While social media, web3 and the metaverse were popular topics of conversation at SXSW, the need to keep things “human” was certainly an overriding theme throughout the event.
“We need to take a step back and reconnect with the most human parts of ourselves so that we can use social media, web3 and technology in the most responsible ways.”
Such is the sound advice offered by Lore Oxford, global head of cultural insights, We Are Social, a Plus Company, during this podcast, on which she was joined by Shawn Francis, head of creative at We Are Social US, a Plus Company.
In fact, an overriding sentiment throughout the discussion, as it was on the ground in Austin, is just how much connection and empathy are more necessary than ever amid mass polarization and fragmentation.
“You have to keep people at the center of everything you do, right along with the strategy,” advises Francis. “What your brand stands for is as important as what you sell.”
As a nod to just how imperative it is to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion on all platforms, Oxford laments how social media has become so much more of an “us” versus “them” world.
“It’s really important to think about ‘them,’ ” she counsels, “especially when it’s so much easier to focus on the ‘us.’”
This is just a small taste of what Oxford and Francis dig into on this podcast. Other topics include how the metaverse is forcing in a new media landscape, some new takes on the dangers of misinformation and much more – all part of a conversation moderated by Steve Madden, GM of Haymarket Media Business Media Group. You’ll definitely want to listen in.
