DEREK MEISSNER - As a Junior Account Executive at Networked Insights, I work in cross-functional teams to support our strategic marketing initiatives. I assist in the development and distribution of marketing collateral through digital and traditional means, as well as support each phase of the client relationship. My responsibilities allow me to stay knowledgeable on all aspects of our product and processes, helping us deliver superior value and keeping all of our efforts aligned.

Buzz from SXSW 2010

March 25, 2010

I didn’t go to SXSW. Actually, as the youngest member of the Networked Insights team, I never go anywhere. I eat lunch at my desk… So I sent our analytics and algorithms to check out the scene. (They did not bring me back a T-shirt from a cool band.)

Five themes top the list. And there’s a thread running through these topics: Foursquare and Gowalla. They create a lot of buzz across multiple categories. Were you there? Did the buzz in the clubs and the auditoriums differ from the forums and blogs? Let us know. Here’s the Networked Insights Buzz Report from SXSW 2010. The patterns and themes are outlined below and we’ve added a few mentions for some color commentary.

Foursquare vs. Gowalla
You could say they’re territorial: it’s a location-based battle for supremacy. Foursquare appears to be the “must have app,” despite issues early on. Many media outlets have reported that the conversations around Foursquare this year rival those of 2008 when Twitter began its journey on the relatively short road to social-media dominance.

“I’d love to see the source for the claim that Gowalla and Foursquare are neck-and-neck at SXSW. I’m a Foursquare loyalist but am trying Gowalla for the first time to check it out. At all the SXSW events that I’ve checked in using both, Gowalla shows 10% of the number of checkins as Foursquare. For the record, i think Gowalla has done a good job creating awareness at SXSW through all the sponsorship, but it doesn’t look to me like all the awareness is translating into conversion.”

Android applications
Mobile applications from Foursquare, Gowalla, MOG, and Last.fm ranked high.

“Music service MOG lifted the lid on its new mobile applications this morning at SXSW, promising premium subscribers the ability to stream any song, anytime, anywhere, on both iPhones and Android devices.”

Twitter announcement that wasn’t
They were rumored to be releasing information about an ad service, but instead they released @anywhere, a modest enhancement to help integrate Twitter on third party sites. At some point, people might want to make some money from all their tweeting, right? Maybe even a better question (or statement) would be that, at some point, Twitter would like to make some big money, right?

“The Twitter keynote had SxSW attendees lining up an hour beforehand, with many being turned away from an auditorium fitting thousands, and volunteers flagging every last empty seat for a willing occupant, it wasn’t the festival highlight many had hoped.”

Social gaming
We’re seeing huge growth in this industry. And the online discussion mirrors that. Both pioneers and new-media experts agree, the lines between traditional and social gaming will continue to fade as the popularity of the gaming industry grows exponentially.

“Foursquare is positioning itself primarily as a social utility and city guide, while Gowalla is leaning toward its gaming roots and attempting to bridge the gap between virtual and tangible goods.”

Danah Boyd and privacy issues
Boyd called out Facebook and Google for invading user privacy and lots of people took notice and have been talking about it in great detail.

“Technology has made a mess of what is private and what is public; technology has in essence removed our various selves from the safety of context.”

Well, that concludes our findings on the buzz about from the SXSW Festival last week. I hope to see you there next year. But right now I can’t go too far. I’m covering the phones…