Outdoor Advertising Glossary

A
Allotments- The number of units required to achieve a
desired GRP level in a particular market.
Animation- Technique used to gain added attention to
a billboard. Uses moving components, flashing lights,
or other special treatment
Approach- The total distance measurement that copy
on a structure is readable. Usually 1500, 1000, and 500
feet.
Arteries or Arterials- The major secondary streets of
a city (not freeways) where speeds are usually lower.
Artwork- The visual image of an ad, to scale, that will
eventually be posted on a billboard or other advertising
structure.
Audited or Authenticated Circulation- The "Traffic
Audit Bureau" is an independent organization made up
of ad executives and advertisers. They audit outdoor
plants around the country using standard measuring
procedures for traffic counts. These numbers are
eventually converted into DEC's (daily effective
circulation).
Availability or Avails- Space available for sale at a
given time.

B
Backlit- Advertising structures that have illumination
which sends light through the advertisement for
higher visibility. Ads must be printed on special
translucent surfaces.
Blanking- A white paper border surrounding the
poster copy area.
Blanking Out- A white paper used to cover all or a
portion of a poster design. Typically used to cover an
ad that has expired until a new advertiser can be
posted.
Bleed-through- A production difficulty where the
previous design used on a structure can be seen
through the current message. Can occur because of
the kind of paper used, a chemical reaction of certain
pigments, or because of excessive wetting from
heavy rain. SEE COAT OUT.
Blister- Air pockets on a board resulting from the
separation of the paint or paper from the board.
Boards- Common name for Poster panels or
Billboard bulletins.
Bulletins- Common name for traditional billboards
which measure 14 x 48 feet. Copy is produced
primarily by two methods: painting directly on the
surface or posting vinyl with the advertising message
pre-printed digitally.

C
Car Cards- Advertising displays of various sizes posted in buses, subways, and commuter trains.
Cancellation Period- A specified period of time when a contract can be terminated. Most outdoor contracts are
non-cancelable.
Charting the Showing- The process of selecting individual unit locations to maximize out-of- home
advertising objectives. Circulation- Traffic volume in a market.
Coat Out- Covering an advertising message with white or grey paint before a new copy is painted to insure that
none of the old copy shows through.
Color Chart- A chart containing samples of standard colors available from paint manufacturers for use as a
guide in designing artwork. Computerized displays- The use of LED displays for Out-of-Home advertising
structures. This innovation allows the advertising message electronically on a continual basis.
Computer/digital Printing/Painting- Method that uses computers to apply artwork and design to a vinyl.
Computer printing allows for four color process artwork and insures accurate reproduction without a loss of
quality from copy to copy.
Continuity- The elimination of gaps in a media schedule by maximizing the duration of a campaign, ideally 52
weeks.
Co-op- The sharing of advertising costs between various entities such as a manufacturer, distributor, dealer,
vendor or supplier.
Copy- Artwork displayed on billboard or other out-of-home structure.
Cost per Thousand- Cost of reaching one thousand potential viewers.
Cost per Point- Cost of exposure opportunities that equal one gross rating point in a market or one percent of
the population.
Coverage- The boundaries of a market; or, the percentage of a county or counties exposed to out-of-home
advertising.
Cross Read (lefthand read)- A Poster or bulletin which is visible from the opposite side of the road that the
cars viewing the board are traveling on.
Customized Rotation- Moving a painted billboard periodically during the contract period to different locations
throughout the market.
Cut-Outs/Embellishments- Any lettering, image, or mechanical device that extends beyond the standard face
of a billboard to attract more attention. This is only allowed in certain areas.

Daily Effective Circulation (DEC)- Audience of

potential viewers who have the opportunity to see an
out-of-home message during a 24-hour period. DEC's
are typically measured and adjusted for an 18 hour day
and for 18+ buying population.
Demographic Profiles- Audience breakdowns based
on various characteristics such as age, sex, income,
education, etc. Design- The artwork and text which
comprise the poster or painted bulletin display.
Diorama- A backlit display located in airports, malls,
bus terminals, and sports arenas.
Display Period- The exposure time during which the
individual advertising message is an out-of-home
structure such as a billboard. Bulletins display period
varies depending on individual contracts.

Efficiency- The degree of value delivered by an

audience relative to the cost of the advertising space.
Usually expressed in cost-per-thousand (CPM).
Eight-Sheet (Poster Panel)- A 5' x 11' poster panel
generally placed for exposure to pedestrian as well as
vehicular traffic. Frequently used in densely
populated urban areas as well as suburban shopping
areas and point-of-purchase locales.
Exposure- A potential seeing of an advertising
message.
Expressway- Limited access roadways, usually with
speed limit of 55mph.
Extension- The area of design made as a cut-out that
extends beyond the basic rectangular space of an
advertising structure. Added costs are normal practice
for the use of extensions but are typically worth the

added expense as they make your ad stand out.

F
Face- The surface area on an out-of-home unit where advertising copy is displayed. A unit may have more than
one face as most billboards have two faces, one in each direction of the highway.
Facing- The direction that a billboard faces. South-facing billboards are seen by drivers travelling northbound.
Faded- Loss of color brilliance due to length of exposure, weather conditions, or technical problem with
production.
Flagging- A tear in paper used on the advertising structure, causing the paper to hang loose and "flag".
Flex face Vinyl- One piece vinyl used on billboards, can be computer or hand painted.
Frequency- The number of times an average individual has the opportunity to be exposed to an advertising
message during a defined period of time. Frequency in outdoor usually refers to the calendar month since this
time period coincides with the standard contract practices. Fully Wrapped Bus- Bus advertising display in which
the entire bus vehicle is covered with the advertising design, including windows, through which passengers still
have visibility due to special material.
G
Gross Rating Points (GRP)- Total number of impressions delivered by a media schedule expressed as a
percentage of a market population. Sometimes referred to as a showing.
Gross Impressions- Total number of impression opportunities an out-of-home structure or advertising space
can produce measured against a target audience in a market. Cumulative impressions can be combined to reflect
an entire out-of-home campaign.
H
Hand Paint- The placement of copy onto an out-of-home structure or piece of vinyl using an artist who actually
paints the artwork onto the vinyl by hand.

