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Common Terms

Advertising, Media
and Marketing Terms

AdMall® presents this comprehensive glossary of definitions for common terms encountered by media sales teams, advertising agencies and digital marketers.

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  • A/​B Testing — This refers to the simultaneous evaluation of two different versions of an ad message or concept to determine which one performs best — useful in evaluating keywords, ad copy, ad designs, websites, web/​landing pages and banner ad designs.
  • AAAA —

    Founded in 1917, the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) is the national trade association representing the advertising agency business in the United States. Larger agencies are more likely to be AAAA members than smaller ones.

  • Abandonment —

    When a user leaves a shopping cart or process before completing a desired action, such as a purchase or form submission

  • Above The Fold (ATF) —
    Derived from newspaper print advertising, this is the portion of a digital page (web or app) visible without scrolling. Includes the “first screen” on mobile devices and remains prime ad real estate.
  • Absolute Commission Plan —

    Compensation structure where sales employees earn a fixed amount of commission for each sale, regardless of the size or value of the sale. This plan provides simplicity and predictability in commission calculations, making it easy for sales employees to understand their earnings.

  • Accelerators —

    Increased commission rates that kick in once a sales employee exceeds their quota, designed to reward and incentivize top performers. This motivates employees to continue selling even after reaching their initial targets.

  • Accreditation-​Based Systems — Third-​party whitelist programs that certify senders. It is used to inform ISPs that those using the systems are legitimate mailers who should not be blocked. Examples include: Bonded Sender from ReturnPath and Safelist from Habeas.
  • Accrual Percentage — The percentage applied to the net purchases by retailer (example: 3%, 5%, etc.) to determine amounts of accruals; varies with manufacturer.
  • Accrual Period — The time period set by manufacturer during which a retailer accrues co-​op advertising funds on purchases, usually annual or seasonal.
  • Accruals — Money granted to a retailer for net purchases of a manufacturer's goods. Money can be used for future co-​op advertising expense.
  • Acquisition Cost — What it costs a business to gain a new customer, client, or supplier.
  • Ad Blocker —

    Software on a user’s browser which prevents advertisements from being displayed.

  • Ad Exchange — A digital marketplace where publishers offer ad inventory and advertisers bid in real time, often as part of a programmatic ecosystem.
  • Ad Fraud — Any deliberate activity (including bots, pixel stuffing, or domain spoofing) that manipulates ad delivery, clicks, or conversions to steal ad spend. Modern detection uses AI and machine learning.
  • Ad Inventory — The total available ad space a publisher can sell across platforms (web, mobile, CTV, in-​app, audio, etc.), managed in real time via programmatic platforms.
  • Ad Materials — Ad layouts or other ad materials designed for advertising. Long-​time veterans of print advertising may use the term "ad slick" because these materials were once furnished on slick, glossy paper before the advent of desktop publishing.
  • Ad Network —

    A company that connects advertisers to websites that want to host advertisements, aggregating inventory for easier buying.

  • Ad Pod — A group of consecutive ads played within a single commercial break, common in streaming and CTV environments.
  • Ad Rotation — A system that causes a different ad to be displayed at the top of a web page each time that page is viewed by a new person, or when the web page is refreshed.
  • Ad Server — A technology platform that stores, delivers, tracks, and optimizes ads across channels, often integrating with data management and privacy compliance tools.
  • Ad Tag —

    A piece of HTML or JavaScript code placed on a webpage to request and display an ad from an ad server.

  • Ad Tracking — A method used to record and report how many hits or clicks an ad receives. This is useful for determining where revenue comes from; the information can be used to better personalize ads in order to reach more customers.
  • Ad-​Supported Network — A national or regional cable TV channel, such as ESPN, that makes available a certain amount of time per hour for local commercials.
  • Addressable Advertising — A data-​driven approach that enables advertisers to deliver personalized ads to specific individuals or audience segments across digital, TV, and streaming platforms. Addressable advertising uses available signals—such as demographics, behaviors, location, and real-​time consumer events—to target relevant messages, even without third-​party cookies or traditional ad identifiers.
  • Addressable TV — The ability to deliver different ads to different households or devices watching the same program, across linear, CTV, and streaming platforms, using advanced data and targeting.
  • ADI (Area of Dominant Influence) — An older geographic area consisting of all counties in which home market radio stations received a majority of total viewing hours.
  • Adjacency — The time periods that precede and follow television programs. These are commercial break positions available for local (spot) advertising.
  • Advertising Allowance — Fund established by the manufacturer for the purpose of local advertising by retailers and distributors.
  • Adwords — Google's pay-​per-​click advertiser program.
  • Affidavit — A certified statement listing exact dates and times that announcements were broadcast.
  • Affiliate — A broadcast station or cable system not owned by a network, but airing the network's programs and commercials.
  • Affiliate Program — A program where affiliates agree to advertise for the sponsor's site. In return, affiliates receive commission or residual payment from sales generated by their participation.
  • Agate Line — A newspaper measurement, one column wide and 1/​14" deep, regardless of column width.
  • Aggregation — Gathering information from multiple websites, typically via RSS. Aggregation allows websites to remix information from multiple sources; for example, by republishing all the news related to a particular keyword.
  • Aggregator — A web-​based tool or desktop application that collects syndicated content.
  • AI-​Driven Creative — The use of generative AI to produce, personalize, and optimize ad creatives at scale, including dynamic creative optimization (DCO).
  • AI-​Driven Optimization — The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to automatically adjust campaign targeting, bidding, creative, and budget allocation for optimal performance.
  • AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimization) — A marketing approach that combines human expertise with AI and machine learning to continuously optimize campaigns in real time. AIO adapts strategies based on behavioral data, predictive modeling, and automated insights, going beyond basic automation.
  • Allotment — In outdoor advertising, indicated number of panels comprising the showing in a given market.
  • Amplifier — A device used to increase the power of amplitude of an electrical signal. Amplifiers are spaced at regular intervals throughout a cable system to restore the amplitude of television signals which are attenuated as they pass through the cable network.
  • Analytics — Any metrics, statistics or key-​performance indicators which measures marketing and sales effectiveness.
  • Anchor Text — A term that describes the main text associated with a link.
  • Angel Investor — A wealthy individual who provides early-​stage funding to startups, often in exchange for equity ownership. Angel investors are typically more flexible than venture capital firms and play a crucial role in helping new businesses in media, marketing, and tech get off the ground.
  • API — The technical term for the interface that allows one computer system or application to communicate and exchange data with another.
  • App — A piece of software that can be run on a mobile platform (smart phone, iPad, etc.) to perform specific task.
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) —

    The simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions.

  • ATSC 3.0 — Advanced Television Systems Committee 3.0 . Also known as NextGen TV it is the latest digital TV broadcast standard. ATSC 3.0 enables better picture quality, advanced advertising, targeted content, and integration with internet-​based services, opening new revenue streams for broadcasters
  • Attention Metrics — Measures of how much active attention (e.g., time in view, interaction, scroll depth) an ad receives, now used alongside or instead of viewability.
  • Attenuator — A device for reducing signal amplitude. 
  • Attribution — The process and models used to assign credit for conversions to specific ads, channels, or touchpoints. Modern attribution leverages AI and cross-​device tracking for accurate customer journey mapping.
  • Attribution Window — The period during which a conversion is credited to a specific ad or campaign (e.g., 7‑day click, 1‑day view).
  • Attrition Rate (customers) — A measure of lost customers — this is often expressed as the number of customers lost during a specified period of time as a percentage of the total number of customers during that same time period.
  • Audience Composition — Types of persons reached by a medium or advertising campaign and measured in terms of gender, age, income or other demographic characteristics.
  • Audience Duplication — Persons reached by one media vehicle who are also reached by another.
  • Audience Extension — A tactic where digital publishers use third-​party data to target their audience across the wider web, not just on their owned properties.
  • Audience Segmentation — Dividing audiences into granular groups based on behavioral, demographic, contextual, and real-​time intent data for personalized targeting.
  • Augmented Reality — AR. An interactive 3D environment that is blended in with the real physical world environment to provide a live direct or an indirect view of a physical, real-​world environment whose elements areaugmented by computer-​generated sensory input, such as sound or graphics.
  • Augmented Reality (AR) — Augmented reality overlays digital elements—such as images, text, or animations—onto the real-​world environment, enhancing what users see and experience without replacing reality. AR works through smartphones, tablets, or AR glasses, using cameras and sensors to detect the physical world and then project virtual content that interacts with it in real time. This technology is widely used for interactive apps, education, navigation, and marketing.
  • Authentication — The technical standards through which ISPs and other mail gateway administrators can establish the true identity of an email sender. Examples of proposed authentication standards include: SPF (PO Box, AOL),Sender-ID (Microsoft), DomainKeys (Yahoo), and DKIM (Cisco and Yahoo).
  • Auto-​Responder — A previously-​scripted email message which is automatically sent after a triggering event has occurred. Triggering events may include completion of a web form, purchase of an item or inquiry to customer support.
  • Availability (or Avail) — Commonly used in its short form: 'avail'. A break within normal network programming allotted to a local cable system for insertion of local commercials.
  • Avails — Short for Availabilities. Unsold time slots in broadcast media where commercials can be sold or purchased. Can also refer to unsold positions in print media where ads can be sold/​purchased.
  • Avatar — A graphical image or likeness that replaces a photo of the author of blog content, tweets, Facebook posts or other related uses.
  • Average Active Sessions (AAS) —

    The average number of streams of one minute or more that are active within a time period.

  • Average Quarter Hour — An estimate of the number of people who listen to a station within a 15 minute period. This statistic is used as the most precise estimate of the number of people listening to a station at any given time.

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  • B‑roll — Supplemental video footage used to support and enhance the main footage (known as A‑roll) in a film, television program, or video project. B‑roll typically includes non-​specific shots that provide context, illustrate key points, establish settings, or add visual interest—such as cutaways, reaction shots, close-​ups, establishing scenes, or atmospheric visuals. It is intercut with the primary footage to enrich storytelling, smooth transitions, cover edits, and keep viewers engaged. While A‑roll delivers the main narrative or interviews, B‑roll brings depth, context, and polish to the final production.
  • B2B — Business to Business. This term refers to businesses that only offer goods or services to other businesses.
  • B2C — Business to Consumer. This term refers to businesses that offer goods or services directly to private consumers.
  • Backbone — A high-​speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a network. The term is relative — a backbone in a small network can be much smaller than many non-​backbone lines in a large network.
  • Backlink — A hyperlink from one website to another. In digital marketing, backlinks are crucial for SEO, as they signal authority and relevance to search engines, helping improve a site’s ranking and visibility
  • Bandwidth — A measure of: frequencies carried by a cable tv system, information carrying capacity of a communication channel, or speed of data transmission during communications.
  • Banner — A web ad that is placed along the top, or at the side, of a website.
  • Banner Blindness — The tendency of users to ignore display ads, including banners and native formats, due to ad saturation and improved user awareness.
  • Banner Exchange — A system facilitating advertisers working together to place banner ads at the top of the other's website.
  • Barter Co-​op — An exchange of merchandise from the manufacturer as barter for using the funds earned from that merchandise to pay for advertising. This process is usually used by companies which do not have regular co-​op plans.
  • Basic Cable — Cable TV channels that are typically packaged and made available to a wide number of subscribing households. Basic channels usually are advertiser-supported.
  • Beacon —

    A tiny, usually invisible image or piece of code embedded in a webpage or email to track user activity. When the page or email is loaded, the beacon sends data—such as IP address, device type, and user behavior—back to a server for analytics, ad performance measurement, or event tracking like email opens or conversions. Web beacons are commonly used alongside cookies for more detailed user tracking and campaign analysis. aka web beacon, tracking pixel, web bug, or invisible gif. 

  • Behavioral Targeting — Ad targeting based on users’ browsing behavior, purchase history, or online activities.
  • Below the Fold (BTF) —

    Derived from newspaper print advertising, this means that an ad is placed on a website below the scroll line as the page is viewed before any scrolling occurs; out of view before scrolling.

  • Best Times Available (BTA) — When an advertiser allows a station to run commercials in the Best Times Available, based on their available inventory, in order to receive a lower unit rate.
  • Beyond the Banner —

    Digital advertising strategies that go beyond traditional banner ads to engage audiences in more interactive and integrated ways. This includes native ads, sponsorships, email placements, contests, rich media, video ads, and immersive formats like AR or mini-​games. Advertisers use these approaches to create more engaging, memorable, and effective campaigns across multiple digital platforms.

  • Bias mitigation — Regularly auditing AI systems for bias, using diverse training data, and implementing human oversight to prevent discrimination.
  • Billback Allowance — Another name for accrual. This term is usually used in over-​the-​counter drug co-​op plans.
  • Billboard (OOH) — Large outdoor advertising structures, often in high-​traffic areas, designed for maximum visibility.
  • Billboard (TV/​Movies) — Credits listing the sponsor or sponsors at the opening and/​or closing of a program.
  • Black Hat SEO — SEO tactics that attempt to gain higher search engine rankings for a particular website through unethical means, such as stuffing keywords or tricking web spiders in other ways.
  • Blackhole — Term describing what happens to email that is blocked without a bounce response being delivered to the sender.
  • Blacklist, Private — A list of IP addresses believed to send spam, compiled by an ISP based on user complaints, as well as by mail sent to spam trap addresses, and "unknown user" rates. Each receiving ISP uses its own private blacklists to block email delivery.
  • Blacklist, Public — A list of IP addresses believed to send spam. Public blacklists are created and maintained by third parties; these are sometimes used by ISPs as another filtering mechanism to block email delivery.
  • Bleed Face Bulletin — In outdoor advertising, a painted billboard that lacks the customary perimeter molding. This type of billboard increases space and permits use of cutouts at the top or sides.
  • Blog (site) — A web page that contains entries in reverse chronological order, with the most recent entry on top. In addition to the standard text blog, we now have photo blogs (consisting of uploaded photos), audio blogs (a.k.a. "podcasts") and video blogs (a.k.a. v‑logs or v‑blogs). Blogs are used to engage potential buyers, establish thought leadership and increase organic search rankings.
  • Bluetooth — A technology which allows mobile devices equipped with a special chip to send and receive information wirelessly over short distances (up to around 100 ft).
  • Body Type — The typeface used for body copy. There are hundreds of styles from which to choose. Body type is measured in point size, with 10- to 12-​point being the common sizes.
  • Bonus Co-​op — Usually refers to a limited time period in which a co-​op advertising program offers a higher reimbursement level, accruals or other perks for meeting specific performance requirements (advertising a promotion, buying additional merchandise).
  • Bonus Plan — A plan for participation or accrual usually found in over-​the-​counter drug plans.
  • Book of Business (BOB) —

    The portfolio of clients, accounts, and ongoing business relationships managed by a sales employee. This collection of business is a key asset, often representing a significant portion of the sales employee's value to the organization and a basis for their commission and bonuses.

  • Bootstrap — To launch and grow a business using personal savings, revenue, and resourceful, low-​cost marketing strategies instead of relying on outside investment. In media and agency settings, bootstrapping emphasizes creativity, efficiency, and maximizing limited resources to achieve growth
  • Bot — User-​agents to search Internet websites and index content.
  • Bounce — A message sent by a receiving system that "bounces back" to the originating server to alert the sender of the non-delivery.
  • Bounce Rate — This shows a percentage of "entrances" on any given page that resulted in an "exit" from the page without entering any other page on the site. In broad terms, the number of people who go to a site, then leave without looking around.
  • Bounces — Hard vs. Soft — Undeliverable email addresses within a campaign. A hard bounce represents a specifically-​addressed email that, for whatever reason, either never left the server or never made it to the destination. A soft bounce represents an email that made it to the destined server but couldn't find the designated email address that resides there.
  • Brand Development Index (BDI) — A statistic correlating the percent of a brand's sales in a market to the percent of the consumers in that same market.
  • Brand Guidelines — A comprehensive set of rules and standards that define how a brand should be visually and verbally represented across all platforms and touchpoints. They ensure consistency in the use of logos, colors, typography, imagery, tone of voice, and messaging, helping everyone involved—internally and externally—communicate the brand’s identity, values, and personality accurately and cohesively. 
  • Brand Lift — A metric that measures the direct impact of advertising on brand perception, awareness, or intent, often via surveys or controlled experiments.
  • Brand Personality — The set of human characteristics, emotions, and attributes that consumers associate with a brand, giving it a relatable and distinctive identity in the marketplace.
  • Brand Safety — Strategies and technologies to ensure ads do not appear near inappropriate, unsafe, or non-​brand-​aligned content, including AI-​powered contextual analysis and exclusion lists.
  • Brand Trust — The confidence and belief that customers have in a company’s ability to consistently deliver on its promises, values, and quality. High brand trust leads to greater customer loyalty, positive word-​of-​mouth, and a stronger competitive advantage, especially in today’s environment where authenticity and social responsibility are increasingly important to consumers.
  • Brand Voice — The unique personality, tone, and style a company uses in all communications. It reflects the brand’s values and mission, and ensures consistency across ads, social media, and client-​facing materials. A strong brand voice differentiates an agency or media company and builds customer trust and loyalty
  • Broad Match — In paid search campaigns, the willingness to accept a search match containing keywords in any order.
  • Broadband — Equipment or communication systems capable of carrying a large electromagnetic spectrum.
  • Broadcast Month — A special calendar on which every month ends on the last Sunday of the month. Broadcast calendars were created to better serve advertisers who prefer to place schedules with spots airing Monday through Friday or Monday through Sunday.
  • Broker — A sales company which does not actually warehouse product, but acts only as the sales agent for a manufacturer; generally food & HBA.
  • Bulk Mail Folder — Also known as "junk" or "spam" folders, the location within email clients to which questionable email is often directed.
  • Bus Shelter —

    Curbside structures at bus stops used for static or digital ad displays, increasingly equipped with interactive or programmatic capabilities.

