SXSW’s best way to market yourself


Austin’s South by Southwest (SXSW) 10 day music, interactive and film festival brought 27,000 more people to Austin’s streets and more competition for brands and bands.

South by Southwest’s biggest brands with the best marketing campaigns this year were Mountain Dew and Doritos.

Little Wayne, one of South by Southwest’s most anticipated headliner, teamed up with his new sponsor Mountain Dew and filled Austin’s street poles and walls with his DEWeezyposters. You couldn’t go a block without seeing one.

The Doritos huge life size vending machine was hard to miss at this year’s festival. The brand caught a lot of attention and people couldn’t stop taking pictures of this stage. Indie bands playing under this machine only helped Doritos more. 

Laiah Peavy, first timer to South by Southwest, believes the poles filled with stickers and posters is a good marketing tool to reeling in an audience and keeping the brand name in your memory.

“In theory the stickers and posters posted everywhere throughout Austin promoting bands works and is effective,” said Peavy. “Like they say if there is a will there is a way.”

Peavy said the brand Vevo was embedded in her head. Once she missed the hip-hop show she had been anticipating she couldn’t forget the brand. Their constant e-mails about upcoming shows during the festival only reminded her more.

“I loved the marketing,” said Nicci Contreras, local Austenite. “ You get to see the brands you hear about and can recognize a certain event by like the Fader venue and the Converse sponsorship, it was everywhere.”

Contreras said how her friends hip-hop group Worlds Fair, from New York, came to perform at the festival and posted their stickers throughout Austin like most brands and bands hoping to get more fans.

Contreras said the hip-hop group did have a good turn out at their shows but the audience consisted mostly of New York natives and not so much new fans from South by Southwest.

“A lot of creative people here is good and bad,” SXSW photographer Gabe Garza said. “The ideas are the same which makes it difficult and you don’t know what companies will win.”

The ongoing argument on whether South by Southwest is being taken over by corporate brands with top artists only or is it still for the independent, undiscovered bands to be discovered, signed and to gain more fans.

Whether ad clutter can be eliminated and if there is a possibility to find these brands and products on the poles and walls of Austin rather than energy drink ads, chip ads, or the CoolSculpting fat burning procedure ads that filled South by Southwest this year.

There are overwhelming amounts of ads throughout Austin during South by Southwest. Brands and Bands hope to leave a significant mark and gain more fans but sometimes there is just too much, some bands and brands fall short.

Nicci Contreras- niccon5@gmail.com

Laiah Peavy-alaiahawesum@gmail.com

Gabe Garza- gg1140@txstate.edu

SXSW’s best way to market yourself


Austin’s South by Southwest (SXSW) 10 day music, interactive and film festival brought 27,000 more people to Austin’s streets and more competition for brands and bands.

South by Southwest’s biggest brands with the best marketing campaigns this year were Mountain Dew and Doritos.

Little Wayne, one of South by Southwest’s most anticipated headliner, teamed up with his new sponsor Mountain Dew and filled Austin’s street poles and walls with his DEWeezy posters. You couldn’t go a block without seeing one.
The Doritos huge life size vending machine was hard to miss at this year’s festival. The brand caught a lot of attention and people couldn’t stop taking pictures of this stage. Indie bands playing under this machine only helped Doritos more.


Laiah Peavy, first timer to South by Southwest, believes the poles filled with stickers and posters is a good marketing tool to reeling in an audience and keeping the brand name in your memory.

“In theory the stickers and posters posted everywhere throughout Austin promoting bands works and is effective,” said Peavy. “Like they say if there is a will there is a way.”

Peavy said the brand Vevo was embedded in her head. Once she missed the hip-hop show she had been anticipating she couldn’t forget the brand. Their constant e-mails about upcoming shows during the festival only reminded her more.

“I loved the marketing,” said Nicci Contreras, local Austenite. “ You get to see the brands you hear about and can recognize a certain event by like the Fader venue and the Converse sponsorship, it was everywhere.”




Contreras said how her friends hip-hop group Worlds Fair, from New York, came to perform at the festival and posted their stickers throughout Austin like most brands and bands hoping to get more fans.

Contreras said the hip-hop group did have a good turn out at their shows but the audience consisted mostly of New York natives and not so much new fans from South by Southwest.