I
Illuminated- Outdoor advertising structures with
electrical equipment installed so that the
advertisements are lit and visible for certain hours of
the night.
Impact- Effectiveness of advertising generated by an
Outdoor campaign
Initial Painting- This is the first copy produced and
placed on an advertising structure such as a billboard.
Inflatables- Gas-filled, three dimensional displays for
use at point-of-sale or special events; usually taking
the shape of a product, trademarked character, etc.

L
Line of Sight- The simultaneous viewing of more
than one out-of-home unit. Standing at one billboard,
all other billboards that can be seen from there are in
the line of sight of that board.
Live Copy Area- All print should remain within this
dimension. The purpose of this dimension is to
enhance readability by keeping the copy from
coming too close to touching the frame.
Load Factor- The average number of persons riding
in each vehicle. Determined by gov't research and
reports for highway capitalization. Location CodesLetters used to identify the location of an advertising

structure. Several abbreviations are typical: E/S- East

Side; W/O- west of; C/L- city limits, N/L- northline
etc.
Location List- A listing of all locations included in a
specific out-of-home program.

M
Mall Displays- Backlit advertisement structure located at strategic points in shopping malls; usually two or
three-sided.
Mandatory Copy- Copy required by law to appear on the advertising of certain products, such as liquor and
attorney ads.
Market- A designated political, geographical, economic, or statistical area.
Mass Transit- Public conveyances such as buses, trains, subways, and other rapid transit commuter systems.
Mechanicals- Information given to the creative person so he/she can create and scale the artwork according to
the particular of a given ad structure.
Minimum Showing- The smallest sized showing an advertiser can purchase without per ad pricing which is
typically more expensive.
Mobile Billboard- A truck that is equipped with one or more poster panel units. The truck can either be parked
at specified venues or driven around designated localities.
Multiple Facing- An outdoor advertising location where there are two or more displays facing the same
direction within 25 feet of each other.
O
One-Sheet Poster (Transit)- Poster used on subway and train platforms.
One-Sheet Poster (Non-Transit)- Poster panel placed near the entrances of point-of-sale locations.
Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA)- An association of billboard and other out-of- home
companies which set industry standards.
Override- The free continuation of an advertising run past the time contracted for.

Painted Bulletin- The artwork is painted onto the a

peice of vinyl or the structure itself.
Painted Wall- Advertising message painted on the side
of a building. Permanent Bulletin- A display which
remains in one place for the entire term of an
advertiser's contract.
Phone Kiosks- Displays affixed to pay phones.
Plant- Refers to an Out-of-Home advertising
company.
Plant Capacity- Total supply of advertising structures
or faces available through that out-of-home company.
Plant Operator- A company or individual who owns

Queen Size Bus Poster- Posters affixed to the sides

of buses. Copy area on queen size buses is often
approximately 27" x 85" depending on markets.
Quintile Analysis- This is a statistical analysis of a
market to determine where the heaviest concentration
of a particular demographic are located. Areas are
ranked and divided into five areas so that advertisers
know the five most concentrated areas of their
demographic.
R

and operates out-of-home advertising.

Poster- Term used for advertising messages that are
posted on advertising structures.
Poster-30-Sheet- An advertisement with copy area
measuring 9' 7" high by 21' 7" wide, about half the size
of a traditional permanent billboard
Poster Panel- An outdoor unit that can accommodate
30-sheet and 8-sheet poster displays.
Posting Date- Date when a program is scheduled to
begin.
Posting Instructions- Strategic information that an
advertiser provides to the outdoor company for them to

Reach- The number of people potentially exposed to

an ad expressed as a percentage of population.
Regular- Unilluminated billboard or other structure.
Renewal Paper- Replacement posters used if
original posters are damaged during display or are
used if the ad continues beyond the initial term.
Advertisers typically produce 15% more paper than
they need for insurance.
Repaint- A second set of artwork to replace the first
set sometime during the display period.
Repetition- The average number of times each
person is exposed to an advertisment. Also known as
"frequency."
Reposting Charge- An additional fee for changing
artwork during a given display period.
Riding the Showing- A physical inspection a market
to see the billboards and evaluate them after they
have been posted.
Rotating Bulletin- A type of campaign where the
billboard moves from location to location at set
intervals. This increases the reach of a campaign,
covering more of the market for the same dollars as
one permanent location billboard.

Setback- This is the distance that a structure is from

the area where traffic flows. The more setback, the
farther from the road the billboard is.
Showing- Total number of panels in a buy.
Snipe- This word has many meanings but commonly is
referred to as a small piece of vinyl used to go over a
part of your intial copy to change pricing or products
advertised.
Spectacular- Outdoor display which is larger than
normal or located in a specific area whereby it is
unusually and "spectacular" to the viewer. Typically
long term contracts only.
Spotted Map- A market map with dots or arrows to
show the avaialble locations for a buy.
Stacked Panels- Advertising structures built with each
face set on top of the other
Super-King Bus Posters- Posters affixed to the sides
of buses. Typically Super-King posters have the most
copy area with dimensions 30" x 240".
Surface Arteries- Major streets of city or town that are
easily accessable.

Target Audience- A consumer group selected to be

reached by an advertiser.
Taxi Display/Taxi Tops- Advertising structures that
are part of taxicabs, on the roof, rear or window.
Thirty(30)-Sheet Poster- The largest poster size
which is about half the size of a traditional billboard
measuring 12' 3" by 24' 6" in overall size.
Traffic Audit Bureau (TAB)- Independant
organization made up of ad executives and
advertisers. They audit outdoor plants around the
country using standard measuring procedures for
traffic counts. These numbers are eventually
converted into DEC's (daily effective circulation).
Traffic Count- The number of vehicles that pass an
out-of-home unit each day. Used to calculate DEC.
Transit Advertising- Out-of-home media typically
found on the outside or inside of public
transportation vehicles or stations such as buses,
subways, and trains.
Transit Shelter- Structures for people to wait for
public trnasportation at. Out-of-home companies
often create advertising space on them for traffic and
pedestrians.

Tri-Vision- Advertising display usually the size of a

tradional billboard that uses moving panels to rotate
its surface. This shows three different ad messages in
predetermined order and for set amounts of time
each, usually 6 or 7 seconds.

Unilluminated Unit- Billboard not equipped with

lighting for nighttime illumination.
Unit- A poster panel or painted bulletin.

