Minnesota Public Radio

Does a landing page framed as a letter from a well-known figure impact the quality of email addresses acquired?

Experiment ID: #204277

Minnesota Public Radio

Experiment Summary

Timeframe: 05/28/2026 - 06/02/2026

In an effort to increase email signups for the Marketplace Newsletter, we tested reframing the landing page copy as a letter from Kai Ryssdal. We had previously seen strong performance when featuring Kai’s name and photo in ads, so we wanted to explore whether that success could translate to the landing page experience.

We hypothesized that Kai’s name recognition and credibility would make the newsletter more appealing, ultimately increasing the number of email addresses acquired.

Research Question

We believe featuring a short letter from Kai Ryssdal on the landing page will increase newsletter subscriptions by creating a more seamless experience between the ads and the sign-up page. Since the ads already feature Kai, carrying his voice and presence through to the landing page reinforces familiarity, trust, and credibility, strengthening the perceived value of the newsletter and increasing the likelihood of conversion.

Design

C: Control
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T1: Treatment 1
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Results

  Treatment Name Conv. Rate Relative Difference Confidence
C: Control 21.3%
T1: Treatment 1 17.7% -16.9% 96.7%

This experiment has a required sample size of 931 in order to be valid. Since the experiment had a total sample size of 2,197, and the level of confidence is above 95% the experiment results are valid.

Flux Metrics Affected

The Flux Metrics analyze the three primary metrics that affect revenue (traffic, conversion rate, and average gift). This experiment produced the following results:

    0% increase in traffic
× 16.9% decrease in conversion rate
× 0% increase in average gift

Key Learnings

The key learning from this experiment is that featuring a short letter from Kai Ryssdal on the landing page resulted in a statistically significant 16.9% decrease in newsletter sign-ups compared to the control version. While Kai’s name and photo had previously performed well in ads, that success did not carry over to the landing page experience.
A deeper analysis revealed that the decline was driven primarily by mobile traffic. This suggests the decrease may have been caused by the longer copy length and added friction, rather than by Kai’s credibility itself. On smaller screens, visitors may have been less likely to engage with the letter before reaching the sign-up form or fully understanding the value proposition.
This test highlights the importance of evaluating how messaging performs at each stage of the user journey. While featuring a trusted, recognizable figure can be effective for attracting attention, that approach must still support the landing page's primary goal and align with how users consume content in that environment.
Future testing could explore ways to incorporate Kai’s credibility while maintaining a more concise, value-focused experience, particularly for mobile users. Additional experiments around copy length, message hierarchy, and the placement of credibility elements may help identify the most effective approach for increasing newsletter sign-ups.


Experiment Documented by Jeff Giddens
Jeff Giddens is President of NextAfter.

Question about experiment #204277

If you have any questions about this experiment or would like additional details not discussed above, please feel free to contact them directly.