Probabilities and Statistics Pay-Off for Marketers

Conditioning Probabilities

When observing our customers, sometimes evidence can look pretty persuasive and sometimes it can be down-right compelling.  And yet, without proper attention to underlying statistical properties in the customer data, you might form an entirely false impression of your customers.  It is not uncommon for marketers to ask this question, at least once in their career.

“How did I make such a wrong conclusion from such compelling evidence”?

The answer lies in its numerical underpinnings, what statisticians call “conditioning”.  Conditioning can cause you to reach the wrong conclusions and send lots of marketing dollars down the rabbit hole and take you to the Mad Hatters Tea Party.

The unhappy results of conditional probabilities exist in all facets of animal and human behavior.  These are typically complex scenarios of layered assumptions, so I am using this simple example, of one type of casino player, to demonstrate how the application of incorrect assumptions can lead to lost revenue and profitability.

Casino Gambler Example

Let’s assume one percent of the casino gamers who played at your property were cheaters. That percentage might be high (Cheaters = 1%), but this is an example after all.  Let’s also assume that when a player is a cheater, he or she will decline to fill out a loyalty Rewards Club card application about ninety nine percent of the time.  (If cheater, 99% decline application.)

Now comes the interesting part.  Let’s say that you see a suspicious player, approach him or her, ask the player to fill out a rewards application, and the player declines.  What are the chances that that player is a cheater?

Intuition vs. Reality

Intuition would suggest a high likelihood of cheating.  But the reality is different.  There is only about a one in thirty-three percent chance that this individual casino player is a cheater.  So consider the statistical probabilities before you decide that the player is not worthy of a revenue generating comp or a coupon.

Here’s a table that describes the situation exactly.  You have total players showing up in green.  In red are the 1% or 100 are cheaters.  99 of those 100 cheaters were not willing to fill out an application, so your test was very good.  

Wrong Assumptions Equal Lost Profit

So here is the big question. If someone refuses to fill out an application (the red boxed group), should you refuse to serve them or market to them?  The answer is No for the following reasons.

• First, there is only roughly a 1 in 33 chance (more precisely 99 of 3,399) that the player is a cheater.
• Second, there is a 3,330 out of 3,399 chance that they are a good player who will be profitable.
• And finally, these 3,300 players are likely to be even more profitable than reward applicants.Even when making generalizations about customers, it is essential to understand the effect of your assumptions on your conclusions. Especially when formulating policy, it really pays to know your probabilities and statistics.

If you found this interesting or want to learn more about the power of statistics for marketing, feel free to contact Stics. We are happy to help.