At Monday we have this little (not too little) tradition of going to South by Southwest after our three-year anniversary, and this year was my turn. For the uninitiated, SXSW is a weeklong celebration of tech, innovation, music and film in Austin. 

Beyond attending the insightful sessions and cultural events happening across the city, my goal was to go to as many brand activations as possible and learn more about the experience economy. I came back with one clear conclusion: the brands that really stood out didn't just show up. They gave me (the audience) something more than a good photo or merch to take home.

Everyone is talking about the impact of experiential marketing. But the difference between ROI and a dud is in the strategy. Audiences today are more sophisticated than ever. They can smell a hollow stunt from a mile away. And they reward the brands that treat them like humans, not just impressions. So let me walk you through the brands that got it right and the ones that missed.

THE HITS

IBM × Ferrari F1

On one hand, we have IBM. We all know this legendary brand, but how many of us can truly describe what they do? I honestly didn’t have much knowledge about it. On the other hand, we have Ferrari. To be more exact, Scuderia Ferrari—Ferrari’s Formula One team, leaders in a sport that recently became hugely popular, thanks to the Netflix show “Drive to Survive.”

Well, IBM is Scuderia Ferrari's official data analytics and fan engagement partner. In other words, IBM is the tech brain behind the operation, processing the metrics, performance data and race strategy that keep Ferrari competitive throughout the racing season. And they brought that behind-the-scenes world to life in a room where you could interact with the reaction speed test or do a test drive in the immersive racing simulator. 

For F1 fans, especially Ferrari fans (like me), it was a revelation—a deep dive into just how much data, precision and technology go into every single race. I called my fiancé immediately and told him to download IBM’s app before the next race.  But what impressed me more was what it did for people who are not fans. I talked with people in the room who had zero knowledge about Formula One and were just there because they saw the word Ferrari in the schedule. This activation changed that. Suddenly, IBM wasn't a faceless tech giant. It was the company helping sports teams like Ferrari win with technology. They made their brand more legible to an entirely new audience and converted bystanders into fans.

Netflix × Peaky Blinders

Netflix recreated The Garrison—the iconic bar from Peaky Blinders—to promote their new film, The Immortal Man. From the furniture and music selections to the branded liquor bottles and the “window” screens playing key scenes from the show, the execution dropped you right into the brand.  You could even get themed tattoos (real or fake) or a clean 1920s hairstyle. Every detail deepened your knowledge of the world you were stepping into.

But here's what made it truly land: they rewarded fans who shared their experience by offering them six months of streaming for free. Fans came in wanting to experience a bit of the fantasy of the Peaky Blinders world, and they left with some recognition for their fandom. I don't think there’s a better way to nourish your customers’ loyalty than the “I see you, I know you love this, and I want you to keep enjoying it” approach. 

Yamaha Creator Studio

I stumbled upon Yamaha’s Creator Studio after a panel, which made the experience ten times better. I had zero idea what I was walking into, and to my surprise, I learned that Yamaha is more than a transportation company and that they are also present in the audio industry.

In the studio, you could actually use their audio tools and play with their production platform. From recording mini podcast episodes to mixing your own music, you could try their products in a real creative context. The activation’s strategy was clear—let the audience play with the product in a context that feels relevant to their lives and how they would use it, and observe how they convert. It worked. I walked in unaware that they had a production platform, and  I left the room seriously considering a subscription for Monday’s podcast, My Best Campaign. 

THE MISSES

Rivian R2 Launch

To be fair to Rivian, a dirt track in the middle of Austin actually makes sense for their brand. Their audience loves the outdoors. For existing fans and already-convinced customers, this probably hit the mark.

But SXSW draws a massive audience of potential future customers—curious people who may have never considered the brand. I was in line for 30 minutes, and the whole riding experience lasted no more than two minutes. Nobody talked to me about the product while I was waiting, and there was no warm-up leading to the ride. I walked away without any new product insight. Nothing piqued my curiosity enough to make me research more about the brand when I got home. 

The experience was thrilling enough to excite the converted, but not designed to convert anyone new. In a festival where time is the scarcest resource, every second of someone's attention is precious. If you only have a couple of minutes with them, that better be the most educational, inspiring couple of minutes of their day.

Prime Video x Pretty Lethal Show Promo

Prime Video had a booth promoting their new show “Pretty Lethal.” The activation was clean and sleek—a great photo op. There was some ballerina paraphernalia on one wall of the build-out, but I left without understanding what the show is actually about. There was no emotional pull to add it to my watchlist.

Are photo activations outdated? Not completely, but they can not be the only thing you offer your audience. If an activation doesn't make me feel something about the thing it's promoting, it simply hasn't done its job. Audiences are craving a different level of experience these days. We want brands to allow us to explore their world—to really feel it. Think of photo opportunities more as a “goodie” or physical takeaway that will help your audience relive the memory you created for them and how you made them feel.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line activated a bunch of phone booths across the conference area. The concept was simple: you walk in, pick up the phone and get either a prize or a joke. I got a joke. The experience lasted five seconds. I didn’t even have enough time to get my phone out and record it.

It was quite disappointing given that Carnival is in the experience business. Cruises are some of the most immersive, all-encompassing consumer experiences. And yet their activation at one of the world's biggest cultural festivals was a phone booth that most people walked right past.

There was no sign-up. No new routes, features or ships to get excited about. No reason to dream about your next vacation. In an era where people are actively prioritizing spending on experiences, Carnival had a city full of their target audience, and they handed them a joke.

So what separates the winners from the rest? The brands that won at SXSW weren't necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets or the most square footage. They were the ones who asked a simple question before building anything: "What will this person walk away with?" Netflix rewarded fans. Yamaha gave creators a taste of a new tool. IBM educated fans and non-fans about the use of technology in sports. The misses gave people a photo and nothing else.

The experience economy is evolving. Audiences have been to enough branded events to know the difference between a brand that shows up for them and a brand that shows up for itself. Let’s start building experiences and memories people take home, not just ones that they photograph.

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Need more inspiration? Tune into our podcast, My Best Campaign, or check out our recent work here.