
#KhorosEngage: Top tweet takeaways.
Khoros is one platform where all of your brand’s social media is managed. Two industry-leading customer engagement platforms, Spredfast and Lithium, merged in October 2018 to create Khoros.
Spredfast is a software company that provides social media marketing, content and community management, and analytics tools for agencies and enterprise companies. Lithium Technologies develops software that enables brands to connect with their ideal customers across all digital and social channels.
BL.INK has been involved in Spredfast’s annual summits for five years. After the merger, these summits became Khoros Engage. It’s a three-day event that brings over 700 customer engagement specialists together in Austin for inspiration and insights from industry thought leaders.
Khoros had just appointed a new CEO, Jack Blaha. Blaha was previously the CEO at Lone Wolf Technologies and PeopleAdmin. He successfully led both of these companies through growth and transformation phases. During his address of Engage attendees on day two, Blaha mentioned he’s been involved in 16 company mergers over his career and is looking forward to leading the continued merger of the Khoros/Spredfast teams.
3 week old @Khoros CEO talking about their employee base & how dedicated they are to their customers. It’s easy to start to lose focus on customers especially in a merger. We have to look at it externally and internally. #khorosengage pic.twitter.com/J80bl6Wall
— Kristine Mikulka (@krismikulka4) September 10, 2019
This year’s conference was at the beautiful newly opened Fairmount hotel in Austin, TX. According to their website;
The 37-story, 1,048 guest room hotel features nearly 140,000 square feet of total meeting space to accommodate a full range of events – from intimate board meetings or incentive trips to charity galas.
We've transformed the Fairmont for #KhorosEngage and we can't wait for you to learn how to transform your brand's digital presence with us! We're ready for you 🎉 pic.twitter.com/lF2ytcse2K
— Khoros® (@Khoros) September 9, 2019
Day one: September 9
It was an early start for registration followed by a full day full of Khoros platform training and certification sessions with all of the Khoros success managers and leaders. Session topics covered marketing, care, and community management.
Welcome to Austin, y'all! #KhorosEngage 2019 is here and we can't wait to learn and network with you. pic.twitter.com/YZ6QdAUnfg
— Khoros® (@Khoros) September 9, 2019
Day one wrapped up with the welcome reception mixer in the Fairmount’s outdoor terrace space.
Who had fun at last night's Welcome Reception?! Can't wait to continue the fun tonight at Banger's 🎉#KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/wQUKPUFMGb
— Khoros® (@Khoros) September 10, 2019
If you’re not familiar with Austin in September — let’s just say it was hot and HUMID.
Hey Austin, it's too humid. So, I'll be super casual and rocking shorts at the welcome reception for #KhorosEngage later. ✌️🔥
— Kathleen Garrity 👑 (@kgarrity) September 9, 2019
There were three mixer events throughout the city. One was sponsored by BL.INK and hosted special guests from national enterprise marketing and community teams.
The https://t.co/SXScBPqkgh #KhorosEngage event was a great way to end day one! We met many interesting professionals representing companies from all over the world. Catch up with us again today and tomorrow at the breakouts, workshops, lunches, dinners and mixers! pic.twitter.com/UJNlgTMfiM
— BL.INK (@blinksmartlinks) September 10, 2019
Day two: September 10
The day kicked off with breakfast tacos and networking. A perfect start to the day!
To open the day, Khoros presented their product showcase to a captive audience.
Getting ready for the show to start… a great day ahead! Full of content, conversation and maybe even a few cocktails… @Khoros #KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/yb7a9ABH5u
— Katherine Calvert (@kpcalvert) September 10, 2019
The opening keynote speaker was Spike Jones, SVP of strategic services at Khoros. He’s best known in these circles not only for his great skills as a presenter but also for his snappy wardrobe.
@spikejones serving looks at #KhorosEngage—which one is your favorite? pic.twitter.com/hrXbvfG5lP
— Khoros® (@Khoros) September 11, 2019
When you know, you know… @spikejones #KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/hoidABFZ6D
— Khoros® (@Khoros) September 10, 2019
Katherine Calvert, CMO at Khoros, followed up with her keynote centered around measuring the value of great customer engagement.
Thanks, @robhahnjr! We all have a lot to learn from you all @SouthwestAir #KhorosEngage https://t.co/dGOFJrdB0Y
— Katherine Calvert (@kpcalvert) September 10, 2019
After her presentation, she was joined on stage by new CEO, Jack Blaha to talk about the high expectations of modern consumers.
