Data mixtape: Tracks that drive conversions

Great marketing is part art, part science — and this session from the 2025 Guru Conference shows how to blend both into a greatest hits playlist. We also share real-world case studies that show these strategies in action.

Presenters:
Jen Tabbal, VP Content Marketing
Kimberly Snyder, Sr. Director Strategy

Recap & key takaways

1. First-party mixed with campaign data is the real engine of email performance

Strong email performance comes from pairing the data you already have with the data your campaigns generate, giving you a living, evolving picture of your audience.

“Think about demographics, account details, loyalty program activity, transaction history… Then you’ve also got to layer in the campaign data… Those are the live performance recordings, the remixes… When you put first-party data and campaign data together, that’s when the playlist comes alive.” – Kimberly Snyder (2:48–3:38)

Success tips:

• Audit your first-party data quarterly to confirm completeness, recency, and match rates before layering on anything new.
•  Incorporate campaign insights (opens, clicks, scroll depth, conversions, A/B learnings) into every creative brief so your team isn’t designing blind.

2. Personas turn data into creative that actually resonates

Personas translate cold data into real human archetypes, making it easier for strategists and creative teams to build messaging that hits.

“When we build personas, we’re talking about all those data points… and turning them into something more human… For example, the Creative Spirit… Then there’s the Home Office Juggler… They want simplicity, efficiency, and solutions that save time.” – Kimberly Snyder (3:59–5:09)

Success tips:

• Build emotion-based motivators into each persona (pain points, desires, anxieties) to guide creative direction.
• Run messages through a persona filter: “Would this persona care? Would they understand it instantly?”

3. Pair strategy + creative upfront or the whole thing falls apart

Aligning strategy and creative from the start ensures every message, format, and execution works toward the same goal instead of fighting each other midway through a campaign.

“Strategy and planning and creative are no longer solo acts… they have to be harmonized to create a cohesive symphony of content that resonates with your audience.” – Kimberly Snyder (1:23–1:40)

Success tips:

• Start each campaign with a shared strategy–creative kickoff instead of handing ideas over the fence.
• Build modular creative (multiple CTAs, formats, and variations) so you can adapt based on real-time performance.

4. AI works when it’s trained, secured, and purpose-built

AI is powerful, but only when the model is trained on high-quality, owned content and tied to brand guidelines, performance data, and real audience signals.

“We custom train our AI models so they hit three big notes: ownership… security… and tailored content… When you train AI with the right tracks, you don’t just get noise, you get a playlist that’s all killer and no filler.”   – Jen Tabbal (7:47–9:12)

Success tips:

• Feed AI systems with brand tone guidelines, persona data, product knowledge, and top-performing creative so outputs stay consistent.
• Use AI to accelerate ideation, not replace human refinement; AI handles speed, humans handle nuance.

5. Video and UGC dominate because audiences trust people more than polish

Use video and user-generated content because audiences engage more with authentic, relatable stories than polished production.

“Video is everywhere… user-generated content builds trust… Brands showcasing UGC in emails see higher engagement.” – Kimberly Snyder (13:41–14:16):

Success tips:

• Embed short video snippets or GIF-style loops directly into email to increase dwell time.
• Pull customer stories, clips, or testimonials into email modules to boost credibility and CTR.

Commonly asked questions

What’s the most important thing to focus on if a team is strapped for resources?

If you’re resource-limited, start with your data. Clean it, segment it, and use that to guide everything else. You’ll get the biggest lift from improving who you’re talking to rather than producing more content.

How do you approach A/B testing when your team can’t produce a lot of variations?

Test small. Subject lines, CTAs, or a single module swap. You don’t need to redesign the whole email to learn something meaningful. Start with the easiest lever.

Should marketers rely heavily on AI for email production?

Use AI as a co-pilot, not the pilot. Let it help you draft or generate ideas, but your brand voice, compliance, and human judgment should always be in the final version.

How often should segmentation be refreshed?

Monthly is a good rule of thumb, especially for engagement-based segments. Behavioral signals change fast and your segments should reflect that.

What’s the best way to keep creative aligned with strategy?

It has to start together. If strategy shows up late, or creative is already halfway done, you lose consistency. Kick off campaigns jointly and use personas as the anchor.