SXSW: Six concepts you need to know now

1. Scenario planning

One of the major elements landed by Ford's futurologist Sheryl Connelly was to beware of sticking to SWOT analysis because "companies don't control their strengths".

One of the key elements here was scenario planning based on human insights to direct future strategy based on the most probable outcomes. This was echoed eloquently by US entrepreneur Elon Musk who said companies should 'be the house' in the sense that, ultimately, Casinos can't lose.

2. Platforms not products

One of the most refreshing insights gained from being here in Texas was the altruistic intent of many of the founders. Sir Tim Berners-Lee illustrated this when talking about his motivation in creating the World Wide Web, "If you want to talk to the most people, you use the least powerful language," he said.

Many focus on open platforms to invite co-creativity and – like Sir Tim – the primary driver is "a problem shared is a problem halved". If brands thought more about open ecosystems, the money would follow if you connect things of value for people.

3. Quantified self

Data acquisition and usage was an evident and dominant theme – amplified by the advent of wearable tech like Nike Fuel. A tricky topic, but the consensus was that if we can land individual value with "habit understanding" then societal adoption will follow.

Panellists were impressive when talking about the "non-toxic" use of data. Brands and agencies need to take heed here – not falling into the "failure lines" Berners-Lee talked about when referring to companies "spying and blocking".

4. Invisible interface

Leap Motion really defined the concept of the disappearing interface. Michael Buckwald and David Holz are the 24-year-old founders of Leap and have created an incredibly accurate gestural interface (like Xbox Kinect on steroids) that tracks all 10 fingers.

They eloquently explained that people shouldn't have to learn PC interfaces. "People should just be free to create," said Buckwald.

The killer demo of this was when one of the founders sculpted virtual clay in mid-air. Agencies' creative possibilities are endless here as this could redefine art, medicine, 3D engineering, pointing to a world where notions of on/offline input cease to exist.

5. Humanising technology

The key insight value here was not the tech per se, it was the motivation behind it – the human value – that will co-define its adoption.

Meeting the creators of WWW., Spacex (Elon Musk) and Leap Motion revealed how inspiring their vision really is – to make what they do "fundamentally better", according to Michael Buckwald. Elon Musk really spoke eloquently, "I thought about what problems need fixing for humanity and then went about solving them".

This includes power, transport and also (because one day the sun will explode) extra-terrestrial colonies. Hyperbole? Well not really. Elon Musk has Mars in his five-year plan. For commerce, this poses the question of motivation – we should really want to make things better. 

6. Web of humanity

So overall – and this was really fuelled by Berners-Lee - this concept centres around a greater connected consciousness and a supranational awareness driven by the web. The web is not like a fridge and we can't simply open the door and shout for mum and dad if it's empty.

Berners-Lee said: "If it sucks right now, it's because you haven't fixed it yet... And while the kittens are great, I created it to solve bigger problems." This highlights a moral ROI opportunity, whereby we – as agencies and brands – take the baton of purpose into our actions. What can we most valuably fix and how can we inspire the next generation to make the world (or even Mars) amazing?

Who's up for gamifying education?

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk