ExactTarget and Adobe Test&Target

Prerequisites

Before you can use ExactTarget and Adobe Test&Target, the following features must be enabled on your ExactTarget account:

• Data Extensions- if using job level reporting
• Portfolio
• AMPscript
• Adobe Test&Target

What Is the ExactTarget and Adobe Test&Target Integration

The integration between the ExactTarget application and Adobe Test&Target allows you to optimize image offers in an email message after the image has been sent.

Why Use the ExactTarget and Adobe Test&Target Integration

You can use this integration to perform the following tasks:

• Leverage your Adobe Test&Target functionality to optimize email campaign performance
• Optimize long running transactional email campaigns without stopping or rebuilding them
• Use Adobe Test&Target as a part of a multi-channel marketing campaign to test the best performing creative across both email and web site offers
• Use Adobe Test&Target to test only a subset of subscribers in a list based on known attributes of each subscriber, such as customer score or gender

ExactTarget and Adobe Test&Target develops segmented targeting based on your subscriber base. You can target subscribers based on parameter values and/or subscriber attributes, such as new or returning visitors, profiles, category affinity, products ordered or viewed, and more.

A market segment represents a subgroup of individuals or subscribers who share one or more characteristics. These characteristics determine similar or related product and/or service needs. A segment is distinct from other segments, has common needs, and responds similarly to a market stimulus. Targeting refers to selecting a market segment to address. 

By using the attributes of the subscribers in your list, you can run a test against a subset of a larger list. You don't have to test all creatives against all subscribers. Targeting narrows your test campaign.

For example, you manage a pet store and want to determine what image will engage a customer to click on a coupon for cleaning supplies for cat owners. Set up a Adobe Test&Target test campaign that sets pet=%%pet%%, which outputs pet=cat, for your test market segment. Create placeholders in your email for test images. Once you determine which image engages the most number of subscribers, push the image for the rest of the email campaign.

How ExactTarget Works with Adobe Test&Target

The following steps explain the integration between ExactTarget and Adobe Test&Target:

NOTE: ExactTarget uses the default image if the application does not receive a response from Adobe Test&Target. Any lack of response does not impact the user experience.

1. Prepare email for sending.
2. Prepare placeholder for test image.
   

   NOTE: ExactTarget does not make requests to Adobe Test&Target when previewing the email in our system to maintain test data integrity.

3. User sends the email through ExactTarget, and the subscriber opens it. 
4. When the email is opened, ExactTarget makes a request for the test image to Adobe Test&Target. 
5. Adobe Test&Target logically selects the test image for this campaign.
6. ExactTarget tracks the clicks for the entire email. Adobe Test&Target tracks clicks per campaign asset or test image.
7. Based on the majority of subscriber clicks per test image, Adobe Test&Target calculates the statistical confidence of the winning test image.
8. Once the marketing campaign manager determines when they are comfortable with the level of statistical confidence, they push the winning test image to the rest of the subscribers.

NOTE: All subsequent email-opens receive the winning test image.

The following steps detail how the campaign is managed after send:

1. Send the email to a subscriber list or group.
2. As the subscriber opens the email with the Adobe Test&Target object, ExactTarget connects to Adobe Test&Target and requests any image assigned to the Test&Target Adbox as defined in step one of the creation process.
3. As subscribers begin to engage by clicking though the different image offers, Adobe Test&Target records the interactions and calculates how each recipe is performing.
4. Once a winner is determined, the campaign manager can push the wining creative to the remaining audience to improve the overall performance of the email campaign.

The following steps are necessary to create Adobe Test&Target: 

1. Create the Adobe Test&Target object using the ExactTarget application (The equivalent of an Adobe Test&Target Adbox).
2. Build an email and insert the Adobe Test&Target container in an email.
3. Create campaign with multiple recipes targeting the new Adobe Test&Target object by name using the Adobe Test&Target application.

How to View Job Level Interaction via Data Lookup in Data Extension

1. Click Data Extensions in the Subscriber tab.
2. Select the checkbox next to the Adobe Test&Target data extension that you wish to use.
3. Click the View Data menu item. Every job or email send is a row of data that also contains impressions and click data associated for that job.

Glossary

• A/B Testing - A method of testing where a baseline control sample is compared to a variety of single-variable test samples to improve response rates. This method is a classic direct mail tactic and has been recently adopted within the interactive space to test tactics such as banner ads, emails, and landing pages. This feature in Adobe Test&Target only tests single or multiple image slots. A/B testing is a champion challenger method of testing any test image. A/B testing measures actual subscriber behavior by calculating clicks on the image, which determines the image with the most successful conversion rate. 
• Adbox - The image-only equivalent of an mBox. Used to test variations of a single image. Adboxes do not require the use of JavaScript. Redirect offers represent a pointer reference to a publicly viewable image. Does not use JavaScript.
• Live Content - A utility that provides the ability to change an image at the time of open as opposed to the time of send.
• mBox - A container of HTML that Adobe Test&Target uses to deliver alternative tests, or recipes.
• Offer Optimization - A method that leverages content across multiple channels for the greatest return on investment (ROI). The marketing campaign created using segmented targeting and A/B testing can optimize your offer and create a greater ROI. Using these techniques, you exercise more control over your message and maximize your understanding of your subscribers. Once an offer is tested, the most compelling offer is distributed to the rest of the subscriber list.
• Statistical Confidence -  A statistical calculation that conveys the confidence that a winner is accurately determined.