My wish for SXSW 2008 is for a trained economist or a consumer behavior expert -- or at least Malcolm Gladwell -- to spend four days in Austin examining the competition for attention given scarce resources and even scarcer consumer attention. A marketing researcher would love attending parties at SXSW. The overkill of third-party sponsorships, branding efforts and promotions is a microcosm of American marketing inside a tiny geographical space. An academic take on the week would make for great reading.

Bands at SXSW scream "Look at me! Look at me!" at attendees spending days in Austin being completely saturated by marketing stimuli (beers, clothing companies, record labels, etc). How can a band get attention? It's difficult to be remembered given the quantity of bands, the social aspect of the events and the availability of free alcohol. And, most surprisingly, the bands tended to go about their business without properly addressing the glut. Few bands sold merchandise. Many bands I saw rarely said their name during the set. They acted as if simply being there was good enough. Well, it wasn't. If you played at SXSW, chances are you won't be remembered.

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[music jobs] Brand and Online Marketing Manager at The Ascot Club/Am Only; Brooklyn, NY.