Ken Hughes is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on customer experience in the world, who asks his audiences “Why do shoppers buy and how can we make them buy more?”. Thankfully for most, it's rhetorical, as Ken cycles through some of his tried and tested methods of doing so. Owing to the relevance of his subject matter in society today, and his immensely engaging keynote speeches, Ken has been called upon to deliver speeches at global conferences. In 2015 Ken delivered the TEDX Talk Time Bending – 365 Ways to Unlock Creativity and Innovation. The incredible speech has inspired many of those in attendance, as well as the 100k+ viewers online.
Discussing the ideas that have seen him deliver speaking engagements for Coca-Cola, IKEA and AXA, Ken taps into innovation, the Internet of Things, big data, digital strategy, shopper marketing, behavioural economics, cyberpsychology and retail futurology to offer audiences a completely unique presentation. Displaying unwavering drive, as well as a deep-rooted passion for the subject, Ken has become one of the most in-demand motivational speakers of today. Famed for his relentless energy, his speeches merge the mundane with the astoundingly untrodden to reveal contemporary approaches to old problems. As the CEO, Consumer & Shopper Behaviouralist of Glacier Consulting, he has worked with numerous corporations to help lift the lid on the latest trends and insight that can give their marketing strategies the edge.
Ken Hughes's background as a Strategy Consultant for Accenture and Manager of Consumer Insight for Nielsen has profoundly shaped his expertise as a keynote speaker. His rich experiences have honed his insights into customer & employee experience, artificial intelligence, and retail futurology. As an acclaimed author, TED speaker and university lecturer, Ken's presentations are infused with the wisdom, energy and Irish wit that only a seasoned expert could deliver.
Putting the consumer at the heart of everything he discusses, Ken paints a picture of the modern consumer, and moulds his speeches to meet the needs of any specific corporate event. The ideal consumer behaviour expert, ideal to engage with a keynote speech or even participate in a fireside chat format, there is no doubt that Ken Hughes is the real deal, able to stimulate exciting debates, emphasise the need to dig deep into data available and develop marketing strategies that are fluid and profitable. In addition to his astute know-how in the worlds of branding, marketing and consumer behaviour, Ken's hilarious personal journey of "saying yes to everything" is utterly transfixing, setting the stage for a memorable evening's entertainment.
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Reviews
Ken Hughes received a 5 star rating across 15 events in 2023
Agent Recommendation
"Ken Hughes is a standout keynote speaker on consumer behaviour, captivating audiences worldwide with his deep insights and dynamic delivery. Drawing on extensive experience and collaborations with giants like Coca-Cola and IKEA, he offers unparalleled perspectives on digital strategy and shopper marketing. His talks are not only informative but also engaging, making him a must-have speaker for any event seeking to illuminate and inspire."
How to hire Ken Hughes
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Ken Hughes for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do not accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
Ken Hughes' official speaking topics are listed below:
The Blue Dot Consumer - Understanding the Modern Customer Connection:
An exploration of the modern consumer, their values, expectations and what brands need to do to win their race for relevance.
Like that pulsing blue dot on your Google Maps app, today everything revolves around the customer. They are at the centre, the frame of reference built around them. Everything is shown from their perspective. Their expectation is for instant, personal, and contextual. They only want to interact with brands that are authentic, that deliver on experiential, and with whom they can collaborate as opposed to just ‘buy from’. We need to seek emotive engagement and push beyond the functional and transactional. The values of the modern consumer continue to shift and this keynote explores what other brands and industries are doing to deliver on these values. As AI, Robotics, Metaverse and a maturing Gen Z & Gen Alpha consumer group emerge, the customer connection is set to fundamentally change.
Taylormaking - How to Use CX to Build Brand Success:
How emotive customer connections, continuous investment in customer and employee experience, and inviting customer collaboration build a brand tribal following. If Taylor Swift can do it, so can you.
