The Dailies at SXSW, Part Three Here's why Mike Rowan, the founder of reputation service RatePoint descended on SXSW.
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Daily BIZ Experiences
Mike Rowan, co-founder and CTO at RatePoint, a company that provides reputation tracking services for small businesses.
Why is SXSW a hotbed for BIZ Experiencess?
The popularity definitely boomed with the success of startups like Foursquare and Gowalla. Everyone wants to replicate that success, and you can't do it without networking. There's no better place to do that than SXSW.
What are you looking forward to most about SXSW?
People really cut through the bull here. It's not some corporate sales retreat where everyone's told their company can make it. If you suck, you suck.
What are your networking tactics?
Twitter is huge for networking. It tells you where everyone's going. Foursquare is great too because it tells you where people are. And it doesn't hurt to set up some meet ups before you get here.
What do you hope this conference will do for your company?
Expand our network and learn about innovative technology. I guess that's what brings every BIZ Experiences here.
To find out more about RatePoint, or what people think about your business e-mail Mike at mike@ratepoint.com.
Daily T-shirt
We came across the ultimate "Start-Up" shirt, perfect for any BIZ Experiences. This icebreaker is ideal for SXSW meetups - a great way to tell people what you're looking for without coming across as needy. Each shirt comes with a pin button so you can customize it every time you wear it. Get yours at Interactees.
Daily Promo
Today's promo is taking it back to the basics and breaking through the high-tech clutter with a simple, yet captivating display. You probably can't tell, but those are not images of each PepsiCo product. They are artfully-arranged containers filled with the key ingredients of each corresponding product. No smartphone needed to enjoy this ad, unless you just want to take a picture.
Daily Line
Today's line is more of a cautionary tale for brands spending beaucoup bucks at SXSW Interactive. At first glance, it would appear that Sony PlayStation had created quite a stir in downtown Austin. Upon closer inspection it turned out that these single-file bystanders were just seeking shade against the side of this primo-promo space. If you're going to drop that kind of cash on a branding experience it better be at max capacity. Case in point, the impromptu iPad 2 store.
-- Prentice Howe is senior vice president, executive creative director at Door Number 3, an independent branding shop in Austin.
