Segmentation

A segmentation is the process of reducing a base set of customers to a target set of customers for a marketing campaign. Before you can create a segmentation, a system administrator or database administrator prepares the customer data by creating a connection to a database and by creating a universe.

In the Segmentation Management module, you work with the prepared customer data to create the basis for the segmentation. Then in the segmentation designer, you design the hierarchy of segments that reduces the initial customer population. A segment is a group of customers that meet certain criteria. You define the criteria using attributes. The data with which you work might be in your main external customer database, or other external databases. Or it might be in the default System Database , which contains audience member, company, and household data.

Example:
Your organization offers silver, gold, and platinum credit cards. You plan a direct mail campaign to upgrade some customers to a platinum card. In Aprimo your system administrator creates a database connection and a universe to make the relevant customer information available to you. You create a segmentation in the Segmentation Management module. It defines the initial set of customers that you further reduce in the segmentation designer based on criteria related to purchase history.

Key Fields

Details

Field Description
Universe

Select the universe on which to base the segmentation.

Typically, a segmentation uses data from your primary customer database, and possibly others. A universe refines that data for use in segmentations.

The universe determines these aspects of a segmentation:

  • The base set of customers to process
  • The attributes available by default for building criteria
  • The templates available for the List Output tool
Connection Group

Select the connection group.

The connection group contains the information Aprimo needs to connect to each database the segmentation uses.

For any 1 database, your organization might have more than 1 connection. 1 connection might be for testing, and another might be for running the segmentation.
Initial Context

Select the context in which the segmentation design starts.

A context represents the entity you segment. The initial context often consists of customers. While you design the segmentation, you can switch to a different context such as customer orders. You can use other tools to segment the customer orders, and then switch back to the customer context before you specify the output.
Record Count History

Choose whether to maintain a count history for a segmentation.

Each time that counts run for a segmentation or segment the Count History module updates.

Validation Requirement

This field applies to the automatic validation of scheduled segmentations. Select the validation requirement that must be met before the segmentation can run:

  • No Validation Required
    This is the default option.
  • Must Validate with No Errors
    The segmentation can run if it has no validation errors.
  • Must Validate with No Errors or Warnings
    The segmentation can run if it has no validation errors or warnings.
Example:
You regularly create ad hoc files to use in segmentations, but because of frequent changes, you often need to inactivate them. You want to be sure your segmentation does not run with inactive ad hoc files, so you select Must Validate with No Errors or Warnings.
Note:
If the Require Validation in Segmentations system parameter is set to Yes, it determines the Validation Requirement field's value, the field becomes disabled, and the segmentation can run only if it has no validation errors.
Last Count

This field indicates the last time the segmentation's counts ran and the user who ran them.
Last Count Length

This field indicates the time it took for the last counts to run.
Last Run

This field indicates the last time the segmentation ran and the user who ran it.
Last Run Length

This field indicates the time it took for the last run to run.
Cell Definition

Select the basis for the cell definition.

If cells are segment-defined, the segmentation designer assigns their cell codes and there you can assign offers to them.

If cells are activity-defined, the application assigns cell codes to them when you predefine them in the Cells module. You assign offers to cells in the Cells module, but you assign waves to them in the segmentation designer.

You can assign treatments to segments in the segmentation designer regardless of the segmentation's cell definition.

Additional Fields, Sections, and Tabs

Your system administrator can create additional fields for some objects and make them available for certain system types. Additional fields appear on the Details tab in the Additional Details section or in other sections or on other tabs that the system administrator creates.

For more information about an additional field, section, or tab, contact your system administrator. For more information about additional fields in general, see Additional Fields.

Note:
In the segmentation designer, you can use additional fields to segment customers and include additional fields in the output.

Population

The population is the initial segment in the hierarchy. When your system administrator or database administrator creates a universe, that person defines criteria that selects a base set of customers from one or more databases. You specify the population by refining that base set of customers.

Tip:
Before you specify the population, learn about the criteria that define the universe by contacting the person who created it.
Field Description
Selection Options

Select how to define the population:

  • All Records

    This option includes all the customers in the universe.

  • Based on Criteria

    This option includes customers that match criteria you define using universe or segmentation attributes. You can add more segmentation attributes as necessary. For more information, see Building Criteria for Segmentations.

  • Based on Existing Segments

    This option includes or excludes persisted segments in other segmentations. You can select one or more segments to include or exclude, and you can include some segments and exclude others.

    Note:
    If you include or exclude multiple segments, customers that exist in more than one of the segments are not duplicated.
Display

This field appears if you select Based on Criteria in the Selection Options field.

Select Guided Query Builder for a guided, step-by-step approach to creating criteria. Select Advanced Query Builder to type the SQL.

For more information, see Building Criteria for Segmentations.

Include/Exclude Segments

This section appears only if you select Based on Existing Segments in the Selection Options field.

Field Description
Include Segments

Select persisted segments to include in the population. The list of available segments is organized first by activity, and then by segmentation.

Tip:
When you create or edit the segmentation, you can point to an already-selected include segment to see its activity and segmentation.
Exclude Segments

Select persisted segments to exclude from the population. The list of available segments is organized first by activity, and then by segmentation.

Tip:
When you create or edit the segmentation, you can point to an already-selected exclude segment to see its activity and segmentation.