Target cell spreadsheets

Each marketing campaign has a target cell spreadsheet (TCS), which provides a visual matrix of segments and offers. The TCS provides the ability to build and examine relationships between target cells and their associated offers or controls. (Controls are not contacted with an offer., even though they qualify for the offer.)

Note: To use the target cell spreadsheet, you must have Global Policy permission to Manage Unica Campaign target cells.

The TCS® includes one row for each target cell and, if you use control groups, one row for each corresponding control cell. A target cell is a cell that has an offer assigned to it. A control cell is qualified for the offer but is excluded from receiving the offer for analysis purposes. Controls do not receive communications, but are measured against the target group for comparison.

When you work with the TCS®, you can use a top-down or bottom-up management approach. Most organizations use only one of the following management methods.

Table 1. Top-down and bottom-up TCS management

Top-down and bottom-up TCS management

Top-down

This approach typically is used by larger organizations, where one person creates the TCS® and another person designs the flowchart.

The first person creates a TCS® that contains target and control cells. For example, the TCS® for a direct mail campaign might include 4 rows: One row for a cell that gets a 10% offer, one row for a cell that gets a 20% offer, one row for 10% holdouts, and one row for 20% holdouts.

Then, the flowchart designer creates processes to select IDs that meet the 10% and 20% offer and hold-out criteria. To link the data manipulation process output to a pre-defined cell in the TCS®, the flowchart designer selects Link to Target Cell in each process configuration dialog box.

Bottom-up

Create a flowchart that includes a Mail List or Call List process.

When you save the flowchart, a TCS® is generated. The TCS® includes one row for each target cell that provides input to the Mail List or Call List process.

Bottom-up cells cannot be linked or unlinked. The concept of linking applies only to top-down management.
When you work with a target cell spreadsheet, keep in mind the following guidelines:
  • Linking is based on cell codes, so avoid changing cell codes after you link cells.
  • You can unlink or relink a cell at any time, provided the cell did not write to Contact History.
  • If you unlink a cell that has Contact History, it is "retired". Retired cells cannot be linked again. They do not appear in the target cell spreadsheet and they cannot be selected in a process configuration dialog box. (If Unica Campaign is integrated with Unica Plan, retired cells continue to be displayed in the target cell spreadsheet but cannot be reused.)
Important: Incorrect data might be saved if edits are made to the flowchart and the TCS® by different users at the same time. To avoid conflicts, define business rules that minimize the possibility of a TCS® being edited when its flowchart is being edited or run. For example, do not edit a flowchart contact process while another user is changing offer assignments in the TCS®.
Note: If Unica Campaign is integrated with Unica Plan, you must use Unica Plan to work with target cell spreadsheets.