@Khoros CMO @kpcalvert introduces their new CEO Jack Blaha at #khorosengage pic.twitter.com/oXmv4z4Ke1
— Wayne Kurtzman (@WayneNH) September 10, 2019
The next keynote of the day was from Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics. He didn’t disappoint with his presentation…and his trademark neon green glasses.
We love our Super Customers! Thank you @equalman for such an inspiring keynote this morning #KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/PbX534Mlf9
— Khoros® (@Khoros) September 10, 2019
The halls of the Fairmont function center took on a college campus-like atmosphere for the breakout sessions, only the “students” represented some of the best known and biggest companies and social footprints. Coffee pitstops were mandatory to help us all get through the day.
Breakout sessions are all “a la carte”, so marketing and community attendees rush to get seats for the topics they want to hear about. It’s a chance to learn from brands and industry leaders on topics aligning with digital care, marketing, and community.
Breakout sessions included:
“Making the most of private messaging”
Sixty-eight percent of consumers are using messaging to stay in touch with businesses and engage in safe, convenient, and personalized experiences. Panel leaders shared how they’re embracing messaging to create engaging experiences and long-lasting relationships with their customers.
Speakers:
Rob Lawson, Partnerships: Business Messaging at Google
Allison Fasching, Sr. Social Strategist at Sprint.
Dive deeper into topics such as improving care agent efficiency and making the most of private messaging during the #KhorosEngage breakout sessions and workshops! pic.twitter.com/AmJFYw4CYA
— Khoros® (@Khoros) September 10, 2019
“Measure the impact of your community”
This session covered how brands are quantifying the performance of their communities for users, and the impact of the community on their business.
Speakers:
Aslan Noghre-Kar, Director of Customer Community at Change Healthcare
Mark Obee, Group Manager of Social & Community at Intuit.
Miles Hipkin, Sr. Product Owner at BT & EE Community & Social
“Proving the ROI of customer engagement across the business”
This session asked the question “Does your company leadership know the value of customer engagement efforts?”
How does top-notch customer experience translate to business value? The speakers explored how their companies form a solid link between customer experience and net value to the business.
Speakers:
Nicole Johnson, VP of Social Media at Synchrony.
Kosta Triantafillou, Sr. Director of Product Marketing at SAP
70% of #buyingdecisions are based in emotional stimuli. Brands can do better at delivering and closing the gap between perceived and conceived. – Kosta Triantafillou, @SAP #KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/aNFsoUtDH3
— Danielle Boniche (@dboniche) September 10, 2019
Keynote: The future of work is social and collaborative with IDC, Flexera StubHub + USAA.
Modern work life is changing — fast. How are companies and employees adapting to future proof their organizations and careers with the rapid changes in technology?
Speakers:
Mary Hill, Head of Social Media & Customer Service at StubHub
Kimberly May, VP of Support Services at Flexera
Bill Gerth, Director of Social Business Strategy at USAA
Wayne Kurtzman, Director for Social and Collaboration at IDC.
Kimberly May with @flexera sharing their experience of building a new community from the ground up. “We were surprised by how excited our customers were when we launched the new community. They wanted to talk to us and each other.” #KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/e5rfSq4RXf
— Lindsey Boyd (@lindseykboyd) September 10, 2019
Breakout Sessions included:
“Starting out on the community journey”
Everything you need to know about growing a community around your brand in year one.
Speakers:
Brian Oblinger, VP, CX + Global community at DataRobot
Traci Cappiello, Program Manager, Community at Google.
Jim Roth, SVP of Dell Digital at Dell
https://twitter.com/larryimgrund/status/1171647218539016192
“The combined power of paid and organic social”
Paid and organic are the polar opposites of marketing, but they’re both equally important and drive better results when they’re used together.
Speakers:
Sarah Holm, Social + Digital. Communications Manager at Ford Motor Company.
Kristel Vite, Global Social Media Manager at Cigna.
Danielle Stapleton, Social Media Strategist & Global Program Manager at National Instruments.
This breakout room was presided over by a very special guest!
Loved the #KhorosEngage panel on the combined power of paid and organic social – great mix of perspectives from three very different brands: @SarahHolm @Ford – @kristelvite @Cigna – @stapledee @NIglobal … Gilda Radner gives 🐾🐾🐾🐾 (out of 4) pic.twitter.com/NC1p9IZhS8
— Sarah Grace McCandless (@SarahGraciously) September 10, 2019
“The role of automation”
An excellent presentation on how to introduce automation into your organization.
Speakers:
Katrina Schlicht, Project Manager / Product Owner, Digital at Sprint.
Jillian Zatta, VP, Business Development & Customer Success at Reply.ai.
