Ken Hughes
- World leading consumer shopping and behaviour expert
- Founding Director and CEO of Glacier Consulting
- Playologist that motivates people to unleash creativity and innovation in a fun, interactive manner
- Author of “The Blue Dot Consumer“
Ken Hughes, considered a world leader in consumer shopping and behaviour, has dedicated his life to one question: Why do people buy, and what can be done to make them buy even more? Because demographics change, Ken blends his vast expertise in consumer psychology, social anthropology, and retail futurology to explore the needs of the modern consumer and predict the changes to come.
Glacier Consulting, Ken’s consumer insight organization, started out as a marketing research agency. Ken, however, soon changed his focus to people instead of markets after determining them as his key area of interest. Subsequently, his sole focus has become how people express their desires and expectations through how and what it is they buy. The result has his agency advising a global client base that includes some of the biggest brands around, including Heineken, Red-Bull, 3M, Coca-Cola, Unilever, IKEA, and many more.
Besides Ken Hughes being acknowledged as one of the most respected thought leaders regarding shopper marketing and shopper centricity, Omnichannel and Digital Strategy, and Retail Futurology, he is also a part-time professor in consumer behaviour at University College Cork. In addition to his workload, Ken is a board member and strategic advisor to many organisations as well as an international keynote speaker and author of “The Blue Dot Consumer”.
“Ken’s presentation on the Millennial Consumer and their expectations 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. I would not hesitate to work with Ken again” – Kristi Kawanna, Events Director, G3 Communications, New York
Ken Hughes – Speaker
Ken has showcased his unique speaking approach, i.e. that of Playologist, in his talks. He motivates both individuals and clients to unleash their creativity and innovation, blending fun, play, mischief, risk, and discovery. His keynotes are a mixture of disrupting and inspiring content, which he uses to engage with his audience in a highly energetic, interactive manner…served with a good dose of his own, particular brand of Irish wit and charm.
Speaking topics
- Positive Disruption
- The Digital Native Advance
- Experiential Retail
- Time Bending
- Shopper Marketing
- Shopper Irrationality
- The Healthcare Consumer
- The Financial Services consumer