Certified Professional Category Analyst (CPCA) Practice Question

The option that should be avoided when setting up an in-store test is to vary promotions, ad features, and displays between the test and control stores in both the pre-test and test periods. This approach undermines the validity of the test results, as it introduces extraneous variables that can confound the outcomes.

When running an in-store test, maintaining consistency between the test and control locations is crucial to obtaining reliable data. If different promotions or advertising strategies are implemented, it becomes difficult to attribute any observed differences in sales or customer behavior directly to the factors being tested. This ensures that the results reflect the true impact of the test conditions rather than the influence of varying external factors.

Using consistent marketing strategies across both test and control stores helps to isolate the effect of the specific element being tested, allowing for clearer insights into its effectiveness. Therefore, maintaining uniformity in promotions and advertising during both the pre-test and test periods is essential for drawing meaningful conclusions from the data collected.