Print Advertising Glossary
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Accumulative audience. See Cumulative audience.
Across the board. A program that is broadcast at the same timeperiod every day (see Strip).
Adjacency. A program or a commercial announcement that is adjacent to another either preceding or following, on the same station.
Affiliate. A broadcast station that grants a network an option ofspecific times for broadcasting network programming in return for compensation.
Agate line. Newspaper advertising space one column wide by one-fourteenth of an inch deep; often referred to simply as "line"; somewhat obsolete because most newspapers now use "column inch"measurements of advertising space, especially for national adver-tising.
Agency commission. Usually 15 percent, allowed to advertising agencies by media on the agencies' purchase of media space or time.
Agency of record. Advertising agency that coordinates an advertiser's promotion of several products handled by more than a single agency (see Blanket contract).
Agency recognition. Acknowledgment by media owners that certain advertising agencies are good credit risks and/or fulfill certain requirements, thus qualifying for a commission.
Air check. Recording a broadcast to serve as an archival or file copy.
Allotment. The number and type of outdoor posters in a showing (see howing).
Alternate sponsorship. Two advertisers who sponsor a single program-one advertiser
sponsors one week and the other sponsors the alternate
week (see Crossplugs).
Announcement. An advertising message that is broadcast between programs (see Station break, Participation, Billboard), or an advertisement within a syndicated program or feature film; any broadcast commercial regardless of time length, within or between programs, that presents an advertiser's message or a public service message.
American Research Bureau (ARB). One of several national firms engaged in radio and television research; the founder of Arbitron ratings.
Annual rebate. See Rebate.
Area of Dominant Influence (ADI). Arbitron measurement area that comprises those counties in which stations of a single originating market account for a greater share of the viewing households than those from any other market; similar to Nielsen's Designated Market Area.
Audience. Persons who receive an advertisement; individuals who read a newspaper or magazine, listen to a radio broadcast, view a television broadcast, and so on.
Audience accumulation. The total number of different persons or households exposed to a single media vehicle over a period of time (see Cumulative audience).
Audience composition. Audience analysis expressed in demographic
terms or other characteristics.
Audience duplication. Those persons or households who see an advertisement more than once in a single media vehicle or in a combination of vehicles.
Audience flow. The movement of a broadcast audience's attention from one station to another when the program changes, measured against the audience that stays tuned to the same station or network to view the new program (see Holdover audience).
Audience profile. The minute-by-minute viewing pattern for a program; a description of the characteristics of the people who are exposed to a medium or vehicle (see Profile).
Audience turnover. That part of a broadcast audience that changes over time (see Audience flow).
Audimeter. A.C. Nielsen Company's automatic device attached to radio or television receiving sets that records usage and station information (see People meter).
Availability. A broadcast time period that is open for reservation by an advertiser in response to an advertiser's or agency's initial inquiry (slang "avail").
Average audience. The number of broadcast homes that are tuned in for an average minute of a broadcast.
Average exposure. The average (mean) number of times that each audience member has been exposed to an advertisement.
Average net paid circulation. Average (mean) number of copies that apublication distributes per issue.
Back to back. Two broadcast programs or commercials in succession rate. See Open rate.
Barter. An advertising medium that sells time or space in return for merchandise or other nonmonetary returns: also a television programming offer in which a station is offered a syndicated program in exchange for commercial positions within the program.
Billboard. An outdoor poster: cast and production information that follows a broadcast program: a six-second radio commercial; a shortcommercial announcement, usually eight or ten seconds in length, announcing the name of the sponsor, at the start and close of a program.
Billing. The value of advertising that is handled by an advertisingagency on behalf of its clients (often called "billings"); the pro of issuing invoices for media space and time that have been purchased.
Blanket contract. A special rate or discount that is granted by an advertising medium to an advertiser who promotes several products or services through more than one agency.
Bleed. Printing to the edge of the page, with no margin or border.Block. consecutive broadcast time periods.
Booking. Scheduling a broadcast program or commercialBrand Development Index (BDI). A comparative measure of a brand's sales in one market, compared with other markets, used to decide the relative sales value of one market versus another (see Category Development Index).
Break. Time available for purchase between two broadcast programs or between segments of a single program.
Broadcast Advertisers Report (BAR). A commercial broadcast monitoringservice that is available on a network and market-by-market basis.
Bulk discount. A discount offered by media for quantity buys (se Quantity discount).
Bulk rate. See Bulk discount.
Business card. A small print advertisement, announcing a business, that does not change over time (see Rate holder).
Business paper. A publication that is intended for business or professional interests.
Buy. The process of negotiating, ordering, and confirming the selection of a media vehicle and unit; as a noun, the advertising that is purchased from a vehicle.
Buyer. See Media buyer and Media planner.
Buying service. A company primarily engaged in the purchase of media for advertising purposes; it supplants part of the advertising media function; also called "media buying specialist" or "time/space buyiong specialist/service."
