Events

SXSW Interactive 2015 Highlights

March 17, 2015 by The Motherhood

As SXSW Interactive comes to a close today, here’s a glimpse at some interesting highlights from this year’s event:

Dubbed “the most-talked about app at SXSW,” Meerkat is a live-streaming, location-based app that lets users capture video from their iOS device and, through Twitter, allows followers to stream it. On Friday, things came to a head when Twitter blocked the app’s access to its social graph. What does that entail, exactly? According to Fast Company: “While Meerkat users can still post videos on Twitter and log in using their Twitter credentials, the Meerkat app will no longer be able to automatically push notifications that announce the live event to all of a Meerkater’s Twitter followers. In other words, Meerkat will need to ask people to build their own social networks from scratch inside the app instead of using the network that its users already built on Twitter.”

Another breakout star at this year’s event is FireChat: a free text message app that doesn’t require cellular data or the Internet (though it does work with it). As Tom’s Guide explains: “The app’s big selling point is its Bluetooth functionality. While Twitter relies on an Internet connection and texting relies on a cell network, FireChat is not beholden to either one. If the Internet is available, FireChat will connect that way. If not, it will reach out to all other Bluetooth devices within about 200 feet and create an ad-hoc network, allowing users in proximity to communicate with one another.”

Last week, we touched on the evolving dynamics between the presence of startups and big brands at SXSW. While past sponsors such as Doritos, Subway and Chevrolet were absent, major companies such as Dell, Samsung Electronics and newcomers, McDonald’s, Visa and Mazda, were all active during this year’s event. Of the shift, Hugh Forrest, director of the SXSW Interactive Festival said: “We used to struggle to get mainstream brands…I guess this is an acknowledgment of the influence we have in jump-starting their message to the cool crowd. It’s exciting, but a little scary at the same time.”

It also turns out that not everyone was eager to interact with robots at SXSW. A small group of anti-robot protesters encouraged event-goers to be cautious of uncontrolled growth of robots and artificial intelligence. With media outlets such as TechCrunch and USA Today covering the protest, we’ll be interested to see how the debate continues.

Follow along with the conversation using #SXSW2015 or #SXSW for more updates coming out of the event!

Featured image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons user Katie Haugland

SXSW Interactive Is Coming Up: What to Expect

March 11, 2015 by The Motherhood

More than 30,000 attendees are expected at this year’s SXSW Interactive. Whether you’re Austin-bound, or keeping tabs on the five-day event from home, here’s a quick look at what we’re sure to see.

Social, Social Everywhere: The essence of SXSW Interactive over the years, and one of our personal favorite topics: Social media will be ubiquitous at the event. In fact, did you know Twitter was introduced at the 2007 conference? Whether you’re interested in content marketing, cyber-bullying, data and security, social commerce or even how NASA uses social media, there’s a session on almost every imaginable topic.

Robots, Automation and A Petting Zoo: With automation becoming increasingly popular, several events at SXSW Interactive will explore the future of these technologies, and where an automated approach works to improve efficiencies and where it might hinder progress. This year also marks the first-ever SXSW Robot Petting Zoo, where visitors can operate, pet and program terrestrial and aerial robots.

Wearables and Connectivity: We predicted that wearables would continue to be big this year. With SXSW Interactive coming on the heels of the Apple Watch news, it’s no surprise that there will be hundreds of diverse events dedicated to wearables and The Internet of Things (IoT). Among them: a session on the fundamentals of IoT, one on preventing data overload and a panel about brands introducing advertising to wearables.

Good Ideas: SXgood is the event’s platform for causes and social innovation. Under the SXgood umbrella, the United Nations Foundation (a frequent client of The Motherhood’s) will be presenting a two-day Social Good Hub with collaborative events and opportunities for attendees, including nonprofits, to swap ideas to drive positive change.

More Space for Startups: One criticism of the event in recent years has been that more mainstream, big brands began to dominate the conference where startups used to thrive. This year, though, SXSW has doubled the amount of space devoted to these innovators at Startup Village – the destination for entrepreneurial programming that has been around since 2012. Not to be missed: the startup competition, SXSW Accelerator®, on March 14 and 15.

What technologies and ideas do you predict will come out of this year’s SXSW Interactive? Share with us in the comments!

Featured image source: SXSW Interactive

Dad 2.0 Summit Recap: Our Top 5 Takeaways

February 25, 2015 by The Motherhood

Based on what we saw and heard last week at Dad 2.0 Summit, 2015 is shaping up to be a watershed year for dads. Whether bloggers, activists or “regular guys,” there has been a steady shift in perception about what it means to be a “real man” taking on the role of dad. (Just think back to how many brands stepped up and portrayed men as emotionally involved parents in their Super Bowl commercials this year.)

