A cell is simply a list of identifiers (such as customer or prospect IDs) from your database. In Campaign, you create cells by configuring and running data manipulation processes in flowcharts. These output cells can also be used as input for other processes in the same flowchart (downstream from the process which created them). There is no limit to the number of cells you can create.

Cells to which you assign one or more offers in Campaign are called target cells. A target cell is a distinct group of homogeneous audience members. For example, cells can be created for high-value customers, customers who prefer to shop on the web, accounts with on-time payments, customers who have opted to receive email communications, or loyal repeat buyers. Each cell or segment you create can be treated differently, with different offers or contact channels, or tracked differently, for comparison in performance reporting.

Cells containing IDs qualified to receive an offer but that are excluded from receiving the offer for analysis purposes, are called control cells. In Campaign, controls are always hold-out controls.

The term “cell” is sometimes used interchangeably with “segment.” Strategic segments are cells that are created in a session rather than in a campaign flowchart. A strategic segment is no different from other cells (such as those created by a Segment process in a flowchart) except that it is available globally, for use in any campaign. A strategic segment is a static list of IDs until the flowchart that created it originally is re-run.