SXSW is as usual, getting huge play in the media this week. The conference and festival bills itself as offering “the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery.”
However, the story seems a bit different this year, and it sounds like maybe the gathering is losing a bit of its outsider cred as the big marketing brands move in. Digiday reported that brands including Pepsi, Oreo and Chevrolet had major presence this year, following American Express’ high profile Jay-Z concert last year, and the conference this year has “a different feel, nearly as much about a marketing event as it is about tech.”
Hardware was the big hit of the festival, a big switch around from previous years when Twitter and Foursquare had the buzz.
As The New York Times’ Jenna Wortham recently wrote: “ The new emphasis on devices over software reflects a much larger shift in the start-up and tech world, driven by tools like crowdfunding and 3-D printing that make it cheaper, faster and easier to create prototypes.”