How has Taylor Swift, a 34-year-old entertainer and entrepreneur risen to such superstardom, building one of the world’s most impressive tribal brand followings of our time? Her global Eras Tour has broken all records, a brand recouping the 15-year investment made in emotive customer connection. Looking at the core values of modern customer and employee connection, this keynote explores the nature of brand relationships, emotive customer connections, customer excitement & delight strategies, customer empowerment and tribal belonging, collaboration, brand authenticity, personalisation, and customer intimacy. Using Taylor as our jump-off point, we explore what brands and businesses are doing all over the world in the CX & EX space.
AI, Data & Disruption - Winning the Race for Customer Relevance:
A cultural evaluation of the effect AI will have on the consumer decision-making process and the world of marketing, branding and customer connection will change.
Technology has always enabled the advancement of commerce. From product and channel development to consumer expectations, technology has both catalysed and enabled change. In recent decades, the internet, broadband, WiFi, 4G, and the Smartphone have all step-jumped and catalysed consumer connections. As AI, Metaverse, Robotics and a coming of age of Gen Z and Gen Alpha regarding consumer expectations converge, we are set for significant change. The AI conversation needs to be less about algorithms, deep fakes, data, and natural language models, and more about how brands need to prepare for a new way of doing business. While AI will bring countless new touchpoints, it is about leveraging the new technologies to build more efficient, exciting, and engaging customer connections.
Igniting the Spark - How Creativity & Risk Drive the Innovation Engine:
How agility, risk, play and creativity catalyse innovation at the personal, professional and organisational levels.
Every organisation recognises that creativity and innovation are the fuel that will drive their engine to success. The problem is that most organisations fail in catalysing this creativity, and so the innovation wheel stops turning. If we are to push established boundaries, challenge norms and solve problems in new ways then we must change our approach. Habit and routine are the enemy of growth, personally and professionally. Rigid bureaucratic structures are part of our problem. Templates, organisational structures and corporate procedures. In our new disruptive economies, agility is key and so we need to rewire our approach to change. Understanding play, mischief, fear, and risk in relation to creativity, alongside exploring vulnerability and courage in our everyday lives are all strong leadership qualities.
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"Ken is one of those super professional speakers who just gets it. He surpassed all our expectations in terms of both content and sheer energy on screen." - Microsoft
"Ken is an energetic, thought-provoking speaker. I’ve had Ken speak at two Google events now and Ken has scored higher than any other speaker I’ve ever had before, lasting a long time in the memories of the delegates" - Google
"A heartfelt thank you to the truly inspiring and energising speaker, Ken Hughes. He captivated us with a genuinely delightful speech. There are not enough words to describe the impact this session had on our employees and how personal and engaging it was. Simply magnificent." - ING
"Your talk was very well received by all, and your message resonates enormously and was a good reminder to us all to set the bar once again higher in the shopper marketing area. Thanks for taking the time to be with us" - Paul, CEO, Unilever
"We invited Ken to address our key executives around in-store marketing to shoppers with a particular emphasis on our digital strategy. Ken’s provocative and engaging style and his clear thought leadership opened up fantastic debates on the changing nature of shopper and consumer engagement for our brands and the business overall. His delivery and facilitation really brought the issues to life and I would highly recommend Ken to kick-start the debate when working on the challenge of integrating digital deep within your marketing programmes." - Julie, Global VP Shopper & Customer Marketing, Unilever
Feedback from Virtual Events:
"Once again, Ken managed to inspire both our internal and external audiences equally regarding customer connection and marketing in this new world. Our customers loved it as did our own staff. I’ve never seen so many people so engaged for so long on a Webinar." - PayPal
- 2024 - Keynote Speaker for BWG Foods UC & MACE
- 2014 - Delivered the TEDx Talk "Time Bending - 365 Ways to Unlock Creativity & Innovation"
- 2012 - Global Keynote Speaker on Consumer Behaviour & Customer Experience
- 2001 - Consumer & Shopper Behaviouralist for CEO Glacier Consulting
- 2000 - Manager of Consumer Insight for Nielsen
- 1999 - Category Management Consultant for Neilsen
- 1998 - Account Manager for Neilsen
- 1997 - Strategy Consultant for Accenture
- 1993 - Third Level Representative for Heineken