“A lot of creative people here is good and bad,” SXSW photographer Gabe Garza said. “The ideas are the same which makes it difficult and you don’t know what companies will win.”

The ongoing argument on whether South by Southwest is being taken over by corporate brands with top artists only or is it still for the independent, undiscovered bands to be discovered, signed and to gain more fans.

Whether ad clutter can be eliminated and if there is a possibility to find these brands and products on the poles and walls of Austin rather than energy drink ads, chip ads, or the CoolSculpting fat burning procedure ads that filled South by Southwest this year.

There are overwhelming amounts of ads throughout Austin during South by Southwest. Brands and Bands hope to leave a significant mark and gain more fans but sometimes there is just too much, some bands and brands fall short.




Nicci Contreras-niccon5@gmail.com
Laiah Peavy- alaiahawesum@gmail.com
Gabe Garza- gg140@txstate.edu

Ghostland Observatory performs at Moody Theater

Ghostland Observatory performs at Moody Theater
By: Amber Trent



Ghostland Observatory performed a show on Friday March 9th in downtown Austin at the Moody Theater. The performance was one of many that kicked off South by Southwest.



Ghostland Observatory is a popular electronic music group that appeared on the music scene in 2005. They create a diverse type of music between two people using a variety of typical musical instruments such as a guitar and your not so typical instruments like a synthesizer. This duo's music has been described by many as upbeat electro rock with a twist of funk.

Ghostland performing: Thomas Turner (left) Aaron Behrens (right)

Their show was the final performance for the SXSW Event: A Celebration of American Start Ups which recognized some of the country’s most successful business leaders and entrepreneurs.



Open to the public and free, many in attendance at Ghostland's show heard about it last minute.



“My friends and I were getting ready to go downtown when a buddy of ours told us to get here (Moody Theater) ASAP. We barely made the cut before they shut the doors,” said Jordan Farmer, Austin local.



Ghostland’s performance is unlike any other. They not only perform but they truly put on a show. Along with extreme costumes and wicked dance moves the two artists have recently amped up their visuals adding 16 lasers and various mirrors to add movie like effects.

Photo taken from Ghostland's performance at Moody Theater

“I’ve been a fan of Ghostland for a while now. I love their shows and watching all the lasers go crazy,” said Logan Capps, University of Texas student.



The hour and a half show had a diverse group of people in attendance. From college students dressed down in t-shirts and jeans to business men wearing suits and ties everyone was moving along with the beat of the music.



“I came earlier this evening to listen to the speakers at this event. I had never heard of Ghostland Observatory before tonight but I really enjoyed the show,” said entrepreneur Austin Steeves.




Sources:
Jordan Farmer- (432) 528-3668
Logan Capps- Lcapps@gmail.com
Austin Steeves- agsteeves@gmail.com

St. Patrick's Day Saved (Final Draft)

By Bria Lott


Dallas’ annual St. Patrick's Day Parade took place this past Saturday on Greenville Avenue. However, the parade was almost cancelled this year due to a shortage of financial funding.

The cost of the parade has steadily increased in recent years because of the need for more police and street barricades. With the size of the crowd growing each year more money is required to produce the event.  

Looking for support, social networking sites were set up in order to collect donations from local citizens to help aid the parade fund.

Greenville Avenue Area Business Association (GAABA), CrowdTilt and FundRazr all participated in an effort to help raise the remaining money needed for the event.

CrowdTilt, a website that assists in the collection of money between groups, has helped the city of Dallas in the past. Last year $25,000 was raised via CrowdTilt to give the Deep Ellum community a garden.

Even with all the assistance, the city was still short $40,000. It was proposed last Friday that if the money is not raised the parade would not take place.

Photo by Bria Lott

However Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, stepped in and wrote a check for $40,000 to save the St. Patrick's Day tradition.


Residents expressed how grateful they were to Mr. Cuban.

"The parade is amazing and it would not have happened without him," said Dee Casarez.

“I don’t know what I would have done today if the parade had been cancelled,” said Sarah Bergren.

Josie Gomez(right)- Photo by Bria Lott

 Josie Gomez, a local resident, has been attending the parade for 20 consecutive years. She said it is a tradition that helps bind the community.

"Everyone gets together, you make friends and you share drinks," said Gomez.