  • Business Development Manager (BDM) —

    Sales position responsible for identifying and pursuing new business opportunities, building strategic partnerships, and driving long-​term company growth through market expansion and relationship management. BDMs collaborate closely with sales and marketing teams, manage lead generation and qualification, and often oversee the early stages of the sales pipeline to ensure a steady flow of high-​quality prospects for the organization.

  • Business Intelligence (BI) — A technology-​driven process for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing business data to support informed decision-​making, improve efficiency, and gain a competitive edge. BI tools help organizations turn raw data into actionable insights for strategy and operations.
  • Buy-​In (retail) — The procedure in which a retailer is required to buy new product or a certain amount of product in order to participate in a co-​op schedule; usually 100% paid by the manufacturer.
  • Buying Cycle — The process an individual or an organization undertakes when purchasing a service or product.

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  • Cable In — An F‑type receptor used for the coaxial cable input port on a receiving device.
  • Cable System — The local operation that distributes cable TV channels, usually over a combination of fiber optic and coaxial wires, to subscribing households. 
  • Cable System Operator — The company responsible for operating a cable television system.
  • Cable TV — Direct transmission of programming by wire connections to subscribers' TV sets.
  • Cablecasting — Programming carried on cable television exclusive of broadcast signals. Also called Cable Origination.
  • Call to Action (CTA) — Instructions that explain to a user how to interact with a particular ad or promotion. For SMS promotions, this will typically consist of instructions to send a message with a specified keyword to a specific short code (e.g. "Text BRAND to 60123").
  • Campaign Approval — In the US market, carriers require "campaign approval" for new types of services and new campaigns from brands and products. The process is linked to a Shortcode number (approval) which is a pre-​requisite for any mobile marketing or premium SMS service. Securing approval for a specific marketing campaign can be straightforward if following existing message flows and routines, or very complex if new type of scenarios are explored.
  • CAN-​SPAM — "CAN-​SPAM" is an acronym for "Controlling the Assault of Non-​Solicited Pornography and Marketing of 2003." This Act established the first United States standards for senders of commercial email. It designates the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as the enforcement body for this legislation. This law does not prohibit unsolicited commercial email, but it does regulate how it must be sent. Lawmakers intended to protect the end user and to make prosecution of spammers easier. CAN-​SPAM has many stipulations for commercial email senders including requiring them to use appropriate subject lines, provide a physical address of the sender, offer recipients the ability to opt-​out of future correspondence, and conspicuously label adult material.
  • CAPTCHA — Visually distorted letters and numbers that some websites require users to enter prior to creating a user account or accessing a site. Term is an acronym derived from: Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart, which was coined by computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon.
  • Carrier — A company that provides wireless telecommunications services. a.k.a., Mobile Carrier, Mobile Network Operator, Mobile Carrier, Network Operator, Operator Company, Wireless Carrier.
  • Carrier Route — Individual USPS mail carrier's delivery area.
  • Carry-​Over — The term used when, according to the manufacturer's co-​op agreement, funds accrued in one accrual period can be carried over to the next period.
  • Cascading Style Sheets — CSS. A flexible system of rules that govern the appearance of content on a web page. Most modern websites separate content from style to simplify coding.
  • Category Development Index (CDI) — A statistics correlating the percent of a category's sales in a market to the percent of consumers in that same market
  • Category Killers — The term used to describe a large retail store dedicated to one category of merchandise, also called Superstores.
  • CBSA — The term "core based statistical area" (CBSA) became effective in 2000 and refers collectively to metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. The 2000 standards provide that each CBSA must contain at least one urban area of 10,000 or more population.
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  • CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) — A California law that gives residents the right to know, access, delete, and opt out of the sale of their personal information collected by businesses. Enforces transparency and consumer control over personal data, with fines for non-compliance.
  • CDN (Content Delivery Network) — A geographically distributed network of servers that caches and delivers web content—such as images, videos, and webpages—from locations closer to end users. By storing copies of content on multiple edge servers around the world, a CDN speeds up website load times, reduces latency, improves reliability, and helps protect against traffic spikes or attacks.
  • Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association — CTIA. An international organization representing all sectors of wireless communications — cellular, personal communication services and enhanced specialized mobile radio.
  • Certification — The practice, by large retailers, of submitting only one tear sheet and a list of all other publications in which the ad appeared. An officer of the retailer swears that all papers on the list carried the identical ad.
  • Certification Spot Check — A random test of veracity of certification, usually performed by an auditing service at the request of the manufacturer-client.
  • Challenge Response — Method of approving senders to specific email addresses that asks the email sender to answer a question proving he is a real person and not a "spam cannon" attempting to send email.
  • Chat Bot — AI-​powered software application that simulates human conversation through text or voice interactions on websites, messaging apps, or mobile platforms. Chatbots are used in marketing, sales, and customer service to engage users, answer questions, qualify leads, automate tasks, and provide 24/​7 support. They help businesses streamline operations, personalize experiences, and boost engagement by handling multiple conversations simultaneously and integrating with other business systems.
  • Checking — The act of comparing tear sheets or other proof of performance to verify that co-​op advertising is in accordance with vendor's program.
  • Churn Rate — Churn Rate is a measure of customer attrition, defined as the number of customers who cease being customers over a specified time period divided by the average total number of customers over that same time period.
  • Circulation — (1)In print media, the number of copies a publication sold and/​or distributed. (2)In broadcast, the number of set-​owning families within station signal range. (3)In outdoor advertising, the number of people passing a billboard.
  • Circulation Audit — Substantiation of a newspaper's paid circulation and newsstand sales, usually by the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC).
  • City Zone Circulation (CZ) — Newspapers sold within corporate city limits or, in the case of heavily populated adjoining areas, newspapers sold within this wider area as designated by the Audit Bureau of Circulation.
  • Classified Display Ad — A display ad with a border, positioned in the classified section of the newspaper.
  • Clayton Anti-​Trust Act — Passed in 1914 as a clarification and supplementation of the Sherman Anti-​Trust Act of 1890, it allows the FTC to bring charges for price discrimination, interlocking directories, and other unfair practices.
  • Click Fraud — The illegal practice using computer program or automated script that clicks on a particular pay- per-​click ad to increase the payable number of click-​throughs to the advertiser.
  • Click-​Through — Occurs when a visitor clicks on an advertisement, thereby linking the visitor to the advertiser's website. See "CTR — click-​through rate."
  • Click-​Through Rate (CTR) — A measure of the success of online advertising achieved by dividing the number of clicks on a web page or online ad by the number of impressions.
  • Click-​to-​Call — A service that enables a mobile subscriber to initiate a voice call to a specified phone number by clicking on a link on a mobile website. Typically used to provide a direct response mechanism in a mobile digital ad.
  • Click-​to-​Message Ads —

    These ads allow users to initiate a chat or message with a brand directly from the ad unit, often via SMS, WhatsApp, or Messenger. Click-​to-​message formats drive immediate engagement and facilitate customer service or sales conversations. They are increasingly popular for mobile-​first campaigns.

  • Clickable Text — The links within an email message that become "hyper-​links," executed when clicked on and taking the user to a website or web page. Many text-​only email programs will convert plain text to a clickable text when they see http:// in the message body.
  • Closed Loop Marketing — Refers to the marketing process whereby data can easily be exchanged between Sales and Marketing, and customers can be tracked through the prospect-​to-​sale continuum. Closed Loop Marketing allows marketers to measure the ROI of marketing activities and their contribution to sales and profits.
  • Closing Date — The date specified materials must be received by a publication so that they may be reproduced for a particular issue.
  • Cloud Computing — Or The Cloud. It specifically refers to what is commonly called a server connected through a communication network such as the Internet. Any individual user who has permission to access the cloud server can use the server's processing power to run an application, store data, or perform any other computing task. Therefore, instead of using a personal computer every time to run the application, the individual can now run the application from anywhere in the world, as the cloud server provides the processing power to the application and the cloud server is also connected to a network via internet or other connection platforms to be accessed from anywhere. Marketers have popularized the phrase "in the cloud" to refer to software, platforms and infrastructure that are sold as a service, i.e. remotely through the Internet. Typically, the seller has actual energy-​consuming servers which host products and services from a remote location, so end-​users don't have to. they can simply log on to the network without installing anything.
  • Cluster — A group of stations in the same market under common ownership, or a group of commercials aired together in a break.
  • CMSA (Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas) — Any MSA that has over 1,000,000 million residents and has sections that can be easily identified is reclassified as a CMSA. CMSAs are usually entire counties though in New England they may be cities and towns.
  • Co-​Location — A server that belongs to one person or group physically located on an internet-​connected network that belongs to another person or group. Usually done to be on a high-​speed internet connection, or to avoid the security risks of having the server on their own network.
  • Co-​op Advertising — A shared advertising arrangement between the manufacturer and the dealer. The manufacturer contributes to the dealer's local advertising in order to move product through the merchandising cycle.
  • Co-​op Claim — The process used by the retailer to get reimbursement for advertising expenditures.
  • Co-​op Claim Form — Form used to file claims for co-​op reimbursement, usually issued by the manufacturer.
  • Co-​op Claim Period — The period of time after advertising has been run during which claims can be filed; usually 30, 60, or 90 days after the ad date.
  • Coaxial Cable — A wire composed of a central conducting core and a protective outer metal tube, used for transmitting electronic signals.
  • Color Saturation — A measure of color as it deviates from white.
  • Column Inch — Unit of publication space one column wide by one inch deep, regardless of column inch.
  • Combination Rate — Combined rate for morning and evening editions of newspapers published by the same company. In some cases, the newspapers both have the same name but are called a.m. and p.m. editions. More often, each edition has a different name.
  • Commercial Email — Marketing- or sales-​oriented email that is sent in bulk.
  • Commodity — Product sold by trades at less than purchase price. Usually sold and promoted with a higher-​margin product. For example, coffee is often a commodity item sold at a loss, but promoted with a creamer which holds a high margin.
  • Communications Satellite — A space vehicle which receives electronic signals and transmits them back to earth. This technology is used by the cable industry for transmitting network programming.
  • Comp Set (Competitive Set) —

    The principal group of competitors for a company. Competitive sets are used for benchmarking purposes, market penetration analyses, and to help develop positioning strategies.

  • Company Page — an official business profile on a social media platform—such as LinkedIn or Facebook—designed for organizations to establish their brand presence, share updates, promote products or services, and engage with current and potential customers. These pages allow companies to provide essential information (like contact details, business hours, and descriptions), post content, interact with followers, and access analytics tools to measure engagement and audience growth. Company pages also enable businesses to run targeted advertising campaigns and showcase job opportunities, making them central to digital marketing and brand-​building strategies on social platforms.
  • Competing Customer — FTC rulings decree that co-​op plans must be available to all competing customers or class of customers, whether retailer, distributor, or jobber.
  • Competitive Intelligence (CI) — The systematic gathering, analysis, and application of information about competitors, market trends, and industry developments. For media sales and agencies, it means tracking competitor pricing, messaging, campaigns, and strategies to refine positioning, counter objections, and win more business.
  • Compiled List — Any list created from the compilation of information from public records such as phone books, auto registration, courthouse data, etc.
  • Compiler — Someone who puts various pieces of information together to form a list of individuals with similar characteristics and/​or buying habits.
  • Confirmed Opt-​in — The process that double-​checks an individual's desire to be included on an email list after a primary registration occurs. This is typically executed via an email that requires the subscriber to click on a confirmation link.
  • Connected TV (CTV) — Internet-​enabled television devices and platforms that deliver streaming content and enable digital ad targeting, measurement, and programmatic buying.
  • Consent Management Platform (CMP) — tool that manages user consent for data collection and use, ensuring compliance with privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA.
  • Console — A sometimes annoying pop-​up box that appears as a customer leaves a site, usually asking why they are leaving or if they need more assistance.
  • Consumer Autonomy — Allowing users to opt out of AI-​driven targeting, access their data, and control how AI interacts with them.
  • Consumer Consent — Ensuring clear communication about data collection and use, obtaining explicit consent, and complying with regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
  • Content Filters — Software filters that block emails based on words, phrases, or header information within the email itself. The goal is to identify spam and filter to the Bulk or Junk mail folders, although this often results in "false positives."
  • Content Licensing — The legal process of granting permission to use, reproduce, or distribute copyrighted material—such as text, images, videos, music, or software—under specific terms, for a set purpose and duration. Content licensing enables content creators and publishers to monetize their intellectual property, expand their audience, and protect their rights, while allowing businesses, educators, and marketers to legally access and share high-​quality content for various uses.
  • Content Management System — CMS. A software system, usually implemented as a Web application, for creating and managing HTML content. It is used to manage and control a large, dynamic collection of Web material. A CMS facilitates content creation, content control, editing, and many essential Web maintenance functions. Usually the software provides authoring (and other) tools designed to allow users with little or no knowledge of programming languages or markup languages to create and manage content with relative ease of use.
  • Content Management System (CMS) — Software used to create, manage, and publish websites, blogs and digital publications.
  • Content Marketing — A strategy of creating and sharing valuable content to attract, engage, and retain a target audience, with the goal of driving customer action and building brand loyalty. It may include, among other things: blog posts, articles, podcasts, video, white papers, webinars, infographics, and case studies.
  • Content Optimization — The process creating different versions of mobile internet content (images, video/​audio files, web pages) to cater to the differing capabilities (e.g. screen size) of different handset models.
  • Contextual Intelligence — Advanced contextual targeting using AI to analyze and match ad content to the surrounding digital environment for relevance and safety.
  • Contextual Targeting — Delivering ads based on the content and context of the page or app, increasingly important due to privacy regulations and the deprecation of third-​party cookies.
  • Contract Rate — The rate actually charged to the retailer by the newspaper, less all discounts and rebates.
  • Control Sheet — One of the various systems used to calculate amounts of co-​op money available from individual suppliers. The form designed by the NAB is the most commonly used.
  • Conversation Intelligence — The use of AI and machine learning to analyze sales and customer interactions (calls, video meetings, emails) to extract actionable insights. It helps sales teams identify customer needs, competitor mentions, and buying signals, enabling more effective pitches and improved close rates.
  • Conversion — A conversion occurs when a user completes a desired action—such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading content—on a website or digital platform. Conversions are key indicators of campaign effectiveness and are used to measure and optimize marketing performance.
  • Conversion Rate — The percentage of people whose activity can be tracked from clicking on an ad or visiting a website to actually purchasing a product or service.
  • Cookie — A small file stored or embedded within an email promotion's HTML. It can track recipients' "open" rates (i.e. how many people actually opened the email), as well as whether or not recipients forwarded the message.
  • Cookieless Targeting —

    With third-​party cookies being phased out, cookieless targeting uses alternative methods like first-​party data, contextual signals, and probabilistic IDs. This approach maintains ad relevance while respecting user privacy. Cookieless solutions are now the industry standard for digital targeting.

  • Copy — The written advertising message.
  • Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) — The average cost to acquire a customer or complete a desired action, now often optimized in real time using AI bidding algorithms.
  • Cost Per Action (CPA) — See Cost Per Acquisition.
  • Cost Per Click (CPC) — The advertising fee associated with performance-​based campaigns, especially with keyword campaigns on search engines such as Google and Yahoo!. Advertisers pay the search company or ad network for clicks only. Prices are typically auction-based.
  • Cost Per Gross Rating Point (CPP) — A measure of broadcast media efficiency of particular use to media planners, represents the price of a single Gross Rating Point for a medium.
  • Cost Per Person (CPP) — The relationship between the cost of a television commercial and the estimated number of people or households who view it.
  • Cost Per Thousand — CPT. Typically refers to the cost of one thousand impressions. In email marketing terms, it is one method for pricing email lists, a given price per thousand email addresses purchased or leased.
  • Cost-​Per-​Thousand (CPM) — The advertising cost required to reach one thousand persons, homes or other audience units.
  • Count Station —

    Designated location on a road where traffic data is collected to estimate how many people pass by and could see an outdoor ad. This data helps measure the audience size and effectiveness of OOH advertising displays.

