Five things we learned at SXSW 2025

Earlier this month, a handful of Ologists from our Digital and Media Studio made the trek to Austin for the SXSW Conference. For four days, our team attended sessions and panels on the Advertising and Brand Experience track, took in as many “brand activations” across town as possible, and managed to eat their combined body weight in tacos.

In addition to helping inform our work and approach — and generating a boatload of ideas for our clients — the experience was a huge inspiration for our folks. They’ll be sharing what they learned in a series of Full Circle posts over the next couple of months.

As a bit of a teaser, though, here are the five biggest takeaways from our time at SXSW this year:

When it comes to budgets, smarter ＞ bigger.

Big money doesn’t always mean big wins. With advertising dollars, it’s about attracting attention in unexpected ways and becoming memorable. That means showing up in places (physically or digitally) where people spend their time, money, and brainpower, in whatever is happening at the moment. We learned that there’s a time and place for lower-cost opportunities — they can make a big impact toward being remembered and later chosen — as long as they’re true to the brand. We’re excited to share new perspectives from outside of higher education that have had us thinking beyond our traditional scope. There are absolutely unique opportunities and niche ways to make an impression by pairing truly creative ideas with nontraditional media placements. If anyone will solve this in the higher ed space, it’s our teams here at Ologie.

Safe work doesn’t get noticed (or remembered).

One common theme in the creative sessions was this: If you’re not willing to take risks, you’ll get left behind. Or worse, you’ll find out that you were never in the running to begin with. The examples that we saw — both on the risky and risk-averse sides of the aisle — made clear that following convention leads to conformity, and conformity leads to anonymity. And for brands that rely on even a baseline level of awareness, anonymity is a death sentence.

On the flip side, however, doing something truly bold can catapult a brand to the top. It’s called the “piñata effect”: The first brand to break the rules is rewarded with a ton of candy, and all the late-to-the-game imitators end up fighting for leftovers. In a crowded market, this type of success can be tough to achieve, but looking at what your peers are doing and doing the exact opposite can be a great place to start.

It’s about experiences, not impressions.

Within a few blocks of Austin’s convention center, brand “activations” were everywhere — merch claw machines, pop-up salons, and unexpected experiences that made brands tangible.

But how do these brands stay top of mind? Many activations focused on awareness; very few of them required an email sign-up or RFI. Their goal was simple: “Enjoy our brand now, think about us later.”

Higher ed has a huge opportunity to engage prospects at the top of the funnel in the same way. Thoughtful, low-barrier interactions can help institutions stand out, build positive sentiment, and spark interest — without immediately pushing students to apply, visit, or commit. These moments create connections through digital follow-up, keeping your brand in the conversation. As Frances Dillard of Driscoll’s says, “The quality of your product and the experience you create will always be on trend.” 

AI is a thing; it’s not the thing (yet).

SXSW was filled with talk about the future of AI: how it might reshape search, redefine personalization, and even replace cookies (more to come on that). But for all the conceptual hype, there was little talk about how AI is actively improving efficiency today. The tools exist, yet the discussions stayed in the realm of possibilities, rather than practical applications. From our point of view, AI isn’t just a future disruptor; it’s already here, and the brands tapping into it now are gaining an edge. Instead of waiting for AI to transform marketing, the real opportunity is to use it — right now — to work smarter.

Lead gen who?

Amid all the marketing wisdom at SXSW, one topic was noticeably absent: lead generation. No one talked about collecting names or bragged about their messaging automation funnels. Instead, the focus was on standing out, building trust, and crafting memorable experiences. We’ve been saying it — higher ed marketing needs to move beyond chasing lists and start investing in authentic engagement. The best brands aren’t just reaching people; they’re creating something worth being a part of. If your strategy still revolves around lead volume, you’re missing the point.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Stay tuned to this newsletter and be sure to check Full Circle for updates and insights from our time at SXSW and more.