Foot traffic and sample counts are a starting point, not the finish line. The more useful questions are about depth of engagement: how long someone interacted, whether they took an action, and whether that action was trackable.
Where possible, tie activation data to downstream behavior — coupon redemption, app downloads, loyalty sign-ups — so the campaign's real-world touchpoint connects to a measurable outcome, not just an attendance count.
Qualitative signal matters too. Staff on the ground often see reactions and friction points that a dashboard won't capture, and that feedback should feed back into the campaign in near real time, not just a post-mortem report.
A good measurement framework is designed before the campaign launches, alongside the creative and the logistics plan — not assembled afterward from whatever data happened to be collected.