Both attendance and sponsorships at Dad 2.0 Summit increased significantly between 2014 and 2015, a recognition on both sides that dads have the microphone and are ready to speak their piece, many of them from their blog and social platforms.

What might they say? Here are The Motherhood’s top five takeaways:

1. Let’s bring perception in line with reality. As Dr. Michael Kimmel, a professor and sociologist specializing in gender studies, noted during his opening keynote:

The implication is that a masculine man can’t also be an engaged parent, equal partner and a good dad, sharing housework and child-rearing responsibilities. Kimmel made the point that men need to support other men in equating the concept of “good man” – and good dad/partner – with “real man.”

2. We have a voice, and we want to be included in the conversation. More and more brands are acknowledging dads as involved parents, and advertisers and marketers are starting to reach out to them in their own right. Some, like Similac’s popular viral video – which did a beautiful job of incorporating dads until ending with the tagline, “The Sisterhood of Motherhood” – come close but fall just short with dads.

Sponsors at Dad 2.0, including title sponsor Dove Men + Care, along with Kia, Lego, Lee Jeans and others, made a big splash with dad-centric programming, messaging and giveaways.

Screen Shot 2015-02-23 at 12.50.41 PM — The Motherhood’s Erin Olson with Trey of Daddy Mojo in the Lee Jeans suite.

3. Dads can make a real difference. Their presence as equal partners and parents impacts families, women, kids and men themselves in significant and positive ways, according to Men Care, a global fatherhood campaign represented by speaker Andrew Levack of Promundo at the conference.

Dad 2.0 Summit co-founder Doug French summed it up when he said, “The people who change diapers change the world.”

4. We’d like opportunities to be present at key moments – and then some – in our families’ lives. Paternity leave was a hot topic at Dad 2.0. According to keynote speaker Michael Kimmel, the U.S. is one of only four countries in the world that doesn’t offer paid paternity leave. With mainstream society recognizing that dads are “more than breadwinners who drink scotch and play golf,” as speaker and columnist Stephen Marche put it, dads are looking for a more formalized acknowledgement of their increased roles in their kids’ lives.

Marche noted that it’s not just about being there for the big milestones and fun moments, either, but about being part of daily household life, from making pancakes to vacuuming to watching Toy Story with your kids 43 times:

5. Partnership is key – in marriage, raising kids, business and blogging! At The Motherhood, we work with plenty of women whose significant others have made their own footprint in the online world. Whether they have independent sites or write in partnership on the same blog, equity (perceived fairness) in the division of responsibilities with housework, career and kids will contribute to happiness and success. We love that formula.

Screen Shot 2015-02-23 at 12.51.22 PM — Erin with Staci of 7 on a Shoestring and Heather of It’s a Lovely Life. Staci was on hand to support her husband, Colby, who blogs at Days of a Domestic Dad.

We look forward to seeing what else 2015 has in store for dads!

The Motherhood is at Dad 2.0 Summit this week!

February 18, 2015 by The Motherhood

Photo Credit: dad2summit.com

Tomorrow and Friday, The Motherhood will be at the (sold-out!) Dad 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, CA. We’re looking forward to the conference, which focuses on the influence of dads online, and will share some of our key learnings on the blog next week.

DOVE MEN+CARE is the Summit’s title sponsor for the third year in a row; you might recall their #RealStrength Super Bowl ad from this year. Dad-centric ads – or “dadvertising” – have made a big splash recently, and we’re eager to learn what those attending and speaking at Dad 2.0 have to say about the shift in how dads are being portrayed in media. We’re seeing a more positive representation and recognition of dads who are emotionally involved with their kids.

Here are a few stats we found particularly interesting that are relevant to many of Dad 2.0 Summit’s speaker topics:

The number of stay-at-home fathers doubled from 1.1 million in 1989 to 2.2 million in 2010.
Mothers make up the majority of stay-at-home parents. But today, one in five fathers are the primary caregiver of preschool-aged children when the mother is employed.
A Boston College survey found that more than 50 percent of fathers surveyed would take on the role of primary caregiver and leave their jobs if their spouse made enough money to live comfortably.
The same Boston College survey found that, for dads, work caused more conflicts with family life than family life caused conflict with work.
According to the Academy of Management Perspectives, dads who spend time with their children on a typical day are more satisfied with their jobs and less likely to want to leave their positions.
75 percent of new dads without access to paid leave take less than a week off from work after the birth of a newborn child.

The Motherhood’s Erin Olson will be representing us this week at Dad 2.0, so if you’re planning on being there, let her know on Twitter: @eolson426! On behalf of The Motherhood, Erin would love to connect with you.

If you’re a blogger (dad, mom or otherwise!) and want to connect with brands and organizations, join our network here.