Innovation in Marketing, Using Research and Testing

Course Overview

Recognize the importance of research and testing and the key role they play in successful direct marketing campaigns in all media. You’ll get a “how to” guide on effective research and testing techniques, plus a detailed explanation of the types of research used to improve direct. Participants will also learn to develop a testing framework and understand the importance of a ‘control’ – the marketing effort that brings in the greatest ROI..

Course Content

Learn how to identify and use vital research resources, develop a sound testing framework for each medium you use, and apply multivariate analysis when testing new offers, creative, and lists.

 The importance of marketing research and message testing implementation
• How direct marketing research works
• Where research is useful:
 - Predict likely buyer
 - Identifying those who will defect
 - Finding the next best product for one customer or prospect
 - Analyzing your audience
 - Hypothesis, data gathering, analysis, conclusion
• Attitudinal research
• Quadrant analysis
• Competitive analysis
• Gaining budget for research using lifetime value
• You have to take risks

What is message testing and why do we need it?
• Definition
• Success vs. failure
• Four phases of message testing
• A/B split tests
• What are controls?
• Record book sample
• What can you test?
• Testing mathematics

Email testing
• Subject line
• Random noise
• Personalization
• Offer
• Don’t look only at conversions
• Multivariate testing
• Multivariate vs. A/B