Question

Topic: Research/Metrics

Control Groups To Measure Impact Of Emails

Posted by Anonymous on 1/7/2005 at 1:18 PM ET 250 Points

Have you used control groups to measure email program performance?


What are some ways that you have successfully constructed control groups to measure the incremental impact an email program has on conversion/product use?

Situation Overview: Consumers who visit my brand’s website will be given the opportunity to register for monthly newsletters (via email). Emails will be sent out every 4 weeks based on a consumer’s date of registration for at least 6 months. Conversion will be measured after 3 and/or 6 months of being in the email program. The product of interest is a prescription medication.

I am interested in hearing the positives of different approaches you’ve used (from control group suppression to panel matching) and how you overcame any negatives of the approach. If you have vendors that have successfully designed and executed test-control measurement of email programs, I am also interested in your referrals.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 1/8/2005 at 11:47 AM Member
    Well, I was about to suggest that we move your question into the E-marketing category and get Tim Pepper to weigh in, but I see that you already posted this same question earlier and weren't satisfied.

    Perhaps you need to restate some of the details here by adding a comment like you did last time. The more you tell us, the more likely it is you'll get useful responses!

    - Shelley
  • Posted by Pepper Blue on 1/8/2005 at 12:38 PM Member
    Hi Dawn,

    It sounds your objective is to take evaluative models typically used in pharmaceutical research and migrate those methodologies to email marketing such as the use of placebos in comparative trials against known effective agents.

    I'm curious, have you ever heard of this being used in email marketing?

    This might be the reason that after 2 posts you haven't recieved any answers you are looking for.

    Email marketing works differently and you are looking for solutions/models that aren't applicable, at least not in the mainstream of email marketing - BTW, I worked for Merck for 11 years.

    Comments that might help: The more information you can get at registration, the more variables you will have to play with and set controls - makes sense, I know, BUT the problem with email marketing is that when you start throwing mandatory requests for lots of information at signup, the friction qoutient rises to the point where many of your potential subscribers abandon the process entirely.

    Of course, the strength of your call to action can mitigate this - if you offer a free whitepaper vs. a $25 Amazon Gift Card, you can ask for just about any information you want - demographic, psychographic, medical - and you will get it if your target group is right on.

    Most experts will agree that KISS is probably the best way to gather information, and then try to append it later with additional offers - again offering incentives.

    But appending takes time, and when you are measuring after 3 months, after sending only 3 campaigns, that is not enough time.

    Please let us know if this helping you at all as I'm still not sure if I am addressing your problem as you would like, and as Shelley mentions the more specific you are, the more specific we can get.

    I hope that helps!
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