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Melbourne-based entertainment and culture marketing specialists, the Bolster group, has shared 12 things learnt at the recently held SXSW Sydney.

On attending the SXSW event, the Bolster Group noted “at Bolster we know that staying on the pulse of culture requires endless curiosity and spending more time outside the office than inside. That’s why we sent a big contingent from all parts of agency to SXSW Sydney. To learn. To meet interesting people. To get inspired. And to take 0.5 selfies.”

Bolster Group highlighted that at SXSW Sydney “it’s never entirely clear where the line between what’s real and what’s activation begins and ends.

“When you step through the doors of the ICC in Darling Harbour you’re immediately greeted by a long row of people smiling aggressively at you.

“It takes a moment to realise they’re not welcoming you to SXSW in the most overly enthusiastic way possible, but are instead paid actors promoting the release of horror film Smile 2.”

A genius bit of title marketing - which also speaks to the extreme measures you need to take to cut through. Also on show was Suntory’s giant vending machine in Tumbalong Park;  a prototype of a flying car; and Scott Cullather from INVNT Group telling us his agency exists to “help put brands on the moon”. (Of course they don’t. He’s just making a point about the importance of an opening hook.)

Bolster Group adds “the event is such an explosion of tech, entertainment and innovation that you can find inspiration everywhere – not just in conference rooms.”  

Here’s a small snapshot of what Bolster learned

1 Pay attention
Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – and How to Get Your Brain Back with Johann Hari

Have I got your attention? Probably not … so, I'm going to keep it short. Every time you switch your attention from work, to a haphazard slack, email, phone call or txt, it'll take you 25 minutes to get back to a flow state (that mystical, magical place where you actually do good work) and by the time that happens, you've been hit again. Here’s how to fix that. Put simply: Communicate among your team, turn off your notifications, and let flow state reign. – Ray Hart, Marketing & Creative Specialist

2 Now that we have your attention … the medium matters
A New Era of Attention-Driven Out of Home with Dr Karen Nelson-Field and QMS

Speaking of attention, we've always said the best advertising creates an emotional connection to the audience – and you need their attention to build that connection. A world-first study by Dr Karen Nelson-Field (Amplified Intelligence) shows just how impactful outdoor advertising can be and how dwell time – be it in traffic or waiting for a train – can have major benefits to holding audience attention. – Jonathan Mandel, Head of Media

3 TikTok isn't a social platform – it's an entertainment platform
Reflect + Connect: Become A Part of Culture with Sofia Hernandez

The culture of entertainment is being curated by us, as people. The good news is that 71% of TikTok users actually want brands on the platform. However, they expect brands to contribute to culture, rather than just watch. Successful brands are taking part in unhinged storytelling, peaking users curiosity and creating communities built on trust. — Jess Davis, Head of Creative

4 Sometimes you have to climb cringe mountain
Authenticity Sells in Social Media with Jemma Sbeg

As the host of the hit podcast The Psychology of your 20s, Jemma Sbeg peeled the curtain back on the “accidental” content strategy that has helped her build a huge following online. A key component is being passionate, vulnerable and true to yourself – but also getting over yourself. If you want to build something great – whether that’s a business, or a podcast, or a brand – you have to push beyond society’s expectations and embrace the cringe. – Darren Levin, Head of Strategy & Growth

5 First impressions are important
17 Seconds to Win or Lose with Panel Bianca de Silva, Jonathan Pease and Nick Enfield

Whether humans like it or not, we make decisions that are based on emotions first, followed by rationalising these with logic. To build a connection with people on first introduction, start with an emotional hook. Skip the small talk, and disrupt the mood so that the meeting is both memorable and engaging. A friendly reminder that the weather is universal, not personal.  - Jess Davis

6 There’s no such thing as a stupid idea
The Power of Stupid Ideas - How to Unlock Creative Brilliance with Nicole Velik

“I know this might sound stupid but…” This is how so many brilliant ideas throughout history have begun. From groundbreaking inventions to award-winning ad campaigns, the genesis of these innovations often came from someone saying a stupid idea, an off-the-cuff remark or even a joke. The problem is many potentially brilliant ideas are shut down before they can blossom because of our fear of judgement or a workplace culture that quickly dismisses anything unconventional as foolish. Brainstorming sessions often have a foot on the gas and the brakes at the same time, and while there is a place for honing ideas in and making them feasible later, first we need to allow for creative flow to happen unhindered, and free of judgement. – Darby Kitchin, Senior Partnerships Manager (Aeroplane)

7 Kindness is like a good potato
Go Out and Be Good: A way forward for hospitality with Ben Shewry and Hamish Blake

An important lesson is the power of kindness when you’re in positions of leadership. It’s the moments to know when to do the right thing at the right time, and sometimes those small moments can impact others’ lives greatly. Working in hospitality is hard and it’s not if/when you fail, but how much you fail. It all comes back to being kind and your core beliefs. (Sidenote: the key to the perfect chip is in the potato – grown inland, the right variety of potato, soaked in cold water and fried at the right temp.) – Jess Wong, Campaign Manager

8 AI can’t win a court case … yet
Can AI Win A Court Case? with Courtney Blackman

AI still needs expert prompts to get the best out of it. Developing skills in prompt crafting is going to be crucial to every worker in all industries over the next few years. We're likely to see a massive explosion of niche AI assistants - one for summarising your spreadsheets and another to teach you how to cook - instead of using just one chatbot for everything. – Jonathan Mandel

9 Unlocking Asia requires a nuanced approach
Asia Unlocked: Navigating New Tour Routes in APAC with Harry Moore, Zaran Vachna, Wenona Lok and Dong Nguyen

Asia is often overlooked when touring, though it comprises of around 4.75 billion people. Their fans are heavily engaged and are deeply influencing global pop culture. However it’s important to consider each country (even region/city) as its own culture and tailor messaging and marketing approaches to each geo. There is also work that artists and promoters can do to better communicate with local diaspora, who will share messages with their friend and family overseas. Ultimately, it comes down to understanding your audience and the cultural nuances between each region, and with that work done, you can have impact in a quickly growing industry. – Jess Wong

10 ‘Real’ communities aren’t just formed IRL
The Importance of Community and How We Find It In An Online World with Twitch CEO Dan Clancy

Gaming is a $200 billion industry that’s founded on connection and community as it’s a form of synchronous interaction, which is particularly meaningful for marginalised communities. Deep and meaningful relationships are built on many light and shallow interactions. These are often founded online through platforms like Twitch where users will often go to the same streamer regularly, and meet other uses to build communities founded on shared interests. – Jess Wong

11 Don’t be dull
The Disruption Effect with Brent Smart and Troy Ruhanen

According to Telstra CMO Brent Smart and TBWA CEO Troy Ruhanen – two global ad heavyweights from Australia – dull media has unfortunately become the standard. It’s estimated that $1.9-billion in media is spent on ‘extremely dull’ creative to achieve the same market share growth as ‘non dull’ media, while $59-billion in media is spent on ‘very dull’ creative and $21-billion is required for ‘moderately dull’. In other words: be brave with creative. The pair also spoke about how algorithms are flattening culture and why execution isn’t the only way to achieve consistency in advertising. – Rory Stanway, Client Director

12 Building trust is about being consistent
The Plausible Future Of Trust with Michael Schneider

How do you build trust in a society which is constantly trying to catch people out? Bunnings MD Michael Schneider says it’s all about consistency, stripping things back, and delivering on propositions over and over again. For Schneider, it comes down to these things:

• Own your mistakes; 
• Do the basics and do it well; and
• Don’t over promise and under deliver.

More information on the Bolster Group 

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