Leo Burnett hit SXSW Interactive to tell the story of the conference through the lens of an advertising agency. To break through the clutter of the annual event, we brought our own cameras and caught up with speakers, panelists, press and our delegates to uncover the trends and technologies that are shaping the future of the industry.

1. South by #SXLB | 2012
Leo Burnett hit SXSW Interactive to tell the story of the
Leo Burnett
conference through the lens of an advertising agency.
To break through the clutter of the annual event,
we brought our own cameras and caught up with
speakers, panelists, press and our delegates to
uncover the trends and technologies
that are shaping the future of the industry.
Delegate Perspectives
Interviews with Leo Burnett’s intrepid team captured throughout the week.
First impressions from Brian Barthelt, Dan Edwards, Miles Green and Mobile payments, geo-location and the use of creative technology
Rob Allen on topics including engineering serendipity, brand participation to create better user experience are a few subjects discussed with Ethan
and the proliferation of content creation. Goodman, Rock Darlington and Susan Treacy.
Watch on Vimeo. Watch on Vimeo.
Delegates Mark Moll, Dustin Tomes and Dan Fisher bring the theme The week ends with conversations about storytelling, transmedia and
of social good to life, touching on how gaming can change the world content strategy with Carey Isom, Jake Setlak, Alina Cowden
and what SXSW can teach everyone about taking risks. and Stephen Clark.
Watch on Vimeo. Watch on Vimeo.
Read more on Deeper Dish: Carey Isom expands on the importance of
storytelling; Fran Diamond dives into transmedia lessons gleaned from
screenwriter/producer Joss Whedon’s seminar.

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Leo Burnett #SXLB | 2012
The Startups
From Twitter to Foursquare, new companies have flocked to SXSW for a shot at
instant fame. A few of this year’s most promising entrepreneurs take the time to
share their success with Leo Burnett.
Sonar
CEO and cofounder Brett Martin of location-based, meet-up app
Sonar talks about uncovering hidden connections in data and using
social information to navigate the physical world.
Watch on Vimeo.
NeighborGoods.net
Daniel Hengeveld stands out for capturing the entrepreneurial
enthusiasm in Austin. Daniel is a cofounder of NeighborGoods.net,
a co-sharing service that allows users to lend and borrow everyday
items. He speaks about the inspiration behind the company and how
NeighborGoods facilitates efficiency and a sense of community.
Watch on Vimeo.
Glancee
Easily one of the more buzzed-about startups at SXSW, Glancee is a
mobile application that merges two huge trends­­­­­­­—data and
location—to allow users to discover and connect with like-minded
people. Glancee has been hyped by everyone from Ad Age to CNET.
CEO and cofounder Andrea Vaccari tells us how it came to be.
Watch on Vimeo.
Meeps
Cofounder and CEO of Meeps, Mat Ranauro, explains how the
conversation app combines Web 1.0 with Web 2.0, taking the
antiquated nature of AOL chat rooms into the 21st century via mobile,
geo-location and shared interests... all for the purpose of sparking
conversation.
Watch on Vimeo.

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Leo Burnett #SXLB | 2012
The Speakers
SXSW Interactive attracts a wide range of A-list speakers and panelists,
reaching across multiple disciplines. Keynotes and industry leaders share
some one-one-one time with Leo Burnett to offer some insight.
Guy Kawasaki
Author, speaker and former chief evangelist for Apple, Guy Kawasaki
is a SXSW celebrity. Here he talks about his latest book, “What the
Plus!” and explains why it’s smart to jump on the Google+ platform.
Watch on Vimeo.
Read more on Deeper Dish: Dan Fisher writes about Kawasaki’s
keynote interview with Google’s Vic Gundotra.
Pandora
Founder and CEO of Pandora, Tim Westergren, shares his insights
about the evolution of the music industry in the digital era. Through
personalization, discovery and data, Tim predicts that the future of
music will give rise to a “musician’s middle class.”
Watch on Vimeo.
Funny or Die
Funny or Die President and CEO Dick Glover and VP of Sales Ed
Wise explain how keeping the cost of both content and marketing low
is the secret behind their incredibly popular video site. The pair also
talk about why relationships with both agencies and brands will be
critical to their future success.
Watch on Vimeo.
Mobile Future Institute
As CEO of The Mobile Future Institute, Chuck Martin urges brands
to harness the power of mobile. Chuck emphasizes the need for
marketers to understand that the mobile phenomenon is just now
underway, and recommends that they focus on carrying a mobile
strategy through their entire media stream.
Watch on Vimeo.
Jonathan’s Card
Mobile web developer Jonathan Stark talks about how the unexpected
genesis of Jonathan’s Card provoked a conversation about social good
and explains why open APIs can bring big value to brands.
Watch on Vimeo.
Read more on Deeper Dish: Dustin Tomes writes about lessons
learned from Jonathan’s Card in a post about content and clutter.

