The document summarizes an experiment conducted by The Boston Globe to test the impact of brand emphasis on online subscription conversions. The control page used a generic template, while the treatment page emphasized the Boston Globe brand throughout the signup process. Results showed the branded treatment increased conversions by 40.3% compared to the non-branded control. Emphasizing a well-known brand led to more people completing the subscription process.

1. Does Brand Really Matter?
A recent experiment reveals how brand impacts the
conversion process
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TODAY’S TEAM
Dr. Flint McGlaughlin – Director, MECLABS Group
Flint McGlaughlin is the Director of MECLABS Group. The organization
has partnered with key market leaders including The New York Times,
Microsoft Corporation, and Reuters Group.
Dr. McGlaughlin also serves as the Director of Enterprise Research at
the Transforming Business Institute, University of Cambridge (UK) and
as a Trustee for Westminster Theological Centre. Dr. McGlaughlin
originally studied Philosophy and Theology at the University of
London’s Specialist Jesuit College.
Today, his primary research is focused on enterprise as transformative
agent. His work has won multiple awards and has been quoted in
more than 13,000 online and offline sources.

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EXPERIMENT: BACKGROUND
Background: One of the largest metropolitan print news sources in the
United States.
Goal: To increase the number of online subscriptions.
Research Question: Which offer page will result in the highest subscription
rate?
Test Design: A/B variable cluster test
Experiment ID: TP1651
Record Location: MECLABS Research Library
Research Partner: The Boston Globe
Research Notes:

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EXPERIMENT: CONTROL
• The goal of the original
page was to get people into
the subscription process.
• The original page used a
template CMS structure
that did very little to
leverage the brand of the
Boston Globe.

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EXPERIMENT: CONTROL
Offer Page
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4
• The unbranded template is
used throughout the entire
conversion process

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EXPERIMENT: TREATMENT
• The treatment slightly
adjusts the CMS template
to emphasize the “Boston
Globe” brand.

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EXPERIMENT: TREATMENT
• Boston Globe branding is
made prominent throughout
the entire conversion
process.

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EXPERIMENT: SIDE-BY SIDE
Will emphasizing a well-known brand in the online
subscription process generate more response?

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EXPERIMENT: RESULTS
Design Conversion Rate
Control (Non-branded) 1.32%
Treatment (Branded) 1.86%
Relative Difference 40.3%
40% Increase in Total Subscriptions
The branded subscription path increased the rate of subscriptions by 40.3%
 What you need to understand: By simply emphasizing the well-known
brand of The Boston Globe, the treatment subscription path generated
40.3% more subscriptions than the generically-branded control.

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How should marketers
conceive of brand?
KEY QUESTION

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BRAND IS NOT…
a logo

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BRAND IS NOT…
a slogan

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BRAND IS NOT…
a spokesperson

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BRAND IS NOT…
a color-palette
Our problem is not brand
confusion, but rather confusion
about brand

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UNDERSTANDING BRAND
Brand is the aggregate experience of the value proposition
Unifying Insight

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Key Principles
“AGGREGATE EXPERIENCE”
1. Brand, represents the sum total of experiences in the market place,
particularly those that connect to you.

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Key Principles
“AGGREGATE EXPERIENCE”
1. Brand, represents the sum total of experiences in the market place,
particularly those that connect to you.
2. Brand exists in the mind. It represents a form of mental shorthand. It
stands for a decision collective and represents the default choice. As
such, it implies expectation.

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WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION?

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WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION?

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Key Principles
“AGGREGATE EXPERIENCE”
1. Brand, represents the sum total of experiences in the market place,
particularly those that connect to you.
2. Brand exists in the mind. It represents a form of mental shorthand. It
stands for a decision collective and represents the default choice. As
such, it implies expectation.
3. Brand does not make a promise; it creates an expectation. The strength
of the brand is derived not from declaration, but through expectation.

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est. 1892
est. 1876
est. 1867
est. 1806
est. 1866
est. 1880
est. 1850
est. 1869
est. 1853
“VALUE PROPOSITION”

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CREATING AN EXPECTATION

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“AGGREGATE EXPERIENCE”

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DEFINING BRAND
Brand is the aggregate experience of the value proposition
Key Definition

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Key Principles
“VALUE PROPOSITION”
1. All brand should influence choice. More specifically, brands should be
built around the answer to a single question: “Why should I buy from
you rather than any other competitor?”