Buy sheet. The form used by a media buyer to keep track of the data on a media selection "buy."
Call letters. The letters that identify a station; for example, WBZ-TV.
Campaign. A specific coordinated advertising effort on behalf of a particular product or service that extends for a specified periodof time.
Car card. Transit advertisement in or on a bus, subway, or commuter train car.
Card rate. The cost of time or space on a rate card.
Carryover effect. The residual level of awareness or recall after a flight or campaign period, used to plan the timing of schedules.
Cash discount. A discount, usually 2 percent, by media to advertisers who pay promptly.
Category Development Index (CDI). A comparative market-by-market measure of a market's total sales of all brands of a single product category, used to evaluate the sales potential of a market for a product category or a brand (see Brand Development Index).
CC. The conclusion of a broadcast; for example, this program runs 11:30 p.m.-CC.
Center spread. An advertisement appearing on two facing pages printed on a single sheet in the center of a publication (see Double Truck).
Chain. A broadcast network; also, a newspaper or magazine group of single ownership or control.
Chain break (CB). The time during which a network allows a station to identify itself; usually a 20-second spot (slang "twenty"); now often a 30-second spot plus a ten-second spot, with 20 seconds remaining for identification.
Checking. The process of confirming whether an advertisement actually appeared.
Checking copy. A copy of a publication that is supplied by the medium to show that an advertisement appeared as specified.
Circulation. In print, the number of copies distributed; in broad-
cast, the number of households within a signal area that have re-
ceiving sets; in outdoor, the number of people who have a reason-
able opportunity to see a billboard.
City zone. A central city and the contiguous areas that cannot be
distinguished from it.
City zone circulation. The number of newspapers that are distributed
within a city, rather than in outlying areas.
Classified advertising. Advertising that is set in small type and
arranged according to categories or interests.
Classified display advertising. Classified advertising of a larger
size than most other classified advertising, possibly with headlines,
illustrations, and so on; classified advertising with some of the
characteristics of display advertising (see Display advertising).
Class magazines. Special-interest magazines with desirable upscale
audiences.
Clearance. Coverage of national television households by the number
of stations (or markets) accepting a network program for airing;
also, gaining available time on stations to carry a program or com-
mercial.
Clear time. The process of reserving time or time periods with a
station or network; checking on available advertising time.
Clipping bureau. An organization that aids in checking print adver-
tising by clipping the advertisements from print media.
Closing date. The final deadline set by print media for advertising
material to appear in a certain issue: in broadcast, the term
"closing hour" may be used.
Closure. A sale resulting from following up on an inquiry from dir-
ect mail advertising.
Column inch. Publication space that is one column wide by one-inch
high, used as a measure of advertising space.
Combination rate. A special discounted advertising rate for buying
space in two or more publications owned by the same interests.
Commercial impressions. The total audience, including duplication,
for all commercial announcements in an advertiser's schedule (see
Gross impressions).
Confirmation. A broadcast media statement that a specific time is
still open for purchase by an advertiser who is preparing a broad-
cast advertising schedule.
Consumer profile. A demographic description of the people or house-
holds that are prospects for a product or service (see Target group).
Contiguity rate. A reduced broadcast advertising rate for sponsoring
two or more programs in succession; for example, an advertiser par-
ticipating in two programs running from 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., and
then 7:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., may qualify for a contiguity rate.
Controlled circulation. Circulation that is limited to persons who
qualify to receive a publication; often distributed free to quali-
fied persons.
Cooperative advertising. Retail advertising that is paid partly or
fully by a manufacturer; two or more manufacturers cooperating in a
single advertisement (slang "co-op").
Cooperative announcement. Commercial time in network programs that
is made available to stations for sale to local or national adver-
tisers.
Cooperative program. A network broadcast that is also sold on a
local basis and sponsored by both national and local advertisers; for
example, "The Tonight Show" (see Network cooperative program).
Corporate discounting. Incentives offered to advertisers with numer-
ous brands of products; all of the corporation's advertising sched-
ules are combined for a larger discount level.
Cost per rating point (CPR). The figure indicates the dollar cost
of advertising exposure to one percentage point of the target group,
audience, or population (see Rating point).
Cost per thousand (CPM). A dollar comparison that shows the relative
cost of various media or vehicles; the figure indicates the dollar
cost of advertising exposure to a thousand households or individuals.
Cost per thousand per commercial minute (CPM/PCM). The cost per
thousand of a minute of broadcast advertising time.
Coverage. The number or percentage of individuals or households
that are exposed to a medium or to an advertising campaign.
Cover position. An advertisement on the cover of a publication,
often at a premium cost; first cover=outside front cover; second
cover=inside front cover; third cover=inside back cover; fourth
cover=outside back cover.
Cowcatcher. A brief commercial announcement at the beginning of a
broadcast program.
