Join us Sept. 14-16 in Miami to connect with top publishing leaders
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
Brand marketers are adopting fan-first social media strategies
Bigger brands are picking up a social playbook perfected by startup and scaleup marketers, having seen the results. But can it work at scale?
Creators build GEO strategies to get discovered by brands and agencies in AI search
With no established playbook for AI search, creators are starting to build their own.
How H&M, Chobani, UrbanStems and Teleties are refining their partnership strategies
Brands are refining partnerships to match audiences, drive cultural relevance and find new growth.