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“You generalists pride yourselves on being creative – whatever that awful word means.
You cultivate the mystique of creativity. You regard advertising as an art form – and
expect your clients to finance expressions of your genius.”
We directs do not regard advertising as an art form. Our clients don’t give a damn
whether we win awards at Cannes. They pay us to sell their products. Nothing else.”
“Your favorite music is the applause of your fellow art directors and copywriters. Our
favorite music is the ring of the cash register.”
“You generalists use short copy. We use long copy. Experience has taught us that short
copy doesn’t sell. In our headlines, we promise the consumer a benefit. You generalists
don’t think it is creative.
“You have never had to live with the discipline of knowing the results of your
advertising. We pack our advertisements and letters with information about the
product. We have found out we have to – if we want to sell anything.”
STRONG WORDS FROM DAVID OGILVY (1986)

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Value Proposition Question: If I am your ideal prospect, why should I
buy from you rather than your competitors?
1. You are fundamentally answering a first-person question posed in the mind of
your customers. It always implies a “because” answer.
2. A value proposition focuses on a specific customer segment. This requires you to
consider whom you will not serve and the associated tradeoffs.
3. A value proposition is an ultimate reason – the reason why; it is the culmination of
a careful argument supported by evidence.
4. A value proposition must differentiate you from your competitors. In at least one
way, you must have an “only” factor.
“VALUE PROPOSITION”

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WHAT IS THE VALUE PROPOSITION?
Audience Example

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WHAT IS THE VALUE PROPOSITION?
Audience Example

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WHAT IS THE VALUE PROPOSITION?
Audience Example

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Key Principles
“VALUE PROPOSITION”
1. All brand should influence choice. More specifically, brands should be
built around the answer to a single question: “Why should I buy from
you rather than any other competitor?”
2. Every web design element (logo, color scheme, imagery, slogan, etc.)
should either state or support the essence of your primary value
proposition.

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Background: Well-known B2C company offering an online encyclopedia
subscription product
Goal: To get visitors to sign up for a free trial
Primary Research Question: Which landing page will have the highest
subscription rate?
Test Design: A/B split test (variable cluster)
Experiment ID: Encyclopedia Britannica
Location: MarketingExperiments Research Library
Research Notes:

EXPERIMENT: BACKGROUND

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• The headline does not
communicate the value
proposition
• The “member benefits,”
which are primary selling
points, are in a separate
column, not directly in the
customer’s eye path
• The images on the left and
bottom do not help
communicate anything
about the service or why
they should try it
EXPERIMENT: ORIGINAL PAGE

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• The new headline and sub-
headline describe exactly
what you get
• Bullets are used to
emphasize the valuable
features of the service in an
easy-to-read format
• The new image is clearer
and includes a caption that
re-emphasizes the value
proposition
EXPERIMENT: OPTIMIZED PAGE

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• “Activate Your Free Trial” is
used instead of “Please
Enter Your Billing
Information” or “Subscribe
Now” messaging
• Savings over the print
edition instantly shows the
customer the “value”
• Button copy emphasizes the
“receiving” aspect of the
transaction instead of
“giving” language, such as
“submit”
EXPERIMENT: OPTIMIZED PAGE

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TreatmentOriginal
EXPERIMENT: SIDE-BY-SIDE

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103% increase in conversion rate
The optimized page increases conversion by 103%
EXPERIMENT: RESULTS
Subscription Path Conversion Rate
Relative Diff.
vs. Control
Statistical
Significance
Original 1.00% - -
Optimized 2.03% 103% 95%

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SUMMARY:
The 5 Most Common Branding Errors

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SUMMARY: MOST COMMON BRAND MISTAKES
MISTAKE #1: Confusing brand essence with brand cues.
MISTAKE #2: Assuming the brand is a promise rather than expectation
MISTAKE #3: Believing the brand is owned by the organization rather
than the individual prospect. Brand exists in the mind.
MISTAKE #4: Divorcing the brand messaging from the company value
proposition.
MISTAKE #5: Thinking that the work of the brand begins and ends with
the first part of the messaging.

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Live Optimization

42. Joe Pulizzi
Founder
Content Marketing Institute
Just Announced:
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Flint McGlaughlin
Managing Director and CEO
MECLABS
Visit MECLABS.com/LGKeynote
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CEO
PR Newswire

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Live Optimization
The Nature Conservancy
Primary objective(s):
Encourage visitors to join
the organization and
donate
Primary audience:
Nature enthusiasts
URL:
http://bit.ly/10WTNGp

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Live Optimization Healthcare Success Strategies
Primary objective(s):
Lead generation
Primary audience:
Healthcare facilities
URL:
http://bit.ly/18jEHgn

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Live Optimization
Go Mini’s
Primary objective(s):
Motivate people to
request a quote
Primary audience:
Customers in need of
storage solutions
URL:
http://bit.ly/15Ijlci

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Live Optimization C.R. England
Primary objective(s):
Show benefits of being a
truck driver and creating a
job application path
Primary audience:
People interested in
pursing a career in truck
driving
URL:
http://bit.ly/1aoreVm

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LIVE OPTIMIZATION
Description:
XeroShoes make sandals
that mimic barefoot
running and walking.
Page Objective:
Click through to learn
more.
XeroShoes.com

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