A/B Test Design for a Threshold Discount Promotion
Scenario
A company plans to launch a threshold-based promotion (e.g., "20% off when spending $40"). The team wants to evaluate the impact with an A/B test. Revenue will be the primary success metric.
Assumptions (to make the task self-contained):
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Randomization is at the user level.
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The metric will be measured over a fixed analysis window (e.g., 14 days per user) to dampen day-to-day volatility.
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Standard significance level (alpha) = 0.05 (two-sided) and power = 0.80 unless otherwise stated.
Tasks
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Why might the business introduce this promotion? State plausible objectives.
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Define success metrics: primary, secondary, and guardrails.
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How would you determine the required sample size? What inputs and assumptions are needed?
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The PM sets the minimum detectable effect (MDE) to 0.5% on revenue. Interpret this value and explain how it influences sample size.
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If the observed revenue lift is 0.3% and not statistically significant, how would you interpret and communicate this result to the PM?