5 SxSW Trends that You Can (and Should) Take Into Your Business
If you’re in the digital realm, this time of year might as well be Christmas. That’s because SxSW, the world-famous tech conference, is here to show us exactly what we’ll all be asking Santa for this year – and what cutting-edge trends might help us connect with our customers better than ever before.
This year, you’re bound to see a few of these exciting trends coming out of SxSW – and there’s no reason not to get a jump on integrating them into your business.
SxSW Virtual Reality
(Virtual) reality check: this is the year’s top trend when it comes to technology. This year, Oculus will be releasing its virtual reality goggle, called Rift. Similar models are planned by other brands, and SxSW will be where every technology geek gets hands-on with virtual reality.
Already, this trend has begun to affect the way in which people are consuming content. The implications of VR go way beyond gaming; sooner than you think, brands will begin to use VR in their marketing, telling the story of their brand and their products in a new and amazing way.
That means 2016 might be the year to start exploring how your brand can get virtual; this burgeoning trend is soon to become reality.
Wearable Technology
Smartphones are so yesteryear. Today, it’s all about what you’re wearing, and SxSW will certainly highlight that trend. Already, major wearables brands are timing their product launches to shine within the spotlight of SxSW; this week Fitbit releases its newest model, Alta.
What does wearable technology mean for you and your business? Maybe a lot! The rise of wearable technology highlights a consumer trend; life is becoming more and more convenient and technology driven, and your product or service offering – along with your customer experience – needs to reflect that. If you’re not taking advantage of technology to sell your business, you’re missing out.
App Innovation
A new app is hardly something that will make a splash at a show like SxSW, but innovation will always make waves. Several new apps will likely be location-based, offering truly useful services for the busy and technology-minded individual. One app, called Favor, delivers food to your immediate location using GPS.
Another, called Service, will hold a spot in line for you at an event. Technology is making businesses become more creative than ever in marketing and selling their products. How is it helping yours?
More Diversity
Okay, this isn’t really a technology trend, but it says a lot about the demographic looking to technology to make their lives more convenient (and let’s be honest, cooler). This year’s SxSW will show that technology isn’t just for geeky 30-something males.
In fact, more women and more minorities are entering the tech industry and, of course, more are consuming the fruits of that industry. Bottom line? No matter who your customer is, chances are, technology is changing the way he or she is finding businesses, purchasing products and consuming information. Time to speak to them.
Communication is Tech-Driven
You might pride yourself on that person-to-person contact your business provides, but the truth is, consumers these days are driven by convenient, technology-based communication practices.
Think about it; you’ll find out what’s happening in the world faster via Twitter than by watching the news (or phoning a friend), and you can even order a pizza via Snapchat or find a discount for your oil change on Facebook. Today’s communication methods are getting more diverse and if you’re not keeping up, your customers might stop listening.
Ready to take your business to the next level? We can help. Give us a call today.