In #KhorosEngage talking about how to introduce automation in your organization, one intent at a time pic.twitter.com/11ib093bcb
— reply.ai (@replydotai) September 10, 2019
Breakout sessions included:
“Planning for the future & growth of your community”
Talking and listening to your customers and solving their needs creates long-term relationships with your brand.
Speakers:
Sandy Rivas, Program Manager at Microsoft.
Jennifer Sanchez, Senior Manager. Marketplace Experience at Upwork.
Richard Millington, Founder at Feverbee.
Now in a breakout with @RichMillington chatting community growth. #KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/pwjyvSRJ79
— Traci (@JumpingTraci) September 10, 2019
“Protecting your brand’s reputation through digital transformation”
Protecting your brand means being reactive, not just proactive.
Speakers:
Cory Notrica, Sr. Director Global Brand Protection at PepsiCo.
Allison Squires, Social Business Strategy Director at USAA.
With brand reputation it's not always about being proactive. #Marketers also need to be detective and reactive. – @cnsf10, @PepsiCo #KhorosEngage
— Danielle Boniche (@dboniche) September 10, 2019
“The best of customer care: be quick, be useful, be personal”
How long should it take to deliver premium customer support to your customers, and what does this include?
Speakers:
Michelle Buckley, Director of Operations at Southwest Airlines
Julien Schleret, Social Media Marketing Manager at Facebook.
Chela Arcelia, Social Media/Internet Customer Service Manager at Cigna.
"The way you treat your Community is a reflection of your brand." – @js8486 of @facebook. #KhorosEngage
— Heather Buckingham (@HeatherBuck_) September 10, 2019
There are few better experts in creating authentic, memorable experiences to "fill the bucket" for customers than @SouthwestAir. #KhorosEngage #allwaysconnected pic.twitter.com/03yEpm1Smi
— Heather Buckingham (@HeatherBuck_) September 10, 2019
Day two sessions wrapped up at 5:30 pm with the final keynote speaker presentation.
Keynote: “The customer care journey”
Are phone calls dead? Is asynchronous messaging the way of the future? And do 74% of households really own a Samsung product?
Speakers:
Michael Lawder, SVP of Customer Care at Samsung
Mike Betzer, GM of Care at Khoros.
https://twitter.com/VirginiaMiracle/status/1171796510335483904
@michael_lawder with @Samsung on asynchronous messaging being the way of the future. “I have a 15 year old that’s had a smart phone for five years. She’s never used it to make a phone call. When it comes time for her to talk to a company, she won’t be calling them.” #KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/Xcq1GTiGh6
— Lindsey Boyd (@lindseykboyd) September 10, 2019
Dinner at Bangers Beer garden
Sometimes all you need after a long, hot Texas day is an icy cold beer.
Here’s to you @Khoros – a wonderful #KhorosEngage event – amazing customers, great discussions and an incredible effort from our Marketing and Events Team pic.twitter.com/17CBuZtf5F
— Kevin Morris (@kpmorris) September 11, 2019
The https://t.co/SXScBPqkgh team is excited for the last night of mixing at #KhorosEngage 🌭🍻 See you there! pic.twitter.com/55vtMvSUtf
— BL.INK (@blinksmartlinks) September 10, 2019
Day three: September 11
Breakfast and networking
Before the summit began for the day, a moment of silence was observed to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the September 11 tragedy in New York.
Opening Keynote. “The Khoros vision”.
Modern brands are facing a “connection crisis”, with 77% of companies struggling to create consistency across marketing channels and devices.
Speakers:
Mike Betzer, GM of Care at Khoros
Kevin Morris, GM of Marketing at Khoros.
Don’t be surprised wh your customers vote with their feet AND their Tweets. #socialmarketing #allwaysconnected @Khoros #KhorosEngage @kpmorris pic.twitter.com/0d8TW17sSu
— Katherine Calvert (@kpcalvert) September 11, 2019
Keynote. “Customer journey through Care”
Brands aren’t the stories they tell their customers — it’s the story their customers tell about them.
Speaker:
Natanya Anderson, VP. Customer Enablement at Khoros.
Brands aren’t the stories they tell, but the stories that are told about them. @NatanyaP, Customer Journey through Care keynote #KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/gGffFoVPec
— Khoros® (@Khoros) September 11, 2019
Keynote. “Driving Innovation in the Customer Experience with General Motors”
What are the three key pieces of advice when you’re working with your internal customers?
Speakers:
Rebecca L. Harris, Ph. D. Global Head of Customer Engagement, Centre of Excellence at General Motors.
