The post-campaign wrap report: a checklist

A wrap report that only lists what went right isn't a report. It's a brochure. Post-campaign analysis is the review of what a campaign delivered, what changed as a result and what the team should do differently next time. A useful wrap report follows a consistent structure, measures against a comparison, and states its limits plainly. That consistency is what makes reports comparable from one campaign to the next.

Here's a checklist for building one.

What should a wrap report include?

A standard sequence works for most in-store campaigns:

1. The objective and primary measure, as agreed before launch.
2. Delivery: stores, screens, dates, plays or impressions, and any shortfalls.
3. The comparison: which stores served as controls and how they were matched.
4. Results on the primary measure, with a range.
5. Secondary results, labeled as secondary.
6. What else happened during the flight that could affect results.
7. Limits of the analysis.
8. Recommendations for next time.

Each item earns its place. Leaving one out usually means the reader will ask about it later.

Why does delivery come before results?

Because results depend on it. If a campaign ran in fewer stores than planned, or some screens were down for part of the flight, the outcome measures reflect a smaller campaign than the one booked. Readers need that context before they see results.

Delivery also affects fairness. If the advertised group had gaps, comparing it with a full control group understates the campaign. Noting delivery issues lets readers adjust their interpretation.

It helps to show delivery by market or store group as well as in total. A campaign that delivered fully in most markets and poorly in one should be read differently from one that under-delivered evenly.

How should results be presented?

Against the comparison, always. Sales in advertised stores are meaningless alone. The difference between advertised and similar unadvertised stores, over the same period, is the result. Store-level scan data, like the data analyzed by NRS Insights, is the kind of source that supports that comparison.

With a range. Store sales vary, so the estimated effect has uncertainty. A range shows how confident the team can be.

In units and dollars. Both are useful, and they can tell different stories if prices changed.

Including the weeks after. A campaign that pulled sales forward may show a dip afterward. Including a few post-flight weeks captures that.

What belongs in the caveats section?

Anything that could have affected results besides the campaign. Promotions, price changes, distribution changes, competitor activity, weather, holidays. Name them, and say whether they affected advertised and comparison stores differently.

Limits of the data. What the data can and can't show. For example, store-level data shows what sold, not who bought it.

Size of the test. If the campaign ran in few stores, results are less certain. Say so.

A strong caveats section builds trust. Readers who see limits stated plainly are more likely to believe the results.

How should recommendations be written?

Specifically, and tied to evidence. "Extend to similar stores in the next quarter, keeping a comparison group" is actionable. "Continue to build on this success" isn't.

Include what not to do. If a creative version or a set of stores underperformed, say so. That's often the most useful finding.

Keep the list short. Three or four specific actions, each tied to a finding in the report, are more likely to be acted on than a long list.

And note what to test next. Every campaign raises questions. Listing them keeps the learning going. The general structure of an advertising campaign includes review as a standard phase. To discuss wrap reporting for a campaign, contact the NRS Digital Media team, or see the NRS Digital Media site.