With notepads at the ready, Ryan and Rhys travelled to the heart of London at the QEII Centre, with the breathtaking backdrop of Westminster Abbey, to witness the introduction of new features like Klaviyo Portfolio, and to hear from their email marketing peers. 

Jason Bevan: Lessons in creativity from the big screen 

Before looking ahead, we were encouraged to look back and learn from those who’ve been there, and done that. Jason Bevan, a former President of Marketing at Warner Bros. Studios stepped up to the stage to teach us all how to “keep off the train tracks” creatively, ensuring we don’t fall into the trap of conformity when generating ideas. 

His first tip? Get out of the office. Immersing his team members in the irreverent world of the Wonka film set encouraged them to open up, sparking new avenues of inspiration. Of course, we marketers can’t exactly walk onto a Willy Wonka film set when we feel like it (that’d be quite the away day) - but Jason stressed how many of the same effects can be achieved simply by leaving the office and holding meetings in a completely different setting such as a quirky cafe or even outdoors.  

When on the hunt for new approaches, Jason preached the benefits of opening up the brainstorming process to people well outside of your normal team. He encountered this most while working on the Batman movies: when designing the new Batmobile, the production team sought the advice of artists over car designers. Where previous Batmobiles tacked Batman embellishments onto a regular car body, the artists behind the ‘Tumbler’ as featured in The Dark Knight series of films, completely rethought what a Batmobile should be, with incredible (and iconic) results.

Hannah Fry - What data can (and can’t) tell us 

Mathematician, BBC documentary host and occasional comedy show panellist, Hannah Fry, was next up on the stage. 

She emphasised the power of delving deeper with data, and thinking creatively when interpreting it. Her unique analyses showed us how women rate men less positively on dating apps than how men rate women, how a three day working week in the 1970s led to more baby boys (it’s all in the timing), and on a grislier note, how data was able to show that serial killer Harold Shipman committed most of his crimes after lunch. 

Data isn’t always as it seems - and that one small additional reference point, a tiny amount of extra context, can drastically change the results of any study, offering more effective insights and sometimes, completely different conclusions. 

Klaviyo CEO: Andrew Bialecki - Klaviyo Portfolio

With our brains crunching the numbers, CEO Andrew Bialecki stepped onto the stage to show us what’s next with Klaviyo. The biggest announcement by far, Klaviyo Portfolio, represents a whole new way to use Klaviyo for its most intensive users. 

For those larger businesses, with dozens of markets and sub-brands, managing multiple accounts at once has in the past required multiple sets of logins, and plenty of extra admin. 

But now, with Klaviyo Portfolio, marketers can manage multiple accounts from one place, giving everyone who needs access a centralised portal for Klaviyo accounts. Portfolio is available now, and for brands who manage multiple markets or sub-brands, it’s ready to go, and we’re working with Klaviyo on implementing it at an agency level too. 

That wasn’t the only product update - Klaviyo SMS is now available in more countries, and Klaviyo is also now available in French for the first time (ooh là là). The rest of the keynote explored some of the key enhancements they’ve been making over the past 12 months, including Klaviyo Reviews and Klaviyo AI, features representing an ever-growing platform. Safe to say, we’re excited. 

Industry Insights - From the Night Sky to post-it notes and Sharpies

Irish jewellery brand The Night Sky got us all starry-eyed, sharing how their use of SEO data guided the content of their emails. The Night Sky team, and their agency, Wolfgang Digital, demonstrated how many of their customers were searching for key questions - ones that their email campaigns and automations could answer. Reducing ambiguities for potential customers boosted their confidence to place an order, and supporting pre-existing customers by answering any questions or concerns made them much more likely to become repeat purchasers. 

They also emphasised the importance of keeping things simple in emails, placing two emails side-by-side: one featuring a heartfelt message that consisted largely of text, and one best described as a “hard sell”, with attention grabbing discounts and lots of graphics. Attendees were asked to vote on which got the most clicks - any guesses which one won out? Sometimes it’s the more genuine, considered messages that get the most attention, and that was certainly the case here. 

Before the day wrapped up, email marketing agency PAASE showcased how they plot out the customer journey using old school techniques, using “post-it notes and Sharpies”. Much like Jason Bevan, PAASE highlighted how those who aren’t immersed in marketing day in, day out are often incredibly valuable in generating alternative perspectives, especially when uncovering the pinch points encountered by regular customers. Their advice? Get everyone to give their two cents before going all in on a strategy.

An Event To Remember 

With our minds ticking and our complimentary tote bags brimming with Klaviyo swag, we headed back to Birmingham excited for the future of the platform. From steering clear of Jason Bevan’s creative “train tracks” to the introduction of Klaviyo Portfolio, this year’s event showed why K:LDN will always be a highlight of the marketing events calendar. Thanks Klaviyo!

In search of some Klaviyo expertise for your business? Get in touch, we're Klaviyo Master Gold Partners, so we certainly know more than a thing or two about email marketing.