March 16, 2011
OPEN Forum Message
Affordably Build Your Brand
FedEx Global Brand Management Director Monica Skipper shares a cost-effective way to build a bigger brand for your small business.
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The South By Southwest conference (SXSW) really isn’t a conference at all. It’s more like a festival. With 200,000 people descending on Austin, Texas for 10 days, it is unlike any other conference in the world. It’s really three events: Interactive (think new computer software, gaming, social media and startup businesses); Film (think Sundance); and Music (think Woodstock!).
It is impossible to “attend” such a large event like SXSW. You have to experience it. It is a non-stop sensory explosion of keynotes, panels, private parties, gifting suites, eating and impromptu networking. As Liz Strauss says, it’s like “being dumped into the middle of your Twitter stream.”
Here are nine ways to profit from the conference even if you did not attend:
1. People take action based on what others say. At SXSW, people are always looking down at their smartphones or tablets... even in bars. There are so many choices of where to go at anytime, that word spreads through social media tools like Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare. For example, in my SXSW presentation, we ended our session with 50 percent more people as the tweets started circulating. Profitable Lesson: Customers believe more what others say about your company than anything from your advertising campaign. Stay focused on offering superior customer service to build a raving fan base.
2. Brand popularity is a relative thing. The big consumer brands like Chevy, AOL, Samsung and Pepsi, are at SXSW, but 10,000 other companies are there as well. You might be standing with a group of people where everyone wants to know who you are, but then Guy Kawasaki walks into the room and they forget you. When movie star, Jake Gyllenhaal then enters the room, you might as well leave. Profitable Lesson: There is always someone that will be more popular and famous than you. This teaches humility. Most importantly, it trains you to build a brand for the customers whose pain you solve and who have the money to solve that pain. The right 15 followers are more important than having 15,000 of the wrong ones.
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3. Concentrate on individual connections. No matter how well we can use phone calls, e-mail, or social media to stay connected to people, nothing will ever solidify a relationship like meeting in person at a huge event like SXSW. Profitable Lesson: Every week, set specific appointments with people with whom you want to establish a further relationship and be open to the random meetings that just happen. This will reinforce your technology-driven relationships and take them to the next level. It also helps if you stop always looking down at your smartphone to see who is passing you by for that chance meeting.
4. Business just happens: There are hundreds of SXSW parties. Many of these are not officially publicized since they are by invitation only. There are even “lounges” where people drift in for food, drinks, and giveaways. Profitable Lesson: Beyond critical success factors, stop trying to control everything in your business day. Learn to swim with the stream. It is a lot easier and a much more fun way to grow your business.
5. Work where you are. Physical addresses on business cards are a thing of the past at SXSW. QR codes, Twitter handles, and Facebook names seem to be all that is needed to stay connected after the conference. More business people are also putting their photos on their cards to match their Twitter or Facebook avatars. Profitable Lesson: Your business is always wherever you are. This is an advantage (convenience) but also a disadvantage (expectation of 24/7 availability).
6. Fight the shiny object syndrome. Apple set up a remote store last weekend so SXSW attendees could buy the new iPad2. Hundreds of people waited in line for hours. At SXSW, there are always 10 other panels or parties you can go to right now. Pick one if it reasonably interesting, stick with i,t and try to learn something. Profitable Lesson: Set a course for your business and execute. No company is successful by having a new strategy every week. Stick with a single direction to see what can be learned and then plot your company’s next move.
7. Pace yourself. At SXSW, just because there is always free entertainment, alcohol, food, and schwag doesn't mean you need to consume all of it right now. Many attendees come back from the conference sick from exhaustion. Profitable Lesson: Business is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace your work habits to compete for the long term. Remember, you have to stay in the race for a chance to win.
8. Give customers what they want. The incentive at every trade show booth or event sign-up was an iPad2. At least for this weekend, this was the new consumer technology everyone was focused on. Profitable Lesson: Find the pain customers have and solve it to get a steady stream of buyers.
9. Dress for success. Wearing ties and jackets used to be the uniform for business success. At SXSW, wearing very comfortable shoes and carrying a battery backup for all your devices is what is required. Profitable Lesson: Wear appropriate clothes based on the type of work you do and the meetings scheduled. Make sure to carry the right connectivity tools in your clothing at all times (phone or tablet).
What did you learn at SXSW?
Check your balance, review recent transactions and pay your bill on the go.
Barry Moltz 1 year 2 months and 12 days ago
Why not 2012 Denise?