Welcome to Brilliance@Work, a series of profiles about stellar collaboration professionals and their best practices at work. Throughout May, we’ll feature Marketing Analytics & Data Science experts.

Eric Callahan is Director, Performance Analytics at American Express. He’s also a presenter at the Marketing Analytics & Data Science Conference on June 8-10, 2016 in San Francisco, California.

As a preview to his presentation “Taking Control of Control Groups,” Eric shared some insights on implementing successful measurement programs.

Peggy L. Bieniek, ABC: What are the critical elements of a successful measurement program?
Eric Callahan: It may sound cliché, but the most important thing is support from your executive leaders. There are a ton of moving parts involved in doing measurement correctly (set-up, design, execution, analytics, etc.) so you need a strong mandate that all parties align with the initiative. If even one cog in the wheel is not moving in the same direction as the others, the whole operation is compromised.

PB: Does measurement best practice vary from industry to industry?
EC:  Different industries may have different marketing tactics and goals, but the fundamental principles of good measurement will not change. However, there may be minor differences in how these principles are put into practice.

PB: What are the consequences of not putting a rigorous measurement strategy in place?
EC: The strength of a business’ measurement strategy directly correlates to the quality of insight that it generates from testing. If a company does not institute a solid measurement strategy, it will pay the opportunity cost of insights left on the table. In a worst case scenario, it may come to false conclusions and take harmful strategic actions.

PB: What will people gain from attending your presentation at the conference?
EC: Attendees will learn about different types of control groups, what each type is used for, and how to design a program so these are all working together to create a comprehensive measurement suite. We will also cover how to address common implementation challenges.

Want to hear more from Eric Callahan? Join us at the Marketing Analytics & Data Science Conference. Learn, network and share best practices with the most influential leaders in data science and analytics. Stay connected at #MADSCONF.