Digiday is at SXSW giving you the latest industry news out of the festival at Austin, Texas. More from the series →
SXSW has lost some of its luster. Mega-events typically follow a trajectory in which they reach great heights before an inevitable decline. SXSW’s height was probably Barack Obama coming to speak in 2016. Agencies have curtailed their contingents, brands aren’t as hot and bothered, and few are looking for the next startup darling to emerge in Austin, Texas, this weekend. Still, the ride can be fun.
Here’s our take on who will be up, who will be down and who will go sideways at this year’s edition of SXSW Interactive.

More in Marketing
OpenAI’s measurement gaps are keeping ChatGPT ads budgets at test level
OpenAI’s ChatGPT ads have a measurement catch-22
In Graphic Detail: Where brands stand when AI agents do the shopping
Getting picked by the agents is the new commerce fight
How Kroger, Giant Eagle and DoorDash are building their agentic AI assistants
Companies are finding that they must deploy practical AI tools that bridge the gap between physical stores and online ordering.