SXSW. First day. Or second. Just after the premiere of Dish and a Spoon, drifting into some free boozy brunch sponsored by
They are an absolutely fantastic way to get local deals in towns you live in or are visiting. I’ve never used them, but they’re super great. Along with the free food we got cool shades that said “Groupon” on the side. I really liked the food and the sunglasses.
That day I probably said “Groupon” five or six times. More times than I’ve ever said “Groupon” in my life.
In fact, later at the still hip outside patio terrace at the
Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental Hotel
my friends and I talked about Groupon for a while, everyone except my friend
Brett Baer (not this guy) who just laughed and listened.
We even told some folks passing by about Groupon and our free sunglasses and they were so impressed, they said, “Damn. That deserves a t-shirt.”
And they gave me a t-shirt promoting an online social marketing service! It’s called
a totally awesome way to increase traffic to your website using electronic word of mouth referrals, and is up to ten times more effective than search engine marketing or other traditional forms of digital advertising.
I haven’t really used it yet, but it sounds great.
And at the very least they have a pretty good t-shirt.
The thing I can’t figure out is why they are using an old school social marketing tool (t-shirts) to advertise their new online social marketing tool?
And what about all the online tool and app and widget developers handing out free piddle-paddle noise makers and free gum and free candy and free beer and…free t-shirts?
And why do they call it sxsw interactive, when most people are sitting in the lobby staring alone into their devices?
I’m still pondering.
No answer yet.
Maybe I’ll ask my new best friend, Jane, the hots designer of the WordPress backend. She’s super nice and seems to know a lot. She said I might even win an iPad.
Another day at SXSW.
Snowflakes Edge 