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Leo Burnett #SXLB | 2012
Press & Pundits
Few at SXSW can provide an objective glimpse into what’s really happening at the
event as well as the reporters who cover it. A few authoritative voices offer an
honest opinion on the state of technology and advertising.
PSFK
As CEO and founder of trend-forecasting site PSFK, Piers Fawkes arrived
armed with a handful of thoughts as to what attendees might expect. The hot
topics he discusses include co-sharing, gaming for good and social pairing.
Watch on Vimeo.
Read more on Deeper Dish: While Piers questions the role of brands at
SXSW, Marina Molenda identifies five that ‘nailed it’ at the conference.
Contagious Magazine
Emily Hare and Nick Parish from trends/tech/commerce publication
Contagious chat about why SXSW Interactive matters. Emily describes it as
a “convergence of consumer culture, marketing and technology,” while Nick
offers some advice to agencies on how to make the most of the conference.
Watch on Vimeo.
Digiday
Brian Morrissey, editor in chief of Digiday, uncovers a number of ideas
circulating in Austin. Brian talks about the challenges faced by ad agencies at
SXSW, but emphasizes that startups can learn a lot by following their lead.
Watch on Vimeo.
Read more on Deeper Dish: Jake Setlak writes about the relationship be-
tween major internet players and advertising.
Mashable
Sarah Kessler, startups reporter for Mashable, gives an objective review
of the latest and greatest startups, notably the location-based apps Highlight,
Glancee, Sonar and Banjo.
Watch on Vimeo.
Read more on Deeper Dish: Ana Maria Matta outlines three lessons that
agencies can learn from the startup culture at SXSW.
USA Today
Silicon Valley-based USA Today reporter Jon Swartz reflects on how SXSW
has become a launching pad for new ideas and creativity. Jon talks about
bringing digital serendipity to real life, and explains why larger tech companies
come to SXSW to scope out startups.
Watch on Vimeo.

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Leo Burnett #SXLB | 2012
Screen Magazine
Publisher and Editor of Screen Magazine, Andrew Schneider, describes the
role of content interaction design in the world of production. Andrew also
explains why we need to rethink our use of social platforms like Facebook.
Watch on Vimeo.
Read more on Deeper Dish: Nick Fotis on ‘Contradictions, Facebook and
Agency Responsibilities.’
Joseph Ahern
Bringing a unique perspective at the crux of the SXSW Interactive and Music
events, Syracuse University student Joseph Ahern analyzes what the music
industry can expect in the coming years. Joseph explains that user experience is
increasingly becoming a crucial part of a band’s success.
Watch on Vimeo.
The Future of Media
Companies looking to improve, customize and disrupt the content landscape
are full-force this year. Three major players changing the distribution of everything
from music to film discuss the implications for brands and media.
Spotify
Spotify’s David Altarescu chats about the role music plays in social identity, the
importance of open APIs and the future of Spotify as an advertising platform.
Watch on Vimeo.
Boxee
Avner Ronen, CEO and cofounder of Boxee, outlines his vision for the future of
television. As the worlds of television and internet collide, Avner explains that
consumers will place more importance on ownership of content and the video
discovery process—and why that’s an opportunity for advertisers to create
more cohesive, branded experiences.
Watch on Vimeo.
Shazam
David Jones, executive vice president of marketing at Shazam, talks about the
future of the music discovery application and the company’s
growing need for advertising.
Watch on Vimeo.

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Leo Burnett #SXLB | 2012
Four Findings
To wrap, here are four topline findings
we uncovered from our interviews:
1. Betting on Data and Location
No, there wasn’t a Twitter or Foursquare breakout startup among the mix of new players in 2012.
But the most hyped ‘next big things’ all seemed to have similar purposes in mind: Merging the
online and offline worlds.
Sonar, Glancee and Highlight, the three top startups on Radian6’s 2012 Twitter buzz list, each take
insights from information posted to social networks and fuse them with location data to uncover
hidden connections in real environments – whether that’s in an early-morning NoSQL seminar or at a
late night 6th Street bar.
2. Rising ‘Middle Class of Content’
It’s not “Mad Men” but it’s also not that clip of a piano-playing cat your aunt forwarded. It’s not
Radiohead, though it’s certainly not your uncle’s after-work garage band’s performance last
weekend.
It’s an emerging ‘middle class’ of content providers that caught our ear in Austin this year… and an
influential cast of new media tech players that are staking a claim. While TV set-top device Boxee
is urging all to ‘cut the cord’ and subscribe to a new delivery model, providers like Funny or Die are
dedicated to keeping the cost of production and marketing low in order to deliver a quality product.
Meanwhile, players like Pandora are working to perfect algorithm-based music personalization
models that provide the serendipity of discovery, bringing users’ attention to a range of unlabeled
artists that are precisely suited to their tastes.
3. Actualizing Social Good
“Doing good is good for business.”
That’s been a recurring theme, though we heard many more talking about social good this year. One
of the major emphases in 2012 has been gaming. Applying game mechanics to change behavior
and habits for the better – whether that’s in the realm of health care or environmental responsibility.
Many of our delegates came away enthusiastic about the possibility of changing the world for the
better. Social good isn’t just good for business… it’s hip.
4. Moving Toward Storytelling 2.0
While the concept of ‘transmedia’ has circulated for years, until now it’s been largely relegated to
the worlds of alternate reality gaming and ivory tower pontification. No longer. As platforms and
channels – both on and offline – continue to proliferate, agencies and marketers are being required
to rethink their delivery system for messages.
Storytelling remains as essential as ever, but taking narratives to a higher participatory level will be
tantamount. Brands should think in terms of a broader content strategy and create an ecosystem
that tells its story across channels in a natural, cohesive way.