What you need to know
- Standard letterbox distribution does not automatically include call tracking.
- A campaign number can attribute calls to the campaign when Gibson call tracking is included and the number is printed on the artwork.
- One campaign number measures the whole drop. Area-level comparisons require an agreed number, artwork, landing-page or distribution-wave structure.
- Mobile call data does not provide a reliable caller suburb through cell-tower inference.
- Delivery oversight and response attribution answer different questions and must be reported separately.
Most businesses ask one question after a flyer drop: did it work? The useful answer starts before the first item is delivered. You need to define what counts as a response, how that response will be captured and which costs will be included in the calculation.
A general uplift in phone calls is not reliable attribution. The same business number may also appear on the website, Google Business Profile, vehicles and earlier advertising. Without a campaign-specific response path, those sources are mixed together.
What can a tracked number prove?
When Gibson call tracking is included in the agreed service, a campaign phone number can be printed on the flyer and forwarded to the business. Calls to that number can then be associated with the campaign. The available reporting fields depend on the agreed tracking configuration.
The number does not prove that every person who saw the flyer called, and it does not capture someone who searched for the business and used another number. It also does not provide a reliable caller suburb through mobile cell-tower data. Those limitations should be understood before the result is interpreted.
Campaign-level and area-level attribution are different
One campaign number answers a channel-level question: how many calls used the number printed on this campaign? It does not identify which suburb produced each call when the same artwork and number are used across every area.
If area comparison matters, the measurement structure must be designed before printing. Options can include separate campaign numbers, distinct artwork versions, separate landing-page paths or planned distribution waves. The practical choice depends on quantity, format, operational complexity and the value of the decision the data needs to support.
A five-step measurement method
1. Define the business outcome
State whether the campaign is intended to generate calls, bookings, quote requests, store visits or another action. A vague objective makes the later report difficult to use.
2. Agree the response path
Choose the phone number, landing page, offer code or other response mechanism before artwork approval. If Gibson call tracking is required, it must be included in the service scope before the final artwork is printed.
3. Record the campaign inputs
Keep the target areas, quantity, format, distribution window, print cost, distribution cost and optional measurement cost together. These inputs form the denominator for later cost calculations.
4. Separate delivery oversight from response data
For Gibson distribution, a regional supervisor emails the client when the drop starts and finishes and conducts spot checks. Delivery inspection photos are available on request. These operational checks do not create call-attribution data and do not represent continuous GPS monitoring.
5. Review enquiries and outcomes
Count the responses captured by the agreed path, then review which became qualified enquiries, quotes and customers where the customer records support that analysis. Cost per captured enquiry is the total agreed campaign cost divided by captured enquiries. Return on investment also requires reliable revenue or margin data from the business.
What should the report include?
- The campaign period, target areas, quantity and response method.
- The costs included in the calculation.
- The number of responses captured through the agreed path.
- Qualified-enquiry and customer outcomes where the business can verify them.
- Known gaps, including responses received through other numbers or channels.
- The next decision the evidence supports, such as repeating, changing or stopping the campaign.
Plan the measurement before the print run
Measurement added after printing cannot change the response path already on the flyer. Start with the target areas, approximate quantity, artwork status, preferred timing and the decision you want the data to support.
Review Gibson's Sydney letterbox campaign method, or send a contextual campaign brief so the distribution and optional call-tracking scope can be confirmed together.
Frequently asked questions
Can you measure the ROI of a letterbox drop?
You can measure the enquiries that use an agreed response path, such as a campaign phone number or campaign landing page. That does not prove every sale came from the drop, and it does not measure people who respond through an untracked path. Define the response method before artwork is printed and record the limitations in the campaign plan.
How does a tracked number work on a letterbox flyer?
When Gibson call tracking is included, the flyer can show a campaign number that forwards to the business as agreed. Calls to that number can be reported against the campaign. The available fields depend on the agreed tracking setup and do not include a reliable caller suburb inferred from mobile cell-tower data.
Do I need a different tracked number for every suburb?
A single campaign number can measure calls to the whole drop, but it cannot by itself identify which delivery area produced each call. Suburb or area comparisons require a number, artwork, landing page or distribution-wave structure agreed before printing. Gibson confirms whether that extra setup is practical for the campaign.
Does standard letterbox distribution include call tracking?
No. Call attribution is available only when Gibson call tracking is included in the agreed service. A distribution-only campaign receives the operational updates and oversight stated in its written plan, but it does not produce Gibson call-attribution data.
How does Gibson oversee the physical distribution?
A regional supervisor emails the client when distribution starts and finishes and conducts spot checks during the drop. Delivery inspection photos are available on request. This sampled operational oversight is separate from response measurement and is not continuous GPS or real-time monitoring of every letterbox.