Viewing Area- This is the entire area of the poster

which can be viewed after poster has been installed.
Vinyl- A sheet of material on which an advertising
message is either painted or printed onto for the
purpose of outdoor display.

W
Waiting List- A list where an advertiser can place themselves next in line for a billboard or other display that is
currently unavailable.
Wallscape- Murals painted or attached directly onto the exterior surface of a building.
Wave Posting- Concentration of poster showings in a succession of areas within the market. Usually coincides
with special promotions in each of these areas by the advertiser.

Media Buying Experts in Denver, Colorado

Glossary of Advertising / Media Terms
Broadcast Terms
General Terms

Internet Terms

Out-of-Home Terms

Print Terms

Broadcast Media Terms

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Adjacency
an advertising pod positioned next to a particular TV or radio program. Also called commercial break positions.

Affidavit

a statement, usually notarized, accompanying station invoices which confirms that the commercial actually ran at the time
stated on the invoice.

Affiliate
a station associated with a network by contract to broadcast the network's programs.

Air Date
the first broadcast of a commercial; also refers to the exact date of a particular TV or radio program.

Audilog
the diary used by household members in Nielsen's local rating sample which records what stations and programs they viewed
during a week's time.

Audimeter
Nielsen's device for electronically recording TV viewing in sample households. Has been replaced nationally by the People
Meter, but still being used in selected markets.

Availability (avails)
unsold units of time available for broadcasters to sell to advertisers. Also refers to a station's submission of programs and
rating estimates for advertising planning and buying.

Average Quarter-Hour Rating

the audience estimate reported by Nielsen and Arbitron for television and radio. It provides the average number of persons or
households who watched/listened for at least 5 minutes of the 15 minute segment being reported.

Bonus Spot
additional TV or radio spot provided to an advertiser at no charge to raise the overall audience delivery of the schedule.

Break Position
a broadcast commercial aired between two programs instead of in the middle of one program.

Broadcast Calendar
an industry-accepted calendar used mainly for accounting and billing purposes. Weeks run Monday-Sunday, and each month
is four or five weeks long.

Cable TV
TV programming that is delivered by coaxial cable rather than over the air for the purposes of improved reception and delivery
of additional program choices beyond the local stations.

Clearance
a station's agreement to carry a particular program.

Cut-In
a commercial inserted by the local station that covers the commercial airing at the same time on the network at the advertiser's
request. Useful for testing different copy in a limited geography.

Daypart
one of the time segments into which the day is divided by broadcast media, determined by type of programming and who
provides it (network or local).

Designated Market Area (DMA)

Nielsen's term for geographical areas made up of exclusive counties based on which home market stations receive the
predominant share of viewing.

Diary
an instrument for measuring viewing, listening or reading of media vehicles kept by people in a sample.

Drive Time
the dayparts used in radio to signify primary listening being done in cars. Generally considered to be Monday-Friday 6- 10 a.m.
and 3-7 p.m. HUT-(Households Using Television) - a broadcast research term indicating the percent of homes with sets on
during a specific time period.

ID
station identification of its call letters and location, channel or frequency. Also refers to any commercial message less than ten
seconds long.

Infomercial
a long (more than two minutes) commercial providing extensive product/service description and sales information.

Log
chronological record of a station's program and commercial exact air times.

Network
two or more stations joined by a line to broadcast the same program from a few original studios simultaneously.

Network Affiliate
a television or radio station that designates a portion of its air time for network programs.

O & O Station
a station owned and operated by a network.

O.T.O.

one time only, usually referring to a TV or radio special program.

Overnights
audience data provided by Nielsen or Arbitron to metered market clients the day after the broadcast.

Pay Per View

a type of Pay TV where viewers are charged each time they watch the special event or movie being broadcast.

Pay TV
a TV system providing programs which are available only to the households who subscribe, usually transmitted via coaxial
cable or telephone lines. Also called "premium channels" on cable, such is HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Disney Channel, etc.

Persons Using Radio (PUR)

the percent of the area's population listening to radio at a specific time.

Piggyback
back-to-back scheduling of two or more brand commercials of one advertiser in network or spot positions.

Pilot
a sample of a proposed television series.

Pocketpiece
Nielsen's weekly reports providing audience estimates for all network and syndicated programs.

Pre-emption
the substitution of one advertiser's local TV commercial by another advertiser paying a higher price for the spot, or by a
different program of interest.

PVT/PUT (Persons Viewing or Using Television)

the percent of individuals viewing all television stations during a specific time period, indicating total viewing to TV in general,
not to a specific program or station.

Roadblocking
a scheduling technique where a brand's commercial airs at approximately the same time on all three networks or on all
stations in a given market.

R.O.S. (Run Of Schedule or Run Of Station)

a broadcast schedule, similar to R.O.P. where specific programs and air times have not been requested by the advertiser.

Simulcast

broadcast of the same program at the same time on both AM and FM radio stations. Can also refer to a radio station
simultaneously broadcasting the audio portion of a TV program.

Spill-In
the amount of programming viewed within a market area to stations that are licensed to an adjacent market.

Spill-Out
the amount of viewing to local stations outside the home market area.

Strip
a program scheduled at the same time each day, typically Monday-Friday.

Superstation
an independent station whose signal is transmitted to many markets via a satellite.

Sweeps
the four 4-week periods when all TV markets are measured by Nielsen and Arbitron for station viewing and demographic
information. Sweep months are February, May, July and November.

Syndicated Program
a program bought by a station or advertiser from an independent organization, not a network.

TAP (Total Audience Plan)

a radio schedule consisting of equal distribution of commercials across all major dayparts.

Turnover
the ratio of a cumulative audience to the average audience for a given period of time. Indicates how loyal a given audience
may be for specific stations or programs.

Upfront
a term indicating that an advertiser has purchased advertising for the coming broadcast year in an early buying season,
typically for the benefit of lower rates and CPM guarantees.

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General Media Terms
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Advertising Impressions
the audience delivery of media vehicles, programs or schedules. Usually expressed as thousands (000).

Advertising Research Foundation (ARF)

a non-profit organization of advertisers, agencies and the media for promoting advertising effectiveness through objective
research.

Advertising Weight
the level of advertising support over a period of time, expressed in gross rating points, impressions, target audience reached,
etc.

Aided Recall
a research technique where the respondent is given aid to help remember all or parts of advertising.

