McDonald’s SXSW Recap: An Ideas Lead Approach to Redefining Consumer Experience

Why exactly is McDonald’s sponsoring at SXSW? That was a buzz-worthy question leading up to this year’s event. Many people were curious and even skeptical about a McDonald’s presence. In a sense, you could say the McDonald’s team needed to deliver its own “pitch” for participating in festival of ideas and creativity that is SXSW.

From our vantage point, SXSW provides a unique gathering place that allows for some of the most meaningful and interesting ideas across a variety of spaces. It’s not about being big or small — it’s about being meaningful. Our thinking behind participation was simple: we can make new ideas come to the world faster, whether they are our own or those of other interesting companies and people. Here’s a quick snapshot of how we attempted to bring that to life during our time in Austin:

Having a presence gave McDonald’s the opportunity to create buzz around our growing digital practice and showcase innovations happening right before people’s eyes. We were able demonstrate new digital experiences like handing over control of the music in our venue and power charging stations, announce big news like our scholarships that will help restaurant crew learn coding, and meet with startups and influencers to learn about new technologies.

One of the more inspiring things I’ve always loved about SXSW beyond the excitement around music and film, is its role as an ideal startup launch pad. Meerkat was the buzz of the week, and I used it to stream live performances so that friends could feel like they were there alongside us. Facilitating the growth of new applications is also why we hosted several pitch events covering innovative solutions for renovating the restaurant experience, improving transportation and delivery, and advancing content development. Many great ideas were shared, including those by winners SnowShoe Stamp, Walc, and grand-prize winner HelloSponsor.

The oversubscribed startup events drew more than 300 people while just across the hall at our Hilton Lounge activation, more than 150 people gathered to actively listen to intimate panels about scale and reach, wireless charging, and the crossover between the physical and digital worlds. We held thought leadership conversations in our lounge from leaders at Intel Capital, Salesforce, General Assembly, and our own organization. Those in attendance were able to relax with free McCafé coffee and treats, power-up with charging stations, and get a first-hand glimpse into a fun music experience designed to let crowds control the playlist. Thanks again to all who participated and helped make the events a success.

Of course, we also looked to provide some hospitality through an outdoor space to find ways to resonate our presence behind conference walls. During our time at SXSW, we were able to help more than 20,000 SXSW attendees fuel up at our tent space at the corner of 4th & Red River where we also offered free Fry-Fi ®, charging stations, food, and live music. In total, we happily served more than 60,000 people during our time in Austin.

No one can predict the future. What we can predict is that technology will continue to evolve and, as it does, McDonald’s is going to continue to evolve with it to ensure our customers are having the best experience possible no matter how they engage with our brand. We were honored to be part of SXSW 2015, and hope all of the attendees had as much fun as we did. Stay tuned for more.