Ken Hughes

  • Global Authority on New Consumer Values & Behavior
  • Renowned Customer Experience Strategist
  • Inspiring Speaker on Disruption, Change, AI and Innovation

Ken Hughes is now acknowledged as being one of the world’s leading authorities on consumer and shopper behaviour, blending his understanding of consumer & cyber psychology, digital anthropology, behavioural economics and retail futurology to explore the needs of the new consumer and predict the changes to come.

Ken advises some of the biggest brands in the world on customer experience, omnichannel strategy, shopper marketing, retail trends, the millennial and Gen Z shopper and the peer-to-peer economy. As an accomplished author, TED speaker, part-time university professor and actor, his performances are not only insightful and thought-provoking, but are infamous for their sheer energy, entertainment and passion, not to mention his generous Irish wit.

Every year, Ken shares his thought-disrupting insight with tens of thousands of delegates globally as one of the most popular keynote speakers booked on the international conference circuit relating to the future of consumerism.

 

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Past Hosts Include:
  • Unilever
  • FNLI
  • Unilever Europe
  • Spanish Fast Moving Consumer Goods Association
  • Touchpoint Retail Innovation Conference, New York
  • GS1 International
  • Nordic Shopping Centre Association
  • Red Bull
  • Bank of Ireland
  • Grocery Manufacturers of Sweden
Rave Reviews About Ken Hughes
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.

More rave reviews

"Your passion and insight into CX astounded all our delegates and really made our event. Inspiring and thought provoking."

-Hostelworld

"As a B2B brand we needed to stay relevant and connected with our customers during this time. Ken was the first person we thought about approaching and the webinar series he delivered has had such strong feedback. Sessions sold out way beyond our expectations and delegates stayed engaged far longer than we had ever hoped. It was entertaining, informative, and had all the usual magic and sparkle that Ken delivers onstage"

-Microsoft

"I could listen to this guy all day. As always an amazing insight into customers and the essence of CX relationships"

-Paypal

"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 longtime in the memories of the delegates"

-Google EMEA

"Ken delivered a thought provoking and entertaining speech on the needs and desires of younger generations. The talk was highly appreciated by all our coaches and the post-event feedback we received has been outstanding."

-UEFA

"It was a pleasure working with Ken on our conference. He brought the highest level of professionalism and fun! Feedback from the delegates on his element was extremely positive, simply brilliant. He really does have a unique skill, inspiring and engaging."

-Cisco

"Ken's true talent is the tailoring of his content to our audiences. We have invited him to speak at several different Red Bull events globally, and he always challenges each of us to think outside of the box. He is an educational and inspirational presenter, as entertaining and engaging as he is challenging. Not to be missed."

-Red Bull

"Ken was perfect for our ‘Power of Positive CX’ congress, really opening the attendee’s minds to the possibilities. His style is so engaging that the audience were left buzzing and it really set up the rest of the day for us. If you are looking for a keynote that delivers on CX, this is it."

-Worldpay

"We have invited Ken to be part of the Forge Rock Identity Summits all over the world, as we are yet to meet another speaker that has his stage presence, thought provoking content, understanding of our own business and industry, all mixed with that natural story-telling style and wit. He delivers every time."

-ForgeRock

"As always, Ken delighted our delegates with his vision of the future in Boston. His energy and insight around consumer behavior, technology trends and how these intersect and will change society, consumer behavior and our industry were out-standing. This is one speech every business and brand should hear."

-Symphony EYC

"Ken’s presentation made delegates laugh and cry and laugh again. His easy story-telling style meant that delegates were not only engaged throughout but also left with some real thought-provoking content. We are already planning on inviting him back!"

-G3 Communications

"Ken’s speech at both our US and European CX events really excited delegates for the need to better engage with the new consumer and get personal and experiential. As a speech it was relevant, insightful as well as great fun. An ideal mix."

-Criteo

"Mr. Hughes’ presentation at our ECAMS Aesthetic Medicine Congress was simply outstanding. His insight into consumer behaviour and the application to the healthcare industry was astounding and left the delegates eager to address such issues in their businesses. A fast paced and really entertaining keynote speech that no conference organiser should do without."

-ECAMS, European College of Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery

"Ken Hughes’ presentation at Innoday was a huge success. His profound expertise in shopper behaviour, excellent presentation delivery filled with humour and numerous illustrative examples was certainly well received by the attending retailer and manufacturer executives. Mr Hughes got the highest speaker rating at Innoday and he is definitely one of the top speakers I have ever booked."

-Grocery Manufacturers of Sweden

"We have had a number of other presentations on this topic previously but none approached the subject as Ken did. The way in which he brought the millennial consumer to life for the leaders of our business in this keynote speech was as challenging and informative as it was entertaining. This is a must-see speech for anyone in financial services, a real eye-opener."

-Bank of Ireland

"Ken’s true talent is the tailoring of his content to our audiences. We have invited him to speak at several different Red Bull events internationally, and his content is always uniquely tailored to that audience and event theme and ‘on the money’ with our hot topics. He challenges each of us to think outside of the box, and is both an educational and inspirational presenter. He is as entertaining and engaging as he is challenging and not to be missed."