As It Falls
a testing method whereby the media test market receives the same media weight, purchased locally, as it would receive from
a national theoretical plan.

Average Frequency
the number of times the average person or household is exposed to an advertising schedule. It is always derived from Gross
Rating Points and Reach.

Barter
a term used to indicate that advertising was paid for by the advertiser using goods and services rather than cash.

BDI (Brand Development Index)

a measure of the strength of a brand's sales in a particular geographic area indexed to the national sales average.

CDI (Category Development Index)

a measurement of a brand's sales potential using sales of all brands within a category in a specific market indexed to national
sales average.

Clutter
the term given to the proliferation of advertising messages aimed at consumers. In TV, it refers to all nonprogram minutes,
such as commercials, station promotions, billboards, public service announcements, etc.

Cost Per Rating Point (Cost Per Point, CPP, Cost Per GRP)
the cost to reach one percent of the universe, households or individuals, in a given market or geographic area.

Cost Per Thousand (CPM)

the cost to reach 1,000 units of audience, households or individuals, for advertising. Used as a measure of efficiency among
media and media schedules.

Coverage Area
the specific geography where a media vehicle has its coverage. In broadcast, coverage usually describes the area to which
the station's signal extends. In print, coverage usually means the circulation area.

Cume (Cumulative Audience)

another way of expressing reach. The total number of different people or households exposed to advertising at least once
during the media schedule.

Direct Response Advertising

any advertising message that calls for a prompt response to purchase a product or request more information.

Duplication
the number or percent of the target audience in one media vehicle also exposed to another vehicle.

Efficiency
the ratio of cost to size of audience used to compare media vehicles, plans or schedules.

Exclusivity
an agreement whereby a media vehicle agrees to run no advertising directly competitive to the advertiser purchasing the
media vehicle or program.

First Refusal
the opportunity for an advertiser to extend sponsorship rights of a program or vehicle before it is offered to another advertiser.

Fixed Position
an advertising position which remains fixed over time, such as the inside cover of a magazine.

Flighting
a technique for extending advertising dollars using periods of media activity interspersed with periods of inactivity.

Flow Chart
a calendar which dimensionalizes media activity over time, usually a year.

FY
an abbreviation for Fiscal Year.

Gross Impressions
the combined audiences of several media vehicles or several announcements within a vehicle, leaving in the duplication
among the audiences.

Gross Rating Points (GRP's)

the sum of individual ratings in a media plan.

Guarantee
a commitment to the advertiser by a medium that should audience delivery fall short of what was estimated, the advertiser will
receive bonus advertising to meet the expected CPM or GRP's.

Heavy-up
an increase in advertising activity for a limited period of time.

Hiatus
a scheduled period of inactivity between advertising flights.

Little America (or Little U.S.)

refers to the method of media testing where a national campaign might be tested first in markets that are most similar
demographically to the total country.

LNA (Leading National Advertisers)

a syndicated research source reporting advertisers' spending in media: network and spot TV, network radio, magazines,
newspaper supplements and outdoor.

Mail-Order Advertising
type of advertising in which the complete sales transaction takes place through the mail.

Makegood
comparable unit of advertising offered at no charge when the original spot or ad did not run or ran incorrectly.

Mediamark Research Inc. (MRI)

a syndicated research source measuring print and broadcast media audiences and product/brand usage profiles.

Net Cost
advertising rates which do not include advertising agency commission and/or include discounts.

Penetration
the degree to which a medium or vehicle has coverage in a specific area. Can also refer to the effectiveness of advertising's
impact on consumers.

Per Inquiry (P.I.)

agreement between a media owner and an advertiser where the advertiser pays the owner for advertising on the basis of the
number of inquiries or completed sales from the advertising.

Psychographic
describes consumers on the basis of some psychological trait, characteristics or life style.

Quintile
the division of the audience or sample into five equal groups ranging from heaviest to lightest amount of exposure to any
medium.

Rate Card
a statement by a medium showing advertising costs, issue dates, program names, closing dates, requirements, cancellation
dates, etc.

Rating
an estimate of the size of an audience expressed as one percent of the total population.

Reach
the unduplicated percent of a potential audience exposed to advertising one or more times during a given period.

Roll Out
an advertising technique where advertising is expanded to cover more and more markets as distribution/ product sales are
also expanded.

Share
the percent of an audience tuned to a particular program at a given time.

Share of Voice (SOV)

a brand's percent of the total advertising weight in its product category.

Short Rate
the cost difference between the discounted contract rate and the higher rate actually earned by an advertiser if he fails to fulfill
the contracted amount of advertising.

Simmons Market Research Bureau (SMRB)

a syndicated source of print and broadcast audience measurement, as well as product usage data.

Sponsorship
purchase of all or part of a TV program or all pages of a magazine.

Standard Rate & Data Service (SRDS)

monthly reports of publications', TV and radio stations' rate cards and supporting technical information arranged by state and
market.

Starch
a research company providing print advertising readership information.

Telmar
a computer system offering various media planning systems for reach and frequency, as well as cross tabulation of data from
Simmons and MRI.

Vehicle
anything capable of exposing advertising to customers.

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Internet Media Terms
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Bookmark
a routine that allows you to save a reference to a site or page that you have already visited. At a later point in time, you can
use a bookmark to return to that page. It commonly refers to a feature of Netscape Navigator (a web browser) that allows you
to collect and organize bookmarks of your favorite web sites.

Browser
an application used to view and navigate the World Wide Web and other Internet resources.

Browser war
a catch phrase that refers to the battles between Netscape and Microsoft for dominance of the web browser market. Both
sides seek to maximize their product's marketshare and mindshare in cyberspace. The battles are marked by short product
development cycles, publicity campaigns, provocative public statements, appeals for federal intervention, and a general desire
to crush the other side.

Bug
problem with computer software or hardware that causes it to malfunction or crash.

Bulletin Board System (BBS)

An open computer system that members can dial into in order to send email, join discussion groups, and download files. Since
the 1970s, BBS's have provided an early means for home users to get online. Originally, BBS's were freestanding local
systems, but now many provide access to Internet email, telnet, FTP, and other Internet services.

Chat
a form of interactive online communication that enables typed conversations to occur in real-time. When participating in a chat
discussion, your messages are instantaneously relayed to other members in the chat room while other members' messages
are instantaneously relayed to you.