Crossplugs. In alternating sponsorships, permitting each advertiser
to insert one announcement into the program during the weeks when
the other advertiser is the sponsor, maintaining weekly exposure
for both (see Alternate sponsorship).
Cumulative audience. Cumulative broadcast rating; the net undupli-
cated audience of a station or network during two or more time
periods; also used to describe how many different households or
people are reached by an advertising schedule (also called "accum-
ulative audience," "net audience," and "unduplicated audience");
technically, a cumulative audience is those persons who were ex-
posed to any insertion of an advertisement in multiple editions of
a single vehicle, whereas an unduplicated audience is those persons
who were exposed to any insertion of an advertisement in a combinat-
ion of vehicles or media, counting each person only once (slang
"cume").
Cumulative reach. The number of different households that are ex-
posed to a medium or campaign during a specific time.
Cut-in. The insertion of a local commercial announcement into a net-
work or recorded program.
Dayparts. Specific segments of the broadcast day; for example, day-
time, early fringe, prime time, late fringe, late night.
Deadline. The final date for accepting advertising material to meet
a publication or broadcast schedule (see Closing date).
Dealer imprint. Inserting a local dealer's identification into nat-
ionally prepared advertising.
Dealer tie-in. A manufacturer's announcement that lists local deal-
ers; not the same as "co-op."
Delayed broadcast (DB). A local station broadcasting a network pro-
gram at a time other than its regularly scheduled network time.
Delivery. The ability to reach or communicate with a certain aud-
ience or number of people by using a particular advertising schedule;
the physical delivery of a publication.
Demographic characteristics. The population characteristics of a
group or audience.
Designated Market Area (DMA). A term used by the A.C. Nielsen Com-
pany; an area based on those counties in which stations of the orig-
inating market account for a greater share of the viewing households
than those from any other area (see ADI); for example, Lake County,
Illinois, belongs to the Chicago DMA because a majority of household
viewing in Lake County is or can be ascribed to Chicago stations
rather than to stations from Milwaukee or any other market.
Digest unit. See Junior unit.
Direct advertising. Advertising that is under complete control of
the advertiser, rather than through some established medium; for
example, direct mail or free sampling.
Direct mail advertising. Advertising sent by mail; also used to
describe advertising in other media that solicits orders directly
through the mail.
Direct marketing. Sales made directly to the customer, rather than
through intermediaries or intervening channels: includes direct
mail, direct advertising, telemarketing, and so forth.
Directory advertising. Advertising that appears in a buying guide
or directory; advertisements in a store directory: for example,
Yellow Pages advertising.
Display advertising. Print advertising that is intended to attract
attention and communicate easily through the use of space, illus-
trations, layout, headline, and so on, as opposed to classified
advertising.
Display classified advertising. See Classified display advertising.
Double spotting. See Piggyback.
Double spread. See Two-page spread.
Double truck. Slang term for a print advertisement that uses two full
pages side-by-side, but not necessarily the two center pages, usu-
ally for a magazine advertisement (see Center spread and Two-page
spread).
Drive time. Radio broadcast time during morning and evening commuter
rush hours.
Earned rate. The advertising rate that is actually paid by the ad-
vertiser after discounts and other calculations.
Effective frequency. Level or range of audience exposure that pro-
vides what an advertiser considers to be the minimal effective level,
and no more than this optimal level or range; also called "effective
reach."
Effective reach. See Effective frequency.
Facing. A billboard location with the panels facing the same dir-
ection and visible to the same lines of traffic.
Fixed rate. An advertising rate for advertising time that cannot
be taken away or "preempted" by another advertiser; usually the
highest advertising rate; commonly used in broadcast advertising.
Flat rate. A print advertising rate that is not subject to discount.
Flight (flight saturation). Concentrating advertising within a short
time period; an advertising campaign that runs for a specified num-
ber of weeks, followed by a period of inactivity (see Hiatus), after
which the campaign may resume with another flight.
Floating time. See Run of schedule.
Forced combination. A policy to require newspaper advertisers to
buy advertising space in both morning and evening newspapers owned
by the same interests within a market.
Forcing distribution. Using advertising to increase consumer demand,
thereby inducing dealers to stock a product; seldom used not.
Fractional page. Print advertising space of less than a full page.
Fractional showing. An outdoor advertising showing of less than
25 (see Showing).
Free circulation. A publication sent without charge; often with con-
trolled circulation.
Frequency. The number of times that an average audience member sees
or hears an advertisement; the number of times that an individual
or household is exposed to an advertisement or campaign (frequency
of exposure); the number of times that an advertisement is run
(frequency of insertion).
Frequency discount. A reduced advertising rate that is offered by
media to advertisers who run a certain number of advertisements
within a given time.
Fringe time. Broadcast time periods preceding or following prime
time; television time between daytime and prime time is called
"early fringe" and television time immediately following prime time
is called "late fringe."
