Gregg Hirschorn
Communications Planning Director, Maxus
Good storytelling helps illustrate a brands value and allows the consumer align their values to the brand.
Navigating SXSW can be challenging, especially if it’s your first go-around. Since Lyft was the official “ride” of SXSW, I thought I would give them a-go. After leaving the festival, some clear parallels emerged between the panels I attended and my experiences with Lyft. So with that in mind, here are 5 things I learned from SXSW through my Lyft drivers.
Navigating SXSW can be challenging, especially if it’s your first go-around. Since Lyft was the official “ride” of SXSW, I thought I would give them a-go. After leaving the festival, some clear parallels emerged between the panels I attended and my experiences with Lyft. So with that in mind, here are 5 things I learned from SXSW through my Lyft drivers.
My Lyft driver is an influencer
Every morning as I hopped into my Lyft car and headed downtown, the driver would ask what I was going to see that day. Every driver did it, as much curious as courteous. Almost every driver also had suggestions of something else I must see. Three drivers suggested the Mr. Robot ferris wheel, while another said to check out the Mashable House on 6th. I of course went to see both (yes I had major FOMO), but it did crystalize something for me that was echoed often during the festival; influencers really do make an impact, and they do so because they do it with authenticity like my Lyft driver.
The power of story telling as told through my Lyft driver
On the way home from a client event I started talking to my Lyft driver, asking for the craziest customer story he could think of. He told me about a glamorous encounter with a passenger who passed out and wouldn’t wake up. Perplexed with the next step, he just wanted to make sure the girl got home safely. He had everyone in the car absolutely riveted with how the story was going to end. By the time we got to our destination I can genuinely say we had made a connection with the driver, and for that matter Lyft. It made me think how many panels address the concept of powerful storytelling and the impact it can have on consumers. Good storytelling helps to illustrate a brand’s value and allows the consumer align their values to the brand.
My Lyft driver accumulated an astounding amount of (valuable) research
SXSW had so many competing events it was hard to choose what were the “must-see” attractions, parties and talks. Well as it turns out, Lyft drivers had all the information needed. They could tell you what events were the most popular (number of drop offs), when it peaked and when it was over (number of pick ups) and if attendees thought it was a good event or not (thanks to their probing detective skills). We hear so much about the importance of data and research. One panel I sat in on discussed how a publisher is now using predictive data to make content decisions. That’s exactly what happened with the help of my Lyft driver.
Lyft and my consumer journey at SXSW
Trying to hail a cab in a city other than New York can be impossible. Trying to get a cab’s attention on a crowded street in downtown Austin is never going to happen unless you actually jumped out in front of him and disrupted his journey. With Lyft it was a much more positive experience, the touch of a button, the entering of an address and off we go. I didn’t even mind the ads I received in the app. This brings me to one of things I heard on most mobile marketing panels. Marketers have been trying to invade the mobile space for years, just like me jumping in front of a cab on Rainey Street, but it hasn’t always proved to be effective. We need to invite consumers to engage with us on their most intimate platform while providing them with some kind of value – in this case it was a ride.
My Lyft driver really helped immerse me in the SXSW experience
Besides serving the purpose of getting me from point A to point B, the variety of Lyft drivers really gave me an immersive experience in Austin. I never felt like an out-of-towner because a local was hosting me. This really reminds me of one of my favorite panels from SXSW, The Rise of Soul Cycle. One thing the Soul Cycle founders made clear in their talk was that they never viewed themselves as a physical fitness company, but as an experience company, one that has a strong community. They continue to leverage that community, making people feel like they are part of something bigger. As marketers we so often get caught up in the facts and let that drive our business decisions, instead of to the insight that leads to what actually motivates someone to take action. As humans we naturally want to be a part of a community. As marketers we need to focus on value and put an emphasis on delivering great experiences.
