SXSW 2013 ended nearly three weeks ago, so I'm more than a little late in posting this recap. Better late than never, right?

If you're a longtime reader of our blog, you might remember our post last March highlighting the various materials that Sonic created for .CO's SXSW 2012 event lineup. Well, this year I had the opportunity to visit with .CO at the Tech Cocktail event held at Stage on 6th and got to see all of Jamie's hard work in person.

.CO definitely knows how to create a buzz! I had a great time helping with the photo booth, chatting with attendees and watching guests enjoy the materials.

Here's a look at some of the items created for the event:



These bright orange glasses, SoftStyle T-shirts and bandannas were a huge hit at Tech Cocktail! People snatched them up left and right. Even the bartenders were sporting bandannas.

The bandannas were also a popular choice of prop at the interactive photo booth. Pictures from the booth displayed on rotation at the entrance to Stage on 6th.


These watches were a fully custom piece. Tidy packaging made them easy to unpack, stack and hand out.


Be sure to check out .CO's recap of the Tech Cocktail event and the rest of their experience at SXSW 2013!

This week at Sonic Promos, we're working on...

... flash drives, Atone-Mints, stylus pens and a booth display for ShalomLearning to use at an upcoming trade show.

... photo frames with a custom insert (not pictured) for Sittercity. 50 frames are being sent to winners of their pumpkin carving contest. You can find more information about the contest on their Facebook page.

... and key-shaped flash drives and key tags for Baker Tilly, to be distributed at a tax conference this weekend in Chicago.

"This Week at Sonic Promos" is a regular feature on our blog.
Read all past posts here.
Check in every week to see some of the work that's going on in our office.

Here's a fun case study for you today. Have you heard of Allie the Ally?

Allie the Ally was created by a student group from James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Maryland called Allies 4 Equality. To spread awareness about LGBTQ issues and to give hope to kids struggling with acceptance, both from themselves and others, the group developed a colorful paper doll named Allie. What began as a local high school initiative quickly became a national campaign, thanks to the group's active Facebook page. Allie has now traveled across the United States and to four different countries. Supportive fans post photos of themselves with the doll, along with a brief message. Many schools and religious groups have gotten involved with Allie; even the Governor of Maryland has participated.

The students have even been honored with a national award for their efforts.

Recently, Allies 4 Equality came to Sonic looking for a way to sell Allie the Ally T-shirts to school communities across the country.

The T-shirt features a 7-color front/1-color back screen print. With so many colors involved, we knew printing the shirts individually was not going to be a cost-effective option. To keep costs down, we worked with the students to develop an online store with an ordering window of three weeks. This allowed us to print all the shirts in one run and net volume price breaks.

The ordering window for this round of shirts has closed, but be sure to keep up with Allie's travels by visiting the students' Facebook page regularly. You can find them on Twitter and Tumblr too.

Thanks for the opportunity to get involved with this movement, Allies 4 Equality, and keep up the great work!

In Austin, March has one focus. And I'm not talking about the Zilker Park Kite Festival.

The city comes alive thanks to a little event called SXSW. 

South by Southwest is a company that plans and executes trade shows, conferences and other events. Their current lineup of events includes SXSW Music, SXSW Interactive, SXSW Film, SXSWedu and SXSWeco. All except SXSWeco occur in the spring. 

The very first festival, held in 1987, focused on music at a time when Austin musicians were still relatively isolated from the rest of the world. For years, the eclectic music scene in Austin had stirred interest in businesses on both coasts, and SXSW gave them an excuse to visit.

The festival was an immediate success and as time passed, it gathered more and more attention. SXSW now has offices in Ireland, Germany, Australia and Japan who help bring international talent to Austin. In 1994, the company added a film and interactive component in response to growing industries in tech, film and web. Combined, SXSW Music, Film and Interactive now pull in more than 48,000 registrants each March.

At an event this big, how can you possibly hope to stand out? It takes a little creativity and a lot of planning. 

In late January, Jamie began working with the Pappas Group to develop promotional materials for client .CO's 2012 SXSW presence. Using .CO as an example, let's discuss some important elements of trade show strategy.

1. Have a plan and clearly state your objectives. Participating in a trade show can be a substantial investment of time, money and labor. That's why it's so important to establish a plan and identify clear metrics of success. How else will you know if it's a worthwhile investment, year after year?

By the end of January, Pappas and .CO had a detailed plan with three clear objectives. 1) Develop a .CO branded experience that extends the idea of engaging starters and .CO owners to build understanding of and loyalty to the .CO brand. 2) Communicate what .CO is and who the .CO brand is. 3) Connect with the SWSWi audience, an audience that is packed with starters.

