By Craig Morris, ParcelPush. Last updated 11 November 2026.
You measure a parcel insert campaign the way you'd measure any direct response channel, with one extra step when TV is on air. Count the inserts that actually went out in parcels, give the parcel its own codes, landing page and affiliate tracking, and read the result against what a new customer is worth to you. Then accept that the codes will undercount while your TV is running, and set up a simple holdout by region or retailer category so you can see the lift the codes miss.
I'm Craig Morris, co-founder of ParcelPush. Black Friday and the Christmas run are a few weeks away, when everything is on air at once and attribution gets messy. My standing advice to planners is to use a dedicated QR code on a tear-away card that leads to its own UTM-tagged landing page, so every click from the ParcelAds campaign shows up in Google Analytics, the affiliate program's report, or both. This is how I'd set up the measurement on a ParcelAd campaign if I were on the agency side.
Start with the right number at the bottom of the sum
The denominator is inserts delivered, not inserts printed. A ParcelAd campaign runs as a flight over several weeks, so on any given day some of your print run is still in a warehouse.
Each week we send the number of inserts delivered, and you get a final report at the end. Set your weekly responses against that figure, not against the print order.
Give the parcel its own tracking, and more than one kind
Every ParcelAd should be tracked, and the tracking is printed on the flyer, so it has to be decided before anything goes to print. I'd use at least two of these:
- A unique promo code, ideally one per retailer or category. Running the same flyer through two retailers with different codes is the most common test we run, and it tells you where to put the next 50,000.
- A short landing page that's easy to type on a phone, like yourbrand.com.au/box.
- A QR code with UTM tags, for example utm_source=parcelads and utm_medium=print, so the visits land in your analytics with a clear label.
- A tracked phone number if your sales close on the phone.
- An email or sign-up form on the landing page, so you can count leads from people who aren't ready to redeem yet.
Put together, that gives you a funnel you can actually read: inserts delivered, then visits, then leads, then redemptions. Low visits point to the flyer; low redemptions point to the offer or landing page. Our older post on best practice ParcelAd tracking has more setup tips.
Plug it into your affiliate platform
If you already run a program on Impact.com, Commission Factory or AWIN, use it. We're registered with all three, so a conversion from a printed flyer can be tracked in your own program, the same as any other partner.
This matters more on our hybrid model, where you pay a reduced $99 CPM plus your best affiliate CPA as a success fee, instead of the standard $149 CPM plus GST. The success fee is only as good as the tracking behind it. Before launch, check how your program handles a customer who redeems a parcel code and then also touches a coupon or cashback site. Agree up front which one gets the credit.
Why codes undercount when TV is on air
When a TV or BVOD burst is running, some people open the parcel, see the flyer, remember the ad, and go straight to your website or search for your brand. They become customers without ever typing the code.
So I treat code redemptions as the floor, not the full number. Three things get you closer to the truth:
- Ask new customers where they heard about you, and include an option like "a flyer in my online order".
- Make the code worth using. A clear dollar value gets typed in more often than a vague discount. Food and subscription brands in our network often use $50 to $100 vouchers with unique codes.
- Watch branded search and direct traffic in the flight weeks against the weeks before.
Run a holdout so you can see the lift
If you want a cleaner read on what the parcel adds on top of TV, hold some of the market back. We can target by geographic region, and by postcode where there's capacity in the network, as well as by retailer category.
Keep your national TV the same everywhere. Run ParcelAds in some regions and leave matched regions without them, then compare new customers per household across the two over the flight and the weeks after. Change only one thing, or you'll see a difference without knowing why.
Size matters here too. We recommend at least 10,000 inserts for a first test so the results mean something. If you're splitting a test into cells, make sure each cell is big enough to read on its own.
Leave room for the tail
Parcel responses don't all arrive in week one. We recommend offers stay valid for at least three months, with at least two to three weeks left after the last inserts leave the warehouses.
So don't call the result while the flight is still going out, and keep the code live long enough to count the late redemptions.
Judge it on what a customer is worth
For subscription and recurring revenue brands, cost per acquisition isn't the whole story. A cheap sign-up who cancels after the free month is worth less than a dearer one who stays for years.
If you can, tag parcel-acquired customers in your CRM and check their retention at three and six months next to your other channels. That's the number I'd take into the next planning round. Our post on where parcel inserts fit in a national TV-led media plan covers the planning side, and 5 lessons learned in Australian insert marketing covers offers and testing. For the school-book window specifically, see back-to-school advertising in school book parcels.
A timing note for Christmas
Capacity is limited in the weeks before Christmas, so book early. Design and print normally take 3 to 7 working days, so settle the codes, landing pages and any holdout regions in the brief. The same timing applies to reaching parents in school book parcels between November and January.
Questions planners ask about measuring parcel inserts
How do you measure the ROI of parcel insert advertising?
Track every response with a unique promo code, a landing page, a QR code with UTM tags, a tracked phone number or your affiliate platform, and set it against the number of inserts delivered. Then compare the cost per acquisition with what a new customer is worth over time, not just their first order.
Can parcel inserts be tracked through Impact, Commission Factory or AWIN?
Yes. ParcelPush is registered with Impact.com, Commission Factory and AWIN, so conversions from printed ParcelAds are tracked in the advertiser's own affiliate program. ParcelPush also offers a hybrid model of a $99 CPM plus the advertiser's best affiliate CPA.
Why do promo code redemptions undercount when TV is running?
Because some people see the flyer, remember the TV ad and go straight to the website or search for the brand without using the code. Treat code redemptions as the minimum, and add a "where did you hear about us" question and a regional holdout to see the full effect.
How do I run a holdout test for parcel inserts?
Keep TV the same nationally, run ParcelAds in some regions or postcodes and not in matched regions, then compare new customers per household between the two. ParcelPush can target by region, by postcode where capacity allows, and by retailer category. Change only one thing at a time.
How long should I wait before judging a parcel insert campaign?
Wait until the flight has finished and the late redemptions are in. ParcelPush recommends offers stay valid for at least three months, with two to three weeks left after the last inserts leave the warehouses, and sends weekly delivery figures plus a final report.
Set up the measurement with me
If you're planning a Christmas, summer or early 2027 campaign and want to get the tracking right before anything is printed, call me on 0418 812 565 (office 1300 436 806) or email craig@parcelpush.com.au. You can read more on our page for advertisers, our page for media agencies and our FAQ, or book a free 30-minute video call with us.