Rowan Powell, Izzi Rix, Andrew Orr, Clive Wetton and Oscar Mitchell reflect on what we learnt from SXSW’s first London appearance.
We sent a crew from across TRO — creatives, technologists, producers, planners — all with their own lens on what makes a brand experience actually land.
We’ve compared notes, challenged each other, and boiled it down to what really matters for brands right now.
Empathy is the single source of great design. Understanding people’s needs, even those unspoken, can lead to impactful, long-lasting solutions. It’s about constant questioning – who’s the consumer, what problem are we solving? The sweet spot where product features and customer experience align is what we call “the beautiful essentials”. Thoughtful, well-calibrated design creates the most powerful experiences.
Rowan Powell, Designer
While the idea of community building might feel like ‘old news’, SXSW London showcased it’s a proven formula. Platforms like TikTok have nailed community building and they’re chasing in on cultural phenomena like the book to screen hype.
The deep dive into the BookTok x Amazon collaboration was a prime example: being first to recognise and leverage online love for a specific IP doesn’t just drive insane viewership on one platform, but across the board.
It’s clear that if you build the community, the opportunities will follow.
Izzi Rix, Production Manager
The reality is, even with the biggest event properties and activations, the sustainable conversation and people are typically brought in late in the game, but things are moving in the right direction.
There is an increasing expectation from those who interact with events around sustainability. Artists and acts expect. Brand partners expect it. Fans and guests expect it.
Framing is key, and also how a wider group of relevant parties can contribute to paying for sustainable solutions (like a carbon tax). Be it a surcharge on a ticket, or on a meat burger as opposed to vegetarian options and so on. Most wouldn’t feel the cost and would welcome its benefits.
The line of the day from Sam Booth at AEG had a great rallying call to those who create experiences – “a life well lived on a planet well loved.”
Andrew Orr, MD
AI Hallucination is a feature, not a bug – it can be creative if given freedom. How can AI be creative if it always provides the right answer? Not an argument we’ve heard before, but it makes complete sense when you think about it. So, how do you build controls into AI use cases where total accuracy is required, whilst giving it the freedom to be creative? This is a challenge we need to address every time we use AI to improve business productivity.
Most organisations are way behind the curve on AI adoption. We need to embed it culturally to drive organisational change and foster wider curiosity and motivation across our workforces. The message is clear: “Prepare for the future now!”
Clive Wetton, Technology Solutions Director
There was a sense that many brands came to SXSW London unsure of how bold they were allowed to be. Activations felt tentative, like they were waiting for someone else to set the tone – not including Persil, who went all in. Sponsors were also too safe when it came to culture-led brand experiences. For future SWXSW London events, British marketers need to show a bit more belief in their own voice and stop waiting for permission to try something different. Go big, go weird, take risks – that’s the space where creativity lives.
Oscar Mitchell, Senior Strategist
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