  • Counts — A figure representing the total number of addresses available in the market segment desired.
  • Coverage — The number or percentage of households/​individuals exposed to a specific advertising vehicle within a given geographic area.
  • Coverage Area — The geographic territory in which a cable system distributes commercials. 
  • Crawler — An automated program used by many search engines to index search terms and web pages into a large directory. It is also used to track progress as well as measure various performance statistics.
  • Creative Commons — A nonprofit organization that provides a suite of free, standardized licenses that creators can use to legally share their work with the public under specific conditions. These licenses allow copyright holders to specify how others may use, share, adapt, or remix their content—ranging from allowing any use with attribution, to restricting commercial use or modifications.
  • Credit Memo —

    A written approval issued by the manufacturer or an outside auditing organization for payment of co-​op claims. Authorization for the retailer to deduct the amount of the memo from the next invoice due the manufacturer.

  • CRM (Customer Relationship Management) — CRM often refers to a system used by sales professionals to record, track and measure the activity of sales prospects and customers. A CRM refers to the complete suite of processes, software, and Internet capabilities that help an enterprise manage customer relationships. 
  • Cross Selling (or Cross Marketing) — Selling an additional category of products/​solutions as a result of a customer's original purchase.
  • Cross-​Device Tracking — The ability to identify and measure user interactions across multiple devices (desktop, mobile, CTV, etc.) for unified attribution and targeting.
  • Cross-​Read —

    An ad display visible to traffic in the opposite direction or across lanes.

  • CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) — CSS is a coding language used to control the appearance and layout of web pages. It allows designers and developers to define styles—such as colors, fonts, spacing, and positioning—for HTML elements, ensuring consistent and visually appealing presentation across websites and digital platforms. By separating content (HTML) from design (CSS), it makes web development more efficient and flexible, enabling responsive and adaptive designs for different devices and screen sizes.
  • Cumulative Audience (CUME) — The number of different persons or households reached by a number of advertising messages in one media vehicle or a combination of media vehicles over a period of time. Also called net audience or unduplicated audience.
  • Customer Data Platform (CDP) — A unified platform that aggregates, cleans, and activates first-​party customer data for omnichannel marketing, privacy compliance, and personalized ad delivery.
  • Customer Experience (CX) — The overall perception and feeling a customer has about a brand across all interactions and touchpoints, from first contact through post-​sale. CX strategies focus on meeting customer needs, personalizing interactions, and ensuring satisfaction to drive loyalty and business growth.
  • Customer Journey Mapping — Visualizing and analyzing the complete path users take from first interaction to conversion, across all channels and touchpoints.
  • Customer Lifetime Value (CLV or LTV) — A prediction of the net profit attributed to the entire future relationship with a customer.
  • Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) — Cable television equipment at a customer site.

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  • Daily Effective Circulation (DECs) —

    Legacy audience metric, now replaced by impression-​based measures (e.g., Geopath Ratings).

  • Dark Web — A hidden part of the internet not indexed by search engines and accessible only via special browsers like Tor. While often associated with illegal activity, it’s also used for privacy and anonymity. Marketers and agencies monitor the dark web for brand protection and threat intelligence.
  • Dashboard — A graphic display generated by marketing software, analytics packages, blog software, or CRM systems that summarizes activities or results.
  • Data Clean Room — A secure environment where advertisers and publishers can match and analyze data sets without sharing personally identifiable information, addressing privacy and compliance needs.
  • Data Collaboration Platform — Secure environments (often overlapping with data clean rooms) where advertisers and media partners analyze and activate shared data without exposing personal information.
  • Data Enrichment — The process of enhancing existing customer or audience data by adding additional information—such as demographics, behaviors, or interests—to create more complete profiles. Data enrichment enables more precise targeting, better campaign performance, and smarter decision-​making in media buying and sales.
  • Data Hygiene — The degree, according to a data model and data type, to which the data in a database is accurate and consistent.
  • Data Management Platform (DMP) —

    A centralized system for collecting, organizing, and activating large sets of audience data for targeting and analysis.

  • Database Marketing — The use of prospect or customer information stored in an electronic database for targeted marketing activities in order to create better-​tailored, better-​timed offers that will maximize sales success and customer retention.
  • Datacasting — The transmission of digital data over broadcast television or radio signals, enabling one-​way delivery of information—such as files, video, audio, or educational content—to a wide area without requiring internet or broadband access. 
  • Dayparts — Times of broadcast: morning, afternoon, early evening, night and late night.
  • De-​duplication — The identification, merging and removal of duplicate names and addresses from a database. Also known as "merge and purge." (De-​dupe)
  • Deal ID — A unique identifier for a specific programmatic ad deal, used in private marketplaces or preferred deals.
  • Dealer Listing — Ad in which two or more dealers are listed as sellers of a product. This practice allows pooling of funds allocated by the manufacturer.
  • Decoder — Equipment and source code that receives and converts digital messages to analog messages or translates scrambled television signals to viewable images.
  • Decoy — A unique name inserted into a list to track the list's use.
  • Dedicated Short Code — The process of running only one service on a common short code at any given time. See "short code."
  • Deduction From Invoice — Subtraction of co-​op charges from a manufacturer's invoice by the dealer without written authorization. Generally, such deductions are expressly forbidden by the co-​op plan. Violation of this rule is a potential violation of the Clayton Act.
  • Deliverability — The predicted success rate for delivering emails to a database/​list. Success is impacted by factors such as CAN-​SPAM compliance, sender reputation, Data Hygiene, white-​listing, black-​listing, etc.
  • Delivery Monitoring — A process, usually using third party tools and techniques, to measure true delivery rates by campaign and ISP. Also tracks the amount and type of email tagged and/​or blocked by server and client-​side filters.
  • Demand Generation — All marketing and sales activities involved in contacting potential buyers, guiding them through the buying process and closing the sale. Demand Generation focuses on both Lead Generation and Lead Management.
  • Demand-​Side Platform (DSP) — A software platform that allows advertisers to buy digital ad inventory across multiple sources programmatically, with AI-​driven optimization and advanced targeting.
  • DEMARC — Demarcation point occurs where two services interface and identify divisions of responsibility.
  • Demographics — Data relative to the age, gender, income, etc., for given audience.
  • Deployment — The "sending" of an email message.
  • Descrambler — See decoder
  • Developmental Funds — Special advertising funds provided to a retailer when there is a "change in market" (e.g. opening a new store, climate change which allows promotion of a seasonal product, introduction of a new product line). Also called Supplementary Funds.
  • Dictionary Attack — A type of spam program that bombards a mail server with millions of alphabetically generated email addresses in the hope that some addresses will be guessed correctly.
  • Digital Audit —

    Comprehensive assessment of a business’s digital presence and marketing performance across all online channels. The process involves reviewing and analyzing assets such as websites, social media profiles, digital advertising, SEO, content, and reputation management to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. AdMall's Digital Audit, for example, identifies the alignment of the advertiser's digital marketing against the online usage patterns of their target audience.

  • Digital Billboard — Electronic billboard capable of rotating multiple ads and displaying real-​time content.
  • Digital Body Language — The electronic/​online activity of prospects such as web visits, email opens/​forwards, form completions, document downloads, etc., that taken together reveal interest and intent in a way analogous to a prospect's body language, which reveals interest and intent in face-​to-​face situations.
  • Digital Cable — A collection of channels, typically distributed to subscribers as an add-​on package, which are transmitted initially in the form of binary code.
  • Digital Cable Terminal (DCT) — A device that receives analog signals or receives digital signals, converts digital to analog, and transmits analog to a television.
  • Digital Cable TV — A cable television service that expands offerings to include PPV, special programming and digital music.
  • Digital Compression — Technology that allows rapid data transfer and reduced storage needs by suppressing long strings of "1's" and "0's".
  • Digital Data Exchange — DDEX. An organization that develops the standards for metadata communication which make online business transactions in the music industry more efficient.
  • Digital Insertion — A technology for converting standard videotaped commercials into binary computer files for improved on-​screen display, storage and run rate accuracy. 
  • Digital Marketing — The use of digital channels—such as websites, social media, search engines, email, and mobile apps—to promote products or services, build brand awareness, and engage target audiences. Digital marketing enables real-​time measurement, precise targeting, and interactive communication, making it essential for driving business growth in today’s connected world.
  • Digital Music Express Downlink (DMX) — Signial transmission from a satellite to a dish or other ground station.
  • Digital OOH Media (DOOH) —

    Any OOH display using digital screens, enabling dynamic, targeted, and real-​time ad delivery.

  • Digital Place-​Based Media —

    Digital screens in venues like malls, gyms, airports, restaurants, and elevators, often interactive and contextually targeted.

  • Digital PR (Digital Public Relations) — Strategy that uses online channels—such as digital publications, social media, influencer partnerships, and content marketing—to build brand awareness, enhance reputation, and improve online visibility. Unlike traditional PR, which focuses on print, TV, or radio, digital PR leverages digital platforms to reach broader and more targeted audiences, drive website traffic, and earn high-​quality backlinks that support SEO.
  • Dimensional Mail — A direct mail piece sent to highly qualified leads. This type of mail might include a product sample or material that enlarges the envelope, distinguishing it from flat mail
  • Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) — A satellite service broadcasting one or more channels to subscribers who access the data stream via antenna.
  • Direct Messaging (DMs) — A private communication method on social media platforms that allows users—including brands and businesses—to send messages directly to individuals or groups, visible only to the sender and recipient(s). It is also a channel for targeted marketing, networking, and influencer outreach, but should be used thoughtfully to avoid appearing intrusive or spammy.
  • Direct Response — Advertising that seeks direct and prompt viewer response. Ads usually exhibit telephone numbers, box numbers or other information that enable the viewer to order or inquire about objects shown.
  • Directory — A list of other websites or services online. The directory is often its own website and contains links to various sources, websites, or other information on a variety of topics.
  • Disclaimer — 1)Notice on co-​op memo invoice, covering future possibility of short rate and/​or rebate. 2)Line of copy in an ad that carries prices. This line usually states that prices may vary, or are manufacturer's suggested retail prices.
  • Discovery (Sales) — The questioning and research stage used by sales reps—often supported by AI—to uncover a prospect’s pain points, budget, and buying authority.
  • Discretionary Funds — All funds (vendor, special event, promo, market development) that a manufacturer may provide to a retailer.
  • Display Advertising — Newspaper advertisements designed to attract attention via layout, type style or illustration. Usually placed in the non-​classified section of the newspaper.
  • Display Type — Headline, subhead and other large type in an ad as opposed to the body type. Almost always big, bold type 14 point or larger.
  • Distribution Affidavit — Issued by the U.S. Postal Service or by the distributor to identify the number of issues of a particular item that were circulated. Also a method used in direct mail and some shoppers to qualify for co-​op payment.
  • Distribution/​Dealer Plan — The manufacturer practice of channeling co-​op funds through a distributor who maintains allocation control.
  • Distributor — Intermediary between manufacturer and retailer; usually warehouses, sells and/​or distributes products to retailers.
  • DMA (Designated Market Area) — Geographic regions defining TV markets for audience measurement. Nielsen is the primary designator of DMAs in the United States.
  • DMA-​Designated Market Area — Represents an exclusive geographic area of counties in which the home market stations are estimated to have the largest quarter-​hour audience share (as defined by Nielsen).
  • Domain — Internet addresses made up for words that correspond to the Internet Protocol numbers computers use to find each other. A domain is the main subdivision of Internet addresses – the last 2 or 3 letters after the final dot in a URL. The domain tells you what kind of entity you are dealing with. There are 6 top-​level domains widely used: .com (commercial), .edu (educational), .net (network operations), .gov (U.S. government), .mil (U.S. military) and .org (organization). Two-​letter domains represent countries. Thus, .uk for the United Kingdom, .dk for Denmark, .fr for France, .de for Germany.
  • Domain Authority — A metric that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results, scored from 1 to 100. Higher domain authority reflects stronger trust, credibility, and backlink profiles, making it a key indicator for SEO performance and digital marketing strategy.
  • Domain Name — The identifying name of an Internet site.
  • Domain Name System — DNS. Translates domain names into an IP address to find the owner's site.
  • Donut — A type of commercial in which live copy runs after pre-​recorded opening and before the pre-​recorded closing.
  • DOOH (Digital Out-​of-​Home) — Electronic screens in public spaces displaying dynamic, often interactive, advertising content.
  • Double Billing — An illegal practice, involving any medium, which renders a false invoice to a manufacturer for co-​op reimbursement. This includes bills showing inflated rates or fees for space or air time that was not used.
  • Double Opt-​In — The process of confirming a subscriber's wish to participate in a email or mobile program by requesting the subscriber to opt-​in twice, prior to engaging the subscriber. This is a requirement for premium and many other types of mobile services and email programs.
  • Draw Against Commission —

    An advance on future commission earnings that provides sales employees with a guaranteed minimum income, which is later deducted from their commission payouts. This helps sales employees manage their cash flow, especially during periods of low sales.

  • Drive Time — Those dayparts (early morning and late afternoon) when the radio listeners are driving to and from work. These times usually command prime rates in radio advertising.
  • Drop — A line from the feeder cable to a subscriber television or receiver.
  • Dwell Time —

    The amount of time a consumer spends near an OOH ad, now measured with sensors and mobile data for more accurate engagement metrics.

  • Dynamic Content — Information in web pages — such as Flash movies, email, e‑newsletters, etc. — that changes automatically, based on database or user information. When used effectively, this variable content automatically targets users' specific needs, providing what they are looking for, when they are looking for it, and in the format they have asked for.
  • Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) — Technology that automatically assembles and serves personalized ad creatives in real time based on user data and context.

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  • Earned Rate — The actual rate of advertising space or time charged to an advertiser, taking into account all discounts for volume and frequency.
  • Earnings Per Visitor — A breakdown of how much a website or Internet company makes, on average, based on the number of clicks or visitors it receives.
  • Egress — An unwanted cable television signal leak from a cable television system.
  • Electronic Tear Sheet — For print media, a digital image of the ad as it appears in publication. For electronic media, a script-​based statement listing dates, times and costs of aired commercials.
  • Email Advertising —

    Includes banner ads, sponsored content, native ads, and interactive elements embedded within email newsletters and marketing campaigns. These ads are highly personalized using AI and often feature clickable links, videos, or engaging formats optimized for both desktop and mobile inboxes. Modern email advertising spans all types of commercial emails, delivering targeted and measurable campaigns while adhering to privacy standards.

  • Email Append — A process in a database that adds email addresses to postal files by merging files to match the postal address with email information in other files.
  • Email Change of Address — ECOA is a process that provides updated email addresses for data files based on consumer-​provided, permission-​based data.
  • Email Delivery Rates — The percentage of email that gets delivered as intended; this is compiled from seedlist-​based monitoring services and SMTP log files.
  • Email Open Rate — This is a measure primarily used by marketers as an indication of how many people open a commercial electronic mail message.
  • Email Service Provider — A company that, as a hosted service, sends and manages email campaigns for other companies.
  • Email Signature —

    Block of text and visuals automatically added to the end of an email, typically containing the sender’s name, job title, company, and contact information. It serves to provide recipients with essential details about the sender and often reinforces brand identity or professionalism.

  • Encryption — A system to secure a message or television transmission.
  • End of Message — Acronym used in various text-​based forms of communication to indicate the end of a given message. EOM.
  • End Rate — Lowest rate at which a station offers commercial time to advertisers.
  • End User License Agreement — A contractual agreement between a software publisher and a user. Also known as TOS — Terms of Service.
  • Engagement — The point in a buying cycle or sales cycle after potential buyer has identified potential vendors/​solutions and begins a dialogue with the organization or sales person.
  • Ethical AI Policy — A formal set of guidelines and procedures that govern the development, deployment, and use of artificial intelligence to ensure it aligns with ethical principles such as fairness, transparency, accountability, privacy, and non-discrimination.
  • Event Blog — A blog specifically launched as a companion to an event.
  • Event Management Software (EMS) — Digital platforms used to plan, market, and manage events, including registration, engagement, analytics, and reporting.
  • Exit Traffic — Term used to decipher what kind of people or what kind of patterns are taking place when people exit or move away from a website.

