X4 London 2024: The power of humanised intelligence

On June 6, 2024, 1,500 XM leaders arrived at London’s Barbican Centre for a day of inspirational keynotes, action-oriented breakouts from adidas, Hilton, Nestlé and more, and the latest, cutting-edge innovations on the Qualtrics^® XM Platform^®.

This is X4^®: The world’s leading experience management summit.

Unlocking the power of human connection

Qualtrics CEO Zig Serafin kicked off mainstage with a thought-provoking address on the importance of human connection in today’s digital and increasingly AI-driven world.

From preferences and expectations, through to likes and dislikes, Serafin remarked on the potential of listening at scale in the moments that matter, and how doing so can elevate experiences to a new level.

“A highly satisfied customer is not the end goal,” says Serafin.

“According to Harvard Business Review, the real goal is an emotionally connected customer, because emotionally connected customers spend 52% more and become brand champions.”

As a result, organisations across the globe are leveraging AI-powered solutions to consolidate experience data, making it significantly easier to surface the nuances of how employees and customers feel in real time and take meaningful action.

And for 43 of Fortune’s 50 most-admired companies in the world, Qualtrics is their platform of choice for building human connection.

Supercharging the Qualtrics XM Platform with AI

Later, Qualtrics’ President for Products, User Experience & Engineering Brad Anderson took to the stage to showcase Qualtrics AI.

Built into the foundations of the XM Platform, Qualtrics AI empowers every single person in the organisation to take meaningful action at scale.

It’s been trained with the largest dataset of human experiences on the planet (more than 1.1 billion experience profiles in XiD^TM), empowering it to unlock new dimensions of insight for each specific customer or employee faster and more accurately than what was previously possible.

“We’re at an inflection point that many are calling the “fifth industrial revolution," says Anderson “and the breakthrough technology that’s redefining our world is AI.”

Using Qualtrics AI, organisations can instantly find out what’s affecting customers or employees, get tailored advice on what to do next, and zoom in on and fix broken experiences in the moment.

Learn more about our $500 million investment in AI innovation over the next four years.

Creating iconic experiences across 7,500 worldwide locations

Hilton SVP and Head of Brand & Central Operations John Rogers sat down with Qualtrics’ Director of XM Strategy Sally Winston to discuss the power of experience.

Hilton’s investments in technology have enabled it to move beyond “after-the-stay” surveys to omnichannel listening that empowers its managers at every hotel location. With these insights, managers can take real-time action and create truly unique and memorable experiences for each guest.

But while Rogers’ excitement for new technologies was palpable — he also highlighted that a distinct focus on value, consistency, and personalised interactions also plays a role in defining the brand.

Tapping into the potential of an empowered customer frontline

Following the morning keynotes, Principal XM Scientist Cecelia Herbert was joined by adidas’ Director of People Insights & Analytics Martin Janhuba on the XM breakout track for a compelling discussion on linking employee and customer experience initiatives to bottom-line outcomes, and what’s required to make such programs work.

Janhuba shared several tips and tricks, including the importance of getting CX and EX stakeholders engaged early on in the process, running pilot programs in specific locations to understand the drivers in each region, and rather than focusing on everything — choosing to focus on insights or actions that will have a measurable impact on business results.

Understanding the emotional connection to technology

New York Times bestselling author and digital anthropologist Rahaf Harfoush elaborated on the trajectory of AI, using a combination of data and humour to paint a picture, as well as provide advice on how we can prepare.

She also touched on how humans get emotionally attached to technology — whether that’s naming their Roomba vacuum cleaners, or engaging in intimate conversations with AI chatbots like Replika.

Setting a new standard for employee success

According to Timpson Group CEO and philanthropist James Timpson, the most successful and respected organisations do two things: they trust their people and are kind to them.

Keen to set a gold standard based on his findings, Timpson created what he calls Upside Down Management: each store leader is given enormous freedom to manage, which includes choosing product offerings, setting prices, and defining the approach to merchandising.

There are but two rules for employees: look the part, and put money in the till. Other than that, Timpson believes in trusting his employees above all else, and is known for recruiting great colleagues from prisons who have all the traits he and his organisation want in their employees.

Besides setting a new standard for employee success, Timpson spoke about the organisation’s “Happiness Index,” which is based on asking employees: “On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you with the support you get from your team?”.

For more from the London event, including sessions from Salt Lake City and Sydney, don’t forget to check out our X4 on demand page.