Anyone involved in events like LiNC, knows they can be stressful!  Now with our first sessions behind us, the adrenaline has settled down and we can reflect on the opening presentations.  Here's a quick recap from Rob's session from our community team:   "We're constantly connected," said Lithium's CEO, Rob Tarkoff, at the commencement of his LiNC '14 keynote speech. "We expect everything to be one-touch easy. And we share, whether things go wrong or right. No matter how good the intentions of your brand, customers are now used to great." Delivering a great experience is at the core of everything we do here at Lithium, and the opening moments of LiNC '14 were no exception, as America's Got Talent winner and YouTube dance sensation Kenichi Ebina warmed up the crowd for a journey into the now with his futuristic, matrix-like moves.        NOW, the theme of LiNC '14, has been a big word on our minds lately at Lithium, as we welcomed Klout into our family just one month ago. We're also seeing (and participating in) the demand for now in our daily lives, from Netflix's on-demand movies to Uber cars that pull up at the touch of a button. "Entire generations of consumers are growing up with the expectation that things just work," said Rob. And surviving in a world of extreme customer expectations is no easy task.    The numbers don't lie By 2017, 50% of all sales will be influenced by digital touch points, and 66% of those seeking customer service already consider a call center to be a last resort. Yet, as Rob points out, we still invest in digital without an eye to our lives as consumers. At home, we rely on digital interactions with service professionals and online reviews and Twitter word-of-mouth to do our shopping. But at our companies, we spend $300 billion annually on call centers and $500 billion on direct advertising (the latter of which is only trusted by 15% of consumers).   The solution Creating shared, social value networks that benefit both brands and consumers. Brands get the benefit of consumer advocacy, the opportunity to provide better service, and unique insights into their customers; consumers get trustworthy relationships, good values, and a sense of being known. With the help of Klout, the new Lithium model will go beyond brand advocacy and extend to the consumer side, connecting trusted content and trusted people, solid reputations and solid expertise. It's already working for brands like Comcast, Chevrolet, Telefonica, DenizBank, and Virgin America, and it's only the beginning.    Stay tuned for more insights from LiNC '14, and follow @lithiumtech and #linc14 for up-to-the-minute updates on the brands and personalities that are changing the face of social.    If you are a customer, partner or attended the event, you can watch the recording of this session on demand.   Photography: Arnaud Lerondeau ( @ArnaudL  ) ... View more