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  • Facebooking — This represents various actions associated with using Facebook​.com, such as: Managing one's profile, searching and viewing the profiles of others, sending messages, adding friends, etc.
  • Factory Rep — A sales representative employed by the manufacturer to sell directly to retailers or wholesalers.
  • False Negative — When a spam filtering device fails to detect spam and allows it to be delivered.
  • False Positive — When a spam filtering device inaccurately identifies legitimate email as spam, and blocks delivery.
  • FAST (Free Ad-​Supported Streaming Television) — A business model and category of streaming channels that offer free, ad-​supporFrted video content, often in a linear format. FAST channels are rapidly growing and present new opportunities for advertisers and media sales teams to reach cord-​cutters and digital-​first audiences.
  • Favicon (Favorites Icon) — Small icon associated with bookmarks used in web browsers. Also, an image appended to domain name by a browser to make a website or online business stand out.
  • Federal Communications Commission — The government agency charged with regulating and monitoring the communications industry.
  • Feed — The RSS or Atom feeds used by news aggregators.
  • Feed Reader — A content aggregator, subscribed to by the user, so that specific content or search results arrives in their reader.
  • Fiber Optics — High-​capacity, extremely reliable cables that carry multiple television channels over thin, glass strands. 
  • File Transfer Protocol — FTP. A common method of moving files between two internet sites.
  • Findability — Refers to being locatable. Though tied closely with Information Architecture on the Web, particularly within one site, findability has also become a popular term for defining how findable, locatable and navigable a business or person's presence is on and across the web and social networking.
  • Firewall — A firewall is a security barrier placed between an organization's internal computer network — either its IS system or intranet — and the Internet. It keeps your information in, and unwanted people out. It consists of one or more routers that accept, reject or edit transmitted information and requests.
  • Firmographics — Externally measurable characteristics of prospect companies such as size, revenue, industry, and geographical locations.
  • First Party Data — Data collected directly from users by a brand or publisher, increasingly valuable as third-​party cookies are phased out.
  • First-​Party Identifier — A privacy-​compliant user ID (such as hashed email or phone number) used for targeting and measurement as third-​party cookies disappear.
  • Fixed Amount Accrual — Fixed amount of money or advertising or promoting certain products, agreed upon prior to product purchases.
  • Fixed Inch Rate — An established schedule of co-​op advertising payment used by some manufacturers to reimburse retailers for local newspaper advertising. When retailers must pay more than the fixed rate, verification of the higher rate is required.
  • Fixed Position — A spot broadcast during a specific daypart. Commercial is aired in the same time period each day or week.
  • Flat Rate (Open Rate) — A uniform charge for space (per inch or per line) without regard for the amount of space used or frequency of insertion.
  • Flight — The length of time a campaign will run. (e.g. The flight will run 4 weeks in the fourth quarter.)
  • Flight Dates — The exact start and end dates of an ad campaign.
  • Flighting — Scheduling advertisements in one period, followed by a period of inactivity, followed by more advertising-​especially in broadcast media. Can increase efficiency with minimal loss of impact.
  • Font — A working set of type characters containing all the letters, numbers, etc. in a given typeface for type composition.
  • Format — (1)Type of programming a radio station presents, e.g. Country and Western, Talk, etc. (2)A publication's physical makeup/​style.
  • Framing (Sales) — A communication strategy where information is presented in a way that influences perception and decision-​making. In media and advertising, framing shapes how audiences interpret messages, products, or issues by emphasizing certain aspects over others
  • Franchise Area — The geographic boundary in which a cable system, or group of systems, provides service. A franchise area is typically determined by municipal, county or other local government territories and a franchise fee is levied against the operator. 
  • Franchisee — A franchisee is an individual or company that purchases the right to operate a business using an established brand’s name, trademarks, and business model (the franchisor). The franchisee pays initial fees and ongoing royalties to the franchisor in exchange for access to the brand, proven systems, and ongoing support. While the franchisee runs their business independently, they must follow the franchisor’s guidelines and standards, benefiting from the brand’s reputation, marketing, and operational expertise.
  • Franchisor — A franchisor is the original business or individual that owns the trademarks, brand, and business model of a company and licenses these rights to others (franchisees) in exchange for upfront fees and ongoing royalties. The franchisor provides franchisees with the right to operate under its name, along with training, branding, operational systems, and ongoing support to ensure consistency and uphold brand standards across all location
  • Fred Meyer Corollary — U.S. Supreme Court decision requiring manufacturers and wholesalers to offer the same plan to all advertisers within a market area. The ruling requires that they notify all known outlets of plan availability and document these efforts.
  • Free Standing Ad — An ad apart from a store's usual advertising in a certain section, e.g. a grocery store ad separate and apart from the regular "Shopping Day" food ads.
  • Frequency (ad) — The number of times the same viewer sees a commercial. Often used in tandem with "reach," or the number of different viewers who see a commercial. Used to describe the impact of an advertising campaign.
  • Frequency (signal) — The physical properties in a voice signal that vary in tone and pitch.
  • Frequency Capping — Limiting the number of times a user sees a specific ad across channels and devices to prevent oversaturation and improve user experience.
  • Frequency Discount — Rate reduction for a specific number of advertisements during a given time period.
  • Fringe Time — Time period preceding or following prime time. Often divided into Early Fringe (late afternoon/​early evening) Late Fringe (after late local news).
  • Front-​Ending — Contracting the manufacturer before an ad is run to make sure that the co-​op allowance will be paid.
  • FSI — Free Standing Insert — Coupon carrier usually delivered in Sunday edition paper.
  • FTC — Federal Trade Commission. The competition division is the regulating agency for co-op.
  • Full Run — Newspaper term meaning an ad ran in the complete distribution of that paper.
  • Full-​Time Station — Station licensed by the FCC to broadcast 24 hours a day. Many smaller stations are licensed for daylight hours only.

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  • Galley List — A method of printing list information line by line, such as a book, would be printed. This is also called a manuscript listing.
  • Gamification — Incorporating game-​like elements (badges, leaderboards, challenges) to boost event attendee participation and engagement. Can also be used in training or learning management systems.
  • GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) — A European Union law that protects individuals’ personal data by requiring organizations to obtain consent, ensure transparency, and allow people to access, correct, or delete their data. Applies to any business handling EU residents’ data, with strict penalties for violations.
  • Generative AI — A form of artificial intelligence that uses advanced machine learning models to create new content—such as text, images, video, and audio—based on patterns learned from large datasets. In marketing, generative AI powers automated content creation, hyper-​personalization, and campaign innovation at scale.
  • Geofiltering — The business practice of restricting access to content by geographic areas.
  • Geopath Ratings —

    The industry-​standard audience measurement system for OOH advertising, using aggregated mobile, GPS, and behavioral data for precise, real-​time audience estimates and campaign planning.

  • Geotargeting /​ Geofencing — Ads delivered to potential customers at specific geographic locations or targeting mobile users.
  • Ghost — An undesirable shadow image of a primary televison image usually caused by signal path reflections.
  • Global Positioning System — A system of satellites, computers and receivers that can determine the latitude and longitude of a given receiver (within its system) located anywhere on Earth.
  • Google Bombing — This refers to an underhanded and unethical SEO practice of creating a large number of links, using specific keywords, in the anchor text. This is done to rate a site very highly for that keyword.
  • Graduated Percent Participation — Participation plan based upon the number of ads that the advertiser runs; e.g. first ad may be 50% paid, second ad 75% paid, third ad 100% paid.
  • Graphic Interchange Format — A GIF (pronounced "giff") is a graphics format that can be displayed on almost all web browsers. It is a common compression format used for transferring graphics files between different computers. They display in 256 colors and have built-​in compression.
  • Graylisting — Process of routing email to a bulk folder if it is perceived as borderline spam, as determined by a receiving ISP.
  • Greenfield Opportunity — A market that is open and free for the taking.
  • Gross Impressions — The sum of all exposures to an advertiser's message in a given media schedule, including duplication. Also called gross audience.
  • Gross Margin — Revenue minus cost of goods sold; a critical media-​sales profitability metric.
  • Gross Rate — Total advertising cost, including an agency commission (usually 15% of the air time cost) which stations allow agencies to deduct from payment, thus recognizing agency's role in bringing an advertiser to the airwaves.
  • GRPs (Gross Rating Points) — The sum of all average quarter-​hour ratings; also the product of reach times frequency. Represents the total audience reached, including duplication.
  • Guaranteed Accrual — Plan used by some manufacturers which guarantees a total accrual amount for the duration of the plan. This may be increased if purchases exceed totals for the previous year.
  • Guerilla Marketing —

    Campaign tactic involving the placement of often humorous brand-​related messages in unexpected places either online or in the real world; intended to provoke word-​of-​mouth and build buzz. Often leverages social media and real-​world interactions to maximize viral impact.

  • Guest Post — An article written for publication on another organization’s website, typically in exchange for exposure and a backlink. Guest posting helps build authority, reach new audiences, and improve SEO
  • GUI — Graphical User Interface.
  • Gutter — The blank space on the inside page margin.

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  • Halftone — Reproduction process that utilizes a screen to transform a continuous-​tone photograph to a dot pattern for print reproduction.
  • Hallucination — Instances where an AI system—such as a large language model or generative AI tool—produces outputs that are factually incorrect, fabricated, or misleading, yet presented as if they are accurate and credible.
  • HARO (Help a Reporter Out) — Online platform that connects journalists seeking expert insights, quotes, or information for their stories with knowledgeable sources from various fields. HARO is widely used in public relations, SEO, and link-​building to secure press coverage and establish authority in a given industry.
  • Harvesting — The process that crawls the Internet to gather email address from websites, then use them to create spam lists.
  • HDTV — High definition television. A high-​quality television signal.
  • Headend — The central receiving and processing station where a cable system collects various program signals and retransmits them to subscribing households. 
  • Headend In The Sky (HITS) — A variation on head-​end facilities which provides signal transmissions via digital compression.
  • Header — The first part of an email message that contains controlling and meta-​data such as the subject, origin and destination email addresses, the path an email takes, and its priority. May be used to filter, track spammers or uncover information about delivery rates.
  • Header Bidding — A programmatic technique where multiple ad exchanges bid on inventory simultaneously before the ad server is called, increasing competition and revenue for publishers.
  • Headline — Head of copy, usually printed in large, heavy type to emphasize or introduce the advertised product.
  • Hiatus — The period during a campaign when an advertiser's schedule is suspended for a short period of time, after which it resumes.
  • HMS — Home Media Server
  • Home Page — Home Page has several meanings. Originally, it meant the web page that your browser is set to use when it starts up. The more common meaning today refers to the main web page for a business, organization, person, or simply the main page out of a collection of web pages.
  • Homes Passed — The number of homes in which cable television service is or can be readily made available as a result of nearby feeder cables.
  • Honey Pot — In marketing, a strategy or piece of content designed to attract and engage prospects by offering high value, similar to how honey attracts bees. In digital, it can also refer to a tactic that draws in leads or traffic for further nurturing
  • Hot Adult Contemporary (Hot AC) — A station playing popular and rock music of the most recent 10–15 years. Music selection appeals to general listeners, not listeners who want current hits.
  • Hotline — The most recent names added to a list. Usually defined in increments of 30 days.
  • House Ads —

    Self-​promotional advertisements a company runs on its own media properties to fill unsold ad space and promote its own products, services, or features. These ads do not generate external revenue and should not be included in reported advertising income. House ads are commonly used to fill unsold inventory and drive internal business goals.

  • House List — Any list compiled of those who have previously purchased from your company. Your customer list.
  • Household — The core measure of circulation for a cable TV system. Typically, cable companies collect a monthly subscription fee from each household served. In addition to detached homes, apartment units are usually counted as individual households.
  • Household Penetration — The percentage of households within a cable TV service area that elect to subscribe. If 7,500 homes within a 10,000-household service area subscribe, the household penetration level would be expressed as 75 percent. 
  • HTML — HyperText Markup Language: The coding language used to create and link together documents and files on the internet.
  • HUT — Households Using Television — An estimate of the number of households within a specified coverage area which are viewing any television programming during a specified time.
  • HVAC — Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. Abbreviation commonly used by/​for dealers and installers of air conditioners, heat pumps and furnaces.
  • Hybrid Event — An event that combines in-​person and virtual components, allowing broader participation.
  • Hyperlink — A navigational reference to another document or page on the Internet. Clickable text that allows the viewer to go directly to a web page or site.
  • Hyperlocal — Targeting or focusing on a very specific, narrowly defined geographic area—such as a neighborhood, a few city blocks, or even a single street. In marketing and media, hyperlocal strategies use location data and technology (like GPS or geofencing) to deliver highly relevant content, ads, or information to people within that small area, often to drive immediate actions like store visits or local engagement.

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  • ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) — A detailed description of the type of customer most likely to benefit from a company’s product or service, based on attributes like demographics, behavior patterns, needs, and pain points. The ICP guides marketing and sales efforts to target, qualify, and convert the prospects most likely to become high-​value customers
  • Identification — Or station I.D. A 10-​second commercial that keeps the advertiser's name before the public.
  • Illustrations — Pictures or diagrams in an ad. Can be photographs, line drawings or a combination of the two.
  • Immersive OOH —

    AR, VR, and interactive displays, creating engaging and measurable brand experiences.

  • Impression — The exposure of a clickable ad on a website to one individual person. The number of times a visitor sees an ad on the website. A single delivery of an ad creative to a user’s screen that meets industry viewability standards (e.g., 50% of pixels in view for 1 second for display ads).
  • Impressions — The number of homes or individuals exposed to an advertisement in whole units. The number is usually expressed in thousands.
  • Imprint — Also Dealer Imprint. Space where the local dealer inserts name, logo, address, etc., on an ad slick or mat provided by the manufacturer.
  • Inbound Link — A link to your website from a different website.
  • Inbound Marketing — A strategy focused on attracting customers through valuable content and experiences, rather than outbound tactics like cold calling or direct ads.
  • Incentive — Manufacturer services or cost reduction given to prompt dealer to increase purchases for limited time periods.
  • Incrementality — A measurement of the true lift or additional value generated by an ad campaign, often determined through A/​B or holdout testing.
  • Independent Station — Stations not affiliated with any network–usually refers to commercial stations only.
  • Influencer — An individual who has established credibility, expertise, and a dedicated following within a specific niche or industry—typically on social media, blogs, or video platforms. Influencers have the power to shape opinions and affect the purchasing decisions of their audience through their content, recommendations, and endorsements. Brands partner with influencers to leverage their trust, reach, and authentic voice, enabling more targeted and effective marketing campaigns that resonate with specific audiences and drive engagement, awareness, and sales
  • Influencer Marketing — A strategy where brands collaborate with individuals who have strong, engaged followings on social media or digital platforms to promote products or services. Influencer marketing leverages the influencer’s credibility and authentic connection with their audience to increase brand awareness, drive engagement, and boost conversions. 
  • Influencer Marketplace —

    A digital platform connecting brands with social media influencers for sponsored content and campaigns. These marketplaces streamline discovery, contracting, and performance tracking. Influencer marketplaces are considered to be integral to scaling authentic partnerships.

  • Infomercial — A televised advertisement for a product or service, typically running over a longer period of time than a standard :30 commercial.
  • Information Request — Inquiry sent to vendors requesting information on co-​op advertising and allowance programs they administer. A form designed by the NAB is most frequently used.
  • Ingredient Co-​op — A type of co-​op accrual based on the ingredients of the end product. For example, in clothing, co-​op may be available from the fabric producer as well as the suit manufacturer.
  • Ingress — The unwanted leakage of interfering signals into a cable television system. 
  • Input/​Output (I/​O) — Data transmission between central and peripheral equipment.
  • Inquiry — A list of those who only inquired, but did not actually purchase. The list has value because it demonstrates interest on the part of the inquirer.
  • Insertion Order — Written authorization for a publication to print a specific ad in a particular issue at a stated rate.
  • Instagram — Instagram is an online mobile photo-​sharing, video-​sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos, and share them on a variety of social networking platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr. A distinctive feature is that it confines photos to a square shape, similar to Kodak Instamatic and Polaroid images, in contrast to the 4:3 aspect ratio typically used by mobile device cameras. Users can also apply digital filters to their images. The maximum duration for Instagram videos is 15 seconds. The service was acquired by Facebook in April 2012 for approximately $1 billion in cash and stock.
  • Institutional Advertising — Advertisements emphasizing the personality or business concept of the advertiser rather than promoting a specific product.
  • Integrated Marketing — Marketing that attempts to create synergy and cooperation among various online and offline channels.
  • Interactive Cable System — Two-​way cable connections that allow subscribers to communicate with the central station, such as allowing order of pay-​per-​view events.
  • Interactive Marketing — Interactive marketing is the ability to remember what a prospect does or says, then address the prospect throughout all interactions in a manner that lets him or her know that the organization recalls and understands what he or she has previously revealed.
  • Interconnect — A collection of two or more cable TV systems that work together to distribute commercials to a wider geographic area than either system, individually, would otherwise reach. 
  • Internet Advertising Bureau — The IAB is an association dedicated to helping online, interactive broadcasting, email, wireless and interactive television media companies increase their revenues.
  • Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Number — This is a global, non-​profit corporation formed to oversee a select range of Internet technical management functions. ICANN.
  • Internet Relay Chat — This is a facility that allows people — from many different places in the world at one time — to chat online in real time. The chats, or forums, are typed remarks, and they can be either public or private. IRC.
  • Internet Service Provider — A company that provides consumers and companies access to the Internet.
  • Interstitial Ads —

    Also known as between-​the-​page. These ad units display as a user navigates from one webpage to the next webpage. The ad appears after the user leaves the initial page, but before the target page displays on the user’s screen. The ad is self-​contained within its own browser window and may not appear as an overlay on the target page content.

