Digital Analysis Training
The 2012 campaign to re-elect U.S. President Barack Obama took data and testing to a new level, not just in the field but in its digital operations as well. The campaign raised over half a billion dollars online, much of which can be traced directly to the rigorous testing and data-driven decision-making that defined the campaign’s culture.
This rapid-fire training session will give you an insider’s view of the campaign’s most effective techniques for raising money and mobilizing supporters online, particularly through email. The campaign’s Director of Digital Analytics, Amelia Showalter, will show you how to design experiments that go beyond basic split testing, how to incorporate demographic and behavioral data into your outreach, and how to foster a culture of testing and innovation. Plus, you’ll learn surprising lessons and anecdotes from inside the campaign, with the goal of helping you brainstorm new ways to optimize your own digital operations.
Agenda
| Arrival Day for many participants on Monday March 11th | ||
|---|---|---|
| 19:30 | Dinner: pre-training dinner, Get to know the other training participants over food and drink. Informal and location to be determined by those wishing to join. Dinner not included in training price. | |
| Digital Analysis Training on Tuesday March 12th | ||
|---|---|---|
| 09:00-09:15 | Check in: grab your name tag and say hello! You also might want to grab a cup of coffee or tea | |
| 09:15-09:45 | Welcome and introductions: Meet your trainer and fellow participants, and get an overview of the day’s lessons and activities | |
| 09:45-10:15 | Why testing matters: From website tests to email experiments, the Obama campaign exhaustively tested almost every aspect of its Digital program – and it made a huge difference in fundraising and mobilization. Campaign anecdotes to start the day. | |
| 10:15-11:15 | Testing 101: A rapid-fire review of basics and best practices: randomizing samples, running A/B tests, calculating statistical significance, choosing the right metrics | |
| 11:15-11:30 | Break | |
| 11:30-12:30 | Testing 201: How to run more complex experiments, including long-term tests, personalization tests, tests across multiple media, etc. | |
| 12:30-13:00 | Case studies: Experiments in email volume | |
| 13:00-14:00 | Lunch (included) & table discussions | |
| 14:00-14:30 | Case studies: Novelty effects vs. true best practices | |
| 14:30-15:30 | Learning from failure: What should you do when your experiments fail? | |
| 15:30-15:45 | Break | |
| 15:45-16:45 | Building a strong testing program: How to foster a culture of testing at your organization, plus the personnel, software, tools, and management practices that will keep your testing program vibrant. | |
| 16:45-17:30 | Discussion and Q&A | |
| 17:30 | End of training day | |
| 18:30 | Pre-ECF 2013 Dinner & table discussions | |
| 21:00 | Pub: Who ever feels like it can join us in the pub. | |
- About the Trainer
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Amelia Showalter is the former Director of Digital Analytics at President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. Her new mission is to bring the Obama campaign’s culture of rigorous testing and analysis to progressive organizations, campaigns, and firms. Amelia specializes in data analysis, model building, and experimental design, with particular expertise in online fundraising and organising. The goal is to empower your organization to get better results through testing.
