What do Kona Brewing, Avon and Vogue have in common? The answer: representation at this year’s South by Southwest Interactive (SXSW), which our creative team attended in March. With session titles such as Origin-Based Marketing, Diversity Now, Courageous Creativity and Tech’s Lessons for Healthcare, SXSW truly offers an array of topics that reveal the intersection of creativity and technology.
The streets of Austin were transformed into a visual playground for two weeks, and we found everything from National Geographic taking over a bar with virtual reality displays, to Casper – the online-only mattress company – setting up a sleep trailer for 10-minute nap sessions.
Several trends emerged:
Advertising for Good
We’re seeing this trend appear more and more in advertising. Companies are not simply promoting their products but also promoting a way of life and a point of view – be it social justice or politics. From GE’s Mildred Dresselhaus-focused campaign committing to hire 20,000 women by 2020 in the tech industry, to Heineken’s recent campaign about appreciating and respecting our differences, this trend was clearly present at SXSW.
Four powerhouse speakers traveled all the way from Brazil to share Avon’s new campaign for BB Cream, featuring a diverse group of individuals including male, LGBT and plus-sized models. While promoting the face cream, the speakers – who included marketers, Avon employees and a Brazilian YouTube star – emphasized their motivation: to “make change.”
Data Visualization and Storytelling
Many speakers also focused on data visualization: turning raw data into interesting visuals. One particularly effective talk, Persuasive Presentations, led by Harvard Business Review authors Nancy Duarte and Scott Berinato, broke down the essentials into context (who), content (why), construct (how) and connect (lasting impressions). Duarte charted famous speeches through time, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Barack Obama, to determine patterns of speaking. This approach, when paired with visuals that increasingly build on one another to form a story, helps retain interest and leaves the audience engaged.
Amy Balliett of Killer Infographics shared a highly effective visual campaign done in partnership with We Count Seattle – a donation exchange website created for the homeless population – based on research showing that first impressions are 94% based on design.
“Visual IQ is on the rise,” Balliett said. “Today’s consumers are pickier than ever, and people want to see a myriad of visual content before making a decision.” By leveraging strategic ad placement across free papers, billboards and buses – along with short-form content (which 95% of people prefer) focused on real stories and real faces – the campaign received 800 registered website users in the first 90 days. Over 350 items were exchanged on the platform.
Health Care and Technology
It’s a dynamic time for the health care and technology industries, and that message was clear at SXSW. Both industries are experiencing new and always-changing regulations as well as strong motivation to constantly improve upon themselves, become more affordable and become more available to the masses.
Featuring leaders from HomeAway, RideAustin and the newly created Dell Medical School, one panel discussed how we could apply insights and successes from the tech world to attack health care challenges. According to the panel, the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”) is the first major policy change in the last 60 years that allows the patient more choice than ever before and is at the center of this discussion. There are ways that health care and technology are integrated already, such as Yelp reviews driving patient referrals or the gamification of wellness via smartwatches and activity trackers (e.g., Fitbit). But further opportunities lie in the spaces of virtual reality or improved transportation and infrastructure.
Dr. Tom Caven discussed new research using virtual reality as distraction therapy to help with phobias and anxieties as well as for pain amelioration. “We’re not trying to take the place of opiate medication but see if people can get by on a few less pills a day,” he said.
Similarly, the panel discussed how applying ride sharing and a Meals-on-Wheels approach to health care could enable those who are without transportation to make their preventive care appointments and pick up their prescriptions – both actions that might prevent unnecessary hospitalizations. According to the panel, we are at the absolute beginning of health care’s maturation, and more cross-industry innovation will evolve.
May 11, 2017 | Creative, Culture
Have you ever wondered what a room full of creatives, innovators, researchers, music lovers, techies and financial gurus would be like? Look no further than South by Southwest Interactive (SXSW). In March, our team was right in the middle of this crowd in Austin, Texas.
SXSW brings together individuals from across the world to discuss what’s next for consumers and businesses – and challenges them to drive innovation across all industries. Our researchers were excited to attend events that specifically addressed our areas of expertise: finance, health care and consumer-packaged goods. While they left with notepads full of ideas, the team wanted to share three key takeaways.
Technology
We know technology is touching every area of our lives, and the speakers at SXSW wouldn’t disagree. Whether presenting on the future of mobile banking or the importance of health monitoring devices, the conference made it clear that we live in an increasingly digital world. Speakers specifically focused on how these advancements can directly resolve consumer needs. Fintech and virtual reality took center stage.
Storytelling
Utilizing emotional narratives to fuel consumer product development was also a common theme. For example, Jeff Dachis, founder of diabetes care startup One Drop, expressed the need for direct patient interaction in the health care space. “By speaking with consumers, companies can better understand patients’ lives and make their product a crucial piece of their care,” he said. “If you’re just a piece of the puzzle, you’re not solving the puzzle. Talk to users about every part of their journey and where you can add value.”
Inclusion
Diversity in the tech space is often a theme at SXSW – this year more than ever. Sessions ranged from combating ageism to the impact LGBTQ people have on the workforce. Our team learned how data can create a better business climate for all people, legally and economically. By honoring stories, companies are able to create deeper connections. Writer Fawzia Mirza said it best: “We are telling stories every single day, and we love that feeling of sharing and receiving.”
