A Brief History of SXSW
South by Southwest (SXSW) began in 1987 in Austin, Texas, as a regional music festival designed to showcase emerging talent and connect industry professionals. It quickly grew into a global cultural event, expanding to include film, interactive media, and technology. Over the years, SXSW has become known as a launchpad for innovation and creativity, drawing artists, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders from around the world. The 2025 edition in London marks the first time SXSW has been held outside North America, reflecting its continued global influence.
Surprising Truths and Tough Lessons in Health and Tech
By Gill Thomas
I loved attending SXSW in the East End of London, the perfect backdrop to such a creative conference. The streets jostled with attendees rushing between sessions. Around every corner was a famous landmark; a Banksy, a Jack the Ripper pub; London’s oldest bagel shop. We expected SXSW to be an eclectic experience, but this year’s health and technology sessions left me with a wild mix of facts and reflections. Here are just a few of the things I learned:
- Mental health advice on TikTok is about 50% misinformation.
- The NHS is still the world’s largest user of fax machines (yes, really!)
- Being obese raises your risk for 13 different types of cancer.
- There’s been a 60% decline in sperm count over the last 50 years.
- Engaging in the arts is associated with an almost 50% reduction in depression and anxiety.
- Women over the age of 50 that break their hip have a 50% chance of dying in the next 6 months.
It’s a lot to take in, but I noticed a common thread running through many of the sessions: the importance of understanding how to lean into technology in healthcare.
One panel, focused on healthcare’s digital transformation, made the point that while virtual connections exploded during Covid-19 and were life-saving, they also came with a hidden cost. Trust amongst young people in the ability of older generations to safeguard the future has plummeted, and now 20% of UK adults are on anti-depressants. The panel highlighted that sometimes, “prescribed experiences”—like participating in the arts or attending live comedy—can have a greater positive impact on mental health than SSRIs. It’s a powerful reminder that human connection and creativity are important components of healing.
Another takeaway: investing in healthcare workers and preventing burnout is more important than ever. The film “Late Shift,” showcased at the festival, was a sobering look at the toll the current system takes on frontline staff.
Innovation in pharmaceuticals was also a big theme this year. The buzz around psychedelics, weight loss injections, and oestrogen therapies was hard to ignore. Multiple speakers shared personal stories of how these treatments have been life-changing, offering hope for patients who haven’t found success with traditional methods.
SXSW always delivers surprises and challenges my assumptions. This year, the biggest lesson was that technology alone isn’t the answer in healthcare. Sometimes, the most effective solutions are profoundly human: trust, creativity, and connection.
The Future is Now: How Tech and AI are Shaping Healthcare Innovation
By Grace Fowler and Rachel Hiley
We found ourselves in unexpected company at SXSW. On the Thursday, just as we were moving between sessions, we saw crowds began to gather with a visit from King Charles himself. In a neighbourhood known for its graffiti, and offbeat charm, seeing the King engaging with the music performances and the community was surreal—and surprisingly fitting. It felt like a collision of tradition and transformation, which, in many ways, perfectly echoed the themes of the week.
It didn’t come as a surprise to me that AI and technological innovation were such dominant themes across many sessions. Generative AI, in particular, seems to be evolving at lightning speed. What struck me most was how much these advancements are already transforming healthcare—in the UK and globally. The scale and pace of change left me feeling truly inspired.
One moment that really stayed with me was hearing former Prime Minister David Cameron speak alongside leading figures in medicine about genomic sequencing. The idea that this technology could significantly improve diagnosis rates for rare diseases—and open the door to new treatments or cures—felt incredibly hopeful.
Another standout was learning about the pilot drone delivery network between St Thomas’ and Guy’s hospitals. The fact that it’s slashed blood delivery times from 30 minutes down to just 2 is a powerful example of how technology is already making a real-world impact.
But alongside the progress, there were also some stark reminders of the challenges that remain. One that really hit home was the sheer length of the clinical trial process—often 10 to 15 years. It was fascinating to hear from researchers at places like Great Ormond Street and Novo Nordisk about how they’re tackling this. Their work with multimodal data, AI, and even simulated human organs gives me hope that we’re moving towards a future where life-changing treatments can reach patients far more quickly.
The Enduring Importance of Knowing Your Customer
By Emily Sumners
With my background in design thinking and behavioural science, I was really excited to join a number of sessions which highlighted the enduring importance of empathy in building relevant and meaningful brands. In a world where shortcuts abound, it was refreshing to hear a consistent theme that quick ideas are not always good ideas (although they certainly have their place).
At the heart of what we do as market research consultants is building deep customer empathy. It’s about truly understanding customers’ worlds, challenges and needs, to equip our clients with insights and innovative thinking that enables customer closeness. It’s also about gaining that granularity of customer segments – knowing your specific audiences so you can “meet them where they are and where they care”, as one panel so eloquently put it.
Another aspect to the theme of knowing your customer was the critical role of context. Social influence plays a huge part in shaping beliefs and behaviours, and this was brought to life through a number of talks, most notably on the emotionally charged obesity debate and the role of misinformation in women’s health. This was an important reminder that customer insights must be contextualised within the wider zeitgeist to be truly meaningful and actionable.
The importance of context was inadvertently exemplified via the queueing system (or lack of). Queueing is definitely not one of my preferred pursuits, but standing in the rain in a long and snaking line that brought traffic to a standstill, in the hope of hearing Idris Elba speak, was a standout memory for me. Turns out queueing can be fun when you are with a buzzing group of colleagues and a large dose of determination.
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