Five conversations we’re still thinking about after SXSW London

After a week of talks, panels, debates and chance conversations across SXSW London, it’s tempting to look for a single headline that sums everything up. But that isn’t really what SXSW does best.

The magic of the festival is the collision of ideas. You can spend one hour listening to a discussion about men’s mental health, the next exploring the future of sports fandom, before ending the day hearing how iconic entertainment franchises are being reinvented for new audiences.

Rather than forcing everything into one trend report, we’ve pulled together five conversations that have stayed with us since the festival ended. Different topics, different industries, different challenges. But each offered a useful reminder about how people, culture and brands are changing.

1. The opportunity isn’t always at the extremes

One of the most thought-provoking sessions of the week was The Missing Men: The Male Midlife Majority, sharing research from ELVIS and Unilever.

The discussion highlighted how much attention is often given to the extremes of culture, while large groups of people in the middle can become overlooked. In this case, ordinary men navigating midlife, work, relationships, identity and wellbeing.

What we loved was the nuance. Rather than creating another conversation about crisis or toxic behaviour, the panel explored the everyday realities of a group that often sits outside the spotlight.

What we’re taking forward

Growth opportunities are not always found by chasing emerging niches or cultural extremes. Sometimes they come from understanding a large audience that has become culturally invisible.

For brands, the challenge is often less about finding a new audience and more about seeing existing audiences more clearly.

2. Great IP evolves. Its emotional truth doesn’t.

As lifelong brand strategists, we couldn’t resist a session exploring how classic entertainment properties are being reinvented for modern audiences.

One point stood out above all others: successful reinvention starts by identifying what made people care in the first place.

Whether it’s Dracula, a beloved film franchise or a heritage brand, longevity isn’t about preserving every detail. It’s about protecting the emotional truth at the heart of the experience while allowing the execution to evolve.

The discussion also highlighted how audiences themselves change. New generations often arrive with different expectations, different cultural references and different reasons for engaging.

What we’re taking forward

The strongest brands know the difference between what should evolve and what should never change.
Innovation doesn’t require abandoning your past. Often it means understanding it more deeply.

3. The future of fandom is bigger than the game itself

Several sessions explored the future of sport, but one theme kept resurfacing: fandom is becoming increasingly portable. Fans are following athletes across teams, leagues and even countries. Communities are forming around personalities as much as organisations. Technology is creating new layers of engagement before, during and after live events.

At the same time, the industry is experimenting with everything from second-screen experiences to real-time data overlays and predictive content. What fascinated us was the tension between innovation and emotion. Because while technology can enhance an experience, sport ultimately works because of uncertainty. The magic isn’t knowing what’s going to happen. It’s not knowing.

What we’re taking forward

The most powerful innovations don’t replace emotion. They amplify it.
Whether we’re designing products, services or brand experiences, the goal shouldn’t be to optimise every moment. Sometimes the value lies in preserving anticipation, surprise and human connection.

4. Discovery is happening in places marketers weren’t trained to look

A brilliant session on music in gaming highlighted just how much consumer behaviour has shifted. For younger audiences, discovery increasingly happens through ecosystems rather than channels. Music is discovered through games. Communities form through creators. Entertainment, commerce and culture are becoming harder to separate.

The old model of consumers moving neatly through media touchpoints feels increasingly outdated. People simply spend time where they spend time.

What we’re taking forward

The question is no longer “How do we reach people?”
It’s “Where are people already engaged, and what role can we play there?”

The most effective brands are often the ones willing to look beyond traditional category conventions and meet audiences in unexpected places.

5. The brands winning tomorrow won’t just advertise culture. They’ll participate in it.

One of the most interesting brand discussions of the week brought together leaders from Perrier, San Pellegrino and Diageo to explore what brands might look like by 2030.

A recurring theme was that brands are increasingly creating relevance through experiences, communities and partnerships, not just communications. As people spend more time in interest-based communities and cultural spaces, brands need to think differently about where and how they show up.

What we found particularly interesting was that this wasn’t framed as a departure from traditional brand building. Quite the opposite. The brands best placed to participate in culture are often the ones with the clearest sense of who they are and the role they can credibly play in people’s lives.

What we’re taking forward

The challenge isn’t being present in every cultural conversation. It’s understanding where you have permission to participate and showing up in a way that adds genuine value.

The strongest brands of the future won’t just communicate with audiences. They’ll create experiences, connections and communities that people actively want to be part of.

And that’s ultimately what we left SXSW London thinking about.
Not a single trend. Not a single technology.
Just a renewed appreciation that understanding people remains the starting point for everything.