Kristin (Wieber) Naragon | Source | Chief Strategy Officer at Akeneo
Kristin (Wieber) Naragon
Kristin is Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at Akeneo, the product experience (PX) company and global leader in Product Information Management (PIM), enabling organizations to build and deliver world-class product experiences across every customer touchpoint through a comprehensive PX Strategy. By providing best-of-breed technology and expertise, Akeneo’s intelligent Product Cloud accelerates growth, reduces time-to-market, and gives organizations the competitive edge needed to convert browsers into buyers. Leading global brands, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, including Chico’s, The Very Group, TaylorMade Golf, Rail Europe, Kering, and more trust Akeneo to scale and customize their omnichannel commerce initiatives. Using Akeneo’s AI-Centric Product Cloud, companies can activate product experiences in any and all channels that drive an improved customer journey from discovery to purchase, resulting in increased sales, reduced returns, faster time-to-market, and increased team productivity.
-
Akeneo (https://www.akeneo.com/)
Chief Strategy Officer
-
In Her Own Words: In the world of tech, Kristin Naragon finds comfort in discomfort
Microagressions can be tolerated but they often mask prejudice and bias, especially in areas where women rarely make it to the C-suite. Kristin Naragon is committed to creating equality and opportunity in tech.
Article -
Council Post: 13 Retail Trends Biz Dev Leaders May Want To Consider
Identify influencers aligned with your brand values and target audience. Collaborate on authentic content creation to amplify brand visibility across diverse platforms.
Article -
Why Return Season is a Golden Opportunity
By investing in reverse logistics, incentivizing loyalty and repeat purchases, and getting creative with merchandising and promotions, this return season can be spun into a golden opportunity.
Article
-
AI Revolutionizes Customer Data Strategies for 2025
Kristin highlights AI's impact on customer buying behavior, emphasizing the need for a single source of truth for product data. She notes, "AI enables hyper-personalization by analyzing customer feedback," while privacy laws demand transparency and ethical practices. Overcoming data quality issues and fostering organizational alignment are crucial for successful AI integration, unlocking transformative customer experiences. -
AI Revolutionizes Fast Fashion: Cutting Carbon Emissions and Waste
Kristin highlights that AI can predict consumer trends, reducing over-purchasing and returns. "Last year, $247 billion in online returns led to 29.64 million metric tons of CO2 emissions." AI-driven solutions can optimize size guides and promote responsible purchasing, addressing the environmental crisis caused by fast fashion. -
Kohl's Branding Woes Linked to Sales Decline
Kristin Naragon of Akeneo analyzes Kohl's sales slump, citing a lack of distinct brand identity and slow response to evolving consumer trends. Naragon's decade in marketing strategy informs her perspective on retail adaptation.
-
AI is powerful in this space for product experiences and it needs to be used in the right way. If an AI program is asked to write a description without having the correct information entered, the end result can be wildly inaccurate.
-
The clear differentiated strategy is investing in product experiences. There are three assets every company has, and without these, they simply do not exist: customer experience (CX), employee experience (EX) and product experience (PX). It’s the third asset that has been overlooked, and now is the time to change that. The results are undeniable—focusing on the PX strategy yields higher sales with fewer returns and happier employees.