Full run. One transit advertising car card in every transit bus or
car.
Full showing. The number of outdoor posters that are needed to reach
all of the mobile population in a market at least once within a
30-day period (see Gross rating points); also called a 100 showing
(see Showing).
General magazine. A consumer magazine that is not aimed at a special
interest audience.
Giveaway. A free offer; a broadcast program that offers free gifts
as prized.
Grid card. Spot broadcast advertising rates that are set in a matrix
format to allow a station to set rates based on current audience
ratings and advertiser buying demand; for example,
60-sec.30/20 sec. 10 sec.
A$250 $175 $125
B 245 172 123
C 240 170 121
D 230 165 120
Gross audience. The total number of households or people who are
"delivered" or reached by an advertising schedule, without regard
to
any possible duplication that may occur; also called "total aud-
ience."
Gross billing. The cost of advertising at the highest advertising
rate; the total value of an advertising agency's space and time
dealings (see Billing).
Gross impressions. The total number of persons or the total number
of audience impressions delivered by an advertising schedule (see
Gross audience).
Gross rate. The highest possible rate for advertising time or space.
Gross rating points (GRPs). The total number of broadcast rating
points delivered by an advertiser's television schedule, usually
in a one-week period; an indicator of the combined audience per-
centage reach and exposure frequency achieved by an advertising
schedule; in outdoor, a standard audience level upon which some
markets' advertising rates are based.
Gutter. The inside page margins where a publication is bound.
Half run. Transit advertising car cards in half the buses or transit
cars of a system.
Half showing. A 50 outdoor showing (see Showing).
Head of household. The person within a family or household who is
responsible for the major purchase decisions; sometimes, a male head
and female head of household are considered separately.
Hiatus. A period during a campaign when an advertiser's schedule is
suspended for a time, after which it resumes.
Hitchhiker. A broadcast advertising announcement at the end of a
program that promotes another product from the same advertiser.
Holdover audience. Those persons tuned to a program who stay tuned
to that station or network for the following program.
Horizontal cume. The total number of different people who were tuned
to a broadcast station or network at the same time on different days
of the week.
Horizontal publication. A business or trade publication that is of
interest at one level or to one job function in a variety of bus-
inesses or fields.
House agency. An advertising agency that is owned or controlled by
an advertiser.
Households using radio (HUR). See Sets in use.
Households using television (HUT). See Sets in use.
House organ. A company's own publication.
Identification (ID). A spot television commercial eight to ten sec-
onds in length, during a station break; the last two seconds of the
visual time may be reserved for showing the station call letters
("station identification"); a ten-second broadcast commercial an-
nouncement, sometimes referred to as a "ten."
Impact. The degree to which an advertisement or campaign affects
its audience; the amount of space (full-page, half-page, etc.) or
of time (60-second, 30-second, etc.) that is purchased, as
opposed to reach and frequency measures; also, the use of color,
large type, powerful messages, or other devices that may induce
audience reaction (see Unit).
Independent station. A broadcast station that is not affiliated
with a network.
Index. A numerical value that is assigned to quantitative data for
ease of comparison.
Individual location. An outdoor location that has room only for one
billboard.
Insert. An advertisement that is enclosed with bills or letters; a
one-page or multi-page print advertisement that is distributed with
the publication and may or may not be bound into it.
Insertion order. A statement from an advertising agency to a media
vehicle that accompanies the advertisement copy and indicates spec-
ifications for the advertisement.
Integrated commercial. A broadcast advertising message that is de-
livered as part of the entertainment portion of a program.
Island position. A print advertisement that is surrounded by edit-
orial material; a print advertisement that is not adjacent to any
other advertising; a broadcast commercial that is scheduled away
from any other commercial, with program content before and after;
often at premium advertising rates.
Isolated 30. A 30-second broadcast commercial that runs by itself
and not in combination with any other announcement; usually found
only on network television.
Junior unit. Permitting an advertiser to run a print advertisement
prepared for a small page size in a publication with a larger page
size, with editorial matter around it in the extra space; similarly,
using a Reader's Digest-size advertising page in a larger magazine
is usually called a "Digest unit."
Key. A code in an advertisement to facilitate tracing which adver-
tisement produced an inquiry or order.
Ladies of the House (LOH). A term used by A.C. Nielsen Company in
some of its reports, referring to female heads of households.
Life. The length of time during which an advertisement is used;
the length of time during which an advertisement is judged still to
be effective; the length of time that a publication is retained by
its audience.
Life-style profiles. Classifying media audiences on the basis of
career, recreation, and/or leisure patterns or motives.
Linage. In print, the number of agate lines to be used for an ad-
vertisement or for a series of advertisements, now made somewhat
obsolete by the declining use of agate-line measurements (see
Agate line).
