Technology Wins and Losses at SXSWi

This week is my second trip to SXSW. I found it interesting that despite the fact that it’s an interactive conference, I saw so many technological failures and missed opportunities:

FAILS
Paper Session Ratings
Upon entering every session attendees are handed a slip of paper on which to rate the session. Seriously? Paper? There are alot better ways to deal with this from Tweeting to apps, but this is just the beginning of the Eco-enemy examples at SXSW.

Printed Invitations Required
This infuriates me. Almost every party I RSVPd requested that I print out and bring the invite. Not only is it inefficient but it’s a waste of paper. So far no one has requested the printed invite but I will throw a hissy-fit the first time Im asked. I wonder how many printed invites they never used.

Print Collateral
99% of the vendors on the trade show floor gave away printed material. “How else were they supposed to do it” you ask? Ask Chevy. They’re here showing off the Volt. It is covered with QR code stickers for more details. QR codes? I’ll explain those in a minute.

Apps Not Working
I had the opportunity to get a few new iPhone apps including the my.SXSW app. Almost all had issues. SXSW jumped right on my angry tweets, contacting me via email and Twitter to assist, turning the FAIL into a WIN. The folks at Tweetworks were equally as helpful.

WINS
QR Codes
These are small black and white maze-like UPC codes that can be scanned with a camera phone and app that will read them. Scanning one gives you a link to more info. While still in early stages and in need of some evolution, QR codes will replace trade collateral, business cards, possibly even URLs on marketing communications. Imagine a movie poster or magazine ad you can scan to learn more later. Even though this tech was used last year, I think this is the breakout product/service of the event. But, it’s only Sunday.

AT&T Network and Charging Stations
I hate to say it but AT&T got their shit together. The network has been without a hiccup for me. Their multiple charging stations a big bonus for those of us burning batteries tweeting.

Top 10 Things I Learned from SXSW Even Though I Didnt Go

@durwin2point0′s imminent birth, not to mention the lack of finances, kept me from SXSW this year. Thanks to Twitter, which I jumped on when it was launched at my last SXSW in 2007, I was able to pick up alot of what went down. Here is my personal Top 10 Things I Learned:

1) I’ve heard most of the speakers before. Anybody new available?

2) Just because someone is on a podium doesn’t mean they’re right.

3) @CMajor+toilet=iPhone FAIL.

4) Too many good sessions overlapping.

5) The real conversations happened at the bars again.

6) AT&T+Austin=missed opportunity.

7) For the second year in a row there was no “It” application or site.

8) Something similar should be held in Boston in late August.

9) 6th Ave still rocks.

10) Most of what was said (or at least Tweeted) was common sense.

Who’s Responsibility Is Social Media?

15 years ago, when web sites began to appear on the horizon of corporate agendas, there was a great deal of confusion as to who should be reponsible for them. At the time, graphic designers weren’t technically savvy enough and IT specialists didn’t understand design and communications.

It’s around this time that people like me were entering the communications field. We came into web design when it needed a hybrid of design and programming. Of course, a decade later, there are entire departments and companies built around web design manned by highly specialized experts.

Social media is at the same place web design was in the early 90s. There are experts from PR, marketing, and web design all adding social media to their list of responsibilities. Few companies are dedicating positions or departments to social media. Many agencies are adding social media services to their offering, generally giving the responsibility to staff that has shown interest in SoMe. In these companies and agency, even in the industry in general, there is much discussion of who should be responsible for social media: PR, marketing, web design, etc. As a matter of fact, there are articles popping up all over the place discussing what makes a social media expert or poking fun at the idea of a social media expert at all.

In the coming years SoMe will no doubt me staffed by teams of specialists in analytics, character Twitterers, Facebook community managers, and more. It may be some time before social media becomes a must-have of a company’s marketing and communications plans. Until then social media will no doubt be helmed by the same type of jack-of-all-trades types that were there for the explosion of the Web.

What I’m getting at is: Should an existing profession be the one to take the reigns of social media for their employer or client? Or, should a new profession emerge, just like the webmasters of the 90s, to focus on pulling all the SoMe bits together? At least until they can afford to staff their department with specialists!

The SoMe Pro:

So what do we call these hybrids? “Social media expert” already has a bad wrap. Online Communications Consultant? Digital Community Ambassador? Anyone? Bueller?

Image by Rafa Llano.