  • IP Address — The Internet Protocol Address: The numeric identification number that refers to a specific machine on the Internet. Every computer or system connected to the Internet has a unique IP address assigned to it. Most IP addresses are associated with Domain Names (e.g. promarkad​.com) that enable convenient human access to those computers or systems.
  • IP Delivery — This refers to delivering content based on the IP address of the computer requesting the URL. It is sometimes used to tailor content to different user groups.

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  • Jack — A connecting device to which a wire or wires of a circuit may be attached and which is arranged for the insertion of a plug. 
  • Java — Java is an object-​oriented programming language created by Sun Microsystems that supports enhanced features such as animation or real-​time updating of information on the Internet.
  • Jobber — A distributor. The term is used in some building materials and aftermarket plans. In the automotive aftermarket, the term refers to a parts retailer.
  • JPEG — Joint Photographic Experts Group: JPEG (pronounced "jay peg") is a graphics format newer than GIF that displays photographs and graphic images with millions of colors. It also compresses well and is easy to download.

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  • Keycode — A unique code assigned to a promotion or a specific link within a promotion in order for a response to be tracked by the advertiser.
  • Keyword Density — Usually expressed as a percentage, keyword density refers to the number of keywords on a web page divided by the total number of words on the page.
  • Keywords — The words or phrases used by a prospect when performing a search. Marketers optimize their websites according to the search volumes of keywords related to their industry, product or service. Marketers can also create ads related to keywords that appear in paid search listings (see pay-per-click).
  • KPI (Key Performance Indicator) — Quantifiable metrics used to evaluate campaign effectiveness, now including attention, engagement, and incremental lift metrics.

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  • Landing Page — A standalone web page designed to capture a visitor’s attention and encourage a specific action, such as signing up, making a purchase, or downloading content. It is typically used in marketing campaigns to convert visitors into leads or customers by focusing on a single, clear call to action.
  • Last Mile — The final segment in the delivery of communication, media, or physical goods to the end user’s location—such as a home or business. In telecommunications and media, it describes the often complex and costly process of connecting the service provider’s main network (using fiber, cable, or wireless) to individual customers. In advertising, last mile delivery vehicles and touchpoints are increasingly used as high-​visibility marketing opportunities to reach consumers directly in their neighborhoods or at the point of purchase.
  • Layout — Working drawing that renders a rough copy of the advertisement's appearance.
  • Lead Generation — Marketing process for reaching prospects via the design, production, and placement of outbound communications and the subsequent capture of contact information of potential buyers.
  • Lead Harvesting — Sales promotions/​incentives designed to convert leads into buyers.
  • Lead Scoring — The predictive ranking of the value of one lead versus another to the organization. Common sources of data for Lead Scoring include explicit information such as Demographics and BANT criteria (Budget, Authority, Need and Timeline) combined with implicit or behavioral observations.
  • Leakage — Undesirable cable television signal emission, usually through cracked cables or loose or corroded connections.
  • Leased Access — A public access channel for which programmers pay a nominal fee to cable operator for use. Programmers sell commercial time in their programming.
  • Leased Channel — A channel on a cable system that the operator has leased to a third party. The third party is responsible for the programming on the channel.
  • Lifetime Value — The dollar figure that a company associates with a customer based on past purchases, projected future purchases and loyalty.
  • Light Emitting Diode (LED) — Visual channel display located on the front of cable TV converters.
  • Line Art — Drawing or piece of artwork with no halftone screen.
  • Line of Sight —

    The ability to view multiple OOH units simultaneously, relevant for campaign planning and creative impact.

  • Line Rate — The cost of using one line by one column inch of space in any publication.
  • Lineage — The total number of lines or space occupied by an advertisement or series of advertisements as measured in agate lines.
  • Linear TV — Refers to traditional broadcast or cable television where programming is delivered in a set, scheduled order. Linear campaigns are distributed “as is” and are not personalized or interactive, contrasting with on-​demand or digital streaming
  • Liner — An ad without a border positioned in the classified section of the newspaper.
  • Link Building — Quality link building is one of the most important activities you can undertake to get higher search engine rankings (SEO). One-​way link building builds link to your site from high value websites such as authority, relevant and industry-​leading websites. Two-​way link building offers a link back.
  • LinkedIn — A business-​oriented social networking site mainly used for professional networking that allows registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business.
  • List Broker — A company that acts as an intermediary between a list owner and a list buyer. List brokers sell/​rent lists of names and addresses for such channels as direct mail and email.
  • List Cleaning — The process by which a mailing list is updated and inaccurate addresses are removed.
  • List Hygiene — The process of cleaning email files to ensure all addresses are accurate, current, opt-​in and deliverable.
  • Listicle — a type of article or blog post organized as a list, using numbered or bulleted points to present information in a concise, easy-​to-​read format. Each item typically includes a brief explanation, making content quick to scan and digest. Listicles are popular in digital media because they capture attention, encourage sharing, and help readers absorb information efficiently—examples include “10 Tips for Better Sleep” or “5 Must-​Know Trends.”
  • Litho Negs or Positives — Film reproduction of advertising materials often used in offset printing.
  • Live Read — Ad copy read by a TV or radio station announcer instead of being played on a pre-​recorded tape.
  • Live Tag — Message added by live announcer at the end of a commercial, usually giving the address of a local retailer.
  • LLM (Large Language Model) — A type of artificial intelligence trained on vast amounts of text data to understand, generate, and predict human language. Using deep learning—specifically transformer architectures—LLMs can process complex language patterns, answer questions, write content, summarize information, and perform a wide range of language-​related tasks. Their scale (often billions or trillions of parameters) enables them to produce highly coherent, contextually relevant responses and power applications like chatbots, content creation, and advanced analytics in marketing and business.
  • LMS (Learning Management System) — A software platform used to create, deliver, manage, and track training and educational content for employees or teams. In media sales and marketing agencies, an LMS centralizes onboarding, ongoing skills development, and certification, making it easier to train staff, monitor progress, and ensure up-​to-​date knowledge across the organization.
  • Location Based Services — A range of services that are provided to mobile subscribers based on the geographical location of their handsets within their cellular network. Handsets have to be equipped with a position-​location technology such as GPS to enable the geographical-​trigger of service(s) being provided.
  • Location List — The comprehensive list of all sites and displays included in an OOH advertising campaign.
  • Logo — 1. A manufacturer's product name or identification symbol which must often be prominently featured in co-​op ad. 2. The advertiser's signature as it is consistently used in stationery, sign and advertising.
  • Lookalike Audience — A targeting method where new users similar to an existing audience (e.g., converters or loyal customers) are identified and targeted.
  • Lookback Window — The period during which user actions (such as ad clicks or views) are tracked for attribution purposes.
  • Loyalty Marketing — A programmatic marketing focus on improving customer satisfaction and lifetime value through the use of incentives.

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  • M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions) — The process of consolidating companies or their major assets through financial transactions, such as mergers (joining to form a new entity) or acquisitions (one company purchasing another). M&A is a key strategy for growth, market expansion, or gaining competitive advantages in media and advertising industries.
  • Machine Learning — A subset of artificial intelligence where algorithms automatically learn from data and improve over time without explicit programming. In marketing, machine learning is used for predictive analytics, customer segmentation, personalization, and campaign optimization by identifying patterns and making data-​driven decisions.
  • Machine-​learning filters — Filters based on algorithms that point to whether the message is likely spam, that determine whether to block email.
  • Magazine Supplement — A pre-​printed tabloid or magazine-​size supplement distributed in newspapers, usually in Saturday or Sunday editions.
  • Mailing List — Collection of email addresses or physical addresses used by individuals, organizations, or businesses to send messages, updates, or promotional content to a specific group of recipients.
  • Make-​Good — Rebroadcast or reprint of a spot that was marred or not run due to error or technical problem. Station or publication will run a "make-​good" in the same daypart or position at no additional cost.
  • Manufacturer's Agreement — A contract between the manufacturer and the advertiser, normally executed before the ad is run. The manufacturer uses the contract to keep track of the retailer's accrual and to make sure that the retailer is aware of all of the specifics.
  • Manufacturer's Rep — A salesperson working directly for a manufacturer, selling to retailers and/​or distributors.
  • Marketing Automation — A system of intelligent software, best practices and process automation designed to automatically create, deploy, schedule and track marketing campaigns. This integrates with CRM to provide visibility into prospect or buyer behavior from contact to close.
  • Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) — The contact and profile information of a lead identified by marketing as a potential buyer due to various explicit and implicit responses/​behaviors.
  • Martech Stack — The collection of marketing technologies and tools a company uses to plan, execute, and measure campaigns.
  • Mashup — A mashup is the end result of combining content from more than one source to create a new form of content or application.
  • Maximum/​Minimum Ad Sizes — Some co-​op plans require that ads fall within a specified size range to qualify.
  • Means of Response — Multiple, easy-​to-​use options for the audience to respond—such as phone numbers, web forms, texts, or QR codes—removing barriers to action.
  • Media Buying Power (MBP) — Media Buying Power. The total purchasing power for the advertiser's accrual dollars. E.g. if a retailer has $100 in accruals in a plan with 50/​50 participation, that retailer's MBP is $200.
  • Media Mix — Allocation of budget across multiple ad channels (TV, radio, OOH, digital, etc.).
  • Media Rating Council (MRC) —

    Not-​for-​profit industry self regulatory body that audits and accredits media measurement products and data sources across Digital, Out-​of-​Home, Print, Radio, Television, and cross-​media products.

  • MegaHertz (MHz) — A unit of signal frequency equal to one million cycles per second. 
  • Memo Billing — A courtesy bill supplied by media to a retailer for processing reimbursements.
  • Merchant Account — A banking account merchants can set up with a financial institution that enables them to process and receive credit card payments from customers, whether for individual transactions or recurring billing.
  • Merge/​Purge — Combining two or more lists while simultaneously deleting any names that are duplicated.
  • Message Duration —

    The length of time a digital OOH ad is displayed during a rotation.

  • Meta Refresh — A way to redirect pages from one website to another. Not as valid for search engine optimization as a 301 redirect, which resides on the server.
  • Meta Tag — A special code or "tag" that contains specific information about the inner workings of a website.
  • Metadata — “Data about data" provides information that describes, summarizes, or gives context to other data, but does not include the actual content itself. Examples of metadata include details such as the author, creation date, file size, format, keywords, and usage rights of a file or dataset. Metadata makes it easier to find, organize, manage, and understand data by offering essential information about its origin, structure, and purposeprovides information that describes, summarizes, or gives context to other data, but does not include the actual content itself. Examples of metadata include details such as the author, creation date, file size, format, keywords, and usage rights of a file or dataset. Metadata makes it easier to find, organize, manage, and understand data by offering essential information about its origin, structure, and purpose.
  • Metaverse — Acollective virtual world or network of immersive online environments where users interact as digital avatars, typically through virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) technology.
  • Metropolitan Areas — This official population measurement is maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau and indicates cities or urbanized areas of 50,000 or more residents and includes MSA, CMSA and PMSAs.
  • Microblogging — A form of blogging that enables users to compose brief text updates, via mobile devices, instant messaging, or email, and publish them quickly. Think: Twitter.
  • Microcast — A short-​form podcast featuring episodes typically no longer than 10 minutes, often ranging from 1 to 5 minutes, and published frequently—sometimes daily. Designed for quick, focused listening, microcasts deliver concise, easily digestible content that fits into busy schedules and caters to audiences seeking “snackable” audio updates. This format is popular for news, commentary, or niche topics, and is well-​suited for distribution on smart speakers, social media, and mobile platforms.
  • Microsite — An individual website or cluster of web pages designed to promote a specific product or service. Used to convey complicated information but limit navigation choices by not sending a web visitor to the home page of a website.
  • Mid-​roll (Advertising) — An advertisement or promotional message inserted in the middle of a podcast episode, online video, or streaming content. Mid-​roll ads typically appear during a natural break or transition, when audience engagement is high and listeners or viewers are less likely to skip. Because they reach audiences who are already invested in the content, mid-​rolls often deliver strong recall and response rates, making them a valuable placement for advertisers seeking to maximize impact and engagement.
  • Minimum Performance — In some plans, the advertiser receives the full amount of accrued funds (upon submission of tear sheet) regardless of ad costs.
  • MMORPG — Massively Multiplayer Online Role-​Playing Game.
  • Mobile Advertising — A form of advertising that is communicated to the consumer/​target via a handset such as a smart phone or iPad. This type of advertising is most commonly seen as a Mobile Web Banner (top of page), Mobile Web Poster (bottom of page banner), and full screen interstitial, which appears while a requested mobile web page is "loading." Other forms of this type of advertising are SMS and MMS ads, mobile gaming ads, and mobile video ads.
  • Mobile Billboard —

    Ad mounted on a vehicle such as a truck, trailer, or bus, designed to promote brands or messages while traveling through various locations. These billboards can be static or digital, often equipped with features like LED screens and GPS to enable targeted, flexible campaigns that reach audiences in high-​traffic or specific areas. The mobility and visibility of these ads make them effective for capturing attention and delivering messages directly to both motorists and pedestrians in diverse environments.

  • Mobile Search — Executing a search via mobile Internet.
  • MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Areas) — Each metropolitan statistical area must have at least one urbanized area of 50,000 (75,000 in New England) or more inhabitants. Each micropolitan statistical area must have at least one urban cluster of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000 population.
  • MSO (Multi-​System or Multi-​Station Operator) — a company that owns and operates multiple cable television or direct-​broadcast satellite systems across different regions. MSOs play a crucial role in the telecommunications industry by consolidating networks, expanding service coverage, and enabling efficient delivery of media content and broadband services to large geographic areas.
  • MSRP — Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price.
  • Multi-​Channel Marketing — Marketing that uses multiple channels of outbound/​marketing Communications such as email, direct mail, call center and website with the potential for integrating prospect responses into a single Dashboard view.
  • Multi-​Touch Attribution (MTA) — A method that assigns conversion credit to multiple touchpoints along the customer journey, rather than just the first or last click.
  • Multi-​Touch Marketing — Contacting a specific prospect multiple times over a specified period of time, whether within a single-​channel (e.g., multiple emails) or multi-​channel (e.g., a mix of email, direct mail and/​or call center) marketing campaign.
  • Multiple Listing Ads — A single ad, listing a number of dealers or advertisers who must use co-​op funds jointly to pay for the ad.
  • Must-​carry — The FCC ruled that cable systems are required to carry all local broadcast television signals in their markets.

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  • NAICS — North American Industry Classification System
  • National Advertising — Ads placed directly by a manufacturer or agency throughout the country. When placed in a newspaper, these ads are billed at the national rate.
  • National Spot — A form of broadcast advertising in which national advertisers, through an agency or buying service, select specific markets and stations to advertise in. The station usually has a contract with a firm to represent it to ad agencies.
  • Native Advertising — A form of online advertising that matches the form and function of the platform on which it appears. For example, an article written by an advertiser to promote their product, but using the same form as an article written by the editorial staff.
  • Native Programmatic — The automated buying and selling of native ad formats (ads that match the look and feel of the content) through programmatic platforms.
  • Native Revenue Stack — The new trend is to build out a native advertising "revenue stack.” Here are the three elements most commonly seen in a publisher’s native stack: Stack Element 1: Direct Sponsored Native Advertising; Stack Element 2: Direct Brand-​Owned Native Advertising; Stack Element 3: Third-​Party Native Advertising
  • Navigation — A menu of links allowing users to move from one web page to another page within a site.
  • Negotiable Co-​op — For co-​op advertising, this term describes a type of co-​op funding provided on a case-​by-​case or individual needs basis. Often, the advertiser negotiates with the vendor.
  • Net Rate — (1)The air time cost that an advertiser pays when no advertising agency is involved. (2)The amount the station expects to be paid after the agency discount is taken. To calculate the Net Rate, multiply the gross rate by .85.
  • Net Unduplicated Reach — The number of different people reached by a single issue of two or more publications and/​or the number of different people reached by a campaign in a given period.
  • News Aggregator — A web-​based tool or desktop application that collects syndicated content.
  • Newsgroup — An email group to which people subscribe to receive news and updates, and share comments, either online or via email.
  • Newsreader — A newsreader gathers the news from multiple blogs or news sites via RSS, allowing readers to access all their news from a single website or program.
  • NewsTalk — Radio format featuring hosted discussions of current events. Programs usually include a host, a specific political opinion, call-​ins, and guests. Topics range from health, to medicine, to finance.
  • NextGen TV — See ATSC 3.0
  • Niche Media — Media channels or outlets that focus on specific interests, demographics, or markets rather than appealing to a broad, general audience. Niche media includes specialized magazines, blogs, podcasts, social media groups, and websites dedicated to unique topics, hobbies, lifestyles, or professions.
  • Nielsen — Short for A.C. Nielsen Company — a firm involved in local and national measurement of the TV audience and other research activities.
  • Nixie — A mailing piece returned due to inaccurate or insufficient addressing.
  • NoFollow — An HTML attribute instructing search engines to not rank certain web pages. Originally implemented to combat certain types of search-​engine spam.
  • Non-​traditional Revenue (NTR) — Income generated through methods and channels that fall outside a business’s or organization’s standard or “business as usual” activities. This may include ticket sales, event sponsorships, co-​op advertising, merchandise sales, etc.
  • Notifications — Alerts, typically in the form of a text, email or multimedia message, containing time-​sensitive information (event details, weather, news, services updates) that are pushed to a subscriber who has opted-​in to receive this information. Note: If the subscriber has not opted in to receive a notification, it would be considered SPAM.
  • NSFW — Acronym used to identify inappropriate content for corporate environments, such as offensive language, nudity, etc.
  • Nth Name Selection — A fractional unit of selection that is repeated in sampling a mailing list. For example: for an Nth by tens, every tenth name would be selected.

