Given the nature of this campaign, we were not subject to the standard regulations and restrictions around Branded Content. Instead we had to deal with those around food hygiene and food truck permits! Our content, after all, was food.

To create awareness at SXSW, we created campaign posters and digital display advertising encouraging people to vote for their favorite foods.

To drive social chatter before the event, we used the cognitive system to create the first ever computer-generated BBQ sauce which was sent to the media and influencers.

As support for the project built over the course of the festival, we monitored social chatter and reached out to influencers to build momentum. And, of course, all the recipes were determined by the wisdom (and taste) of the crowd.

We generated 40MM earned-media impressions and 70MM twitter impressions. Our hashtag was top-trending in Austin during SXSW (and Montréal: a Canadian tweet-jack successfully forcing us to make local favorite Poutine). Coverage in hundreds of news outlets: BBC, NBC, ABC, NPR, Fast Company, Huffpo, Engadget, Mashable, Verge etc. A phenomenon, serving almost 4,000 people and running out of food each day, despite ramping up supplies.

As a result of conversations started over foodtruck food, IBM is pursuing 14 qualified leads (including 2 leading supermarkets). A conversation of any will be denominated in millions of dollars, easily paying back the campaign.