Reporting
Poplar uses a last-touch attribution model. Once your order data is shared, the platform matches mail recipients to the orders that follow and credits each order to the most recent mail piece that recipient received within the attribution window. This order matching is how your Shared Mail impact is measured, and it replaces the manual matchback file you may have received in the past.
Reports update on roughly a 24 hour delay as data flows in. If a setting such as the attribution window changes after a campaign is live, the report takes some time to refresh.
The Attribution Window
The attribution window is the length of time after a mailing lands in home during which an order can be credited to the campaign. Poplar uses a 90-day window by default, which is the direct mail industry standard, with a minimum of 30 days recommended.
As a rule of thumb, roughly 60% to 70% of orders happen in the first 30 days, 20 to 30 percent in the next 30 days, and around 10% in the final 30 days. Results may begin to populate before the window closes, but because those numbers are incomplete, it is best to wait until the window has fully passed before judging performance. To adjust your attribution window, contact your Account Manager.
In-home Dates & The Reporting Window
In-home dates are based on when the first mailing of a creative is delivered. The reporting window is separate from the attribution window: it lets you choose a date range to view mailings that were in home during that period, while the matchback always includes all available transaction data.
Reading the Results Tab
Open a campaign and select Results. If your order data is being shared, this page shows a detailed attribution analysis broken down by each audience and creative mailed. You can hover over the information icon next to a metric to see its description. Use the Matchback View to switch the dashboard to first-time orders.
You can download a record of raw matches at both the campaign and account level. Because reporting follows a last-touch model across campaigns, the matched mail piece may not always be the last one a customer received. The order_id column lets you trace any attribution back to a specific order. For Shared Mail campaigns, the raw match file also includes an envelope type field, which identifies the shared envelope your offer was mailed in.
Metrics Glossary
These are the core attributed metrics in your Shared Mail Results reporting:
Mailed
The number of mailings sent. Excludes suppressions, exceptions, and holdouts.
Spend
The total billable for the mailings sent. Reported as part of the mailed group.
Orders
The total number of orders attributed to the campaign or mailing.
Revenue
Total revenue from orders attributed to the campaign or mailing.
AOV
Average Order Value - The average value of all orders attributed to the campaign or mailing.
CPO
Cost Per Order - Total spend divided by number of orders.
ROAS
Return on Ad Spend - Revenue from attributed orders divided by spend
Response Rate
The percentage of mailings in the reporting window that resulted in an order within the attribution window.
First-time order metrics are available through the separate Matchback View described above.
A note on delivery scans: Mailing status comes directly from USPS. Because of how USPS collects scan data, a small percentage of mailers may never receive a delivery scan. This is normal, and Poplar still assumes successful delivery.
What's Different for Shared Mail
If you have used standalone/batched direct mail, the way you read results is largely the same. A few things read differently for Shared Mail, summarized below and explained underneath.
Your mail piece
Your own dedicated mail piece
Your offer shares an envelope with other advertisers; reports label the campaign type as Shared and include an envelope type
Where results come from
Viewed in the platform
Now viewed in the platform, replacing the matchback report you received by email or spreadsheet
Order matching
Last-touch order matching
Same last-touch order matching
Holdouts and lift
Optional holdout to measure incremental lift
Reporting centers on attributed results; lift metrics appear only when a holdout is in place
Standalone/batched results appear in Poplar only once you include your own order data; last-touch matching applies after that data is added. Your Shared Mail results, by contrast, are already in Poplar for you to view.
Your Offer Shares an Envelope
Shared Mail means your offer is mailed alongside other advertisers in a shared envelope, rather than in your own dedicated piece. In your raw match download, the campaign type shows as Shared and an envelope type field identifies which shared envelope your offer was part of. This does not change how your orders, revenue, or ROAS are calculated. It is simply additional context about how the mail went out.
From Matchback Emails to In-platform Results
Previously, your Shared Mail results were delivered as a matchback report, often by email or spreadsheet, and walked through with your Account Manager. Those same numbers now live in Poplar, so you can log in and read them whenever you want. Your Account Manager is still there to talk through the results with you, but you no longer have to wait for a file to be sent over.
Holdouts, Incremental Lift & Projections
The core metrics you read for Shared Mail, including conversions, revenue, ROAS, CPO, and response rate, are calculated the same way as for any Poplar campaign. The difference is in incremental measurement. Incremental lift metrics, such as Orders Lift and Incremental ROAS, depend on a holdout group, and they appear in a report only when a holdout was in place. Shared Mail reporting focuses on attributed results, and incrementality projections are not provided for Shared Mail campaigns.
It can be challenging to accurately project holdout orders/final incremental results, as these results can change due to external factors that do not have anything to do with the mailing itself (i.e. increase in marketing on other channels, emails, sales, etc.). Given this, SLM recommends partners to look at projected pure results and incremental results at the time of the analysis. If you have questions about lift or holdouts for your account, your Account Manager can walk through what applies to you.
Support
Your Account Manager is your first point of contact for questions about your Shared Mail campaigns, results, or account settings. For general platform support you can also reach the Poplar team by email.
Account questions and results review: your dedicated Account Manager
Platform support: support@heypoplar.com
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