Reconnect, Rethink, Relaunch: What our CJAM speakers say
Ah, Conversion Jam (CJAM) 2023. Can you feel the buzz in the air? I sure can. This year, we’re not just after the latest strategies or the hottest tips. Nope. We’re diving deep, seeking reflection. Asking ourselves:
–What has shifted since our last encounter? What needs reinvention? And once we’ve found those answers, how do we propel forward?
Now, I could sit here and speculate all day long. But why do that when we’ve got insights from some of the brightest minds in the industry? Enter April Dunford, Kenda Macdonald, and Ronny Kohavi. Let’s dig in, shall we?
Reconnect: The Human Touch in a Digital World
Ronny Kohavi jumped right in, picking ‘Reconnect’ as his theme of choice. Why? In his words,
– “There is no good substitute for face-to-face chats and interactive discussions that happen between the official talks at conferences.”
Makes you think, right? In our tech-driven existence, perhaps we’ve overlooked the magic of genuine, human connection.
Ronny Kohavi
Consultant, ex-Airbnb, ex-Amazon
Few individuals have amassed the level of expertise in experimentation quite like Ronny Kohavi. With a career spanning tech behemoths such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Airbnb (just to name a few), he has laid the groundwork for modern online experimentation.
Rethink: A Personal Journey
– ”For me – Rethink resonates the most. I’ve done a lot of rethinking of my business, where I want to focus my time, and who I want to work with”, says April Dunford, a global thought leader in product and service differentiation. She has personally felt the weight of this theme and undergone significant rethinking about her business, pinpointing areas of focus and ideal collaborations. The lesson? Sometimes, stepping back and rethinking can lead to the most profound insights.
April Dunford
Author and public speaker
April is a systems design engineer and startup executive with a deep interest in how companies bring their offerings to new markets, expanding markets, and position new products in established ones. She has worked with over 200 companies, from small growing startups to mature Fortune 500.
Relaunch: From Thought to Action
For Kenda Macdonald, our expert on the quirks of human behaviour, it’s all about action. She passionately declared,
-“While reconnecting is a must and rethinking is fantastic, without action, it’s all rather meaningless!”
A stark reminder that reflection without implementation is like a car without fuel. Looks great, but where’s it going?
Kenda Macdonald
Best-selling author, and agency founder
Kenda is a forensic psychology major and the founder of Automation Ninjas. Also an international keynote speaker, a multi-award-winning businesswoman, a doting cat mom, and the author of the best-selling book: Hack The Buyer Brain. Her biggest pet peeve is how “modern” marketing doesn’t take consumer behavior into consideration. Her mission is to fix that.
The Hurdles We Face
Now, let’s not pretend it’s all smooth sailing. Every industry has its challenges, and CRO is no different.
So we asked our speakers this question:
-”What do you think is the biggest hurdle for companies or individuals in putting good growth to work and how do you think those hurdles could be overcome?”
April, with her sharp eye for detail, honed in on positioning. To her, it’s the bedrock. She mused,
-“There’s no great marketing built on weak fundamentals… We need rock-solid positioning as a launchpad for every marketing move we make.”
Ronny, meanwhile, dug deep into the foundation of culture. He emphasized the gravitas of a data-driven organization and the trust we place in the systems producing that data. But here’s the kicker: Ronny points out that human nature has this sneaky way of seeking out and celebrating results that align with our expectations. Ever heard of confirmation bias? Yep, that’s the culprit. So, Ronny highlights the importance of building systems that overcome this tendency so that we can actually trust the data that come out of it.
And Kenda? She spotlighted a pervasive issue: the short-term vision dominating many a marketing department. She lamented, – “This narrow view can stifle long-term growth, throwing a wrench in the works of CRO initiatives.” But Kenda isn’t one to leave us in the lurch. She’s got a fix – a KPI reform. By shifting focus from fleeting vanity metrics to substantial indicators, like customer lifetime value, she envisions a world where companies embrace a more holistic view. This perspective, she believes, paves the way for iterative testing, behavior-driven campaigns, and data-centric decision-making.
AI and CRO: A Glimpse into Tomorrow
Ah, AI. It’s the buzzword of the decade, isn’t it? And with good reason. With 2023 rolling on, it would be borderline criminal not to delve into AI’s role in CRO.
Kenda sees AI as more than just a tool; it’s a compass, pointing to what truly matters. She opined, – “We can harness generative AI as a springboard for richer, more impactful marketing that resonates with our audience.”
April, on the other hand, offers a gentle caution. While she acknowledges AI’s potential, she urges us not to be dazzled by the tech alone. Instead, she prompts a shift in perspective, advocating a focus on the tangible value AI offers. For April, it’s not about building a position on AI technology; it’s about leveraging AI tools to craft a position built on real value.
And hey, while we’re on the topic, let’s not forget Andreas Gref. Though he’s been silent in this blog post, word on the street is he’s diving deep into these very issues at CJAM. It’s a talk I, for one, won’t be missing.
Wrapping it up
As I hope you can see from this short blog post we are bringing not only great speakers to Conversion Jam, but we have also tried to make sure we have different many perspectives represented, Be it the value of data driven practices, an understanding of the decision-making processes in the human brain or the power of a sound positioning as a starting point for your CRO and growth initiatives. It is fascinating for me to see how complimenting perspectives creates a richer, more detailed viewpoint and understanding of your fundamental challenges.
It is our hope at this viewpoint will become the stance from which you can successfully launch yourself into a successful and continued growth journey.
See you at the Conversion Jam on October 26. And who knows? Maybe we’ll find answers to questions we haven’t even thought to ask.
