Tag Archives: testing

The danger of low variance

Posted on Tuesday, 27 August 2024 12:03 pm by markpilip

Low variance is crucial in fields like medicine, rocket launches, and pension fund management. However, seeking deviations from the norm is essential for breakthrough results. Instead of resumes or current figures, reverse order test results may reveal team performance. Cultivating variance fosters growth, while a low variance culture hampers progress. Embrace variance for innovation and growth. Continue reading →

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“They Changed Their Control, Right?”

Posted on Tuesday, 21 May 2024 9:57 am by markpilip

In the early 90s, the author meticulously managed direct mail campaigns, relying on personal expertise and detailed record-keeping. Identifying a sudden drop in performance, the author’s comprehensive knowledge of mailing lists enabled them to pinpoint the issue: a change in mailing format. This story highlights the value of hands-on campaign organization and insight, without relying on advanced technology. Find out more at the provided link. Continue reading →

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2 LLCs and an SFDU: A Merge/Purge Fail

Posted on Tuesday, 17 October 2017 8:23 am by markpilip

A couple of days ago, I was reminiscing about a great piece of direct mail I received last year. Yesterday, I received the opposite. This falls under the category of a merge/purge fail. As you can see here, there are … Continue reading →

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Why ads on my personal blog? I’m running a little experiment right now. More to come and the ads will come down. I don’t like them either. Continue reading →

Posted on Tuesday, 15 November 2016 9:27 pm by markpilip | Comments Off on Why Ads?

Rediscovering Direct Mail

Posted on Thursday, 13 November 2014 10:16 am by markpilip

I get a kick out of articles like this one. The BBC author appeared surprised that A/B testing for marketing was invented–I’d say perfected–in direct mail. I guess us old dogs are responsible for some “new” tricks after all! Takeaway: … Continue reading →

Posted in Direct Response, Marketing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Four Easy Articles to Improve Your Testing Today!

Posted on Tuesday, 12 August 2014 10:11 am by markpilip

I’ve seen a few examples lately where the word “test” was bandied about when no such thing took place. One of my recent favorites was this article by the MD of a digital trading desk who claimed to be testing … Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis, Direct Response, Education, Marketing, Rants | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fifty Little Cups of Coffee

Posted on Friday, 19 August 2011 11:50 am by markpilip

I’m a continuity direct response marketer.  My 10,000 hours were spent testing hypotheses about lists, creative, offers, products and fulfillment methods by doing thousands of univariate and multivariate tests.  Each test was, essentially, a small bet of $500 to $50,000. … Continue reading →

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