Despite the rocky disposition, the parade went on without a hitch. There were even floats commemorating Mark Cuban's philanthropy.

Individuals were pleased with the outcome of the parade, and are already planning to return next year.

“I’m a St. Patrick’s Day parade virgin but after today I’m a regular,” said Casarez.












Sources

Sarah Bergren – sarahbergren@mac.com

Josie Gomez – josiegomezzzzz@hotmail.com

Dee Casarez – deemarie@myway.com

Dallasobserver.com

crowdtilt.com

Time not wasted: Students stay productive during spring break

By Alyssa Vidales

Spring break is known as the time of year for college students to hit the beach, the bottle and on each other.

While some college students choose to spend their time drinking and working on their tans, some Texas State University students choose to work on their careers or bettering their communities.

Alex Scharton, political science junior, says his break parallels that of his partying peers, but with a professional pay off.

“The average college spring break is about getting wasted and making poor choices that will be photographed and displayed for all to see,” Scharton said. “Partying does come with what I do, but it’s for work.”

From March 11 -18, Scharton spent his spring break attending VIP events and rubbing elbows with recording artists and music industry professionals. But while others were working the dance floor during South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, Scharton was busy working as an image consultant.

Scharton, owner of creative directing firm Play Haus Productions, was contacted by promoters and music representatives in January to style musicians who were performing at SXSW in March. Scharton says he spent all semester researching the artists’ music and signature looks to help create an image that would best suit their performance.

Scharton says putting his art and fashion skills to work during spring break provides plenty of personal and professional perks.

“It’s an opportunity to work on something bigger than yourself. Its not often you get the opportunity to make an impact on a large group of people in a big way,” Scharton said.  “You’re making memories and friends at SXSW that last a lifetime instead of doing stupid things you want to forget.”

Jared Kirk, psychology junior, spent his spring break at South Padre, Texas. While his toes may have been in the sand, Kirk was too busy volunteering his time to serve others to notice.

Kirk, along with about 30 other Texas State Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) members, joined approximately 600 Texas BSM students in South Padre for Beach Reach, a ministry initiative that aims to prevent spring breakers from driving under the influence and making destructive decisions.

“I felt called to go. I wanted to do something good for the community, even though it wasn’t in San Marcos,” Kirk said

From offering courtesy shuttle rides to serving free pancakes near bars from midnight to 3 a.m., Kirk says the experience reminded him of the ugly side of partying on spring break.

“I saw a lot of wasted people. It reminded me of my past and what the morning after is like,” Kirk said. “I used to be big in the spring break party scene, but not anymore. Now it’s sad to see people in that state.”

According to AlcoholPolicyMD.com, a 2006 poll conducted by the American Medical Association found that eighty-three percent of college students agree that heavy drinking occurs more on spring break trips than on college campuses.

Despite the party stigma that students have towards spring break, Scharton believes it is a time for personal growth.

“So many people go through spring break and their perspectives are completely different afterwards,” Scharton said. “They learn that there are more important things than being drunk and wasted that they wouldn’t have learned any other way. They’re better because of it.”

Scharton says the opportunity to party will come more often than the opportunity to advance his career.

“We [at Play Haus Productions] are very humbled by the experiences we get, me in particular being the boss,” Scharton said. “We understand that it can be gone tomorrow. We take the bull by the horns.”

Slated to graduate this December, Scharton says that while school breaks have offered a much-needed rest from class, he has not let an opportunity to work go to waste.

“I’m still a student. Eight out of ten of us working for Play Haus Productions are,” Scharton said. ”Times like spring break give us the ability to work more. Spring and summer breaks are the times we have to get down and dirty with it.”

Although spring break is over, Kirk says he already has plans to participate in Beach Reach again next year.

“A lot of people ask why I would sacrifice my spring break to do something like Beach Reach,” Kirk said. “I just tell them I want to serve people, make sure others don’t get in trouble and love on them."

"Spring Break: Just the Facts Infographic" via The Infographic Showcase

Sources:

Alex Scharton, 24

as1514@txstate.edu

Jared Kirk, 22

jk1422@txstate.edu

AlcoholPolicyMD.com

http://www.alcoholpolicymd.com/press_room/Press_releases/SpringBreakPollingRelease.htm