By: Stacey Furtado
The list of sponsors at this year’s SXSW Interactive Festival is extensive, but not without its holes. Here’s a list of some brands that could have benefited from a presence at the event. Follow our hashtag #AlmostSponsors to weigh in with your recommendation!
- Virgin America – Most SXSW’ers ride the “nerd bird” into town from cities across the country. Fedoras are frequent, Airplane Mode is defied and iPads are near requirements on these flights, and thus far no brand has take full advantage of the marketing opportunity it presents. Imagine if the first sessions of SXSWi occurred on flights in from Boston, San Francisco and New York? Hard to beat a keynote at 10,000 feet.
- HotelTonight – The Nap Lounge. Period.
- Reebok – Sometimes, you have to save marketers from having a little too much fun. For every attendee that threatens to purchase a pair of cowboy boots while in Austin, a quick #SaveOurSoles tweet from a friend will bring a Reebok street team to your location with a new set of Crossfit-ready kicks.
While these brands might have missed out on some great opportunities to have some fun this year, many of the sponsors are doing a great job leaving their mark on SXSWi. Stay tuned as we take a look at what brands are doing to engage with attendees later in the weekend.
Think your brand has been building buzz? Find out how active your advocates really are.
