Commune Announces Full Speaker Lineup for 'Connect Lounge' Online Conference on May 19-20

Commune Inc., provider of the community success platform 'Commune,' has announced the finalized lineup of speakers for its online conference, 'Connect Lounge: Brands that Capture Hearts Before You Know It — The Art of Engagement,' to be held on May 19th and 20th, 2026.

### Key Sessions

**DAY 1: Where Does Love Begin?**

**11:50-12:30 Keynote: Falling in Love Through Philosophy**
*Who is the first to fall in love with a brand? OWNDAYS' Practice*
Speakers: Nagahide Torii (Executive Officer, OWNDAYS), Satomi Taniguchi (Area Manager, OWNDAYS), Kana Yoshida (Evangelist, Commune)
OWNDAYS, an eyewear brand originating in Japan, operates over 630 stores in 13 countries and regions, including Singapore and Taiwan. This session delves into where 'love' originates beyond just products and services. It explores how defining the source of added value and maximizing staff motivation can transform customer service. Nagahide Torii, head of brand strategy, and Satomi Taniguchi, an area manager, will discuss the process of how passion starts with staff and spreads to customers.

**12:30-13:00 Falling in Love via TikTok**
*Moving beyond 'buzz-dependency' to structural engagement design*
Speaker: Keisuke Moriyama (Executive Officer, PLAN-B)
Many brand managers feel pressured to create viral content on TikTok. This session redefines TikTok as a place for building cumulative brand engagement rather than just chasing one-off hits. High engagement naturally leads to increased UGC, brand searches, and word-of-mouth. The session will cover market trends and the requirements for creators who can drive this engagement.

**13:10-13:40 Falling in Love via X (Twitter)**
*Breaking away from strategy-less SNS operations. Essential utilization that leads to branded search*
Speaker: Hiroki Masuoka (COO, Hotalink)
Hotalink explains how to develop a core SNS strategy that translates into 'branded searches'—a crucial element for driving sales. They will share insights on reverse-engineering social media use from the goal of increasing brand search volume.

**13:40-14:10 Falling in Love via Instagram**
*Deciphering the Instagram Algorithm: Account design to turn 'chance encounters' into 'enthusiastic fans'*
Speaker: Ruiki Kitamura (Evangelist, Comnico)
There is a clear pattern to how users encounter a brand on Instagram and become 'hooked.' This session analyzes the latest Instagram algorithms (signals) to explain how to optimize Feeds, Reels, Stories, and the Discovery tab to guide users from awareness to advocacy.

**14:10-14:40 Falling in Love Through Design**
*Designing beloved brands and products — Connections built on empathy and experience*
Speaker: Ikumi Tochio (Creative Director, Goodpatch)
Beloved brands are born from 'connections' with customers. Based on Goodpatch's design philosophy, this session explains the process of moving hearts and nurturing relationships through empathy and experience. It uses case studies to analyze why people fall in love with certain brands and provides key points for designing lasting relationships.