SXSW is an annual conference that brings together creative professionals from various industries. This year, SXSW offered its first Wellness Expo. The document discusses several digital health trends observed at SXSW 2018, including an increased focus on patient centricity, social responsibility initiatives from pharmaceutical companies, and collaborations between tech and pharma companies through innovation incubators. It also notes the strong presence of women in tech and health tech fields at the conference.

1. WPP
HEALTH
&WELLNESS
@
Digital Health Trends from
the Interactive Festival
March 2018

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SXSW is an annual forward-focused gathering of creative minds in Austin,
Texas. Every year it gathers over 70,000 of the brightest thinkers, futurists
and creative minds from nearly every industry.
The purpose of the event is to “create an opportunity for creative people
and the companies they work with to develop their careers, to bring
together people from a wide area to meet and share ideas.”
Recently, SXSW began offering a health track of speakers and panels, and
this year offered a Wellness Expo for the first time.
Fortunately we work in a category that touches every person, every
industry, every technology – and truly great healthcare communications fall
in the sweet spot between science, technology and art. There was no limit
to health related insights to be had.
SXSW left us exhausted and inspired – we are fortunate to be working at
such an exciting time. We hope you enjoy the following recap from the
event and find it useful for your business. You are likely reading this
because you want to make your company as impactful as possible, and help
as many people as possible – which is why we love working with people in
this industry like you.
SXSW 2018

3. SXSW year by year
A small group of people
met to chat about the
future of entertainment
and media, and decided to
organize an official event
for the following year.
1986
1987
The inaugural
SXSW event
had 172 acts
and 700
registrants
Film &
Multimedia
events
introduced
1994
The internet
contributes a
major presence
for the first time
1996
SXSW
Multimedia
becomes
SXSW
Interactive
1999
2015
SXSW launches Interactive
Health and MedTech Expo
Capitalizing on the UT
Austin Dell Medical School –
opened in 2013 as a med
school based on the best
tech in the world
2009
Foursquare is launched
and is the breakout app
of the festival
2012
Social Discovery Apps are
the tech to watch at the
Interactive Festival
2018
Finalists of the SXSW
Accelerator Pitch
event include
Cambridge Cancer
Genomics, Aetheris,
HealthTensor,
Nanowear,
Nextbiotics

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Differentiating Trends vs. Trendy Tech
In a not-to-be missed Keynote address, Amy Webb, Futurist and founder of The Future Today Institute,
presented her annual tech trends report. She gifted us her Four Laws of Technology Trends, that explains the
difference between a technology trend and technology that is just trendy.
All technology trends share a set of four conspicuous, universal features:
1. Tech trends materialize as a series of un-connectable dots that begin as weak signals on the fringe
and move to the mainstream.
2. Tech trends are driven by basic human needs.
3. Tech trends evolve as they emerge. They are not static.
4. Tech trends are timely, but they persist over long periods of time.

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2. Taking Social Responsibility :
Pharma and healthcare companies shared their initiatives and
progress to make the world a better, safer, healthier place to live.
3. Science + Art + Technology collaboration:
Pharma companies are leaning-in on innovation incubators –
fostering creative environments for smart, nimble startups in hopes
of evolving their business model.
1. Patient centricity:
Entrepreneurs are coming up with health solutions to help patients
first, but also help brands reach consumers on their terms, where
they are.
4. Diversity and Women in Tech:
The Women in Tech community was out in full force at SXSW –
presenting keynotes, sharing creative ideas and generously offering
support to other women in the industry.
2018 Trends

6. Serving vs selling, putting the patient first
It isn’t news to health marketers that patients have become increasingly engaged in their own healthcare decision making,
shifting the paradigm of control and demanding healthcare providers and stakeholders to shift their strategy to serve the
needs of patients as consumers rather than sell.
There were a number of exhibitors and panelists at SXSW this year sharing their own version of using technology to put
“patient at the center” – offering solutions that impact and improve the consumers day-to-day health and life. This means
being where the consumer is – offering real value, not just tech gimmicks.
Patient Centricity
1.

7. Patient Data Tracking: Verily – Project Baseline
Google owned Verily has partnered with Duke University and Stanford medicine on first of it’s kind observational study to
collect, organize and analyze broad phenotypic health data over the next four years. The goal is develop a well-defined
reference of good health and a rich data platform to better understand the transition from health to disease and identify
risk factors of disease. ‘The study includes clinical, molecular, imagine, sensor, self-reported, behavioral, psychological,
environmental health-related measurements from onsite visits, continuous data collection through sensor technology and
regular engagement via an online portal and mobile app.’
https://verily.com/projects/precision-medicine/baseline-study/

8. Chatbots
conversationHEALTH is a digital health startup that
delivers personalized conversations between healthcare brands
and their target consumers, patients, and HCPs.
Interactions are powered by human-assisted AI to drive
engagement, adherence, loyalty, and outcomes, through both
text and voice-based channels.
conversationHEALTH creates conversational solutions for
consumers, patients and HCPs, including: consumer awareness
about a condition, patient support, and HCP resources.
Wearables – Motiv
San Francisco based Motiv created a ring that
monitors heart rate and sleep better than wrist-
worn trackers.
A recently added feature is Sleep Restlessness
tracking which can monitor how often you toss and
turn while you sleep. It’s heart rate tracking
capabilities have also become much more
sophisticated.