-Red Bull

"We have more than 20 annual conference and training events. In all that time, we have never had a speaker with so much energy, shopper insight, experience and relevance, all delivered with enthusiasm and good humour – an ideal mix for any speaker. At our last 5 conferences he has recorded the highest delegate satisfaction score, and I would highly recommend him to other event organisers in the Shopper Marketing area."

-Spanish Fast Moving Consumer Goods Association

"Ken’s presentations are always a highlight at our events and his recent Digital DNA speech was very challenging to the business leaders in the room without exception. It was highly informative and as always incredibly entertaining. It is a window into a future that all brand owners need to witness"

-Unilever Europe

"On behalf of the FNLI we would like to thank you for a superb presentation that provided outstanding food for thought for many. Your insights into the digital shopper gave us all a peek into the dynamics that will shape the future. Our guests were thrilled by your presentation with rave reviews all around."

-FNLI
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Topic Preview - Healthy Customer Relationships | Ken Hughes [11:01] - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Ken Hughes
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Love is a Verb: Embedding Customer Connection in a Digital World

Renowned customer experience strategist Ken Hughes lends his expertise in consumers and innovation to the most important subject of our lives: relationship and connection. Ken’s insightful and engaging style brings into play a wealth of experience unpacking some of the greatest questions facing busi ...

Renowned customer experience strategist Ken Hughes lends his expertise in consumers and innovation to the most important subject of our lives: relationship and connection. Ken’s insightful and engaging style brings into play a wealth of experience unpacking some of the greatest questions facing businesses and brands today around customer experience and connection, and encourages us to meet these relationships with the same innovation, playfulness, and action-oriented approach we bring to our personal relationships.

The Joy of CX: The Blue Dot Consumer

This speech is a dynamic analysis of modern consumer values, teaching brands and businesses how to win the race for relevance and thrive in disruptive economies around a consumer centered approach. Ken Hughes entertains and enlightens audiences with this deep dive into consumer expectations, the eme ...

This speech is a dynamic analysis of modern consumer values, teaching brands and businesses how to win the race for relevance and thrive in disruptive economies around a consumer centered approach. Ken Hughes entertains and enlightens audiences with this deep dive into consumer expectations, the emerging values of our new consumer and the critical need to balance digital with human connection.

The Innovation Engine: Creativity and Innovation

Self-proclaimed ‘play-ologist’ Ken Hughes invites us to look within for our unique spark of creativity in this speech adapted from his highly successful TED talk. With humor and impressive performance elements, this high-octane motivational experience challenges individuals and organizations to stim ...

Self-proclaimed ‘play-ologist’ Ken Hughes invites us to look within for our unique spark of creativity in this speech adapted from his highly successful TED talk. With humor and impressive performance elements, this high-octane motivational experience challenges individuals and organizations to stimulate our creativity on a personal level, rewire perspectives and approaches, drive innovation, and maximize both our time and our possibilities.

The Big Take Back: The Psychology of Recovery & Consumer Implications

Facing the unparalleled disruption of our economy, supply chains, and social norms, Ken Hughes invigorates audiences to go beyond keeping up with shifts and pivot powerfully to embrace change. When we understand the psychology of recovery, we have a strong foundation from which to explore new consum ...

Facing the unparalleled disruption of our economy, supply chains, and social norms, Ken Hughes invigorates audiences to go beyond keeping up with shifts and pivot powerfully to embrace change. When we understand the psychology of recovery, we have a strong foundation from which to explore new consumer values and how they will impact brands and businesses now and into the future. Ken calls on us to imagine new modes of communication, through which we can focus on the relationships that underpin our business success and ensure we’re able to turn crisis into opportunity.

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Biography

Ken Hughes is now acknowledged as being one of the world’s leading authorities on consumer and cyber shopper behaviour. He is internationally renowned for helping his largely blue-chip client base to understand the physical, digital, and future consumer.

With 20 years’ experience as CEO of a consumer insight agency, he blends his understanding of consumer & cyber psychology, digital anthropology, behavioural economics, and retail futurology to explore the needs of the new consumer and predict the changes to come.

Ken advises some of the biggest brands in the world on customer experience, omnichannel strategy, artificial intelligence, shopper marketing, retail trends, the millennial / Gen Z shopper and the peer-to-peer economy. As an accomplished author, TED speaker, part-time university lecturer and actor, his performances are insightful and thought-provoking. His presentations are infamous for their sheer energy, entertainment and passion, not to mention his generous Irish wit.

Drawing on his history as an actor, while his live stage performances are infamous, he is also now considered one of the world’s top virtual speakers, as engaging on screen as he is live in person.

As a behaviouralist and life strategist, he is also passionate about change, leadership, disruption, success, innovation, personal development and motivation. He brings this to life in his work with high performance athletes and executives all over the world.

Every year, Ken shares his thought-disrupting insight with tens of thousands of delegates globally. He is one of the most popular keynote speakers booked on the international conference and webinar circuit relating to the future of consumerism.

Regularly voted ‘Best Speaker’ at the events where he is invited to perform, he believes in engaging and delighting event attendees at every opportunity, live or virtually.