Designing the perfect marketing program doesn’t work because it will not happen.  Marketing is an iterative process and as such can always be improved.  First, you will have moving targets of internal goals and external market fluctuation.  You will always have changes to make as you adapt.  Second, you make the most of the process by testing, measuring and applying what you have learned.  Third, you need to be patient.   You have to design the test, execute the marketing, wait for the offer window to close, gather the data, build the reports and analyze them to make future decisions.  Whether you call it closed loop marketing, learn do loop or optimization the result is the same; improvement.

Testing is an important way to get primary data for decision making.  The performance of a particular list, data element for selection, model, creative or offer may be “estimated” but testing is the only way to know what will actually happen.  In a previous blog the process of test design was discussed, Direct Markets, Gain Perspective by Testing

Measurement of the test against your standard is the key; all testing is relative to your company not the competition or open market.  Knowing what to use in measurement is part of the process as well.  There are many metrics that have meaning.  Align the metrics to your goals, Getting Past the Easy Measures of Marketing Analysis.

Applying what you have learned is the payoff for your patience.   Let’s say you used the test formula from the Direct Markets, Gain Perspective by Testing  now you would know if you needed to ramp up the volume to validate or replace the Champion with the Challenger.

Success Factor

DON’T STOP marketing.  Companies have made the mistake of waiting for a better time to spend their marketing dollars.  The problem is when they come back they don’t have any learning’s to keep them on the right track and they have to start over.  Think of the money spent as an investment that keeps the risk lower on much large future spending.

Sitting in a meeting with a client the topic of marketing measurement came up. I have worked with this client for almost a year now and it was the first time I was able to get them to look past response rate. A break through!

In the business of direct marketing we tend to focus on creative, print cost, production cost, and response rate. But many stop there. What about the other metrics on measuring a successful campaign.

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I attended a sales conference where a National Geographic photographer was our keynote speaker.  At first it was odd to me but six years later I remember his key lesson, “perspective”.  Some of his best shots came from looking the other direction, or getting closer than you think you should or further away.  This perspective in the direct marketing world is testing with an open mind.

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