This year’s festival showcased an expansive range of content and ideas on nearly two dozen tracks. Big themes included the evolution of the creator economy, advancements (and hesitation) around AI, and marketing across shifting channels and demographics.

Key Question: What were the key takeaways from South by Southwest (SXSW) 2025 for brands and marketers?

Key Stat: Half of marketers consider engagement rates when choosing creators to work with, significantly more than the shares that consider factors such as follower counts and campaign fit.