Adam Sharp

In the span of a single generation, our view of current events and the world around us has evolved from the limited radius of local antennae and paper delivery routes to one where all the world’s events are in our pockets, just a tap away.

With this talk, Sharp looks at the changing consumer habits around technology and our culture more broadly. Offering up statistics as evidence of a massive social revolution—for example, Twitter and Facebook now drive more traffic to New York Times stories than its iconic front page does—Sharp argues that a new world order has emerged, and assesses the trends that lie ahead. Sharp reflects on his work at Twitter and looks at the myriad ways consumers now seek information, and what brands and individuals are doing to master new capabilities and technologies. He also shares the tools and tactics that drive customer engagement, and helps companies understand the opportunities presented by evolving technology.

When Adam Sharp signed on as Twitter’s first Washington, DC employee, few working in government had a Twitter profile. Seven years later, the President can send the American news cycle and even Congress into motion with a single tweet. At the same time, companies are making or breaking their relationships with consumers via a customer response that often takes place on social media. Take the United Airlines fiasco, or the backlash to Pepsi’s latest commercial. With brand reputation vulnerable to quick shifts in social media, businesses must connect with consumers more authentically and more directly than ever before.

Here, Sharp looks at how politicians, celebrities, and businesses alike are changing their communications strategies to get ahead. Reflecting on his career teaching leaders and companies around the world how to leverage social media, Sharp examines ways to create one-on-one connections, react to a brand crisis, respond forcefully to critics in real time, and reach untapped voters and audiences. He explains how we got here, how brands and marketers can leverage these tactics to build stronger audience connections, and what’s in store for the future as social media continues to drive global conversations.

While the Internet has allowed us instant access to an incredible amount of information—and to connect with one another more easily than ever before—it’s also led to the spread of misinformation and cyber warfare, a rise in fake social media accounts or those driven by malicious actors, and a growing tension between legacy media groups and niche organizations.

Adam Sharp witnessed the growth of new media firsthand as a senior executive at Twitter, where he watched the social network go from one tool for news sharing to the outlet used by the President of the United States. With this talk, he looks at the latest media phenomena and their implications on journalism, world affairs, and business more broadly. Based on research done in conjunction with Harvard University and The Hewlett Foundation, Sharp reflects on the next age of news and media in our country and what it means for the ways we engage with information, share it with each other, and understand our world.

A fascinating talk for any organization concerned with news coverage, perception and image, or the next generation of media and democracy, Sharp’s discussion is can’t miss—and filled with personal anecdotes from his time at the head of Twitter’s DC operation.