Chat History
a transcript of a chat session.

Commercial Online Service

a computer network that supplies its members with access to chat rooms, bulletin boards, and other online content on a
monthly fee basis. Commercial online services include America Online, CompuServe, The Microsoft Network, and Prodigy. In
addition to their own proprietary content, most commercial online services also provide access to the Internet.

Congestion
a state occurring in a part of a network when the message traffic is so heavy that it slows down network response time.

Connection
when two computers have established a path through which the exchange of information can occur.

Cookies
small files that are downloaded to your computer when you browse certain web pages. Cookies hold information that can be
retrieved by other web pages on the site. Some cookies are programmed with an expiration date so that they are automatically
deleted after a period of time.

Copy Protection
a software lock placed on a computer program by its developer to thwart piracy. This preventative measure was widely used in
the mid-1980s but later abandoned by many developers because of numerous customer complaints.

Cracker
a malicious hacker who breaks (or cracks) the security of computer systems in order to access, steal, or destroy sensitive
information. Hacker is often incorrectly used instead of cracker, especially by the media. See also hacker.

Crossload
to send an attached file via email. See also upload and download.

Domain Name
the official name of a computer connected to the Internet. Domain names are derived from a hierarchical system, with a host
name followed by a top-level domain category. The top-level domain categories are com (for commercial enterprises), org (for
non-profit organizations), net (for network services providers), mil (for the military), and gov (for government).

Domain Name System (DNS)

a database system which looks up host IP addresses based upon domain names. For example if you ask for
"www.thisismyhost.com" it will return 123.45.67.89. Copies of the Domain Name System are distributed through the
Internet.

Download

to transfer data from a larger "host" system to a smaller "client" system's hard drive or other local storage device. See
also upload.

Download Charges
monetary charges associated with downloading a file from a commercial online service. This method of information exchange
is not very popular.

Ecash
electronic money designed to be used over a network or stored on cards similar to credit cards. Ecash is still more of an idea
than a practical reality, largely due to security concerns.

Eform
an electronic form that is filled out by a user and sent over a network. They are typically used to place orders or provide
feedback. Eforms can be placed on web pages or in Java applets and usually contain text boxes, buttons, and other
components.

Emoticon
a cute sideways face created by using special characters on the keyboard. Used to express emotions without words. For
example, this winking face ;-) indicates I'm joking, this sad face :-( expresses sadness or I'm sulking. If this makes no
sense, turn your head sideways and look again. Also known as a smiley.

Encryption
a procedure that renders the contents of a message or file unintelligible to anyone not authorized to read it. PGP (Pretty Good
Privacy) is a commonly-used encryption program.

Eyeballs
a viewing audience for a WWW site.

Facilitated Chat
in a facilitated chat, a host or facilitator controls the messages that appear on the chat screen. Usually used when there is a
guest speaker. Facilitated chats provide an orderly environment for the guest speaker and ensure that she is not overwhelmed
with dozens of questions all being asked at once. See also chat.

FAQ
acronym for Frequently Asked Questions. A reference document created for particular topic or group that answers to common
beginners' questions. It is considered poor Netiquette to ask a question without first reading the FAQ.

Flame
a public post or email message that expresses a strong opinion or criticism. Flames can be fun when they allow people to vent
their feelings, then return to the topic at hand. Others are simply insulting and can lead to flame wars.

Flame Bait
an inflammatory post that is designed to provoke a flame war or flame responses.

Flame on/Flame off

notifiers that surround a flame message and let readers know that the message they are reading is a flame. Although you don't
see these as much as you used to, they would most commonly be used by an individual known to a particular online group
who wishes to do a little ranting and then return to the topic at hand. Note that the original usage of flame on was derived
from Marvel Comics' Human Torch character.

Flame War
a series of public posts in which people flame one another rather than contribute useful information.

Flash Session
a feature of America Online that automatically performs online tasks at a designated time. Flash sessions are often used to
send/receive email and download large files.

Forum
a topically-focused discussion group or area. From the traditional Roman forum.

Go Word
the word associated with a forum or area on a commercial online service that allows you to get to that place quickly.

Hacker
an expert programmer who likes to spend a lot of time figuring out the finer details of computer systems or networks, as
opposed to those who learn only the minimum necessary. See also cracker.

Handle
a nickname used in online communications.

Hit
a single user accessing a single file from a web server. A unit of measure often used erroneously to evaluate the popularity of
a web site.

Home Page
a web page that is topically the main source of information about a particular person, group, or concept. Many people on the
web create home pages about themselves for fun; these are also known as vanity pages.

Host
1.
2.

Hyperlink

A computer that allows users to communicate with other host computers on a network.
A chat term for someone who is managing a chat. Hosts often act as referees and have the power to turn participants
into spectators and vice versa.

a highlighted word or picture within a hypertext document that when clicked takes you to another place within the document or
to another document altogether.

Hypertext
text that includes links or shortcuts to other documents, allowing the reader to easily jump from one text to related texts, and
consequentially from one idea to another, in a non-linear fashion. Coined by Ted Nelson in 1965.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

the tag-based ASCII language used to create pages on the World Wide Web. See also hypertext.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

the protocol used by the World Wide Web to transfer HTML files.

Icon
a small graphic image that represents a file or application and when clicked upon produces a programmed result. Use of this
mnemonic convention originated at Xerox PARC and was subsequently popularized by the Apple Macintosh. Producing an
effective icon is non-trivial because of size and color restraints. See iconographer.

Iconographer
a skillful designer who elevates icon design to an art form.

Identity Hacking
posing as someone else. Posting anonymously or pseudonymously, usually with the intent to deceive.

Infobahn
a variant of information superhighway. An unimplemented proposal by Vice President Al Gore to wire the US for hundreds of
cable television channels. Now synonymous with the Internet.

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)

A technology offered by telephone carriers that allows for the rapid transfer of voice and data.

Internet
a worldwide network of networks that all use the TCP/IP communications protocol and share a common address space. First
incarnated as the ARPANET in 1969, the Internet has metamorphosed from a military internetwork to an academic research
internetwork to the current commercial internetwork. It commonly supports services such as email, the World Wide Web, file
transfer, and Internet Relay Chat. The Internet is experiencing tremendous growth in the number of users, hosts, and domain
names. It is gradually subsuming other media, such as proprietary computer networks, newspapers, books, television, and the
telephone. Also known as the net, the information superhighway, and cyberspace. See also domain, and Domain Name
Service.

