Seventy-two hours in Austin yielded more than a few Pedi cab selfies and kimchi fries. This year’s discussions felt significant, moving past our obsession with technology and grappling instead with its role in our world. Below were three trends that I couldn’t ignore.

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DISPOSABLE MEDIA:

With Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks developer Julian Assange taking the stage (or at least the Skype) at SXSW, government surveillance and privacy issues were hot topics. Interestingly, the issues that these conversations brought to light seemed to bring about a craving for a new type of media, deemed “disposable.” From SnapChat to Secret, apps and innovation that allow people to erase their past, not create one or remain anonymous took up headspace at the festival. One wise panelist commented that this trend was “the burning man of media,” and is necessary in light of a culture that is scared to leave anything behind. Expect to see more technology emerge in this space as we all seek greater anonymity. Consider the trend an antidote to big data.

WEARABLES ARE THE FUTURE (FOR MARKETERS):

As wearables are becoming more mainstream, conversations turned to how marketers should be thinking about them. The most insightful point was shared by Soulaiman Itani CEO & Founder Atheer, who told us that the more personal the wearable, the more personal a marketing communication should be. As our habits have changed from TV, to web, to mobile, media has evolved coming closer to home and providing us more tailored and relevant messages. Wearables will put this customization on steroids offering messages that bring utility, information and more seamless interactions with our greater community. One daring example was debuted at the Fast Company grill where guest attendees wore bracelets that sourced their energy to determine the mood of the evening and hence the next song to be played. Life changed.

“GIRLS” POWER:

From Mindy Kaling to Lena Dunham and countless other panels featuring fierce female bloggers and entrepreneurs, Austin was leaning in to the gender conversation in an exciting way. During her panel, “Queen of Comedy,” Mindy Kaling made an important statement about women and how they are pitted against one another. She said that “Women are constantly put into pageants that they don’t want to be in” and further underscored her argument by pointing out that while she is painfully compared to Tina Fey and Amy Pohler, society does not evaluate male comedians by putting them in a competitive set. Lena Dunham coached us all to tell our authentic stories because if we didn’t, who would? She talked about rewriting the script for women in a way that would favor authenticity while busting stereotypes. Both agreed that despite progress, we still have miles to go but that the cause would be advanced if we each embrace characters onscreen and off screen that are full of contradictions, quirks and “weirdness.” A perfect call to action for Austin, and everywhere.

What did you see, hear or tweet? Did it matter?

Posted on 3/14/2014

adriannaWritten by Adrianna G. Bevilaqua

Adrianna is the Managing Director of Creative & Strategic Planning at DeVries Global, a PR and Social media firm. She is the founder of Techromance, a blog that examined the intersection of dating and technology and continues to be fascinated by how social media has changed from a reflection of how we communicate IRL, to a force that shapes how we relate to each other. She has guest blogged for Social Media Week, PR Week, the College Crush and Dot Complicated. Follow her on Twitter at @adriannagiuls.

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