#hashable dude: #hashable (pointing to hoodie)
Other dude: [wordlessly points to short with some name of some internet start up that aggregates something.]
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