Four full days of interactive sessions, panels and speakers left our researchers brewing with inspiration. Check back in May to learn what our creative team discovered at SXSW.
April 6, 2017 | Culture, Research
As we celebrate another Women’s History Month, we’re reminded of a stat we heard at the 3% Conference: In 2012, only 3% of creative directors in the United States were women. Anyone who has taken a tour of our offices will surely realize we’ve turned that number upside down. And, for many of our clients, being a women-owned business means we help them meet Tier 1 Diversity supplier standards. Yet our work in creating a diverse workplace certainly isn’t done.
Here are five of our favorite tips from the 3% Conference that we try to apply every day:
- Celebrate diversity in all its forms, and be open to discussing it at work.
- Allow flexibility. (At Fusion Hill we have Flex Fridays to celebrate hard work and accommodate busy schedules.)
- Invest in personal development, whether that is presentation, diversity or leadership training. Prioritize giving your employees the tools they need to continue being successful.
- Join organizations in the community that celebrate women and diversity.
- Be a mentor to someone. Always be intentional about building each other up. Include men in these mentorship relationships, too, to avoid creating an echo chamber where women talk to women and no progress is made.
We are proud to do our part to boost the ratio of women in our industry, and we hope you’ll join us. Connect with us on Twitter, and tell us what you’re doing to make your workplace more diverse – and more accepting.
March 8, 2017 | Creative, Culture, Research
It’s the season of love, happiness and candy hearts here at Fusion Hill. This Valentine’s Day we’re feeling impassioned about many of the things we do every day. Here are 10 #ThingsWeLove to celebrate this Valentine’s Day.
- Creativity – No two clients or projects are created equal, and we love the challenge of creating customized, quality creative work based on solid research and effective problem solving. We’re repeatedly told that we bring true value to our clients and their consumers. From concept to execution, we develop solutions that are imaginative, captivating and, most important, effective.
- Travel – Across the world, across the country or across the city, our team loves to travel and gain insight to meet the needs of our forward-thinking and diverse clients. In our free time, too, we love to stamp our passports!
- Research – Our research team consists of a diverse mix – from MBAs to anthropologists to dreamers. Our multidisciplinary approach gives us a unique yet balanced approach to any challenge and makes our outcomes that much richer. Our research fuels everything we do – and is a key contributor to our success.
- Service – Giving back to the community is a value shared by all at Fusion Hill. We have regular agency days of service, including our recent volunteering at Open Arms of Minnesota on MLK Day. And, since we know the best is inspired from within, we pay each employee four hours per month to volunteer at the organization of their choosing.
- Strategy – Our research and design teams are linked to the strategy team, which enables us to fully understand the essence of our clients’ brands and develop an effective brand strategy or product concept. With years of experience working with some of the top brands in the world, our strategy teams often provide the backbone for the rest of our work.
- Northeast – Our office is located in a redesigned warehouse in Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota. Picture architectural angles all in white with bright windows, a private rooftop patio and high-design meeting spaces that help us produce the best work. You won’t see a single cubical in the whole building. We truly value our neighborhood and love sourcing products locally. We often look to nearby bakeries, coffee shops and restaurants to cater food or sneak away for an afternoon meeting. Though we do think globally, we’re proud to call Northeast our home.
- Health Care – We’ve interacted with hundreds of consumers, patients, physicians, sales reps and health care providers, making our team experts on the health care industry: from medical devices to health care delivery. We love our work in this space because we get to be a part of improving health care, and people’s health overall, around the world.
- Financial Services – With years of experience conducting and implementing research, strategy and creative for financial firms, we understand the complex channels from broker to advisor to consumer. From the unbanked to savvy HSA investors, we strive to understand consumers’ mindsets and inspire smart decision-making.
- Consumer Packaged Goods – After myriad hours spent in grocery stores, malls and consumers’ homes, we understand the world of consumer packaged goods. We’ve used those insights to help develop engaging products and effective marketing strategies.
- Spoiling Our Clients – Our designers, researchers and strategists find themselves moonlighting as elves throughout the year. We love our clients, and we love to spoil them – always including personalization, incredible design and, oftentimes, sweet treats. We hope our clients know how much we appreciate them!
All of these things, and more, make our work that much more meaningful to us. Happy Valentine’s Day to all – may your hearts be full and your candy jars be overflowing.
XOXO,
Fusion Hill
Tell us the things you love! Tweet us @FusionHill using #ThingsWeLove.
February 6, 2017 | Culture
More than 50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing to help others?’” As an organization, we hold these words close to our heart, and we felt inspired by them on the recent Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
To embrace our culture of philanthropy, we chose to spend Monday with Open Arms of Minnesota. A local organization with a 30-year history, Open Arms of Minnesota cooks and delivers nutritious, tasty meals for people struggling with life-threatening illnesses including cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis and ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
After packing bags of meals into our cars, we spent the afternoon delivering a week’s supply of food to people all over the Twin Cities. Together, we completed 12 routes that delivered 1,152 meals to over 95 individuals, families and caregivers in our community.
It was a memorable day for our team, and just part of our ongoing commitment to community involvement – both individually and as a team. To find out more about the organization, visit Open Arms of Minnesota. And to see some of the other organizations we work with, visit our culture page.
January 18, 2017 | Culture
