Hasta La Creative!

With hundreds of startups plying their wares, sometimes it’s hard to wade through the noise at SXSW. And as marketers, we need to assess not only which companies are going to succeed, but which are ready for potential partnerships and brand activations. Often startups are too young to have a functional and viable offering for brands and agencies, but when their product (and sometimes team) matures enough, there’s a lot to be gained from working with them. After sitting through dozens of meetings and pitches at the most recent SXSW in Austin, I’ve hit on five startups that marketers should be sure show up on their radar.

Sonic Notify: The best way to explain Sonic Notify’s offering is that it’s like an audio-based QR code that doesn’t require any scanning. Their technology sends audio signals (inaudible to you and me) from a beacon to phones in proximity to trigger a mobile experience. The simplest execution would be pushing a coupon to a user’s phone when they walk into the store, but they’re doing some awesome stuff around shared experience at events as well. The best part for marketers? The potential for their product is limited only by your own creativity.

Gravy: Gravy helps users find local events they’d be interested in. It’s part social, part search. The data set they’ve been able to compile over the past 18 months is truly impressive. They’ve also developed a hosted white-label version of their product that can provide a fast and easy extension for brands that want to tap into or position themselves around hyperlocal events. The kicker? Gravy can help track conversion from exposure to physical attendance of the event.

Continue reading at AdAge.com