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  • OAAA — Out-​of-​Home Advertising Association of America.
  • Off-​Invoice — Co-​op allowances taken for non-​advertising or non-​performance purposes (e.g. trips, t‑shirts, etc.)
  • Off-​Premise Sign —

    An OOH ad not located on the property where the advertised product/​service is sold.

  • Oldies — A station playing music released during the '50s-'70s, especially pop and rock 'n roll. Station sound often replicates the popular AM format of the '50s-'70s.
  • Omnibus Ad — An ad featuring several products made by various manufacturers, each contributing to the cost of the ad.
  • Omnichannel Attribution — Measuring and assigning value to customer interactions across all online and offline channels to understand their impact on conversions.
  • Omnichannel Marketing — Coordinated marketing across multiple digital and offline channels, with unified measurement and attribution for a seamless customer experience.
  • On-​Premise Sign —

    An ad located at the site where the product/​service is sold.

  • Online Ads — Online ads are generally clickable, linking to a landing page, and may include banners, skyscrapers, buttons and other formats; often animated in some way.
  • OOH (Out-​of-​Home) advertising — Any advertising that reaches consumers while they are outside their homes, including billboards, transit ads, digital screens, posters, and signage in public spaces. OOH is designed to capture attention in high-​traffic areas and deliver brand messages to large, diverse audiences as they travel, commute, or spend time in public environments.
  • Open End — Recorded commercial with time at the end for a tag to provide local dealer information.
  • Open Proxy — Software that exists on a server that allows the third-​party relay of e‑mail messages through ports other than port 25.
  • Open Rate — Rate to an advertiser for the one-​time placement of an ad.
  • Open Rate (Email) — A measure of email effectiveness, the open rate indicates how many emails have been viewed. In this case, viewing technically requires that the recipient's email client requests an image embedded in an HTML email. Open rates are not registered for text messages, dial-​up/​offline readers, or multipart messages, where there is HTML and text in the same message.
  • Open-​Ended — Accrual method allowing for a specific amount to be accrued with the first purchase of a product. For instance, an open ended plan may provide for a specific dollar allowance per store based on any purchase from a certain product.
  • Opportunity to See (OTS) — A metric estimating how many times an audience has the chance to view an outdoor ad.
  • Opt-​in — The process of agreeing in advance to receive email from a business source. This permission enables email marketers to send promotions to people who are actively, rather than passively, interested and also allows them to target leads based on selected categories of interest.
  • Opt-​out — Another term for "unsubscribe." The process of declining to receive email from a business source or unsubscribing if the recipient is already on a mailing list.
  • Organic Search — Organic search results appear because of their relevance to the search terms, as opposed to their being advertisements.
  • OTA (Over the Air) — Refers to traditional broadcast signals (TV or radio) transmitted wirelessly and received by antennas, without the need for cable, satellite, or internet. In media sales, OTA represents ad inventory on local or national stations that reach audiences through free, publicly accessible broadcasts.
  • OTE (On-​Target Earnings) — The total expected compensation for a sales role if the employee achieves 100% of their sales quota or performance targets. OTE combines base salary with variable pay such as commissions or bonuses, providing a clear picture of potential earnings for meeting set goals.
  • Other Music Formats — Radio stations playing formats such as jazz, classical, or all news.
  • OTT (Over-​the-​Top) — Streaming video content delivered via the internet, bypassing traditional cable/​satellite, with advanced targeting and programmatic ad insertion.
  • Outbound Link — A link that leads people to a different website from the one they are visiting
  • Outbound Messaging — Where a business proactively initiates contact with potential customers through methods such as cold calling, direct messaging and unsolicited emails. Outbound marketing “pushes” messages to a broad audience, aiming to generate awareness and leads, often without knowing if recipients are actively interested.
  • Outcome-​Based Buying — Buying media based on specific business outcomes (e.g., sales, leads, app installs) rather than impressions or clicks.
  • Overbuilds — A geographic region in which more than one cable system operates, a competitive situation.

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  • P2P — Peer to Peer
  • Package Plan — In broadcast, a combination of spots offered to an advertiser at a special price. Usually weekly or monthly buys.
  • Page Authority — Separate from Domain Authority, this is a metric that estimates how well a specific webpage will rank in search engine results, based on factors like link quality, content relevance, and trustworthiness. Page authority helps marketers assess and improve the visibility of individual pages within a site.
  • Page Speed — The amount of time it takes for a web page’s content to fully load and display on a user’s device. Faster page speed improves user experience, reduces bounce rates, and positively impacts search engine rankings, making it a critical factor in digital marketing and SEO.
  • Page View — The term used when people have clicked on or viewed a web page.
  • Parental Control — Technology that allows lock-​out of selected channels or stations.
  • Part Run — A newspaper term signifying that an ad ran in specific portion of the paper's distribution (a smaller geographic area than the whole.)
  • Participation — Part of a co-​op plan which defines the percentage of an ad the manufacturer will reimburse, so long as the advertiser has enough accrual to cover the amount.
  • Participation Program — Broadcast in which several advertisers (usually non-​competitive) share time, as opposed to a program sponsored by a single advertiser.
  • Pass-​Along Readership — People who read a publication not purchased or subscribed to by a member of their household, in contrast to primary circulation.
  • Pass-​Through Co-​op — Funds available to the retailer even though he purchased from a wholesaler or other indirect source. The retailer may take a claim directly to the manufacturer.
  • Pay Cable — Channels, such as HBO, available for an extra fee at the discretion of cable TV subscribers. 
  • Pay Per Impression — When an advertiser pays for their online ad based on the number of views.
  • Pay Per Lead — Paying to acquire leads from an outside party at a set rate or amount per lead.
  • Pay Per Post — Paying an outside party to post information on a forum as a way to generate revenue
  • Pay Per View (PPV) — Usage-​based fee structure in which the subscriber is charged a price for the individual program requested. 
  • Pay-​Per-​Click — Online advertising where an advertiser pays a pre-​agreed price each time a user clicks on their advertisement. The cost for the click is often negotiated via an auction, with ad placement determined by the relative size of the bid, as well as other factors.
  • Pay-​Per-​Inclusion — Search engine marketing programs that guarantee website listings for specific keyword search terms for a fee.
  • Pay-​Per-​Sale — Often associated with affiliate programs, a pay per sale program gives people a small percentage of the sales they receive on each item based on a referral.
  • PDF — Portable Document Format: A translation format used primarily for distributing files across a network or on a website. Files with a .pdf extension have been created in another application (a word processor or graphics program) and then translated into .pdf files so they can be viewed by anyone with Adobe's Acrobat software regardless of platform.
  • Penetration — The measured percentage of TV households subscribing to cable in a specific area.
  • Per-​Inquiry Advertising — A method of direct response advertising in which the cable operator running the commercial is paid based on the number of responses received.
  • Percent Composition —

    The percentage of a display’s audience matching a brand’s target demographic.

  • Performance Requirements — Manufacturer rules that establish retailer guidelines in order to be reimbursed for advertising costs.
  • Permission Marketing — A form of marketing based on obtaining a customer's consent to receive marketing materials, whether they be in print, email, or other formats.
  • Persona — A semi-​fictional representation of your ideal customer, created using market research, real data about existing customers, and educated assumptions. It includes details such as demographics, behaviors, motivations, goals, challenges, and decision-​making criteria, offering a holistic view of who your target audience is and what drives their purchasing decisions.
  • Personal Branding — The intentional and strategic process of defining, communicating, and managing the unique value, expertise, and personality that distinguish an individual in the public or professional sphere. It involves crafting a consistent and authentic image—online and offline—through content, messaging, and behavior, to build credibility, trust, and influence with a target audience. Effective personal branding helps individuals stand out, advance their careers, and create new opportunities by shaping how others perceive and remember them
  • Personalization — An email promotion that uses the recipient's name or address or other unique data in order to increase click-​through and conversion rates.
  • Personalization (AI-​Powered Personalization) — The use of artificial intelligence to analyze data and tailor messaging, product recommendations, and experiences to individual users in real time. AI personalization enables hyper-​targeted campaigns and dynamic content, enhancing customer engagement and satisfaction at scale.
  • Phishing — The act of forging emails that claim to be from a legitimate sender, such as a bank, for the purpose of identity theft or robbery.
  • Pick-​Up Ad — Manufacturer-​funded dealer group ad containing an option for a participating dealer to run the as its own single-​signature ad.
  • Piggyback — Commercial announcement, part of which promotes one product, part of another product or service. For example, a 60 second radio spot with 40 seconds devoted to a particular model of car and 20 seconds devoted to parts and service.
  • Place-​Shifting — Viewing content remotely, or from a non-​standard location. An example of this is SlingMedia's TV set-​top box that enables users to view their home TV programming (both live and content on a DVR) remotely through an Internet connection.
  • Planogram — A detailed schematic diagram or visual blueprint used in retail to illustrate exactly where and how products should be placed on shelves or displays to maximize sales and enhance the customer experience. It specifies the placement, facing, and arrangement of each product, often based on marketing research and sales data, to optimize space, drive cross-​selling, and ensure consistency across store locations.
  • PMSA (Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas) — Separate, identifiable components within an MSA. PMSAs are areas containing 1,000,000 residents, usually an entire county or a town in the MSA. If an MSA has PMSAs the area is designated a CMSA, otherwise the MSA designation remains.
  • Podcast Advertising — A marketing strategy where brands pay to have their messages placed within podcast episodes, either before (pre-​roll), during (mid-​roll), or after (post-​roll) the show. Ads can be read live by the host, pre-​recorded, or dynamically inserted using programmatic technology for targeted delivery.
  • Political Rate — A station's lowest unit charge for a particular class and time period. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) requires broadcasters to charge candidates no more per unit than the station charges its "most favored advertiser for the same classes"
  • Polling — The method used on a multi-​drop communications line operating from a Front End Processor to multiple cluster controllers which ensures that only one line transmits at a time.
  • POP (Point-​of-​Purchase) — Usually printed materials, but also electronic, designed to attract consumer attention and stimulate a purchase at the retail store.
  • Portal — (also Gateway) A website or service that offers a broad array of resources and services such as email, forums, search engines, and online shopping. Today, most traditional search engines have transformed themselves into web portals to attract and maintain larger audiences.
  • Position (Newspaper) — The part of the newspaper or magazine page where the ad appears.
  • Post-​Event Evaluation — The process of assessing an event’s success by collecting feedback and analyzing key metrics after the event concludes.
  • Post-​roll (Advertising) — An advertisement or promotional message that plays immediately after the main content of a podcast episode or online video has finished. In podcasting and streaming, post-​roll ads are typically shorter and may have lower listener or viewer retention compared to pre-​roll or mid-​roll ads, but they still offer brands an opportunity to reach engaged audiences as content wraps up. Post-​rolls are often used for final calls to action, reminders, or bonus offers, and can help reinforce brand messaging at the conclusion of the user’s experience.
  • Poster Panel — An outdoor advertising structure on which a pre-​printed advertisement is displayed.
  • Posting Date —

    The scheduled start date for an OOH campaign.

  • Postmaster — The person who manages email servers at an organization. The postmaster is usually the one to contact to obtain help, or to log complaints.
  • Pre-​emption — A station will bump one advertiser's commercial if another is willing to pay more for that position.
  • Pre-​roll — The streaming of a mobile advertising clip prior to a mobile TV/​video clip. The mobile ad is usually 10–15 seconds in length.
  • Pre-​roll (Advertising) — An advertisement or promotional message that plays before the main content of a podcast episode or online video. In video and streaming, pre-​roll ads appear before the desired content starts and can be skippable or non-​skippable, usually lasting from a few seconds up to a minute.
  • Preemptible — A commercial sold at a discount but subject to preemption (cancellation) pending its later sale at higher rate.
  • Primary Circulation (Readership) — The residents of households who get publication either by purchase or subscription, in contrast to pass-along.
  • Prior Approval — A requirement in some plans that ads be approved by the manufacturer's co-​op department before publication.
  • Prior Approval Media — Media not normally covered in the plan may qualify for co-​op, but must receive prior approval from the manufacturer.
  • Privacy Sandbox — A set of privacy-​focused web standards and APIs (led by Google and industry groups) designed to enable advertising and measurement without third-​party cookies.
  • Private Auction — A type of programmatic auction where select advertisers are invited to bid on premium inventory before it becomes available in open exchanges.
  • Private Marketplace (PMP) — Invitation-​only programmatic auctions where premium publishers offer select inventory to vetted advertisers, often with first-​party data overlays.
  • Process Communication Model (PCM) — Used by many brand marketers and agencies, the Process Communication Model is a psychological framework developed by Dr. Taibi Kahler that identifies six distinct personality types and explains how these types influence communication styles, motivations, and stress responses. PCM helps individuals and organizations improve interpersonal communication, motivation, conflict resolution, and teamwork by recognizing personality patterns and adapting messages accordingly. Originally used by NASA for astronaut selection and training, PCM is now widely applied in business.
  • Product Placement — Integrating a brand or product within TV program. movie, event or video game content.
  • Programmatic Advertising — Automated buying and selling of digital ad inventory using algorithms, real-​time data, and AI for targeting, bidding, and optimization.
  • Programmatic Direct — A method of buying digital ad inventory directly from publishers using automated technology, but with fixed pricing and guaranteed placements.
  • Programmatic Guaranteed —

    A programmatic buying method where advertisers reserve premium ad inventory at fixed prices, but with automation and data-​driven targeting. Programmatic guaranteed combines efficiency with quality assurance. It is increasingly preferred for high-​impact campaigns.

  • Programmatic OOH (prOOH) —

    Automated, data-​driven buying and placement of OOH ads across digital screens, enabling real-​time targeting and optimization.

  • Promotional Allowance — See Supplementary Funds.
  • Prompt (AI) — Yhe input or instruction given to an artificial intelligence system, chatbot, or computer program to generate a response or perform a specific task. In generative AI, such as language models or image generators, a prompt can be a question, statement, command, or description that guides the AI in producing relevant output.
  • Proof (Print Advertising) — A print ad copy furnished to the advertiser, after creation but before publication. Corrections can and should be made immediately.
  • Proof of Performance (Co-​op) — Proof that the retailer has followed the co-​op plan requirements and is eligible for reimbursement.
  • Proof of Product Purchase (Co-​op) — Documentation used to claim pass-​through co-​op. Normally this is a document filled out by the distributor or a copy of the retailer's invoice which serves as proof of purchase and documents the amount of earned accrual.
  • Psychographics — Audience analysis on the basis of psychological factors such as lifestyles, values and interests and how they affect purchase behavior. Classifying prospects by internal psychological attitudes: e.g., wants, aspirations, attitudes, interests, opinions and lifestyles. Any character or quality attributed to the lifestyle of attitude of a customer or potential customer. 
  • Public Access — A non-​commercial channel offered by the cable operator. This channel is used by the public on a first come, first serve basis.
  • Public Broadcasting — A media service funded primarily by government grants, viewer donations, and sponsorships rather than commercial advertising. Public broadcasting organizations, such as PBS and NPR in the U.S., focus on educational, cultural, and informational programming and often operate with a mission to serve the public interest rather than maximize profit.
  • Pull — This term refers to marketing media that draws a target audience in, such as a website or television.
  • Pull Messaging — a.k.a. Wireless Pull Advertising, Content Pull Messaging: Any content sent to the wireless subscriber upon request on a one-​time basis.
  • Push Messaging — a.k.a. Wireless Push Advertising, Content Push Messaging: Any content sent by or on behalf of advertisers and marketers to a wireless mobile device at a time other than when the subscriber requests it.
  • PUTs (Persons Using TV) — Total viewers watching TV at a given time.