Dianne Borges, SVP Customer Success at Khoros.
Three pieces of advice when working with your internal customers from @GM Global Head of Customer Engagement @RebeccaHarrisDr:
1: Build your relationships
2: If you say it do it
3: Argue about your Customer#KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/uI562GpjsA— Rob Hahn Jr. (@robhahnjr) September 11, 2019
Great fireside chat with @MiddleBorgie of @Khoros and @RebeccaHarrisDr of @GM talk how they built a seamless customer experience over a 3+ year journey. Involving the right people and looking at it holistically, simply. #khorosengage pic.twitter.com/OU90MojDBA
— Kristine Mikulka (@krismikulka4) September 11, 2019
Following breakout sessions included:
“Crisis Management in the Digital Age”
Modern crisis management is all about the three Ps — preparation, purpose, and people.
Speakers:
Denny Moynihan, Senior Director, External Engagement at Quest Diagnostics.
Nathan Sandell, Senior Manager of Social Media at Mall of America.
Dan Webber, GM, Corporate and Advisory Services at Edleman.
Recipe for Crisis Management – the 3 Ps – Preparation, Purpose and People by @Benjamin_Kay @thameswater #KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/1FnN79EhSP
— Grigor (@Kotzev) April 3, 2019
“Gamification: Turning Rewards and Recognition into Brand Engagement”
What is gamification, and how can you apply it successfully in your business to attract and retain customers?
Speakers:
Julien Durand Burgoyne, Sr. Manager Social Media at Videotron.
Chris Hemedinger, Head of Online Communities at SAS
Dani Weinstein, Head of Global Community at Domo.
Learning about how three cool companies do gamification at #KhorosEngage . pic.twitter.com/s5eLMvEx1x
— Traci (@JumpingTraci) September 11, 2019
Key takeaways on #gamification from @DaniBoy777 with @Domotalk ✨ #KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/U11m0lUfZH
— Lili McDonald (@LiliMcDonald) September 11, 2019
Keynote: Priti Joshi, VP of Strategy at Bumble
In her presentation, Priti Joshi shared how customer feedback and analytics is helping Bumble innovate and shape its brand and product.
So excited to hear from Priti Joshi, VP of Strategy @bumble! #KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/XOWsenVvMT
— Anastacia Darby (@AnastaciaDarby) September 11, 2019
As part of its commitment to its users and users of all online dating applications, Bumble spearheaded the passing of a bill protecting people from receiving unsolicited nude photos. Now that’s customer care.
https://twitter.com/itsmissmadeline/status/1171846159272480768
Social networking and dating has never been so popular. Bumble now has 66 million registered users, and it’s growing by 90,000 subscribers…every day!
Whoa, look at the connections @bumble is making happen. #KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/NNdIOsS9Xp
— Traci (@JumpingTraci) September 11, 2019
Bumble isn’t just an app. It’s a movement. Priti explained how their mission is to encourage kindness, confidence, and respect during all stages of building relationships, both online and offline.
What an incredible closing keynote from Priti Joshi, @bumble's VP of Strategy. Priti shared that in looking to the future, her hope is for @bumble to be able to communicate their mission and message to every corner of the world so mindsets are changed globally #KhorosEngage pic.twitter.com/kYVFBCyXzt
— Khoros® (@Khoros) September 11, 2019
Humans of Khoros Engage
You know your commitment to an event is strong when you bring your ace #sockgame.
Today I get to brag on our #SAScommunities Super Users for #KhorosEngage. Dressed in the uniform. #AllWaysConnected #sockgame pic.twitter.com/rtetYiti74
— Chris Hemedinger (@cjdinger) September 11, 2019
And it just wouldn’t be a conference without those shiny new business cards going missing until the last minute!
Of course I find my business cards in a random pocket of my bag on the last day of the conference. #KhorosEngage
— Pippa (@PippaCBowen) September 11, 2019
People travel from far and wide to attend the annual Khoros Engage summit – a testament to its value for the business community, and its popularity as an event.
Last minute switch of my #United flight, everything went smoothly and in app👍 Now I have a whole row to myself 😁✈️ Not a bad way to end #khorosengage See you soon SFO –> SBA
— StinkingPileOfGlenn (@KiwiBoyUS) September 11, 2019
Join us at the next Khoros Engage summit in 2020 for more fantastic speakers, networking, and fun.
Did you know: You can integrate BL.INK into your Khoros Marketing (Spredfast) account seamlessly with just a few clicks, and shorten your branded URLs natively from within the Khoros Marketing platform?
Find out how, here.