Recapping MARCON 2025: An Essential Conference for Scrappy Marketers (and a Look at Evolve’s “Data Remix”)

MARCON Overview

Every year, MARCON brings together some of the sharpest marketing minds in Oklahoma City, and this year’s conference, held on March 27–28, was no exception. Organized by AMA OKC and hosted at the Omni Oklahoma City Hotel, MARCON 2025 was packed with practical insights, incredible speakers, and a community vibe that made this event feel less like a stuffy conference and more like a rally for marketers who are scrappy, strategic, and eager to learn.

One of the key people behind the scenes? Our very own Jennifer Shrewsbury, who served as Head Chair of MARCON 2025. Jennifer was the heart of the operation, handling everything from high-level planning to minute details, somehow making it all look effortless. We’re proud to have her on the Evolve team.

Inside Evolve’s Breakout: “The Evolve Data Remix. This isn’t a Session. It’s a Remix.”

Presenting at MARCON is always thrilling (this was our third time!), but sharing our unique session – which used music, rhythm, and the Akai MPC as metaphors for research and data analysis – made this year particularly special. As a team that lives and breathes research, we know data can feel like a mess of numbers and charts. But when you approach it with intention – and a little creativity – you can remix raw information into something meaningful.

That was the focus of our breakout session, a breakdown of how we turn noise, or raw data, into insight. Here’s a quick look at the core ideas we shared:

Setting the Goal

Every good remix starts with a clear idea of the sound you’re going for. The same is true with research. Before gathering any data, we define the “why.” What business decision is this data informing? Who are we trying to understand? What does success look like? We don’t move forward until that foundation is set.

Sampling – Gathering Data

Getting the right voices in the room matters. We talked about identifying the right participants (and avoiding the wrong ones) and how we use existing data—like tracking studies or past research—to give our projects more depth and context.

Sequencing – Organizing Data

Data isn’t helpful if it’s unstructured. We showed how organizing the information – visually and contextually – can shift how it’s interpreted. Think of it as arranging sounds into a rhythm. We also touched on pitfalls like misleading charts and why seeing the whole picture beats cherry-picking highlights to fit a specific narrative.

Mixing – Refining Insights

Raw data is messy, and cleaning it up is critical. We walked through our quality checks, like spotting bots, analyzing open-ends, and looking for response patterns. The goal: filter out the static so what remains actually says something.

Delivering the Story

Once everything’s cleaned, structured, and analyzed, it returns to that original goal. This is where we connect the dots and build a narrative that helps teams make smarter decisions. Research isn’t just about collecting data – it’s about making it usable.

From first-time attendees to returning MARCON regulars, this year’s event exceeded expectations. For us at Evolve, it was a chance to connect with the local marketing community, share what we know, and learn from others doing the same. And, of course, we’re incredibly proud of Jennifer for leading the charge behind the scenes.

If you want to hear more about the Evolve Data Remix approach or just talk shop about making sense of research, we’re always up for a conversation.

Until next year, MARCON!