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  • Qualitative Research — Information about markets and viewers that focuses on attitudes, behaviors and demographic composition.
  • Quantitative Research — Information about markets and viewers that focuses on the relative size of audiences.
  • Query — This is a request for information — usually to a search engine. It can be a keyword or phrase that instructs the search engine to find documents related to the user's request.

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  • RAB — Radio Advertising Bureau.
  • Radio — The first broadcast medium. Its origins date back to November 1920, when returns of the Harding-​Cox presidential election were read over KDKA, Pittsburgh.
  • Radio Frequency — The range of electromagnetic signals above the audio and below the infrared frequencies (frequency spectrum from 15 kHz to 100 GHz). 
  • Rank — How a web page performs compared with others is called its page rank. In the past, this was a primary measure of how well a page was rated by Google.
  • Rate-​Based Accrual — A method of determining accrual based on the prevailing media rate. For instance, a plan might allow 100 inches of advertising at the local earned rate. That amount of money would be available for any media.
  • Rating — The program or station audience at a specific period of time, expressed as a percent of the audience population.
  • Reach — The number of different people or households exposed to your television commercial. Often used in tandem with "frequency," or the number of times the same viewer sees your ad, to describe the impact of an advertising campaign.
  • Reach (Website) — Reach (also Unduplicated Audience) is the number of unique users that visited a website over the course of a given reporting period (usually one month). Reach is expressed as a percent of the universe for the ad's demographic category. It is also the total number of people who view a given ad.
  • Real-​Time Bidding — Automated auction process for buying and selling individual ad impressions in milliseconds, with AI-​driven decisioning and fraud prevention.
  • Recall —

    The degree to which an individual or audience recalls or recognizes a brand name from their advertising. Increasingly measured using digital tools and mobile data for more precise attribution.

  • Recency — Refers to how recently a prospect has been contacted, responded to a communication or made a purchase.
  • Reciprocal Link — Links exchanged between two websites by agreement for mutual benefit.
  • Referral — A new prospect introduced by an existing customer or partner; a high-​value media-​sales lead source.
  • Regional rep firm — A company that represents stations, bringing them revenue by selling their airtime. Regional and national rep firms offer advertisers and their agencies the ability to negotiate and place ad schedules on many stations with one contact.
  • Regional Sports Network (RSN) — Channels distributed in a regional area and carrying a mix of area professional and amateur sports teams, plus some national programming.
  • Registration — A process whereby website visitors enter information about themselves. Sites use registration data to enable or enhance the targeting of ads.
  • Reimbursement — The amount a retailer receives from his manufacturer's accrual fund to subsidize his advertising costs. Usually this is in the form of a check, but it may also take the form of additional merchandise or a credit memo.
  • Relationship Marketing — Using a regular series of personalized and relevant communications to meet the direct marketing goal of building a relationship with customers over a period of time.
  • Remarketing — See Retargeting.
  • Rep Firm — An outside sales agent contracted by a cable system to manage relationships with certain advertisers, typically those outside of the local system service area. 
  • Reputation Management — Reputation management is the process of controlling, managing, and tracking an entity's online reputation of its brand name, an individual's name or keyword.
  • Request for Proposal (RFP) —

    Digital document used by organizations solicit competitive bids for advertising campaigns and/​or agency accounts. Leveraging AI, RFPs enable advanced targeting, dynamic pricing, and compliance with privacy laws while outlining detailed objectives and requirements. Automation and real-​time optimization now make RFPs both technically precise and strategically agile for today’s fast-​changing media landscape.

  • Response List — A list of individuals who have responded to an offer either through mail, phone, TV, or through another means of mass communication.
  • Responsible AI — The practice of designing, developing, and using artificial intelligence systems in ways that are ethical, transparent, fair, and accountable. In marketing, responsible AI ensures that automation and data use respect privacy, avoid bias, and build trust with customers and stakeholders.
  • Retail Media — Advertising placed directly within a retailer’s ecosystem—such as their website, mobile app, or in-​store digital displays—allowing brands to reach shoppers at the point of purchase or decision-making.
  • Retail Media Network — Platforms or infrastructures that retailers use to manage, sell, and deliver ads, both on their own digital properties and, increasingly, across third-​party sites and channels.
  • Retail Trading Zone — The area beyond and including the city zone from which retailers draw sufficient customers to warrant advertising expenditures to reach them. Newspaper circulation figures which include these prospects are called retail trading zone circulation.
  • Retargeting — Serving ads to users who previously interacted with a brand, now leveraging first-​party data and privacy-​safe identifiers (e.g., hashed emails) as cookies are deprecated.
  • Retransmission fees — Payments that cable and satellite TV providers make to over-​the-​air broadcast television networks (such as ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox) and corporate station owners for the rights to retransmit their broadcast signals to pay TV subscribers. The legal basis for retransmission fees comes from the 1992 Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act, which requires pay TV operators to obtain permission—called “retransmission consent”—from broadcasters before carrying their programming. Broadcasters can demand monetary compensation or other considerations in exchange for this consent, and if an agreement isn’t reached, they can withhold their signal, leading to channel blackouts for viewers.
  • RFC (Request for Comment) — Documents that contain the protocols, standards and information that define the Internet. Gathered and published by the Internet Engineering Task Force, a consensus-​building body made up of institutions and corporations involved with online communications, they are preceded by RFC and followed by a number. RFC archives can be found at InterNIC.
  • RFP (Request for Proposal) — A formal document issued by an organization to solicit bids from vendors or agencies for a specific project or service. An RFP outlines project goals, requirements, timelines, and evaluation criteria, enabling companies to compare proposals and select the best partner for their needs.
  • Rich Media — Online ads that contain motion, sounds, or video and usually use Java or Flash to enhance the viewer's experience. A category of web technologies that utilize streaming video, audio and other static or animated files to create an advanced media experience for viewing content.
  • ROAS (Return On Advertising Spending) — The dollars earned per dollars spent on the corresponding advertising. To determine ROAS, divide revenue derived from the ad source by the cost of that ad source.
  • Robinson-​Patman Act — The basic regulatory act covering co-​op. This amendment to the Clayton Act requires a seller to treat competing customers on proportionally equal terms in connection with the resale of the seller's products of like grade and quality.
  • ROI — Return On Investment. ROI is a calculation — expressed as a percentage — used to determine the relative financial performance of an Internet ad, campaign or marketing initiative that incurs some cost. It expresses whether or not an initiative has generated more or less new revenue and profit than it cost to create and implement.
  • Rolling Window — Term used to define co-​op funds that are earned in a short period and used in a short period, e.g. funds earned during the first quarter of the year must be used before end of the second quarter of the year.
  • Rollout — A combination of a campaign's list, messages, and offers that are sent at the same time and under the same conditions.
  • RON (Run of Network) — Run of Network: This ad buying option places ads on several networked websites
  • ROP (Run of Press) — Ad is placed anywhere in the newspaper or magazine at their discretion. Position is not guaranteed.
  • ROS (Run of Site) — This ad buying option places an ad at various places on one website.
  • ROS (Run of Station) — Contract for specific number of spots weekly that may be scheduled at various times a day subject to availabilities, at the station's discretion.
  • Rotation — A schedule that does not specify where in a daypart the commercial will run.
  • RSS — Really Simple Syndication: An XML-​based system that enables people to receive ongoing, constantly updated information collected from many sources through a simple reader.
  • Running Charge — The price charged by a list owner for addresses produced but not used.

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  • Sales Acumen — A deep understanding of the sales process, including product knowledge, customer needs, communication skills, and the ability to adapt strategies for successful outcomes. Strong sales acumen enables professionals to build trust, identify opportunities, and close deals effectively. A good example of this is the Sales Acumen Assessment, a situational judgement test, from TeamTrait.
  • Sales Credibility — The quality of being trusted and believed in by prospects and clients, built through expertise, reliability, transparency, and genuine understanding of customer needs. Sales credibility enables professionals to establish trust, influence buying decisions, and build long-​term relationships by consistently demonstrating knowledge, honesty, and value. The authoritative book on sales credibility is SalesCred by C. Lee Smith.
  • Sales Funnel — A visual model that maps the stages a potential customer moves through on their journey from initial awareness to final purchase. The funnel typically includes stages such as awareness, interest, consideration, decision, and action, helping sales and marketing teams understand, track, and optimize the customer journey to increase conversions
  • Sales Intelligence — Technology and analytics that provide sales teams with insights into customer behavior, market trends, and competitor activity. Sales intelligence combines internal and external data to help identify leads, prioritize prospects, and refine sales strategies for better results. A good example of this kind of intelligence for media sales and agencies is AdMall from SalesFuel.
  • Sales Opportunity — A qualified prospect with identified need, timeline, and budget.
  • Sales Pipeline — Snapshot of where every prospect sits in the sales funnel, used to forecast revenue.
  • Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) — The contact and profile information for a prospect who has been accepted by or developed through the efforts of the sales team. They are identified as a potential buyer due to certain explicit and implicit responses/​behaviors that match patterns from previous prospects who ultimately turned into customers. Marketing Qualified Leads which are accepted by Sales become Sales Qualified Opportunities.
  • Sales Room (Digital Sales Room) — A secure, online space where sales teams and buyers can share, review, and interact with sales materials, proposals, and communications throughout the deal cycle. Digital sales rooms streamline the buying process, enable real-​time collaboration, and provide insights into buyer engagement.
  • SAM (Serviceable Addressable Market) — The segment of the TAM (Total Addressable Market) targeted by a company’s products or services that can be realistically served, based on factors like geography, capabilities, or regulatory constraints.
  • SAM (Social Affinity Marketing) — A strategy for developing market-​ready social initiatives that cohesively build market authority, invite market discussion, drive traffic to your website, and generate immediate and measurable sales leads.
  • Sample Mail Piece — An example of the mailing piece that is submitted to the list owner for approval before release of the list.
  • Saturation — The use of a maximum schedule of ads and/​or commercials in a short period of time.
  • SAU — Standard Advertising Unit. An established standard of ad sizing for print ads.
  • Scatter — The purchase of TV ad inventory closer to air dates, outside of the upfront sales period.
  • Schedule — A group of spots–the time of day and dates an advertiser's commercials are planned to run.
  • Second-​Party Data — Data collected by one company and directly shared with another (with user consent), often as part of a partnership.
  • Secret Shopper — A secret shopper, also known as a mystery shopper, is an individual hired by a business or a third-​party agency to pose as a regular customer and evaluate the quality of service, products, compliance with company policies, and overall customer experience without revealing their true identity.
  • Sectional Center Facility (SCF) — A geographic area defined by a group of zip codes starting with the same first three digits.
  • Seed list — A list of email addresses that should be included in every email event to monitor delivery across email platforms.
  • Segmentation — Separating your house mailing list prior to emailing in order for recipients to get different messages and offers based on what they will most likely respond to. A file can be segmented based on demographics, buying patterns and areas of interest, with the different messages based on individual segments (dynamic content marketing).
  • Sell Thru — The movement of products from manufacturer to seller to consumer to achieve re-​orders and profits. This is the object of all co-​op advertising.
  • SEM (Search Engine Marketing) — The process of marketing your website via search engines. It includes Search Engine Optimization and directory submissions, as well as paid submission programs such as AdWords.
  • Sender-​ID — An authentication standard proposed by Microsoft, that compares an email sender's "From" address to the IP address authorized to send email from that domain.
  • SEO (Search Engine Optimization) — Actions taken to improve a website's ranking on keyword searches.
  • Sequencing (Sales) — A structured series of outreach steps (emails, calls, social touches) designed to move prospects through the sales funnel. Effective sequencing blends automation and personalization to maximize engagement and conversion rate.
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) — A formal contract between a service provider and a customer that defines the specific level of service the provider commits to deliver. It outlines measurable performance metrics—such as uptime, response time, and resolution time—along with responsibilities, reporting procedures, and remedies if service standards are not met. SLAs are used to set clear expectations, ensure accountability, and provide recourse for both parties in case of service issues, and are common in technology, outsourcing, and managed services
  • Share (Broadcast) — The percentage of a target audience tuned to a program out of all households using TV at that time; still used in linear TV, but less relevant for streaming and digital platforms.
  • Share of Audience — The percentage of the total television audience (within a defined universe) viewing a selected program or programming source. Cable television's total-​day share of audience within U.S. cable-​subscribing households, for example, exceeds 40 percent.
  • Share of Voice (SOV) — Marketing metric that measures a brand’s presence or visibility in a specific market or media channel compared to its competitors. It is typically expressed as a percentage, indicating how much of the total advertising, conversation, or media exposure within a category is attributed to a particular brand. A higher share of voice often leads to greater brand awareness, improved market positioning, and can correlate with increased market share. 
  • Short Rate — An extra rate charged an advertiser who has not earned a previously anticipated discount for media space or time purchased.
  • Showing — (1)In outdoor advertising. Gross Rating Points. (2)In transit media, number of posters displayed on vehicles.
  • SIC — Standard Industry Classification for reporting all economic activities for the U.S., Canada and Mexico. A numerical code for any business type as defined by the U.S. Department of Commerce. 
  • Sign Over — A process by which the retailer releases his co-​op funds to a wholesaler or manufacturer to be used for dealer group advertising. This system is used extensively by hardware distributors like Ace, Trustworthy, and True Value.
  • Single Signature Ad — Co-​op funded ad for a single dealer featuring a single manufacturer's product(s).
  • Skyscraper — Term for an online ad format that is tall and narrow. Skyscraper ads are typically run along the right or left margin of a web page.
  • Slop — A pejorative term for low-​quality, repetitive, or nonsensical content—such as text, images, video, or audio—produced en masse by generative AI tools with minimal human oversight. AI slop is characterized by a lack of effort, originality, or clear purpose and often floods digital platforms, making it harder for users to find meaningful or trustworthy information. The rise of AI slop is compared to the spread of spam, as it clutters search results, social media, and websites with filler content that prioritizes quantity over quality.
  • SMB (Small and Medium-​sized Business) — A category of companies defined by having a relatively small number of employees and lower annual revenue compared to large enterprises. While definitions vary, SMBs are commonly described as businesses with fewer than 500–1,000 employees and less than $50 million in annual revenue, though some sources set the upper employee limit at 999. SMBs are prime prospects for local advertising.
  • SMO — Acronym for Social Media Optimization
  • SMS — Short Message Service: A service for sending short messages to mobile devices (i.e., cellular phones, smart phones and PDAs).
  • SMTP — Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a server-​to-​server protocol used to transfer email between computers.
  • SMTP Log File — A file showing all conversations, back and forth, between servers during the email send-​and-​receive process. Used to uncover problems with various deliverability factors such as unknown user rates.
  • Snipe —

    Adhesive overlays used to update or modify ad copy on OOH units.