Line rate. The print advertising rate that is established by the
number of agate lines of space used; somewhat obsolete because of
the declining use of agate-line space measurements.
List broker. An agent who prepares and rents the use of mailing
lists.
Local rate. An advertising rate offered by media to local adver-
tisers that is lower than the rate offered to national advertisers.
Log. A broadcast station's record of its programming.
M. 1,000.
Magazine concept. Buying a certain number of broadcast announcements
from a station with a certain guaranteed audience level, without
selecting the specific times or programs.
Mail-order advertising. Advertisements intended to induce direct or-
dering of merchandise through the mail; the advertisements them-
selves are not necessarily distributed through the mail and may
appear in other advertising media.
Make-good. A repeat of an advertisement to compensate for an error,
omission, or technical difficulty with the publication, broadcast,
or transmission of the original.
Market. See Target market and Target group.
Market potential. The reasonable maximum market share or sales level
that a product or service can be expected to achieve.
Market profile. A geographic description of the location of prospects
for a product or service sometimes used instead of "target profile";
see Target Market and Target profile.
Market share. A company's or brand's portion of the sales of a pro-
duct or service category.
Mat service. A service to newspapers that supplies pictures and
drawings for use in advertisements; entire prepared advertisements
may be offered ("mat" is slang for "matrix").
Maximail rate. The cost of an agate line of advertising space at the
highest milline rate; somewhat obsolete as the usage of agate lines
has declined.
Media buyer. The person who is responsible for purchasing advertising
space or time; often skilled in negotiation with the media.
Media planner. The person who is responsible for determining the
proper use of advertising media to fulfill the marketing and pro-
motional objectives for a specific product or advertiser.
Merchandising. The promotion of an advertiser's products, services,
and the like to the sales force, wholesalers, and dealers, promotion
other than advertising to consumers through the use of in-store dis-
plays, guarantees, services, point-of-purchase materials, and so
forth; display and promotion of retail goods; display of a mass media
advertisement close to the point of sale.
Message distribution. Measurement of media audience by the successive
frequency of exposure, for example, saw once, saw twice, and so on.
Metropolitan area. A geographic area consisting of a central city of
50,000 population or more, plus the economically and socially inte-
grated surrounding area, as established by the federal government;
usually limited by county boundaries (slang "metro area").
Metro rating. The broadcast rating figure from within a metropolitan
area.
Milline rate. A comparison of the advertising-line rates of news-
papers with uneven circulations by calculating the line-rate-per-
million circulation; determined by multiplying the line rate by
1,000,000 and dividing by the circulation; now somewhat obsolete
because of the declining use of agate-line measurements and adver-
tising-line rates.
Minimil rate. The cost of an agate line of advertising at the low-
est possible milline rate; somewhat obsolete as the usage of agate
lines has declined.
Mood programming. Maintaining a single approach or characteristic
in broadcast programming.
Net. Money paid to a media vehicle by an advertising agency after
deducting the agency's commission (also, slang for "network").
Net unduplicated audience. The number of different people who are
reached by a single issue of two or more publications (see Cumula-
tive audience).
Network. In broadcast, a grouping of stations; an organization that
supplies programming to a group or chain of stations.
Network cooperative program. A network program with provisions for
inserting local commercials (see Cooperative program).
Network option time. Broadcast time on a station for which the net-
work has the option of selling advertising.
Newspaper syndicate. A firm that sells special material such as
features, photographs, comic strips, and cartoons, for publication
in newspapers.
Next to reading matter. A print advertising position adjacent to
news or editorial material; may be at premium rates.
Nielsen. The A.C. Nielsen Company; a firm engaged in local and
national television ratings and other marketing research.
Nielsen Station Index (NSI). A rating service for individual tele-
vision stations.
Nielsen Television Index (NTI). A national television rating ser-
vice, primarily for network programming.
No change in rate (NCR or NCIR). Used when some other format or
specification change has occurred.
O & O station. A broadcast station that is "owned and operated"
by a network.
One time only (OTO). A commercial announcement that runs only once.
One-time rate. See Open rate.
Open-end transcription. A transcribed broadcast with time for the
insertion of local commercial announcements.
Open rate. The highest advertising rate before discount can be
earned; also called "basic rate" and "one-time rate."
Overrun. Additional copies of an advertisement beyond the number
actually ordered or needed; extra copies to replace damaged out-
door posters or transit car cards.
Package. A series of broadcast programs that an advertiser may
sponsor.
Package plan discount. A spot television discount plan for buying
a certain number of spots, usually within a one-week period.
Packager. An individual or company that produces packaged program
series; also called "syndicator."
Paid circulation. The number of print copies that are purchased by
audience members.
Panel. A single outdoor billboard.
Partial showing. An outdoor showing of less than 25.
Participation. A commercial announcement within a broadcast program,
as compared with one scheduled between programs; also called "par-
ticipating announcement."
