"For me, the experience that crystalized how technology can transform content was SENSIKS’ sensory reality pod."

 

Will there be new introductions? Will there be an activation that blows everyone away? What’s new? What’s hot? What’s not? And this year was no exception. As always, the 600+ IAB member companies were well represented at SXSW. We caught up with some members and asked them to share what they thought were the most interesting or memorable themes that they heard at SXSW. While this represents only a few of the hundreds of IAB members on the ground in Austin, a few key themes rise to the top. These themes are largely focused on technology that is enabling better and smarter creative and media decisions that put the consumer first. The need for storytelling and quality content to engage consumers is an underlying theme behind a good user experience. These SXSW insights are very interesting and we’ve highlighted IAB documents that relate to the various topics discussed. 

 

 

 

Everyone has been talking about AR, VR, and 360, which will continue to be points of interest in our field; but for me, the experience that crystalized how technology can transform content was SENSIKS’ sensory reality pod. Entering the “pod” and witnessing how visual content can be enhanced with scent, light, temperature, and other senses, was the most immersive experience I had and has absolutely affected how I’m looking at content opportunities across our studio network. ~ Melinda Lee, SVP & GM, Meredith Video Studios

 

 

Emerging tech and platforms are enabling content creators access to consumers in hyper-personalized ways. Very evident at SXSW, brands were applying this trend head-on by creating multi-dimensional, immersive experiences by providing artists with a broader canvass on which to inspire empathy and entertain. At The Girls Lounge, Emblematic presented a VR experience that placed the user in a domestic violence situation, a powerful execution that could forecast a new frontier for public service campaigns. On a lighter note, Google and Warner Bros. commissioned VR artists to create original art inspired by “Wonder Woman” using Google Tilt Brush. ~ Jason Z. Haikara, SVP, MediaLink