Internet Explorer
a free web browser application from Microsoft.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC)

A chat network that operates over the Internet. Originally evolved from the UNIX talk program, IRC is similar to the chat
systems found on commercial online services.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

1.
2.

A business that delivers access to the Internet, usually for a monthly fee. PSI, UUNET, and Netcom are examples of
established ISPs but there are thousands of smaller ones all around the world.
Any business that provides Internet services such as web sites or web site development.

Internet Society (ISOC)

to quote its home page at http://info.isoc.org: The Internet Society is a non-governmental International organization for global
cooperation and coordination for the Internet and its internetworking technologies and applications.

InterNIC
the InterNIC is the entity that controls the registration of most domain names on the Internet. The InterNIC is a cooperative
activity between the National Science Foundation, Network Solutions, Inc. and AT&T. Its home page is at http://internic.net/

Interoperability
the ability of software and hardware on multiple machines from multiple vendors to communicate meaningfully.

Intranet
a private network that uses Internet-related technologies to provide services within an organization.

IP address
a string of four numbers separated by periods (such as 111.22.3.444) used to represent a computer on the Internet. The
format of the address is specified by the Internet Protocol in RFC 791. When a PC accesses the Internet through an ISP, it
sometimes receives a temporary IP address.

Jack In
to log in to a machine or connect to a network. Derived from cyberpunk fiction.

Java
an object oriented programming language created by Sun Microsystems. Java is a device independent language, meaning
that programs compiled in Java can be run on any computer. Java programs can be run as a free-standing application or as
an applet placed on a web page. Applets written in Java are served from a web site but executed on the client computer. Java
applets have a built-in security feature which prevents them from accessing the file system of the client computer. See also
applet. Here is the Java version of Hello World!: class HelloWorld {public static void main (String

args[]) {System.out.println("Hello World!"); }}

JavaScript
a scripting language that allows lines of Java code to be inserted into HTML scripts.

Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)

an image compression standard for still photographs that is commonly used on the web.

Kermit
a protocol used for transferring files over a dial-up connection that is commonly used on BBS systems.

Kill File
a file used by some USENET reading programs that filters out unwanted messages, usually from a particular author or on a
particular subject. If you add someone to your kill file, you arrange for the person to be ignored by your news reader.

Leased Line
a permanently established connection between computers over a dedicated phone line which is leased from a telephone
carrier.

Line Noise
static over a telephone line that interferes with network communications.

Link
a highlighted word or picture within a hypertext document that when clicked bring you to another place within the document or
to another document altogether. See alsohyperlink.

List Server
an automated mailing list distribution system. List servers maintain a list of email addresses to be used for mass emailing.
Subscribing and unsubscribing to the list is accomplished by sending a properly formatted email message to the list server.

Local Area Network (LAN)

a group of computers at a single location (usually an office or home) that are connected by phone lines or coaxial cable.

Mailbomb
the act of sending massive amounts of email to a single address with the malicious intent of disrupting the system of the
recipient. Mailbombing is considered a serious breach of Netiquette and is probably illegal.

Mailing List
a discussion group that occurs via mass email distributions. Mailing lists are usually maintained by individuals utilizing list
server software. List servers maintain a list of email addresses to be used for the mailing list. Subscribing and unsubscribing to
the list is accomplished by sending a properly formatted email message to the list server.

Mirror Site
a server which contains a duplicate of another WWW or FTP site. Mirror sites are created when the traffic on the original site
becomes too heavy for a single server. Often mirror sites are located in different geographic areas allowing users to choose
the site closest to them.

Nanosecond
a measurement of time. There are 1,000,000,000 nanoseconds in a second.

Navigator
a web browser application from Netscape.

Net Lingo
the slang commonly used on the Internet.net.police. Those who feel it's their appointed role to flame perceived violations of
Netiquette.

Net Surfing
browsing or exploring a network or the World Wide Web to find places of interest, usually without a specific goal in mind.
Analogous to channel surfing with a TV remote control.

Netiquette
network etiquette, or the set of informal rules of behavior that have evolved in Cyberspace, including the Internet and online
services.

Netlag
a condition that occurs on the Internet in which response time is greatly slowed due to heavy traffic.

Netnews
the content of USENET.

Network
a group of computers or devices that are connected together for the exchange of data and sharing of resources.

Newsgroup
a public place where messages are posted for public consumption and response. The most available distribution of
newsgroups is USENET which contains over ten thousand unique newsgroups covering practically every human proclivity. The
names of newsgroups are comprised of a string of words separated by periods, such as rec.humor.funny or
misc.jobs.offered. The first word (i.e. rec or misc) represents the top level category of newsgroups. The second word (in
these examples humor and jobs) represents a subcategory of the first level, and the third word a subcategory of the
second.

Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

a contract commonly used by computer companies to protect the confidentiality of unreleased products. Software developers,
reporters, and sometimes beta testers are often required to sign these before they are given access to either information about
upcoming products or the product itself.

Offline

1.
2.

As an adjective, not connected to a computer network.

As an adverb, not here or not now, as in Let's take this discussion offline. Often used to indicate that a topic should
be discussed privately rather than in a public forum.

1.
2.

Currently connected to a host, opposite of offline.

Referring to anything connected to a computer network.

Online

Password
a secret code that you utilize along with your user ID in order to log on to a network.

Path
the hierarchical description of where a directory, folder, or file is located on your computer or on a network

Post
to send a message to a public area like a BBS or newsgroup where it can be read by many others.

Postmaster
the name given to the person in charge of administrating email for a particular site. According to convention, mail sent to
postmaster@foo.com should be read by a real live person. Protocol|A series of rules and conventions that allow different kinds
of computers and applications to communicate over a network.

Query
1.

2.

A general question posed to a person or group over the Internet.Internet users are generally so helpful that if one
asks an appropriate query to the correct discussion group, one will often receive many useful responses. One caveat:
it is necessary to find and read the appropriate FAQ document first. Failure to do so would be considered a waste
other people's time and bandwidth.
A request for specific information from a database.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

the working memory of the computer into which application programs can be loaded and executed. It helps to have more of
this "working space" installed when running advanced operating systems and applications.