Participation program. A broadcast program with each segment spon-
sored by a different advertiser.
Pass-along readers. Readers of a publication who acquire a copy
other than by purchase or subscription (see Secondary audience).
Pay cable. Cable television programming for which the audience
must pay or subscribe.
Penetration. The percentage of households that have a broadcast
receiving set; a measure of the degree of advertising effectiveness;
the percentage of households that have been exposed to an adver-
tising campaign.
People meter. Slang for a broadcast ratings measurement device that
records individual audience members who are present during a program.
Per issue rate. A special magazine advertising rate that is deter-
mined by the number of issues that are used during the contract per-
iod; similar to a frequency discount, except not based on the number
of advertisements, but rather on the number of issues in which an
advertising campaign appears.
Piggyback. Slang for two of a sponsor's commercial announcements
that are presented back-to-back within a single commercial time seg-
ment; for example, two 30-second commercials in a 60-second time
slot; also called "double spotting."
Pilot. A sample production of a proposed broadcast program series.
Plans board. An advertising agency committee that reviews campaign
plans for clients.
Plug. A free mention of a product or service.
Point-of-purchase advertising (POP). Promotions in retail stores,
usually displays.
Position. The location of an advertisement on a page; the time
when a program or commercial announcement will run in a broadcast;
special positions may cost premium prices.
Potential audience. The maximum possible audience.
Preemptible rate. An advertising rate that is subject to cancellation
by another advertiser's paying a higher rate, usually in broadcast;
the protection period varies by station., and ranges from no notice
to two-weeks notice or more (see Fixed rate).
Preemption. Cancellation of a broadcast program for special material
or news; the right of a station or network to cancel a regular pro-
gram to run a special program; a commercial announcement that may
be replaced if another advertiser pays a higher or "fixed" rate.
Premium. An item that is offered to help promote a product or ser-
vice; a higher-cost advertising rate (see Premium price).
Premium price. A special advertising rate, usually higher, for spe-
cial positions or other considerations.
Preprint. Advertising material that is printed in advance of the reg-
ular press run, perhaps on another printing press with greater capa-
bility for color, and so forth.
Primary audience. Individuals in the print media audience who pur-
chase or subscribe to the publication (see Secondary audience).
Primary household. A household in which a publication has been sub-
scribed to or purchased.
Primary listening area. The geographic area in which a broadcast
transmission is static-free and easily received.
Primary readers. Those persons who purchase or subscribe to a pub-
lication; readers in primary households.
Prime time. The hours when viewing is at its peak on television;
usually the evening hours.
Product allocation. The various products that are assigned to spec-
ific times or locations in an advertiser's schedule, when more than
one brand is advertised; the amount of the advertising budget that
is allocated to individual products.
Product protection. A time separation between the airing of broad-
cast commercial announcements for competitive goods or services.
Profile. A term used interchangeably with "audience composition"
to
describe the demographic characteristics of audiences.
Program compatibility. Broadcast programming or editorial content
that is suitable for the product or service that is being promoted;
suitability of the advertisement or campaign theme with program
content.
Progressive proofs. A test press run of each color in the printing
process.
Projected audience. The number of audience members calculated from
a sample survey of audience size; the number of broadcast viewers,
either in total or per receiving set, based on the sample for the
rating percentages.
Publisher's statement. The certified circulation of a publication,
attested by the publisher and subject to audit.
Pulp magazine. A publication, usually printed low-quality paper,
with sensational editorial material; for example, a mystery, de-
tective, or "TV/movie" magazine.
Qualified circulation. The distribution of a publication that is
restricted to individuals who meet certain requirements; for example,
member physicians are qualified to receive the Journal of the Ameri-
can Medical Association.
Qualified reader. A person who can prove readership of a publication.
Quantity discount. A lower advertising rate for buying a certain
amount of space or time.
Quarter-run. One-fourth of the car cards that are required for a
full run in transit; a card in every fourth transit system vehicle.
Quintile. One-fifth of a group; usage in advertising often refers
to audience members who have been divided into five equal groups
(quintiles), ranging from the heaviest to the lightest media usage
levels.
Rate. A charge for advertising media space or time.
Rate book. A printed book that is designed to provide advertising
rates for several media vehicles; for example, Standard Rate and
Data Service.
Rate card. A printed listing of advertising rates for a single media
vehicle.
Rate differential. The difference between the local and the national
advertising rates in a vehicle.
Rate guarantee. Media commitment that an advertising rate will not
be increased during a certain calendar period.
Rate holder. A small print advertisement used by an advertiser to
meet contract requirements for earning a discounted advertising rate.
Rate protection. The length of time that an advertiser is guaranteed
a certain advertising rate without an increase.
Rating. The percentage of the potential broadcast audience that is
tuned to a particular station, network, or program: the audience of
a vehicle expressed as a percentage of the total population of an
area.
