SXSW is a hotbed for new technologies, emerging trends, and digital innovations… and let’s not forget about the parties. The Drop app, built for bands, musicians and fans to share music, wanted to showcase at SXSW and attract a party going crowd to an event to provide feedback on how to improve the apps usability and features. The challenge, given all the other party options at SXSW, was attracting the right crowd, male skateboarders, between 21 and 35, to the Drop event while competing with other street teams in attendance. Rather then simply handing out cards, we wanted to find a way to have a two-way conversation that was real and made a connection with the targeted audience. Enter Tinder, a platform already used by the majority of the target demographic. By setting up an account that advertised ‘free drinks’, with details of the event location, we were able to join the conversation and understand the motivations and interests of our target audience. Not wanting to come off as being misleading, the Tinder tactic was executed in a direct, honest and fun way that spoke to the audience and let them know that it wasn’t an advertiser, but ‘one of them’ behind the profile.

As a result real connections were made with real people using Tinder.