For several hours yesterday, consumers could watch a live stream on Amazon of several up-and-coming bands at SXSW. The event, which was pushed out on social media and viewable on mobile, included placement around the streaming player for a special offer to buy an unlocked Huawei Honor 5X for $199.99 and receive free ear buds and a $5 Amazon Prime music credit.

“At SXSW I was able to witness many brands experimenting with mixing their brand message with unique exclusive content – McDonalds had a whole experience lab set up with VR, Mr. Roboto show threw a Carnival with exclusive content and interactive events,” said Maya Mikhailov, chief marketing officer and co-founder of GPShopper.

“The marriage of brands and content isn’t new,” she said. “Mobile devices are just expanding the audience reach of as the event occurs, versus in the past, after it is over.”

A musical offer
As mobile changes the way that consumers shop and consume content, Amazon is building a virtuous circle of hardware, content and digital services designed to support its ecommerce sales.

Honor is a smartphone brand targeting millennials that is available in 74 countries and shipped more than 40 million units last year. The Honor 5X introduced the brand to the United States market at the CES show earlier this year. It boasts a next-generation fingerprint scanner and a price point under $200.

At SXSW, Amazon’s Prime Music division and Honor hosted the Honor 5X and Prime Music Present: SXSW Acoustic Daybreak concert showcasing five artists.

In addition to the live performance, the concert was streamed live at amazon.com/5Xdaybreak.

Live streaming
Yesterday only, Amazon customers purchasing the Honor 5X also received a free music package including a $5 Amazon Music Credit and a pair Honor earphones.

The offer was promoted in the frame around the live stream player.

“If the product was integrated into and prevalent in the performance or being pushed by SXSW as being the exclusive place to view the live content then it would be elevated to a higher level then what you see here,” said Scott Rosenblum, president of Neutrino Media Group.

“The offer is not prominent in the stream but in the frame around the stream,” he said. “It would be better if it were integrated into the content but in general it is very viewable to the viewer.”

The promotion is an example of how Amazon is looking to bring the brand into the real world as smartphone-savvy consumers increasingly look for omnichannel experiences.

It also underscores Amazon’s escalating role in the media landscape as its content offerings increasingly grab consumer attention.

“The fact that Amazon has to push into the ‘real world’ is exactly the arena where many retailers have grown up,” Ms. Mikhailov said. “No one should be more familiar with throwing events at physical locations, think Trunk and Fashion Shows.

“Savvy retailers will leverage their everyday locations to connect with consumers on an entirely new level using digital technologies to bridge the bag,” she said.

“The real concern should come from content producers and networks, who are now butting up against Amazon as a legitimate media entity.”