2. Know your audience. For those of you who read Reddit, I'll summarize this point with one sentence: Don't be a Woody Harrelson. You know what I mean. 

Learn as much as you can about the kind of people who will be attending the show. What are their interests? Their needs? How do they receive and digest information, and how can you grab their attention?

At SXSW 2012, .CO will focus on interacting with startups and influencers. These individuals are "thirsty for knowledge, creative, intelligent, engaged and open to learning about new ideas and innovations. They want to be in on or at least know the next big thing."

3. Start interacting with your audience before the show even begins. Pre-show outreach is a critical step that many marketing professionals overlook when planning their trade show strategy. Trade shows are not necessarily a good environment for first impressions, especially ones that only last a day or two. Surrounded by noise and chatter, it can be difficult for you to make a lasting connection with your prospects.

Exhibitors can generally request a mailing list of registered attendees to help them prepare. Identify a few contacts with whom you really want to connect, and treat them like your VIPs. Invite them to join you for a meal, send them a prep kit or provide an incentive for visiting your booth. 

Pre-show marketing was a big part of .CO's SXSW strategy. Knowing that many of their startups will be traveling to Austin by bus, .CO sent custom whiteboards, stencils and notebooks to various departure points for attendees to enjoy on the ride and all week long.

.CO has also been connecting with their community via social media for weeks now. Using the hashtag #startuplife, they've created a buzz around their presence at SXSW.

4. Make it meaningful. When selecting promotional materials for a trade show, focus on items that are practical and meaningful for your target audience. 

Each and every promotional piece that .CO developed for SXSW serves a purpose and reinforces their overall strategy. In addition to the whiteboards, stencils and notebooks, .CO created stadium cups for their evening cocktail event, branded bandannas to be used as photo booth props, and chopsticks for a noodle bowl lunch (an upscale twist on the startup staple of Ramen noodles).

5. Think ahead and anticipate needs. Upon hearing that a few rain showers and thunderstorms are expected to hit Austin mid-week, .CO ordered a couple hundred bright orange umbrellas. If the sky opens up, .CO employees will stay warm and dry, while simultaneously drawing a ton of attention to their colorful brand. Austinites love orange.

If you'll be in Austin next week, for work or play, be sure to check out this SXsurvival guide from local ad agency GSD&M. You'll find helpful tips for everything from food to venues to parties. 

On Wednesday, I reposted an article by Erin Nelson of Bazaarvoice that discusses the importance of the "voice of the stranger" in Millennial marketing strategy. Research shows that Millennials rely less on the recommendations of friends and family, and more on the opinions of complete strangers when making purchasing decisions. Therefore, Nelson encourages businesses to look beyond social networks like Facebook and Twitter when marketing to this particular demographic. The key to winning the hearts, minds and dollars of the Millennial generation is to "surface relevant and authentic user-generated content and make it as pervasive as possible", she says.

I completely agree with Nelson about the importance of user-generated content. Before any major purchasing decision (buying a new laptop, choosing an apartment complex, switching insurance providers), I consult online reviews. Heck, it doesn't even have to be a major purchase. Even a quick lunch in a new neighborhood necessitates the use of Yelp, in my mind.



Sometimes I find myself reading reviews just for a good laugh. Oh yes, some people get really sarcastic. Here are three of my favorite snarky review threads:

Amazon.com's The Mountain Three Wolf Moon Short Sleeve Tee
Pros: Fits my girthy frame, has wolves on it, attracts women.
Cons: Only three wolves (could probably use a few more on the 'guns'), cannot see wolves when sitting with arms crossed, wolves would have been better if they glowed in the dark. 

Paula Deen's recipe for English Peas on foodnetwork.com (there are just two ingredients: a can of peas and butter)
Just tried this recipe and found it a little more buttery than I normally prefer. Edit: just looked at the recipe again and realized I forgot to add the peas.

Rachel Ray's recipe for Late Night Bacon on foodnetwork.com (essentially, how to microwave bacon)
What brand of paper towel is most highly recommended? I want my bacon to be as good as possible.

I think a lot of companies are fearful of reviews, and they have a right to be. A positive review, as we all know, can bring more business your way, but a negative review could have disastrous consequences. You have no choice but to accept them all. Trying to hide or ignore a bad review won't do you any favors. It diminishes your authenticity, and as Nelson says, it's an authentic and transparent approach that attracts Millennials in the first place. The reviews are out there, and a consumer is going to find them anyways, so you might as well embrace it!

What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you rely on user reviews? If you come across any particularly sarcastic reviews, please share!