The South by Southwest festival returned to Austin, Texas, in full force this year, with discussions on the future of technology, brands, and marketing. Here, we lay out the top trends and takeaways.

One year after the company’s name change, Meta’s business is in disarray. We explore the reasons for the downturn, our two-year outlook, and how companies that rely on Facebook, Instagram, and other Meta platforms should adjust their strategies.

Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Nomura have all expanded into NFTs.

Technologies like digital clienteling tools and NFTs have created avenues for online engagement that can appeal to luxury consumers while maintaining a sense of exclusivity distinct from the typical public-facing website.

Some 3% of US adults have already purchased real estate in a metaverse environment, and a further 8% are interested in staking their claim on a digital land plot. That said, more than half of US adults have never heard of virtual real estate, indicating we’re still a ways out from society going meta.

Is the shine off nonfungible tokens (NFTs)? As of May, just 2% of US adults surveyed have invested in NFTs and like them, while another 4% have invested but aren’t happy about it. The 64% majority said they have no investment or interest in these assets, up from 56% in October 2021.

Brand interest in video games is rising, especially with the buzz around the metaverse. This report will look at the different ways developers monetize video games, and which of those methods are the most useful for marketers.

A growing number of brands and retailers are jumping on the bandwagon.

Companies tempted to ride the blockchain wave may want to avoid dipping their toes into nonfungible tokens (NFTs) just yet. Among adults in Great Britain who’d heard of NFTs, 43% said they’d feel less favorable toward a company if it started offering them, and 32% said their opinion wouldn’t change either way. Only 3% would view a company more favorably if it offered the digital tokens.

NFTs come to the fore in China: However, the country’s regulatory scrutiny could add complexities to engaging with them.

Instagram’s role in the metaverse will involve NFTs and the creator economy: At SXSW, Zuckerberg hinted at long-term metaverse plans and upcoming NFT features.

Crypto infrastructure builder ConsenSys snagged $450M, reaching a $7B valuation.

Single’s Day—China’s annual shopping extravaganza in November—is the world’s biggest shopping event, with an estimated RMB 965.1 billion ($139.83 billion) in sales in 2021, according to the China e-Business Research Center. It is also changing the way consumers shop by showcasing new retail concepts such as the metaverse, nonfungible tokens, sustainability, and agile commerce.

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China eyes the ‘next stage of the internet’: The country hopes its two-pronged approach to early blockchain and 5G adoption will help establish itself as a global leader in the internet’s next generation.