9. Everybody’s talking about it…
We’ve all heard the stats… 1 in 5 adults in the US owns a voice-activated smart speaker (47.3 million
people), 41% of adults conduct at least one voice search per day, 50% of all searches will use voice by
2020.
So what does that mean for us marketers? It is important to start thinking about this now, be curious.
Consider developing a voice strategy, identify business problems. Voice technology will make
brand experiences conversational in the next few years. Eventually, we will have ambient
voice technologies embedded in our environments.
Voice – the next digital disruption

10. Carnegie
Mellon
completes
Harpy Program.
It understood
1000 words.
Microsoft
introduces
Clippy
Microsoft
introduces
speech
recognition
feature for
Office XP
IBM’s
Watson
wins
Jeopardy!
April 14:
Apple
introduces
Siri
Microsoft introduces
Cortana at annual
BUILD developer
conference
Amazon officially
launches Amazon
Echo in US
Microsoft launches
Cortana on
Windows 10
desktops and
mobile devices
Microsoft
Cortana added
to mobile
platforms
Amazon introduces
Alexa & the Amazon
Echo, available to
Prime members only
IBM introduces
the IBM
Shoebox, the
first digital
speech
recognition
tool. It
recognized 16
words and
digits.
Dragon launches
Dragon Dictate,
the first speech
recognition
product for
consumers (only
$6,000)
Google
launches
Google Now
Amazon
introduces the
Alexa Skills kit
https://www.voicebot.ai/2017/07/14/timeline-voice-assistants-short-history-voice-revolution/
1961 1972 1990 1996 2001 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
SoundHound
launches voice-
powered virtual
assistant app,
HOUND
Amazon launches
Amazon Echo Dot
& Amazon Tap
Google introduces
the Google
Assistant as part of
messaging app, Allo
Microsoft
adds Cortana
voice control
to Xbox One
Amazon
Launches
Echo in UK
& Germany
Samsung
acquires virtual
assistant
startup Viv
Amazon cuts price of
2nd gen Echo making
it even more
accessible at $49
Google
launches
Google Home &
Smart phone
Pixel
Chinese
Manufacturer
LingLong
launches Echo
Competitor,
DingDong
Actions on
Google
Platform
launches
Google
Home
Samsung introduces
Bixby alongside Galaxy
S8 device
Alexa skills
surpass 10,000
in US
Google Home
launches in UK
Google
introduces multi-
user support for
Google Home;
can recognize 6
different voices
Amazon
introduces the
Echo Look
Baidu unveils its
first device,
Xiaoyu, in China
Harman Kardon
reveals new speaker,
using Cortana
Amazon introduces
calling/messaging
feature for Echo
Devices
Apple introduces
HomePod
Amazon Echo
Show launches
Alibaba launches
GenieX1 Smart
Speaker
How did we get here?

11. The Google Fun House
Google went all-in with their Google Home device, looking to chip away at the Amazon Echo market share. Google
showcased quite the spectacle with their Google Fun House, with different AI powered functions and products presented
in every room. There was a bouncing car outside (voice activated), dancing flamingos in the garden, a margarita making
machine and a light room. These may seem like superficial executions of voice, but the point was to show the visitors that
you really can ask for and do almost anything using voice technology.
https://9to5google.com/2018/03/10/google-assistant-fun-house-tour-sxsw-2018-gallery/

12. Social Responsibility
Working in healthcare opens our eyes to many of the problems facing our communities including those less
fortunate across the world. We have the responsibility to capitalize on our resources to effect change. There
were a number of booths within the exhibit hall showcasing the good work that non-profits, biopharmaceutical
and healthcare companies are doing to help those in need.
The energy was contagious – many booths offering opportunities to get involved or even participate while
attending the festival.
2.

13. Social Responsibility
Pfizer’s booth supporting the UN Global Goals showcased 16
global initiatives to improve population health and offered
attendees the chance to make a specific, personal commitment to
support a variety of related causes, and document the
commitment in a photo booth.
Sadiq Khan
Mayor of LondonPfizer
Sadiq Khan – Mayor of London – shared his thoughts about how tech and
government can come together to improve outcomes for all. He focused on
burgeoning issue of online hate speech, reading half a dozen Tweets he has received,
showing how this content is not stopped by tech companies, impacting victims
mental health and career choices. He also focused on how big tech companies can’t
be above the law, citing the Uber/London dispute. Tech moves very fast, and often
regulations don’t exist for particular technologies, however the onus should be on
tech to work with regulators to reform laws to make business fair for all while still
allowing growth and advancement.

