Define Success Before You Spend: The Right Window + The Right Decision Zones.
Expectation prevents false failures. It sets the correct attribution lookback window based on Intention — and defines Scale / Chill / Kill zones so your team can act without debating.
When You Use the Wrong Window, You Kill the Right Campaigns
New customer acquisition often converts slower than retargeting
If you judge NCA or TOF campaigns through a 7-day lens, you create false negatives — then you cut the spend that was building future customers.
At the same time, when there are no clear decision thresholds, teams argue endlessly:
“Should we increase budget?”
“Is this working?”
“How long do we wait?”
“Is this working?”
“How long do we wait?”
“Without a time window and decision boundaries, your data has no context.”
Expectation =
The Correct Attribution Window + Scale / Chill / Kill Zones
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A) Set the Correct Attribution Lookback Window (Based on Intention)
Recommended windows:
New Customer Acquisition
30 days
Top of Funnel Cold Traffic
30 days
Retargeting / Bottom of Funnel
7 days
Why this matters:
TOF and NCA performance shows up later. BOF shows up fast. Using the wrong window guarantees the wrong decision.
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B) Define Your Scale / Chill / Kill Zones (Based on the North Star KPI)
How zones work:
Chill Zone: acceptable band for the KPI
Scale Zone: better than chill (increase budget)
Kill Zone: worse than chill (diagnose; fix or stop)
Example (If Chill Zone for nCAC is $40–$50):
Scale Zone: nCAC below $40
Chill Zone: nCAC $40–$50
Kill Zone: nCAC above $50 (diagnose or stop)
“If your KPI doesn’t match the job, your reporting becomes a trap.”
The Expectation Alignment Loop
Expectation isn’t guessing — it’s the structure that keeps measurement honest.
Expectation
Window
KPI
Zones
Decision
Outcome
When Expectation Matches Reality, Confidence Returns
“Wicked is bigger than just attribution — it’s a business intelligence tool. We walk into exec presentations knowing the five to ten metrics most teams can’t answer.”
DENIS MELNIK
Head of Paid Media, OneCore Media
Why Expectation
Changes Everything
Predictable outcomes by campaign type
Correct lookback windows prevent false negatives
Zones eliminate indecision
Protects prospecting + NCA from BOF bias
Makes weekly decisions faster and defensible
Set Better Expectations. Get Better Results.
