SXSWi ’11 day four: Top bold digital moments & ideas

Here’s another batch of bold ideas coming straight to you from SXSWi ‘11:

1. Checking-In & Changing the Game

Gowalla CEO, Josh Williams, shared his ideas on where location-based services are heading in "Where Are We Going: The Future of Location."  Gowalla and Foursquare are the two services leading SXSWi this year, but applications like Loopt making an active effort to advertising to the Gen X/Y crowds by offering contests and arranging giveaways.  Overall, people want to know what their friends are doing as well as where they are.  He also said that applications will become more passive by prompting check-ins instead of requiring users to manually share their location.  But no matter the changes, location-based services are only growing and expanding their user base.

2. Chevy as your Chauffeur

Street teams at large events can be irritating, but Chevy’s lock on SXSW allowed them to do a simple but useful program that truly builds brand conversation and appreciation.  Chevy sent a fleet of 30 Chevy Cruze cars dedicated to chauffeuring SXSW attendees around to far off conference locations and beyond.  While the popularity of the service ensured for a crowded ride, the trip was definitely appreciated. Maybe next year they can dispatch a few Suburbans.

3. Outsourcing Social Media Professionally Without Selling Your Soul

Though this panel was labeled for "beginners," the ideas shared throughout the panel and its hashtag #osmpw were far from it.  The panel, led by Elizabeth Bellani of Bellanti Branding, Eric Schwartzman of On the Record...Online, Kate Buck of KBJOnline.com and Nicole Simon from SimplyPragmatic.biz debated the following premise: Should companies, organizations or even individuals outsource their online "voice"?  The key takeaway from the panel included that the biggest myth of social media is that you have to do it all yourself; having a team (including specialists) shape your digital footprint is a best practice for brands.