SXSW Interactive was bigger than ever this year—festival organizers reported over 24,000 registered attendees--but we know not everyone can brave the crowds and make the trip to Austin. That’s why FH Boston brought a little piece of Texas back to the Bay State for our second annual Austin2Boston event. Unfortunately, we learned that street tacos and Texas BBQ don’t travel well…but our A2B guests enjoyed apps and drinks at the Back Bay Social Club, heard from our panel of smart folks who shared their key takeaways from SXSW2012, and networked with peers from brands and agencies alike. Attendees shared their thoughts on Twitter throughout the evening using #Austin2Boston. Our excellent panelists, who grabbed the mike to share their thoughts were: • Adam Cohen, SVP of Digital and Social Media at Fleishman Hillard • Jessica Paar, Sr. Public Relations Manager, Boston Beer Company • Lauren Vargas, Community Management Strategist at Aetna • Margot Bloomstein, Principal of Appropriate, Inc. • Jim Storer, Co-founder and principal at The Community Roundtable

1. March 28, 2012
#Austin2Boston

2. Jim Margot Lauren Jessica Adam
Storer Bloomstein Vargas Paar Cohen
Co-founder Principal of Community Sr. Public SVP Digital
and Appropriate, Management Relations and Social
principal at Inc. Strategist at Manager, Media at
The Aetna Boston Beer Fleishman-
Community Company Hillard
Roundtable
@mbloomstein @vargasl @samadamsbee @adamcohen
@jimstorer r
#Austin2Boston

3. BRANDS: TO WIN MAKE YOURSELF…
Valuable, Useful and Entertaining
@adamcohen

4. • Innovate
• BEWARE: Official vs.
Unofficial
FOR BRANDS • It’s not for everybody
IT’S
BECOMING
MORE
D I F F I C U LT
@adamcohen

5. • Engagement is king
• This all still applies to B2B, Financial
Services and other industries
• “Surprise and delight” customers is
Keep It never a bad approach
• Go back to the beginning:
REAL Start with insight about the
audience
@adamcohen

6. Returning to Boston with #SxSARS
@vargasl

7. Playing by the Rules
@vargasl

8. • Manage the gray of
personal/professional boundaries –
Build and socialize governance
documents
Legal-Up • Encourage workforce to embrace
(culture change community manager responsibilities
through education – 3E’s via @Oxfam: Educate,
- without inciting Entertain, Engage
fe a r )
• Understand legal, compliance and
privacy policy and guidelines
@vargasl

9. • Encourage transparency and
context of industry-regulated
policies and guidelines
• Develop processes that amplify the
humanity of an organization and
scale social media as a customer
Walking the Talk
service tool (not just marketing)
“It’s hard to be a rabid
fan of a process.” – Debra • Explore the meaning of intellectual
Askanese (@askdebra) property in a social organization
• Don’t be afraid to say “No.”
@ va rga s l

10. The BIG Fish
What’s Your Super Hero Back Story??
@jimstorer

11. The BIG Fish
What’s Your Super Hero Back Story??
@jimstorer

12. 1. Community builders on the
brand side are getting tired.
2. Serendipity happens, but not
The Small Frye if you’re focused on your phone.
3. Work/Life Balance? How
about Life Balance?!?!
@jimstorer

13. This just in!!
@ j i m sto re r

14. “Now you can do something
useful on Facebook for once.
Help make a beer.”
“…this is pretty much one of the
most brilliant uses of social media
in the beverage business I have
seen so far.”
“Well, consider this my
official request that the
beer be brewed year-
round, bottled, and sold in
six-packs. Sam Adams sent
me a bottle of the beer to
“The final brew, B’Austin ale sample, and man, is it
was a big hit during the Girl good.”
+ Guy Interactive party on
Saturday night.”
Crowd Craft Project: B’Austin Ale
Stay true to yourself and to your audience.
@samadamsbeer

15. • There’s a lot of noise. You have to be
creative, not just look shiny, to actually
engage the audience.
• Focus on local. Bringing a little piece of
Boston to Austin resonated.
• Relationships move the needle. Great
Crowd Craft Project opportunity to network with smart,
creative people.
Other key learnings • Measurement is tough.
from SXSWi
@samadamsbeer

16. Continuing the • Customer engagement is key.
Dialogue Continue to engage in a
dialogue with drinkers.
• Partner with the right people.
• Leverage social media tools to
share, broadcast, and curate.
@samadamsbeer

17. SXSW = LAYERS
…on existing interests
…on existing knowledge
…on existing relationships
@mbloomstein

18. @mbloomstein

19. @mbloomstein

20. @mbloomstein

21. Layers > novelty • Don’t expect anything new—even
you, Billy Corgan—but embrace what
Embrace, enrich, you have.
enhance, & engage • Enrich what you know or suspect.
• Enhance relationships by layering and
adding contexts.
• Engage with your audience and
community.
@ mbloomstein

22. What now, what next? • Grow up. Now is the time to mature
our thinking, processes, and budgets.
• Invest in core communication goals
before chasing new channels.
• Fight FOMO in platforms and parties.
Be where you are.
@mbloomstein

23. Jim Margot Lauren Jessica Adam
Storer Bloomstein Vargas Paar Cohen
Co-founder Principal of Community Sr. Public SVP Digital
and Appropriate, Management Relations and Social
principal at Inc. Strategist at Manager, Media at
The Aetna Boston Beer Fleishman-
Community Company Hillard
Roundtable
@mbloomstein @vargasl @samadamsbee @adamcohen
@jimstorer r
Thank you! #Austin2Boston