README File
1.
2.

A text file included with an application that contains important (and often last minute) information about installing and
using the application.
A text file on an FTP site that provides valuable information about the context of site.

3.

Any text file that you are supposed to read before proceeding.

Read Receipts

an optional email feature that notifies you when a recipient has opened the email message you sent him. See also delivery
receipts.

Refresh
to clear the screen or part of the screen and redraw it again.

Remote Login
operating a remote computer over a network as if it were a local computer. This can be accomplished via one of several
protocols, including telnet and the UNIX program rlogin.

Response Time
a measurement of the time between a request for information over a network and the network's fulfillment of that request.
"Overall response time" is an aggregate or average measurement of various response times over a particular network or
through a particular host.

Search Engine
a program or web site that enables users to search for keywords on web pages throughout the World Wide Web. For example,
Alta Vista is a popular search engine located at http://www.altavista.com/

Security
ensuring that private information remains private in an atmosphere where all other information is free. Security also means
that viruses are prevented from infecting people's systems.

Server
a computer that provides information to client machines. For example, there are web servers that send out web pages, mail
servers that deliver email, list servers that administer mailing lists, FTP servers that hold FTP sites and deliver files to users
who request them, and name servers that provide information about Internet host names.

Shareware
software that you can download from a network and try before you buy. If you like the software and decide to use it beyond
the trial period, you must register with the author and pay a registration fee.

Shouting
TYPING IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS IS CONSIDERED SHOUTING IN ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS. Avoid this unless you
really mean to shout.

Snail Mail
regular postal mail, as opposed to email. Pejorative when implying postal mail's slowness relative to email.

Sneakernet
the transfer of electronic information by physically carrying disks, tape, or some other media from one machine to another.
Used ironically.

Spam
to send a message (usually an advertisement) to many discussion groups (bulletin boards, mailing lists, and/or newsgroups),
without regard for its topical relevance.

Telecommunications
the science of sending signals representing voice, video, or data through telephone lines.

Telecommuting
to work at home and use a computer and modem to communicate with the office.

Telnet
a protocol which allows you to sign onto a remote UNIX computer from a another computer located anywhere on the Internet.
To telnet into a remote computer, you usually need to supply a user ID and password that is recognized by the remote system.

Thread
1.

2.

A series of postings on a particular topic. Threads can be a series of bulletin board messages (for example, when
someone posts a question and others reply with answers or additional queries on the same topic). A thread can also
apply to chats, where multiple conversation threads may exist simultaneously.
Also refers to an independent process taking place in a multi-tasking environment.

1.
2.

A switch that is either on or off.

If it is on, to turn it off; if it is off, to turn it on.

Toggle

Traffic
the load of packets carried by a network or portion of a network. Heavy traffic slows down the response time of the individual
packets.

Triple-dub
an abbreivated way to say WWW when reciting a URL.

Upload
to send a file to a network. See also download and crossload.

Virtual
a commonly used adjective that means having all of the properties of x while not necessarily being x. For example, virtual
Friday in a workplace is the last day of work before a break, that is to say it is like Friday but may or may not actually be
Friday. A virtual reality is an artificial environment that appears to be its own reality. On a mainframe, a virtual machine gives
the user all of the properties and feel of a separate personal computer.

Virus

an insidious piece of computer code written to damage systems. Viruses can be hidden in executable program files posted
online.

Webliography
a listing of source World Wide Web sites.

Webmaster
the person in charge of administrating a World Wide Web site. By convention, the webmaster of Internet domain foo.com can
be reached at the email address webmaster@foo.com.

World Wide Web (WWW)

a distributed hypertext system invented by Tim Berners-Lee on a NeXT Computer. Currently, one of the most popular services
offered on the Internet. Web pages are viewed using browsing software like Netscape Navigator, Sun Microsystems Hot Java,
or Microsoft Internet Explorer. See also browser, Hypertext Markup Language,net surfing, and triple-dub.

Worm
1.

2.

An insidious and usually illegal computer program that is designed to replicate itself over a network for the purpose of
causing harm and/or destruction. While a virus is designed to invade a single computer's hard drive, a worm is
designed to invade a network. The most infamous worm was created by Robert Tappan Morris in November 1988; it
infiltrated over 6,000 network systems around the globe.
Acronym for Write Once Read Many. Used to describe optical disk drives that can only be written once, usually for
archival purposes.

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Out-of-Home Terms
Print this Section

Billboard
an outdoor advertising display. Also, in broadcast, a short 5 or 10 second announcement indicating advertiser sponsorship of a
program.

Facing
in outdoor, the number of billboards at a location facing in the same direction. In marketing, the number of units facing the
shopper on a shelf in a grocery, drug, discount store. etc.

Poster Panel
the standard outdoor advertising display unit, usually 25' x 12'.

Showing
a group of outdoor boards which provide a certain percent coverage of a market, usually purchased in increments of 25 (e.g. a
#25 showing, a #50 showing, a #75 showing, a #100 showing).

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Print Media Terms

Print this Section

Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC)

organization of publishers, advertising agencies and advertisers for verifying the circulation statements of member
publications.

Advertising Checking Bureau (ACB)

a company which provides advertisers and agencies with newspaper tear sheets of ads which have run.

Agate Line
a unit of measurement for newspaper advertising which measures one column wide with 14 agate lines per inch.

Bleed
a term used for print advertising that extends all the way to the edge of the page with no margin. Many magazines charge a
premium for the bleed, usually 15%.

Business Publication Audit of Circulation (BPA)

an organization for auditing the circulation of business (trade) publications.

Checkerboard
magazine advertising that uses diagonal quarter or half page ads alternating with editorial.

Checking Copy
a copy of a publication sent to the advertiser and the agency as proof the ad ran as ordered.

Circulation
the total number of distributed copies of a publication at a specified time. Also, in broadcast, the total number of households
within the station's coverage area. In outdoor, the number of people passing the billboards who have an opportunity to see the
advertising.

Closing Date
the date by which all advertising must be ordered from the specific media vehicle in order to secure the dates/times/positions
requested.

Column Inch
a unit of newspaper space one column wide and one inch deep (14 agate lines).

Direct Mail Advertising

any printed material sent through the mail directly to prospective customers.

