Each March, thousands flock to Austin, Texas for the annual South By Southwest Festival (SXSW). If images of crazy partygoers crowding Sixth Street are instantly coming to your mind, we’re here to let you in on a little secret: it’s so much more than that!

Contrary to public opinion, SXSW serves as one of the most inspirational, game changing festivals out there. Featuring film, interactive media, music and insightful panels, SXSW is the perfect place to go to if you’re an entrepreneur looking to take your business to the next level.

To illustrate this point a little better, this season, SXSW 2016 brought out the likes of speakers ranging from Barack and Michelle Obama to some of the world’s most inspirational voices in technology, business and fashion.

Topics discussed at this year’s festival ranged from high-tech movie making and artificial intelligence to how start-up companies can secure funding. If you’re getting the urge to purchase passes for SXSW 2017, we don’t blame you!

In our day and age, it’s so important for business owners to be innovative; at Cobalt Digital Marketing, we believe in the power of pushing the boundaries and going off in directions that have yet to be traveled. To get you and your business fired up for what lies ahead, here’s a look at the top five tech trends seen at SXSW 2016:

1. All Ears

We’ve all heard of Kickstarter before. Known as the platform that has the potential to give rise to tomorrow’s greatest innovations, it’s no surprise that the winner of Best of Show at the SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards got its start on the site. So, exactly what is this new revolution? Doppler Labs has created a remarkable set of wireless earbuds that allow you to tailor the way you hear the world around you. Sounds incredible, right?

Whether you’re tired of hearing so much commotion when you’re at Starbucks or would like complete silence at the end of your work day, the app’s preset filters give you the power to drown out the unwanted sounds in your environment using its equalizer settings. If you’re up for it, you can also use the app to apply fun sound effects and adjust the volume of your surroundings. The Here Active Listening System currently does not have a release date; you can join the waitlist for $199.

2. Hello Holograms

We knew it would only be a matter of time till our world was evolved enough to pursue this technological advancement. Featured at Sony’s Future Lab, there was one prototype in particular that was driving tech lovers wild: the Interactive Tabletop. Essentially, it’s a top-down holographic projector that uses augmented reality, gesture sensors, and motion tracking; in other words, it puts digital information into the real world (literally) while allowing you to control the content. The demo at SXSW featured animated characters from Alice in Wonderland springing from the tablet’s screen onto real-life tables and so forth. At this time, there’s no information if the Tabletop will be released commercially.

3. Camera From Up Above

Awards like the “coolest scientific achievement or discovery that before 2015 was only possible in science fiction” only exist at SXSW. This year’s winner, the Lily Camera, has taken the world of photography to a whole other level. Known as the world’s first true flying camera, this small drone features a 1080p HD camera and microphone that can be thrown in the air and follow along on your shenanigans via a wrist-mounted tracker. It’s a solo-flyer and will use its GPS and computer vision to follow you around for as long as you see fit. The Lily Camera will be released this summer, but you can pre-order it for $899. The possibilities are endless with this device that can fly up to 25 miles per hour!

4. Money Talks

As our technological world continues to revolutionize, it’s no surprise that Amazon and Capital One have now come out with the first-ever voice activated mobile banking feature. Made for Alexa-enabled devices (Amazon Echo, Amazon Tap, etc.), customers can say something as simple as “Alexa, how much money do I have in my bank account?” for comprehensive insight into all their banking needs. Now, you can have your cake and know exactly how much damage it’s causing your pocketbook!

5. Happily Ever After

So this one may be purely for inspiration purposes, but Groove Jones created the first-ever virtual reality Happy Meal! Yes—you read that correctly. At the SXSW McDonald’s loft, guests sported HTC Vive Glasses and soon stepped into a life-size Happy Meal. In this virtual reality experience, they were able to customize the box and unleash their inner fast-food fanatic.

Just like the great minds featured at SXSW 2016, our Cobalt Catalysts are looking to take the path less traveled and pursue new and innovative ways to help your business reach its full potential.

Learn how your business can stay ahead of the technological curve by contacting our Cobalt Digital Marketing today.

In this day and age, it’s no secret that ‘trends’ are no longer born on the streets. With powerhouses such as social media and popular television shows, the key to piquing the interest of the viewing public lies in something as simple as a meme, the brief mention of a brand or a newly coined term.

Kukoo for Cocobolo

If you’re a fan of Better Call Saul, you might have found yourself falling into this very pattern after tuning into the second season of the show. After the quick reference to a cocobolo desk, it seems fans of the show made a mad dash towards their smartphones to look up the item on Google. During the time surrounding the premiere of the episode boasting about cocobolo desks, the search term experienced a substantial spike on Google Trends.

[bctt tweet="@Google searches of cocobolo desk spiked from 0 to 100 immediately after mention on @bettercallsaul"]

We don’t know whether or not any of the interested parties actually purchased the said desk, but it can definitely be concluded that a lot of potential customers now know a thing or two about these desks and their roots in Belize.

Create a Trend, Ride the Wave

Although abstract, this sudden interest in something an foreign as a cocobolo desk truly demonstrates the power of today’s media. This truth extends to our other guilty pleasure: social media. When today’s influencers include a simple mention of a brand’s Instagram handle or share an image of a product, users set out on a frantic search to learn more. Regrams, retweets, pins and shares multiply the excitement and the product awareness which usually leads to the said item making it to the top of countless wish lists and flying off the shelves. Although starting a trend isn’t exactly easy, we’ve compiled a list of tips that can help you make it happen.

1. Identify something about your business or products that is interesting, different or funny. Find your niche.

As countless social media masters have said in the past, nobody gets too excited about something that has already been done before. In our crazy, media centric world, it might seem impossible to come up with an original idea. Luckily for you, it’s as simple as answering this question: what makes your business or product unique? As soon as you’re able to answer that question, run with it and use that to capture your audience.

2. Create a catchy hashtag

Think of a fun, short phrase that captures the aesthetic of your business. It should be memorable and possibly include some form of an incentive. Think a small discount or offering up the chance of a repost on your main social media handles to create additional buzz, since there’s nothing people love more than saving cash or expanding their social handles.

3. Get it out there—post, tweet, pin, snap—whatever will best reach your target audience.

Think about the people you’re trying to reach. What are they passionate about? What makes them tick? Create shareable content that is strategically curated around their likes and needs. Sometimes, getting through to your audience can be as easy as including photos of an irresistibly cute rescue dog.

4. Interact with influencers to encourage them to share.

In our world, this is absolutely key. Rather than simply following the herd and looking to major celebrities for inspiration, today’s media users turn their attention to people who are just like them: influencers. These people come in the form of bloggers, vloggers, photographers and beyond. While their immense online followings may seem a little intimidating, there’s no harm in reaching out! Many of these influencers will collaborate with brands that stay true to their values. Seek out those who you resonate with. Also, don't’ hesitate to start local! Who are the local influencers in your area? Connect with them to help spread your cause.

5. In the immortal words of Salt-N-Pepa “Push it. Push it real good.” 

As you’ve reached out for support, now it’s time to give a little of your own to your business and stay consistent in spreading the word. If you keep ‘pushing it,’ your message might end up as immortal as the words of the great Salt-N-Peppa.

It’s safe to say that the topics at the top of today’s ‘trending’ lists earn their rightful spots in a more organic fashion. Whether or not the creators intended to incite a cocobolo desk frenzy, the fact of the matter is that modern media is essentially limitless, opening up a new realm of possibilities. You can become the maker of your brand’s destiny and set the trend in motion!

For ideas and suggestions as to how to get more from your social marketing program, please contact the Social Media Catalysts at Cobalt Digital Marketing.