The annual festival in Austin, Texas, has expanded far beyond its roots in music and film. The impact of new technologies such as generative AI (genAI) on brands and marketing was a major theme this year, as a wave of rapid developments reverberate across industries.

Key Question: What were the most relevant trends for brands and marketers at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2024?

Key Stat: Retail CEOs and management teams are most aligned in identifying genAI for personalized marketing and recommendation engines as a promising application of AI technology, at 46% and 50%, respectively, per First Insight.