INSIGHTS

As reported in Marketing Magazine, General Motors has made a concerted effort to make their presence felt at this year’s South by Southwest. SXSW is a combination of interactive, film and music festivals and conferences which take place in Austin, Texas every spring. It’s also where technologies such as Twitter have made their grand introduction to the world.

In what GM is calling “test pilots”, the Chevrolet brand has aligned itself with Austin-based Gowalla—a similar service to Foursquare—allowing mobile users to check-in for SXSW-related messages and offers. Air travelers can also check-in at the airport to request a free lift downtown in a Chevrolet Equinox. Other strategies include the application of QR-codes on the hoods of Chevy vehicles which, once scanned with your mobile device, lead you to a microsite for that specific vehicle plus, GM’s own version of the Ford Fiesta Movement.

All this is part of General Motors’ turn to digital, of which they plan to commit 30% of their annual marketing budget. So far, a big splash, but what’s up their sleeves for the rest of year?