Testing Direct Mail

I’m actually having the same problem with some Direct Mail packages we’re working on as well.

What I’ve decided is to first promote each segment as normal, regardless of the package type. Then, I’ve created lists for everyone who is receiving each package type, regardless of segment.

For reporting, I plan on using the Revenue by Source and Appeal canned report, using each list two compare the results for each segment by the package type. So you can look at each report to get the total for each package type or run the report without the lists to see the overall campaign status.

Does that make sense? Happy to chat more if you have any questions.

Hi Jess,

This is a great question, and I’m curious to see the responses you get. I’ve never seen testing like this done any other way than breaking out the source codes, and I’m having a hard time coming up with a solution that doesn’t involve dividing each segment into two.

However, you might be able to make reporting easier by using a naming convention for each package, so your source codes would be named something like ‘A – Lapsed Donors’ and ‘B – Lapsed Donors.’ That would make it easier to group and subtotal them when you’re doing analysis. Without knowing your naming conventions, though, it’s hard to say whether or not this would be practical for you. Other options would be to distinguish your packages through source group or media, which would also give you the option of grouping each package together or looking at the segment as a whole.

Hope that helps!

…Alex

Alex Harris

Senior Manager - Development Operations | Seattle Opera

1020 John Street, PO Box 9248 | Seattle, WA 98109

(p) 206.676.5532 | (f) 206. 389.7651

www.seattleopera.org

Hi

We are looking to test two packages in our upcoming direct mail solicitation and I am wondering how other organizations track their testing. My initial thought on how to track the different test packages was to break each segment (which has its own source code) into two segments (each with their own source code). However, the problem with doing it that way, is that there is no way to easily see just how the test package performed vs how the traditional package performed - we would need to remember which source codes were test and which were not and run reports on those specific source codes. We also would not have an easy way of looking at each segment as a whole.

Does anyone have a better way of tracking this?

Thanks

Jess Levy

San Francisco Opera

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I’m actually having the same problem with some Direct Mail packages we’re working on as well.

What I’ve decided is to first promote each segment as normal, regardless of the package type. Then, I’ve created lists for everyone who is receiving each package type, regardless of segment.

For reporting, I plan on using the Revenue by Source and Appeal canned report, using each list two compare the results for each segment by the package type. So you can look at each report to get the total for each package type or run the report without the lists to see the overall campaign status.

Does that make sense? Happy to chat more if you have any questions.

Hi Jess,

This is a great question, and I’m curious to see the responses you get. I’ve never seen testing like this done any other way than breaking out the source codes, and I’m having a hard time coming up with a solution that doesn’t involve dividing each segment into two.

However, you might be able to make reporting easier by using a naming convention for each package, so your source codes would be named something like ‘A – Lapsed Donors’ and ‘B – Lapsed Donors.’ That would make it easier to group and subtotal them when you’re doing analysis. Without knowing your naming conventions, though, it’s hard to say whether or not this would be practical for you. Other options would be to distinguish your packages through source group or media, which would also give you the option of grouping each package together or looking at the segment as a whole.

Hope that helps!

…Alex

Alex Harris

Senior Manager - Development Operations | Seattle Opera

1020 John Street, PO Box 9248 | Seattle, WA 98109

(p) 206.676.5532 | (f) 206. 389.7651

www.seattleopera.org

Hi

We are looking to test two packages in our upcoming direct mail solicitation and I am wondering how other organizations track their testing. My initial thought on how to track the different test packages was to break each segment (which has its own source code) into two segments (each with their own source code). However, the problem with doing it that way, is that there is no way to easily see just how the test package performed vs how the traditional package performed - we would need to remember which source codes were test and which were not and run reports on those specific source codes. We also would not have an easy way of looking at each segment as a whole.

Does anyone have a better way of tracking this?

Thanks

Jess Levy

San Francisco Opera

This message was sent automatically to you by www.tessituranetwork.com because you subscribed to the Tessitura Development Forum. You may reply to this message to post to the Development forum or visit the site to search, read and post to the forums. In the interest of keeping the forum posts from becoming cluttered, we encourage you to delete previous message text from your reply before sending. Thank you!

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This message was sent automatically to you by www.tessituranetwork.com because you subscribed to the Tessitura Development Forum. You may reply to this message to post to the Development forum or visit the site to search, read and post to the forums. In the interest of keeping the forum posts from becoming cluttered, we encourage you to delete previous message text from your reply before sending. Thank you!