  • Snipe Package — a 10-​second ad that runs below news content at the bottom of the TV screen
  • Snow — Heavy random noise that distorts signal quality.
  • Social Media — Social media is information content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and blogs. Businesses also refer to social media as user-​generated content or consumer-​generated media
  • Social Media Lead Generation — The use of social media tools to support lead generation programs.
  • Social Media Marketing — An engagement with online communities to generate exposure, opportunity and sales. Common social media marketing tools include Twitter, Blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
  • Social Networking — Social networking sites help people discover new friends or colleagues by aligning shared interests, related skills, or a common geographic location. They are online sites and communities that have user-​centric content and interactive features, such as personal blogs, discussion boards, chat rooms, etc. Facebook is the prototypical example of a social networking site.
  • Social Profile — A digital representation of an individual or organization on social media platforms, showcasing key information such as interests, expertise, affiliations, location, recent activity, and contact details. For businesses, an optimized social profile enhances brand credibility, increases visibility, and supports engagement with target audiences across digital channels.
  • Social Proof — A psychological phenomenon where people look to the actions, opinions, or endorsements of others to guide their own decisions, especially in uncertain situations. In digital marketing, social proof acts as persuasive evidence that a product or service is trusted, popular, or effective—boosting credibility and driving conversions. Common forms include customer reviews, testimonials, influencer endorsements, user-​generated content, ratings, awards, and visible social media engagement.
  • SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market) — The portion of the SAM (serviceable addressable market) that a business can realistically capture, considering competition, resources, and short-​term goals. It’s used for setting achievable sales targets and market share projections
  • Spam — A term for junk or unwanted email, including unwanted email ads. Widely-​used slang reference to unsolicited commercial email messages. Named after the Monty Python's "Spam" song.
  • Spam Filter — Systems that watch for spam and block it before it can hit the inbox. Spam filters can be compliant or content-based.
  • Spam-​Trap Address — An email address that is set up specifically to catch people who are harvesting addresses or using directory attacks to send unsolicited email. Used by Brightmail, ISPs and many in the anti-​spam community.
  • Spambot — Automatic software robots that post spam on a blog
  • Spamdex — An index providing people with information on companies who tend to send spam.
  • SPF (Sender Policy Framework) — Compares an email sender's actual IP address to a list of IP addresses authorized to send mail from that domain. This list is published in the domain's DNS record.
  • Spider — Also known as a web crawler or bot. A spider is an automated software program used primarily by search engines to systematically browse, scan, and index web pages across the internet.
  • Split Billing — Individual billing of retailers in a multiple listing advertisement.
  • Split-​Run — S
  • Splog (Spam Blogs) — Blogs not providing their own content, or real content.
  • Spoofing — Forged email addresses that hide the origin of a spam or virus message. Used to trick people into opening an email because they believe it has come from a legitimate source.
  • Spot — A commercial announcement usually over an electronic medium.
  • Spot Cable — Usually refers to commercial schedules placed on local cable systems by national or regional advertisers who often advertise in multiple cable TV markets.
  • Spot Length — The duration of a commercial (e.g., :15, :30, :60).
  • Spread — Advertisement covering two facing pages in a publication.
  • Static Billboard — Traditional, non-​digital billboard with fixed printed artwork.
  • Stock Photo or Stock Video — pre-​existing photos, videos, illustrations, or audio that are made available for licensing and use in a wide range of creative projects, such as marketing campaigns, websites, social media, and video productions. Stock photos and stock footage are created without a specific client or project in mind, making them broadly applicable and highly editable for various needs. They are housed on central platforms where users can purchase licenses—ranging from royalty-​free to rights-managed—to legally use the content. 
  • Store Audit — Survey of a retail store's suppliers in order to ascertain the co-​op plan details available.
  • Street Furniture — Ads integrated into public fixtures like bus shelters, benches, and kiosks.
  • Strip Programming — Spots scheduled for the same time slot every day.
  • Style Sheet (CSS) — The CSS file contains the rules determining the look/​feel of a site, separate from its content.
  • Subscriber — A customer who pays a fee for cable television, newspaper or magazine service.
  • Substack — Online platform that enables writers, journalists, and creators to publish and monetize email newsletters and blogs. Users can easily create subscription-​based content, offering free or paid newsletters directly to their audience without the need for technical expertise.
  • Super-​Distribution — A fancy word for spreading messages or products through networks, either through networks of friends or businesses. The idea is that an advertising message is more credible if it comes from someone you trust within your network.
  • Superstation — Any broadcast television station that has a nationally distributed signal by satellite.
  • Supplementary Funds — Another name for development money.
  • Supply Path Optimization (SPO) — Strategies and technology used by buyers to find the most efficient, transparent, and cost-​effective path to inventory in the programmatic supply chain.
  • Supply-​Side Platform(SSP) — Technology that enables publishers to manage, price, and sell their ad inventory programmatically, including yield optimization and privacy controls.
  • Suppression list — A list of email addresses kept by a single organization that should not be mailed to any longer. Usually owners of the addresses on the list have specifically requested inclusion. Required by CAN-SPAM.
  • Sweeps — A term used to describe those times of year when all individual markets are measured by the rating services–in TV it refers to the four-​week measurement periods that are used to determine a station's rates.
  • Syndicated Program — Programming distributed nationally, not by a network, and picked up by affiliated or independent stations. May be programs that once aired on network television and now rerun in syndication.
  • Syndication — The distribution of blog content across a network of websites.
  • Synthetic Media —

    Media content—such as images, video, or audio—created or manipulated by AI, often indistinguishable from real content. Synthetic media is used for scalable creative production, virtual influencers, and dynamic ad personalization. Its rise prompts new considerations for authenticity and disclosure in advertising.

T

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  • Tag — Customized announcement at the end of a recorded commercial with added information.
  • Tags — Labels or categories that describe the content of a website, bookmark, photo or blog post. You can assign multiple tags to the same online resource. Tags provide a useful way of organizing, retrieving and discovering information.
  • TAM (Total Addressable Market) — The total revenue opportunity available if a product or service achieved 100% market share. It helps agencies and sales teams estimate the full potential of a market for planning and investment.
  • Target Audience — The audience most desired by advertisers in terms of potential product/​service usage and revenue potential.
  • Target Rating Points (TRPs) —

    Similar to GRP, but focuses on a specific target audience segment. In OOH media, it is the percentage of the target audience reached by a campaign, based on in-​market impressions.

  • Targeted (advertising) — Advertising geared toward a person or group of people, identified by demographics and/​or psychographics, who would most likely buy a particular good or service.
  • TCP — Transmission Control Protocol: This works with an IP to ensure that data packets travel safely on the Internet. This is the method by which most Internet activity takes place.
  • TDL (Top Level Domain) — The last part of an Internet domain name following the last dot. For instance, the TLD for www​.admall​.com is "com" while the TLD for www​.nasa​.gov is "gov." Top level domains can designate special types of organizations (com=commercial), countries (uk = United Kingdom), and types or organizations (net, org, edu, etc). TLDs are administered by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
  • Tear Sheet — Full page of a newspaper that is torn out and sent to the advertiser as proof that the ad ran as ordered. It is sent to the manufacturer to claim co-​op reimbursement.
  • Technographics — Market research that profiles organizations based on their technology stack—the specific hardware, software, tools, and platforms they use, as well as how and when they use them.
  • Terms of Service — Contractual agreement between a publisher of a digital product or service and a user — in essence what users can and cannot legally do from the perspective of the publisher.
  • Text Ad — Ad online advertisement that is strictly text; without graphics, sound or animation.
  • TFN (Til Further Notice) — Term often used for scheduled ads that have no end/​expiration date.
  • Third-​Party Cookie — Browser-​based tracking technology used for cross-​site targeting, now being phased out in favor of privacy-​compliant alternatives like first-​party and contextual data.
  • Third-​Party Data — Data collected by entities that do not have a direct relationship with the user, now heavily regulated and less available due to privacy changes.
  • Tie-​In Ad — Co-​op funds used to identify local dealers in a national ad campaign.
  • Tiering — Cable system operator practice of offering additional channels beyond the basic service for extra charge.
  • Time Spent Listening (TSL) — The amount of time listeners spend tuned in during a specific daypart.
  • Title Line — An additional line of copy added to a mailing list to aid in proper routing of the piece. Example: "Attn: Sales Manager"
  • TML Classified Ad — An ad in the classified section of the newspaper, with the manufacturer's trademark, eligible for co-​op reimbursement from some manufacturers.
  • Top-​of-​Mind Awareness (TOMA) — How likely a brand is to be the first one that comes to mind when consumers think about a particular product category or industry. It reflects the percentage of people who, without any prompting, name a specific brand first when asked about a category—indicating that brand’s dominance in consumer memory and recall.
  • Total Audience Plan (TAP) — Spot package consisting of a combination of spots in more than one time period.
  • Tracking Domain — This is a domain specifically created to measure traffic delivered to a website.
  • Tracking Pixel — A small piece of code placed on a website to track user actions, conversions, or retargeting opportunities.
  • Traffic — The number and types of people who come to a website. It is measured in many different ways. Hitwise Search Marketing measures search-​generated traffic separately by recording referrals from known search engines and directories. However, the best true measures of traffic are calculated in terms of unique visitors and page views.
  • Traffic Pattern — The regular flow and movement of vehicles, pedestrians, or aircraft within a specific area or system over a set period. In transportation and urban planning, it describes how and when people or vehicles move through roads, intersections, or public spaces, influenced by factors like time of day, location, and local infrastructure.
  • Transit Advertising — Ads placed on or in buses, trains, subways, taxis, and transit stations.
  • Tri-​Vision —

    Displays with rotating slats presenting multiple ad messages.

  • Twitter — Now known as X. An online community where people share short, text-​based microblog posts.
  • Two-​Factor Authentication (2FA) — security process that requires users to provide two distinct forms of identification before gaining access to an account or system. Typically, this involves combining something you know (like a password) with something you have (such as a code sent to your mobile device or generated by an authenticator app) or something you are (like a fingerprint or facial recognition). By adding this extra layer of verification, 2FA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even if a password is compromised

U

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  • UGS — User Generated Content: Content produced and submitted by members of an online community. Typical types of user-​created content include: blog posts; articles; reviews; comments; videos; podcasts; images; etc.
  • Unified ID — A privacy-​compliant, standardized identifier used across platforms to enable cross-​channel targeting and measurement without relying on third-​party cookies.
  • Unique Visitor — Website measurement that records unique IP addresses as individual visitors.
  • Universal ID — A standardized, privacy-​compliant identifier used across platforms to enable cross-​channel targeting and measurement without third-​party cookies.
  • Universe — A statistical reference to the entire group being studied.
  • Unknown User — Bounce error code generated by an ISP when an email address is not registered in its system.
  • Unlimited Accrual — Unlimited payment of ads at a specific participation percentage, no matter how many ads the advertiser wishes to run.
  • Unwired Network — A package of stations having little in common other than to carry spots for advertisers. Once an advertiser selects stations and markets, the sales agent (usually an agency or rep firm) manages the unwired network to make sure spots run.
  • Upfront (Advertising Sales) — A long-​standing practice in television and video advertising where media buyers purchase commercial airtime months in advance of the broadcast season. Upfronts typically involve major presentations by networks to advertisers each spring, allowing brands to secure premium ad inventory, lock in rates, and plan campaigns ahead of time. This approach offers strategic advantages like guaranteed placement and potential cost savings, but carries some risk if show performance is uncertain. In recent years, upfronts have expanded to include digital and streaming platforms, reflecting the shift toward cross-​platform media buying
  • Upsell — Offering a higher-​value product or package to an existing customer to increase average deal size.
  • Urgency (or Scarcity) — Techniques that create a sense of limited time or availability (e.g., “Offer ends soon,” “Only 10 left”), motivating faster responses.
  • URL — Uniform Resource Locator: A URL is an HTTP address used by the World Wide Web to specify a certain site. This is the unique identifier, or address, of a web page on the Internet. It is how web pages, FTPs, gophers, newsgroups and even some email boxes are located.
  • URL Tracking — A technology that enables marketers to determine which media are generating responses and traffic to a landing page or website.

V

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  • Vanity Short Code — CSCs that are specifically requested. It usually spells out a content provider's name, brand, an associated word or is an easy to recall number sequence, e.g., DISNEY = 347639 or 88888.
  • Vendor — A term applied to the manufacturer, particularly when there exists a direct retailer/​manufacturer relationship.
  • Vendor Development Plans — Retailer-​generated ad campaign coupled with in-​store promotion. "But-​in" price is determined by the retailer and vendor is given the opportunity to become part of the promotion.
  • Vendor Rate — Rate established by a retailer for use when billing co-​op advertising to manufacturers.
  • Vendor Support Funds — Advertising money given to a retailer by a manufacturer (vendor) as part of a vendor development plan. Not part of the co-​op budget.
  • Venture Capital — A form of private equity investment in which funds are provided to early-​stage or high-​growth companies—often startups—in exchange for an ownership stake. Venture capital firms or investors offer not just capital but also expertise and connections, aiming to help companies scale rapidly. In return, they seek significant returns if the company is acquired or goes public, accepting higher risk for the potential of outsized rewards.
  • Verification (AI) — Verification in the context of AI content refers to the process of assessing the accuracy, authenticity, and integrity of content generated by artificial intelligence systems. This involves checking whether the information is factually correct, original, and free from bias or misinformation. 
  • Vertical Banner — A vertical banner ad that usually appears on the right side of a website page.
  • Video On Demand — Programming that offers movies and events to be viewed immediately after purchase. 
  • View-​Through Conversion — A conversion that occurs after a user sees (but does not click) an ad, within a defined attribution window.
  • View-​Through Rate (VTR) — The percentage of users who saw an ad (but didn’t click) and later completed a desired action, such as a conversion.
  • Viewability — The measure of whether an ad had the opportunity to be seen by a user, based on industry standards (e.g., 50% of pixels in view for 1 second for display, 2 seconds for video) and increasingly augmented by attention and engagement metrics.
  • Viewers Per Viewing Household (VPVH) — Measured number of viewers, classified by age and gender, in households viewing a specific station or program.
  • Viral Marketing — Form of marketing that infiltrates as many different channels as possible, usually for free, in the form of videos, text messages, social media posts, blog postings, memes, email appends for forum posts. Pursuing the goal for recipients to forward the message to other like-​minded individuals. Each successive "share" or "pass along" of the message creates exponential growth.
  • Virtual Reality (VR) — a technology that creates a fully immersive, computer-​generated 3D environment where users can interact with simulated surroundings in real time. Using devices like VR headsets and controllers, VR blocks out the physical world and transports users into a completely digital space, making them feel “present” inside virtual worlds for applications such as gaming, training, education, and virtual meetings.
  • VoIP — Voice Over Internet Protocol: A communications technology that enables voice conversations over IP networks, such as the Internet, using packets. Examples of commercial VoIP services include: Vonage, Lingo, and Skype.
  • Volume Rebate — Amount of money which manufacturer authorizes to be taken off invoice by retailer in return for reaching a certain volume. Rebates must be "billed for" by retailer's co-​op department.
  • VPN (Virtual Private Network) — Technology that creates a secure, encrypted connection between your device and a remote server over the internet. This encrypted “tunnel” protects your data from hackers, ISPs, and surveillance, hides your IP address and location, and allows you to browse the web privately and securely—even on public Wi-​Fi or in restricted regions.

W

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  • W/​D — Warehouse distributor. This term is generally used in the automotive aftermarket.
  • Wall Mural —

    Large-​scale ads painted or affixed to building exteriors, often used for creative, high-​impact campaigns.

  • Walled Garden — A closed digital ecosystem (like Google, Facebook, Amazon) where the platform controls access to user data and ad inventory, limiting third-​party tracking.
  • Waterfall Model (Ad Waterfalling) — A method of selling ad inventory where impressions are offered to buyers in a sequential order, often being replaced by header bidding.
  • Watermarking —

    Embedding a unique, often invisible, marker within text, images, audio, or video generated by artificial intelligence. This marker can be used to identify, verify, or trace the origin of AI-​generated content without altering its appearance or usability. Watermarking helps detect and authenticate AI-​generated or manipulated content, supporting transparency and accountability in digital media.

  • Web 3.0 — The next evolution of the internet, emphasizing decentralization, blockchain technology, user privacy, and direct peer-​to-​peer interactions. For marketers and agencies, Web 3.0 means new opportunities in NFTs, decentralized apps, and permission-​based data sharing
  • Web Directory — An online directory of websites usually relating to one particular topic or divided up into categories so that visitors can easily find sites they need.
  • Web Host — Provider of memory, storage, services and connectivity to enable individuals or companies post a live website.
  • Webinar — An educational seminar or event offered via the Internet so that users don't incur the expense and hassle of traveling to a physical site.
  • Whitelist — A list of trusted IP addresses and domains that allows all mail from these addresses to be delivered, bypassing spam filters. Opposite of "blacklist."
  • Wiki — A collaboratively edited web page. The best known example is wikipedia, an encyclopedia that anyone in the world can help to write or update. Wikis are frequently used to allow people to write a document together, or to share reference material that lets colleagues or even members of the public contribute content.
  • Win-​Loss Analysis (Sales) — A structured review of closed sales deals—both won and lost—to identify the key reasons behind the outcomes. This process helps sales teams refine strategies, improve messaging, and boost future win rates by learning from past successes and failures.
  • World Wide Web (WWW) — The World Wide Web enables computer users to access information across computer systems around the world. It uses URLs to identify files and systems, and hypertext links to move between files on the same or different systems. The web is a client/​server information system that supports the retrieval of data in the form of text, graphics and multimedia in a uniform HTML format. Allowing hypertext links and interactivity on an unprecedented level, its introduction transformed a relatively-​unknown, academic exercise into the most powerful communications and marketing tool in history, linking businesses, consumers, governments, educators and individuals around the world.

XYZ

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  • Zero-​Party Data — Data that a user intentionally and proactively shares with a brand, such as preferences or purchase intentions, used for personalization and privacy compliance.
  • Zip Sequence — Arrangement of a list numerically by zip codes. All lists will be produced in this manner unless specified otherwise.
  • Zone — A geographic area measured by a cable system operator when determining advertising coverage.
  • Zoom Bombing — Unwanted, disruptive intrusion into a video conference call—most often on platforms like Zoom—by uninvited individuals who hijack the session to share offensive, obscene, or inappropriate material, or to harass and derail the meeting.
This glossary is provided for convenience purposes only and is not intended to serve as a legal or HR advice.

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