SXSW 2014 is all played out, but which brands managed to cut through back in Austin? Well, Dickies went downtown to Banger’s Beer and Sausage House on Rainey St for three days and four nights to serve up live sets from artists such as HAERTS, Little Dragon, Deap Vally, Until the Ribbon Breaks and Ludacris. Dickies put up a retail unit featuring key products, a custom motorcycle display by Jane motorcycles of Brooklyn, and gave visitors the chance to create a unique look at an onsite barbershop courtesy of stylists Graceland BK.
“Linking with a retail partner ensured the brand’s presence at SXSW was still firmly rooted in sales, using exclusive acoustic session content to drive people online,” says Frukt in its SXSW Brands & Entertainment Insight Report. “With many brands feeling bolted onto the Rainey St distinct, Dickies industrial workwear ethic felt like a natural fit with the historic site.”
Samsung’s new Milk music service was hard to miss during SXSW. Inside the Galaxy Experience pop-up on the corner of Trinity and 2nd St visitors were able to get their ears around the new Slacker-powered music service in dedicated booths, sample free food and drink, and customise their Milk T-Shirts.
The brand also served up a four-day concert series for Samsung Galaxy owners featuring performances from the likes of Janelle Monae and Broken Bells, plus a collaboration between Jay Z and Kanye West.
Airbnb set up the Airbnb Park, showcasing specially created kitHAUS pop-up homes developed by designer Emily Henderson and a range of artists, among them Snoop Dogg, Capital Cities, and Allen Stone. Fans got the opportunity to party with the three acts in their bespoke homes via an Instagram competition by posting a welcome picture for a particular artist tagged with #AirbnbMusic.
“With the fan appetite for music at an all-time high, despite the slump in traditional music sales, it’s not hard to see why this passionate segment of the entertainment business offers such lucrative potential for brands,” says Frukt.
“Brands have never been more accepted into the realm of live events, and fans equally have never been more receptive or likely to purchase as a direct result of a well planned music strategy. However, many brands – not for lack of trying – are still missing the mark, placing the musical cart before the strategical horse in a rush to be part of the action.”