14. Multiple panelists spoke about the importance of avoiding perpetuation of human biases through AI.
We’re at a historic moment in our development of AI capabilities and have the responsibility to make
AI more human centric. Because AI is created by humans, and intended to behave like humans, it’s
incumbent on all of us to guide its development with human concerns. If we build our AI future on
the data of the past we risk perpetuating societal biases.
A compelling example of an analysis using facial recognition and NLP was used to compare male and
female roles in movies revealing that speaking roles are consistently dominated by men. Based on
existing data sets like this, machine learning will be trained to underrepresent communities.
The democratization of AI requires the participation of more people, and more diverse people, in its
creation. It’s not just a tool for the technology giants, but a resource for all walks of life. We need to
ensure diversity of thought with disciplines beyond data and computer science. We also need to
ensure AI education is part of early childhood education curriculum with an emphasis on girls, racial
minorities, and other groups whose perspectives have been underrepresented.
Democratizing AI

15. True Pharma + Tech Collaboration
The best healthcare communications are a combination of science + technology + creative. We saw many
pharmaceutical and healthcare companies embracing technology partnerships through incubators and
accelerator programs where collaboration can lead to programs and services that improve patients lives. Novartis
has even hired a new Chief Digital Officer to lead these efforts and reports directly to the CEO.
Open innovation models offer the ability to work alongside other experts, be educated and find inspiration from
people outside of your corporation’s mindset.
3.

16. Tech + Pharma Collaboration
Bayer Grants4Apps
Bayer has created an open innovation incubator, looking to
collaborate with like-minded healthcare innovators on self-
care initiatives. They had representatives speak at a few
events, and had a talent recruitment booth.
The incubator focuses on nutrition support, external pain
management, digital self-care solutions, and skin and sun
protection.
Fast Company Panel demonstrating real alignment btw
Pharma, Payor, Provider:
• Panelists focused on solving well-articulated and
documented healthcare quality, cost, and access
challenges
• Specific topics included telemedicine for mental health
(Lantern Health, Pacifica), where all 3 stakeholders are
helping get the services up and running, offered to
patients, and improving access to both providers and Rx
• Panelists represented Merck, UPMC, GE Health
Investment, Telemedicine App Medici

17. Women in Tech (and HealthTech)
The female executive and entrepreneur presence at SXSW was astounding – delivering
must-see keynotes and panels, sharing creative technologies at booths and gatherings for
female empowerment and networking events.
Events included: Women in Blockchain Meet Up, Tech-no-color: Advancing Women of Color in Tech, IEEE
Women in Tech Meet Up, 2018 Women in Digital SXSW Official Rally + Party, Women Led Cities: Co-Creating a
Feminist City, Femtech: Women & Health Tech in the Trump Era, Body Politics: The War on Women’s Health,
The Value of Women Investing in Women
4.

18. Notable Female-Led Companies in Tech
Michelle Longmire, Founder & CEO of Medable: Apple made huge inroads
into health with their “kits”, the ResearchKit for medical researchers
running clinical trials, and CareKit for clinicians who want to engage their
patients outside the office setting for ongoing care, monitoring, and digital
interventions. The major barrier to uptake for these kits has been the lack
of technical capabilities and resources on the clinical side. Hence, Medable
has created a portfolio of apps that enable researchers and clinicians to roll
out these services without needing to build their own technology
capabilities – over 200,000 patients are already using the apps with their
clinicians, and the line of academic centers and biopharma sponsors
continues to ramp up quickly. There is an opportunity to leverage this
emerging “channel” of HCP/patient interaction and be part of the trend-
setting group that will learn what works best.
Meghan Gaffney Buck, Founder and CEO of Veda Data: a
new evolution in Big Data/AI, now offering “Data Science as
a Service”, focused on payors who generate massive
datasets every day and need help keeping the data linked
accurately to the right doctors and patients. Machine
learning is the secret sauce that uses all of a client’s
historical data to learn how to most accurately create and
save these links so the databases can deliver actionable
insights. Interestingly the original technology was used to
accurately identify stars and galaxies across different views
from different locations and organizations.

19. What else did you miss?
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Cleo Wade – Poetry ReadingHeadspace Sony - WOW
A few other fun brands we interacted with
Headspace, the meditation
app, offered SXSW attendees
“Room to Breathe” – a quiet,
private place to disengaged.
Cleo Wade, Instagram Poet and
“millennial” Oprah Winfrey, read poems
from her recently released book, Heart
Talk. A great reminder to never
underestimate the power of personal
branding (check out her Instagram) and
social media. Influencers are some of the
smartest people in the biz.
iVitamin .health
IVitamin is the UBER of IV
Vitamin therapy that features
unique IV drips, administered
by certified staff to replenish
your body of depleted
nutrients. Treatments include:
dehydration, wellness, weight
loss, low energy.
Launched in 2017, .health
is the new domain
extension for brands,
organizations, and people
who provide high-quality
health products, services
and information.
The Sony WOW house had
much to see and play with,
including but not limited to:
aibo the robotic dog, Xperia
communication robots, A(i)R
Hockey and VR soccer.

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Questions? Reach out to Kristin.Mengel@WPPHealth.com
Thank you for contributions from:
Destry Sulkes, MD, WPP Health & Wellness
Tom O’Connell, WPP Health & Wellness
Chris Millsom, ghg | greyhealth group

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Read on:
Check out WPPHealth.com
for more WPP Health & Wellness
insights for 2018.