Rating point. A rating of one percent: one percent of the potential
audience; the sum of the ratings of multiple advertising insertions;
for example, two advertisements with a rating of 10 percent each
will total 20 rating points.
Reach. The total audience that a medium actually reaches; the size
of the audience with which a vehicle communicates; the total number
of people in an advertising media audience; the total percentage of
the target group that is actually covered by an advertising campaign.
Reader interest. An expression of interest through inquiries, cou-
pons, and so forth; the level of interest in various products.
Readership. The percent or number of persons who read a publication
or advertisement.
Reading notice. A print advertisement that is intended to resemble
editorial matter.
Rebate. A payment that is returned by the media vehicle to an adver-
tiser who has overpaid, usually because of earning a lower rate than
that originally contracted.
Reminder advertising. An advertisement, usually brief, that is in-
tended to keep the name of a product or service before the public;
often, a supplement to other advertising.
Rep. A media representative (slang for a national sales represen-
tative).
Replacement. A substitute for a broadcast commercial announcement
that did not clear the original order, that is, that was not broad-
cast as specified on the advertiser's order.
Retail trading zone (RTZ). The geographic area in which most of a
market's population makes the majority of their retail purchases.
Roadblock or roadblocking. Slang term for placing television an-
nouncements at the same time on two or more networks, or at the same
time on several stations in a single market; used as a remedy to
channel switching during a commercial break.
ROP color. Color printing that is done during the regular press run.
Run of paper (ROP). Advertising that is positioned anywhere in a pub-
lication, with no choice of a specific place for the advertisement
to appear.
Run of schedule (ROS). Broadcast commercial announcements that can
be scheduled at the station's discretion anytime; in some cases,
the advertiser can specify or request certain time periods; for ex-
ample, ROS 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday.
Satellite station. A broadcast station in a fringe reception area,
to boost the effective range of the main station's signal.
Saturation. An advertising media schedule of wide reach and high
frequency, concentrated during a time period to achieve maximum
coverage and impact (see Flight).
Scatter plan. Commercial announcements that are scheduled during a
variety of times in broadcast media; usually, the advertiser is per-
mitted to specify general time periods during which the commercials
will be scheduled; also called "scatter package."
Schedule. A list of advertisements or media to be used in a campaign;
a chart of the advertisements that have been planned.
Schedule and estimate. A data form submitted by an advertising agency
to the advertiser prior to a firm media purchase; it contains price
and audience goals and a proposed schedule.
Secondary audience. The members of a print media audience who do not
subscribe to or purchase the publication (see Pass-along readers).
Secondary listening area. The outlying area in which broadcast trans-
missions are subject to fading or static; in television, the Grade 3
signal contour.
Self-liquidating point-of-purchase. Display for which the retailer
pays part or all of the costs.
Self-liquidating premium. An item for which the cost is paid by the
customer; the price that the consumer pays covers the manufacturing
cost of the premium.
Self-mailer. A direct-mail item that is mailed without an envelope.
Sets in use. The percentage of households that have broadcast re-
ceiving sets that are operating at one time within a market area;
because many households have more than one receiving set, "house-
holds using television" and "households using radio" are the
current
common terms.
Share of audience. The percentage of sets-in-use (and thus of HUT
or of HUR) that are tuned to a particular station, network, or pro-
gram (slang "share").
Share of voice (SOV). The proportion of advertising expenditures
that are made for a brand versus competitive brands.
Shopping newspaper. A newspaper-like publication that is devoted
mainly to advertising, often distributed free to shoppers or to
households (slang "shopper").
Short rate. Money that is owed to a media vehicle by an advertiser
to offset the rate differential between the earned rate and the lower
contracted rate.
Showing. The number of outdoor posters that are necessary to reach a
certain percentage of the mobile population in a market within a
specified time; many outdoor markets are now purchased by gross
rating points (see Full showing and Gross rating points).
Sixty. Slang for a one-minute broadcast commercial announcement.
Soap opera. Slang for a continuing broadcast dramatic serial, us-
ually a daytime program.
Space buyer. The person who is responsible for purchasing advertising
in newspapers, magazine, and business publications, and sometimes
outdoor and transit (see Media buyer).
Space position value. A measure of the effectiveness of an outdoor
poster location.
Spectacular. A large outdoor lighted sign.
Split run. Testing two or more print advertisements by running each
only to a portion of the audience, usually in a single issue.
Sponsor. An advertiser who buys the exclusive right to the time
available for commercial announcements in a given broadcast program
or segment.
Spot. The purchase of broadcast slots by geographic or station break-
downs; the purchase of slots at certain times, usually during station
breaks; the term "spot" can refer to the time used for the commercial
announcement or it can refer to the announcement itself.
Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA). See Metropolitan area.
Station break. The time between broadcast programs to permit station
identification and spot announcements; slang for a 20-second broad-
cast announcement.
