The short: With Red Bull on board as an exclusive launch partner, Klout unveiled a new platform that allows brands to reward and engage their advocates. Brand Squads, currently in beta, highlight a brand’s top influencers and conversations. Fans, in turn, can claim special perks based on their ranking as an influencer.

Why it matters: With Brand Squads, Klout has simplified the way brands can identify and incentivize fans for talking about them in their social channels. In turn, fans become representatives of brands on an ongoing basis with the lure of competition, merchandise and social media fame. And while this shift represents an empowerment of the influencer, it also gives brands better access to those who are most willing to shape and share their content and experiences.

The short: Dutch airline KLM has launched Meet & Seat, an opt-in program that lets passengers select seatmates before takeoff based on Linkedin and Facebook information. Since launching in February, over 1,100 profiles have been shared.

Why it matters: Similar to Ticketmaster's seating app that launched last summer, KLM's social media integration is part of the larger trend of brands leveraging social media to directly impact the consumer experience. These companies understand that social networks can serve as more than pathways for conversation with fans: they can be used to shape consumer experience in real, tangible and measurable ways.

The short: The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) is a proposed piece of legislation that, if passed, would allow for greater sharing of information between public and private sectors. Lawmakers and Internet privacy advocates say the bill violates free speech and gives the government too much authority in using private data. However, supporters such as Facebook and Microsoft cite its necessity in preventing cyber security threats.

Why it matters: The legislation indicates that any information held by an Internet company that is considered a potential threat towards national security can be turned over to a wide range of government agencies. While the law’s intentions are good, the legislation is likely to cause many consumers to continue to lose faith in the integrity of most brands. With big name companies like Facebook and Google under fire for issues related to people’s personal data, CISPA has the potential further strain the consumer-brand trust as users’ information becomes less and less protected by the companies they have grown to love.

The short: Google Drive, which officially launched last Tuesday, is intended to help the search giant compete with cloud storage services such as Dropbox and Box. Replacing Google Docs, the new service is highly integrated with other products such as Google+ and is intended to act as a simple way to combine the many functions and services offered by the company.

Why it matters: While this product is obviously intended to compete with other cloud storage services, many believe that it will act as an even stronger competitor to Microsoft Office and similar products, as Drive will combine the functionality of productivity applications with the data and access associated with Google. Critics have already come out against the service, though, citing issues related to Google’s dreaded privacy policy. While cloud storage may be convenient for the regular consumer, brands needs to proceed with caution before allowing their confidential information to be stored in places where safety and privacy can no longer be guaranteed.

THE SHORT: While brands have consistently increased their presences at SXSW, this year saw a shift toward more interactive experiences. No individual company “won” the festival this year, but several brands had strong showings.

WHY IT MATTERS: SXSW is one of the most well-attended events of the year.  If your brand is interested in presenting itself as a leader in technology, social, and interactive, having a smart and memorable presence at the festival is essential.

TOP BRANDED EXPERIENCES:

AmEx - The 162-year old financial service promoted their addition of Twitter and Facebook to AmEx Sync with omnipresent promotions and key events, including a free concert featuring Jay-Z as well as discount offers around town.

Nike - With its FuelBand API Hackathon and various branded sports and activities, Nike used SXSWi to further ensconce itself in the digital and tech industry. The sports company even held one of the most rocking parties at SXSW by building a visualizer that measured the energy of their event featuring Diplo and Sleigh Bells.

GE - The company launched a series of pop-up workshops called the GE Garages that allowed participants to use innovative technologies and tools to build projects. Their DIY Idea Lab provided a hands-on experience with tools ranging from laser cutters to 3D printers.

THE SHORT: Top tech brands and individuals used SXSW to get their moment in the spotlight, and it’s no different for like-minded ad agencies.

WHY IT MATTERS: With countless startups and brands represented, and nearly 25,000 registered attendees, any agency hoping to succeed in the tech industry must develop a strong presence at SXSW.

TOP AD AGENCIES:

BBH - The creative advertising agency faced lots of controversy for launching their Homeless Hotspots, which turned homeless people into Internet connections.

Ogilvy - For the second year in a row, Ogilvy Notes brought in sketch artists to make informative cartoons breaking down the main points of the previous day’s keynotes and featured speakers.

The Barbarian Group - We partnered with Tumblr to throw our #RoboTripSXSW party, featuring tons of great artists, food and even a new-age photobooth. Our I Know A Place site provided first-time festival-goers advice on the best venues and events.

THE SHORT: While torrential downpours impacted participation in some outdoor events, the weather only helped flood panel audiences with interested attendees.

WHY IT MATTERS: With lines reaching around city blocks, talks given by industry leaders -- who ranged from pop culture icons to political pundits -- were integral to accomplishing the communal goal of furthering the tech industry.

TOP PANEL DISCUSSIONS:

Al Gore Interviews Sean Parker - The former Vice President and Napster founder made an unlikely duo discussing everything from the 2000 election to the need for the Internet to start an “Occupy Democracy” movement.

"How to Read the World" - As the Director of Digital at The Onion, Baratunde Thurston focused on the intersection of humor, politics, and technology, stressing his belief that, “when you marry creativity and the story and fling it around the world, we’re more about more than just checking in - we’re about the upgrading of our own humanity and our own freedom."

Brian Solis Interviews Billy Corgan - Infamous for his grumpy tirades against the music industry, the lead singer of the Smashing Pumpkins lambasted the music industry and the struggles faced by new artists, stating, "I was part of a generation that changed the world - and it was taken over by poseurs."

"Epic Battle": Creativity vs. Discipline in Social" - A panel featuring Jason Harris, John Manoogian III, Sarahjane Sacchetti, and Kristin Maverick analyzed what makes a digital campaign an “epic fail” versus an “epic win.”

THE SHORT: Nicknamed the “Battle of the Food Trucks," SXSW followed last year’s food truck trend by hosting an incredible number of branded, mobile, edible options this year.

WHY IT MATTERS: Brands looked for every way to get their name out during SXSW and food was no exception; many smart marketing campaigns were built on one simple fact: everybody needs to eat.

TOP FESTIVAL FOOD:

Kraft - From Oreo-branded ice cream socials to Kraft Mobile,their interactive Mac ‘n’ Cheese truck, the brand inundated festival goers with as many edible guilty pleasures as possible.

Today Show - The TODAY Munchie Mobile offered more than just food; the truck included charging stations and tagged photos from users on TODAY.com.

Squarespace - The website creation company featured local food vendors for nine days offering free food and mini-workshops with their newest products.

FedEx - Using boxes designed to mimic their shipping containers, FedEx combined a complimentary food truck with their "power couriers," which turned employees into mobile charging stations.

THE SHORT: Hoping to create the most buzz on what little money they have, start-ups flocked to the streets of Austin in search of investors, users and publicity.

WHY IT MATTERS: SXSW is renowned for being a platform where major startups are discovered. With the likes of Twitter and Foursquare having first debuted at the festival, all eyes are turn to SXSW for the “next big thing.”

TOP STARTUPS:

Passive location-based apps - A slew of new location-based apps that show users potential contacts nearby were debuted at SXSW. The front-runner among them, Highlight, managed to be the big talk of the festival, though competitors Glancee, Banjo and Sonar were close behind.

Grandstand - This startup made noise at SXSW by offering brands, agencies and venues the ability to create in-person experiential games using social media.

Zaarly - This digital marketplace helps users make connections to accomplish odd jobs.