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"AUSTIN \u2014 Television networks ramped up their presences at South by Southwest, some for the first time, this year. Sean Besser \u2014 social entertainment platform GetGlue's executive vice president of business development partnerships and strategy \u2014 roamed around the festival exploring what those brands had to offer attendees. He was at SXSW on the heels of GetGlue unveiling a redesigned iPhone app and new advertising product called Promoted Entries. Besser took some time to answer six candid questions from Mashable.\n1. What are the best shows ever before social came along, and could they have benefitted from social TV had they been around after Facebook and Twitter surfaced? \nThe success of The Walking Dead is a testament to the power of social TV. Half the country has no interest in it simply because it is a zombie show and up until recently 40% of the country couldn't even watch it (between the 20% who don't have cable and the DISH Network subs who didn't have AMC). And yet it is the number one show on TV. Why is that? Because social helps the cream rise to the top. \nI think about shows like The Wire and Arrested Development, amazing shows that came around just a couple years too early to utilize social media to generate crazy ratings success. And yes, I cannot wait to see Arrested Development on Netflix. \n2. What is the must-have snack to consume while digesting movies or TV shows?\nI'm a big food guy and am totally addicted to kettle corn. It's a problem. Seriously. \n3. TV networks are finally creating presences at SXSW. Why is it important for them to be here and what do you think they're doing right? \nLoved Warner Bros. presence (immersive Tell-a-Vision venue) this year. They didn't go for a silly stunt to get attention or just trot out talent to give the same old song and dance. Instead they thought about their content and how it could resonate with fans and gave them that experience. It's the first time in a decade I took a T-shirt home from a conference. I hope other networks and content creators similarly take the time to come up with relevant experiences because SXSW can be a great place to launch content.     \nNote: Warner Bros. is a subsidiary of Time Warner, which invests in GetGlue.\n4. When and why did you want to step foot into the social TV industry; and why do you skills and philosophies align well particularly with GetGlue?\nI have been excited about social TV for years. I see a gap between how people can discover and engage with content and each other today and what's possible. GetGlue is all about enabling people to be more social about content in a variety of ways and I am ecstatic to be a part of realizing that vision.\n5. How do you describe the social TV phenomenon to someone who doesn't understand social TV?  \nWatching TV and movies is, and has always been, a social experience and we're seeing TV watchers look for new ways to connect around content in today's world, despite the trend to consume content on our own time. They are looking for ways to reconnect with friends and other fans and social tools like GetGlue enable it like never before. \n6. If you could pick a celebrity creative director to join GetGlue, whom would it be? \nJimmy Fallon. Love just about everything about his work, vision and how he carries himself.\n\n\nMashable at SXSW 2013\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGuests at the Mashable House visit with Internet meme Grumpy Cat\nPhotos by Live Box Photography. http://liveboxphoto.com/ \u00A9 2013 Live Box Photography\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGuests line up for a chance to get a picture with Internet meme Tardar Sauce aka \"Grumpy Cat\"\nPhotos by Live Box Photography. http://liveboxphoto.com/ \u00A9 2013 Live Box Photography\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTaskRabbit was on the scene with a rabbit-car\nPhoto by Mashable\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA replica of the Webb telescope\nPhoto by Mashable\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMashable CEO Pete Cashmore visits with Internet meme, Scumbag Steve at the SXSW Mashable House \nPhotos by Live Box Photography. http://liveboxphoto.com/ \u00A9 2013 Live Box Photography\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNASA STEM\nPhoto by Mashable\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCongressman Lamar Smith (TX) visits SXSW\nPhoto by Mashable\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDesigner Kimberly Ovitz visits the Mashable House at SXSW\nPhotos by Live Box Photography. http://liveboxphoto.com/ \u00A9 2013 Live Box Photography\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-13\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-16\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-15\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-14\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-17\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-12\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-11\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-10\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-9\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-8\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-7\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-6\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-5\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-4\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-3\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13-2\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nmash-house-sxsw-13\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nImages courtesy of GetGlue"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2013/03/13/6-questions-getglue-sean-besser/>