Station clearance. See Clear Time.
Station identification. The announcement of station call letters,
usually with broadcast frequency or channel, and station location.
Station option time. A broadcast time for which the station has
the option of selling advertising.
Station posters. Advertisements consisting of posters in transit
stations.
Strip programming. A broadcast program or commercial that is sched-
uled at the same time of day on successive days of the week, either
Monday through Friday or Monday through Sunday (see Across the
Board).
Subject to non-renewal (SNR). Commercial time that is available for
purchase if the current advertiser does not renew.
Sunday supplement. A newspaper section in magazine format; also
called "magazine supplement" or "magazine section" or simply
"sup-
plement."
Sustaining period. A period of time during an advertising campaign
when advertisements are used to remind the audience of the product
or service or of the campaign; often, a time of reduced advertising
expenditures following the introductory flight.
Sweep. The period of the year when a ratings service measures the
broadcast audience in the majority of the markets throughout the
country; for example, surveys that are scheduled for November 2-24
would be referred to as the "November sweep."
Syndicated program. Broadcast program that is sold to individual
stations, rather than appearing on a network.
Syndicator. Television program distributor who works with reruns or
new programs on a market-to-market basis (see Packager).
Tabloid. A newspaper of the approximate size of a standard newspaper
folded in half (slang "tab").
Tag. Dealer identification, usually added to the end of a broadcast
commercial announcement to indicate where the product or service
being advertised can be purchased in the local market.
Target group. Those persons to whom a campaign is directed; those
individuals with similar characteristics who are prospects for a
product or service; also called "consumer profile."
Target market. The geographic area or areas to which a campaign is
directed; the areas where a product is being sold or introduced;
also called "market profile."
Target profile. A demographic description of the target groups,
often including the geographic target markets.
Tearsheet. A publication page with an advertiser's message, sent to
the advertiser for approval or for checking.
Teaser. An advertisement that precedes the major portion of an ad-
vertising campaign, intended to build curiosity.
Telemarketing. Selling by use of telephones, either initiating the
calls or receiving orders.
Ten. Slang for a ten-second broadcast commercial announcement.
Thirty. Slang for a 30-second broadcast commercial announcement.
Throwaways. Free shopping newspapers.
Tie-in. See Cooperative advertising and Dealer tie-in.
Till forbidden (TF). A newspaper insertion order abbreviation; run
the advertisement until told to stop.
Time buyer. The person who is responsible for purchasing advertising
on radio and television (see Media buyer).
Time period rating (TPR). the rating for a particular broadcast
time period, regardless of the program that was broadcast during that
slot.
Time sheet. A form used by a time buyer to keep track of the data on
a media buy; also called a "buy sheet": the form used to keep track
of how advertising agency personnel use their time, for application
in billing purposes.
To be announced (TBA). Used as a notification in broadcast program
schedules.
Total audience. The number of all the different homes or individuals
who are tuned to a broadcast program for six minutes or longer.
Trade paper. A specialized publication for a specific profession,
trade, or industry; another term for some business publications.
Traffic count. The number of persons who pass an outdoor panel loc-
ation.
Trim size. The final magazine page size, after it is trimmed.
Turnover. The frequency with which the audience for a broadcast pro-
gram changes over a period of time (see Audience turnover).
Twenty. Slang for a 20-second broadcast commercial announcement
also called a "chain break" or "station break."
Two-page spread. A single print advertisement that crosses two
facing pages; also called "double spread" or "double truck"
(see
Center spread and double truck).
Unduplicated audience. The total number of different people who
were exposed to an advertisement or campaign through multiple in-
sertions in more than one media vehicle (see Cumulative audience).
Unit. Advertising unit; the form and context in which an advertise-
ment appears in a media vehicle; for example, full-page, half-page
vertical, center spread, black and white, back cover, two colors;
thirty-second commercial, ten-second ID, and so on.
Upfront buying. Initial purchasing of network television advertising
by firms wishing to have optimal selection of available programs; re-
serving advertising time on network television programs when the sea-
sonal schedule is first announced; this tactic often requires longer
schedules and higher prices.
Usage level. Classifying media audiences by the amount of the product
or service they use.
Vehicle. An individual outlet of an advertising medium, such as a
certain magazine or a specific broadcast station or program.
Vertical cume. The total number of different people who were tuned
to successive broadcast programs.
Vertical publication. A business or trade publication that is of in-
terest to all levels or job functions within a single business or
profession.
Vertical saturation. Many broadcast commercial announcements sched-
uled throughout the course of a single day, generally designed to
reach many different people, in an attempt to reach a high percentage
of the broadcast audience.
Wait order. An instruction or request to delay publication of a print
advertisement; also, but seldom, used in broadcast.
Waste circulation. The readers of a publication who are not prospects
for the product or service being advertised; advertisement distribut-
ion in an area in which the product or service is not distributed.