Destructo Deviations

(Thanks @techherding for the faux yam news from #fakesxsw)

How a completely false online event Fake SXSW based off of a real event SXSW helped promote Bruce’s Yams… One of the strangest social marketing experiments that i’ve tried deemed it self accidentally successful. Here’s how it all got started… This weekend was South By South West Interactive in Austin, TX, it’s the mecca for all that is the web and media. Basically, if you want to know what the internet would look like in real life if your TV and Twitter follower list exploded, that’s SXSW.

Well, for all of us poor and ill folks not going to SXSW this weekend we started a twitter hashtag called #fakesxsw, little did we know on how huge (and entertaining) the fake event itself would become. Needless to say, whoever started #fakesxsw it created a monster. 2,846 tweets, 730 contributors, 406.6 tweets per day later we all found ourselves in a strange world of networking and fun. It even got a few write ups in the LA Times Blog and Huffington Post.

With the following faux events and fake panels ranging from:

OMGWTFBBQ
The Geocities Party… (Of course it’s under construction)
Musical acts such as: Rick Astley, Hall and Oates, Danzig and even Falco.
Special real life guests such as Ken Plume and Chris Gore joining in on the #fakesxsw madness.
Read some about some of the rest of the events at http://fakesxsw.com (Yes, there’s a website!)

I gained 100 new amazing minds on Twitter, and Bruce’s Yams gained 40 new followers and ten pages of yam-versations about Bruce’s Yams at #fakesxsw! Wow. I didn’t even have to spend a penny on travel costs or fight through the crowds. One thing about #fakesxsw… you can do it all in your underwear! All I did was mention Bruce’s Yams once with the twitter hashtag #fakesxsw and the yam-a-palooza began for four days! People really seem to love the little orange squishy guys, and I love you all for making Bruce’s Yams a part of your #fakesxsw experience!

Here’s a little taste of the yam-ver-sations at #fakesxsw… Hilarious!

I got a message from @Brucesyams! I will put you guys on the top of my grocery list! #fakesxsw
“YamPanel: Is It Payola If You Blog For Syrup?” #fakesxsw
Looking out my motel window at #FakeSXSW. Woody Harrelson with a shotgun, lawn chairs, and yams everywhere.
Awfully quiet from my fellow attendees at #fakesxsw – too many yams?
I have absolutely no idea what the heck #fakesxsw is. I am not a cool kid, nor do I know why the cool kids like yams.
Why do I want #yams? I think this has something to do with #Fakesxsw
After party at Rick Astley’s room at the Hyatt. Follow the smell of dank yams.
Unlocked “Will Tweet for Yams” badge at Destructo Deviations AfterParty Austin, TX
@missdestructo is THE VOICE OF YAMS. She’ll moderate or facSocMediate™ #fakesxsw #gonetoYamhab

Read all the #fakesxsw chatter about Bruce’s Yams here…. pages of conversations, very funny!

I can say that this probably the new beginning of #fakeevents, you may think.. “Oh there’s no value in fake events! *twirly mustache*” Oh, but there is! I can say that this was not only mind challenging and fun, but I met many smart, funny people that may turn out to be valuable connections in life. Not to mention, therapeutically… I was able to laugh my butt off about not being able to attend SXSW and it kept me occupied while suffering from a nasty coughing virus.

The proof is in the yam pudding… I hope I get to keep on promoting for Bruce’s Yams in the future! Who knows where we will end up next! #fakeblogher or #fakedragoncon maybe?

Keep it yammin in the real world,