Kay Johnson

Tomorrow kicks off SXSW, which happens to be my favorite festival!!! It’s been a minute since I’ve dropped into Austin, but if you’re lucky enough to be headed there, here are a few unofficial tips from a former repeat attendee: Start your day with breakfast tacos. 🌮 They are the best. You will quickly get used to eating them with a crisp iced coffee… and when you return home, you will be sad. Eat queso. Eat a lot of it. Again, sadness awaits if you don’t. Go to the dinners and the parties. 🎉 Meet people. Wander into conversations. Some of the best connections happen when you’re just standing around holding a taco. And you'll see some of the coolest branding on the planet. Spend time in the convention center. 🏪 Yes, it’s chaotic. Yes, it’s crowded. But it’s also where you see how brands are really showing up — the good, the weird, and the “who approved this?” Don’t skip the smaller talks. 📣 The big names are incredible (I would absolutely sit front row for Steven Spielberg). But some of the most inspiring and practical ideas I’ve heard came from smaller rooms with people actually doing the work. Go to the shows. 🎤 What other marketing festival lets you see top-tier comics and major recording artists on the same badge your company paid way too much for? That’s definitely not happening at CES. Over the years I’ve seen Natasha Leggero, Marc Maron, and SZA. I’ve also seen Anna Kendrick drop it on the dance floor at a premiere party. If you get the chance… do that too. And most importantly: get outside your box. 🔎 I’m a digital marketer, but SXSW is where I learned the most about experiential, events, and outdoor marketing. The entire city becomes a living brand experience, and it’s incredible to see ideas come to life in ways that digital alone never could. When you get back (likely full of queso), share what you learned. That’s the thing about SXSW. You go for the panels. You stay for the tacos. And you come back with stories you weren’t expecting. Below, check out some basics from the fine folks behind the fest.

3

2 Comments

👉 How do you balance AI and creativity? Mediaweek explores where AI adds value and where instinct, originality, and creative judgement still lead. Houston Group's Alex Creamer, Colleen Ryan from TRA and Harry Preston of Mediabrands Content Studio examine the role of AI as a support tool in the creative process. https://lnkd.in/gBDDZka2 #AI #Creativity #MarketingInnovation

5

We kicked off this year’s Creative Professionals Lecture Series with a timely and pressing conversation: AI in Design. Guest speakers Robert Froedge (Lewis Communications) and Mark Scrivner (Snapshot) shared how creative teams are using AI to speed research, expand options, and streamline production — while keeping human creativity at the center. Our full article goes beyond an event recap. It distills their insights into practical takeaways and resources for creatives, including best practices for ethical AI use and portfolio strategies for emerging designers. Read the full piece here: https://loom.ly/vY7a2J8

6

Launching a new creative hub as the pandemic hit could have been the end of the story. For Art on Main Dallas founder Andrea Lamarsaude, it was the beginning of a different one. In this moment from #015 of For the Love of Creatives, Andrea talks about her “bull” nature: once she gets an idea, she just keeps going. Instead of shutting Art on Main down and waiting “until it was over,” she pivoted to Zoom as a godsend, kept meeting with artists, and continued building the community that now fills the gallery and studios in East Dallas. ​ It is a quiet but powerful example of creative resilience and leadership during crisis: protect the vision, adapt the delivery, and stay in relationship with your people. 🎧 Full episode: “#015: Andrea Lamarsaude: Creativity Requires Community as Much as Solitude” 🔗 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘰𝘧𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢-𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘦 In your work, what is one way you turned what could have been a shutdown into a sustainable pivot that still serves you today?

1

ADWEEK’s signature interview series spotlights bold thinkers and change makers who are shaping the future. At ADWEEK House Austin, ADWEEK’s Zoe Ruderman and Google’s Juanjo Duran sat down for an intimate and wide-ranging conversation on creative strategy and digital innovation. Together, they explored the shifting landscape of streaming TV, how marketing leaders can guide their teams to keep pace with rapid change, and how Google TV’s anticipated launches, including Gemini for TV, are redefining the boundaries of media consumption habits.

15