Double Truck
a newspaper ad unit that uses two facing full pages, including the gutter or fold.

Gutter
the blank space between margins of facing pages of a publication.

Insertion Order
written instructions from the advertiser or agency authorizing a publication to run a specific advertisement in a specific issue.
Also specifies cost per ad and size of ad, as well as any request for special position in the publication.

Island Position
a print advertisement surrounded completely by editorial.

Line Rate
the cost per agate line for newspapers.

Magazine Supplement
the magazine section of a Sunday newspaper produced either locally or nationally.

Net Paid Circulation

a term used by ABC for the circulation of a publication for which at least 50% of the subscription or newsstand price has been
paid.

PBW, P4C
abbreviations for Page Black & White and Page Four Color.

Pass-along Audience
readers of magazines or newspapers who did not purchase the publication. Also called Secondary Audience.

Publishers Information Bureau (PIB)

a syndicated source of monthly reports on advertising activity in major consumer magazines, reported by product or service
category.

Publisher's Statement
a notarized statement from the publisher of total circulation, geographic distribution, method of getting subscriptions, etc.

Readers Per Copy

average number of readers for one copy of a newspaper or magazine.

Regional Edition
an edition of a national publication's circulation that falls in a certain geographic area for which advertising may be purchased
separately, usually at a cost premium.

Remnant Space
magazine space sold at reduced prices at the last minute when another advertiser's materials do not arrive or to fill out
regional editions.

Run Of Press or Run Of Paper (ROP)

a newspaper insertion for which an exact position is not requested but left to the newspaper's discretion.

Split Run
scheduling two or more executions of an advertising message in alternate copies of a magazine's circulation in a given issue.

Tabloid
a newspaper measuring about 5-6 columns wide by 200 lines deep, about 2/3 the size of a standard newspaper.

Advertising Terms Glossary

Above the Fold: In reference to ad placement of banners, this is properly defined as being placed the top
portion of the page is viewed without scrolling.
Ad Network: Advertising space in a group of websites for the purpose of maximizing revenue and
minimizing administrative costs.
Ad Rotation: Different ads and different ad sources are often rotated in the same space on a webpage. Ad
rotation is static (one ad per page view). This is usually done automatically by software on our website
and delivers advertisements randomly and in close proximity to your desired frequency or weighting.
Banner: A rectangular online advertisement in the form of a graphic image that runs across the top or
bottom of a web page. Banner ads are historically GIF images. Many ads are animated GIFs since
animation has been shown to be more effective. The standard banner is 468 pixels wide by 60 pixels high.
Booked Space: Website advertising space that is already sold or otherwise unavailable to receive new
campaign commitments.
Branding: A traditional advertising method used to create an acquired response from a target audience
based on cumulative impressions and positive reinforcement. These ads are not purchase for the sole
purpose generating a click or visitor. They are geared towards increased product or company name
awareness and lifelong customers.
Button: An online advertisement in the form of a small graphic image that typically resides in the margin of
a webpage. Buttons are typically 88x31 pixels. These are often very cost effective and popular to generate
traffic to your business.
Campaign: A contracted agreement between an advertiser or agency and the HomewithGod Network The
campaign is defined by a number of variables, including the advertising creative, the duration, and the
pricing structure.
Click-Thru Ratio (CTR): The rate of ads clicked on to total ads displayed. A typical CTR is 0.5% (1 in 200).
The click-thru ratio of an advertising creative is one measure of its effectiveness.
Cost per 1,000 Impressions (CPM): A pricing model based on an estimate of the number of impressions of a
particular creative. The greater majority of online banner advertising is priced using the CPM model. The
"M" is the Roman numeral for 1,000.
Cost per Click-Thru (CPC): A pricing model base on paying only for those ads that experience a click-thru.
CPC can be considered a measure of direct response, but is not a measure of true action taken by a user.
Creative: The materials used in advertising to convey a message. Digital creative can be text, static or
animated banner and buttons.

Demographics: Statistical data that describes the makeup of a given visitor base, and includes information
such as age range, gender, education levels, and average household income. Demographic data is one of
the tools used to match ad space with an advertising campaign.
Frequency: The rate a particular user is exposed to a particular creative or a particular campaign during a
single session or period of time.
Graphic Interchange Format (GIF): A common graphics format that can be displayed on almost all web
browsers. GIFs typically display in 256 colors and have built-in compression. Static or animated GIF
images are the most common form of banner creative.
Hybrid Campaign: An advertising campaign model base on combining different individual pricing models
into one. A CPM/CPC hybrid campaign combines the benefits of branding and direct response during the
same campaign to maximize ROI.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML): A coding language used to make hypertext documents for use online.
Impression: Also called an ad or page impression. The display of a single creative to a visitor on a website.
A single page view can have more than one impression if both banners and buttons are used.
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG): Easily compressed graphics format that displays photographic as
well as graphic images. JPEG (or most commonly used JPG) is a newer format than GIF.
Opt-In Email: Email received based on a user's choice to opt-in by their choice to be on a mailing list that
will be of interest to them. More often than not, opt-in is the default and user action, such as a check box
is required to opt-out.
Page View: The loading of a webpage by a browser. A single User Session may result in multiple page
views and numerous Impressions. Reloading or "refreshing" the same page is another page view.
Rate Card: The current rates to purchase advertising space on the HomewithGod Network.
Return on Investment (ROI): The actual or perceived future value of an expense or investment. Ad campaign
ROI is a metric that attempts to determine what the advertiser receives in return for the cost of the
advertising, usually in terms of new sales.
Run-of-Network (RON): A campaign that distributes creative to all or most of our network of websites with
no targeting or other filtering applied, other than frequency capping. Run-of-Network campaigns provide
advertisers with the greatest reach at the lowest cost.
Sponsorship: A "long term" advertising relationship that typically involves the payment of a fixed fee to
display a banner or other graphic on our website, or be included in an email mailing.
Tracking: The collection and automated analysis of data associated with the serving of digital creative.
Tracking provides the frequency control, accounting, stats data and anti-fraud components of a campaign.
Traffic: The volume of visitors to a website. Traffic is the currency of online success, but is not the only
factor.
Unique Page Views: The total number of unique pages on a website by a unique visitor.
Unique Visitor and User Session: A unique IP address visiting a website for the first time in a specified
period. Unique visitor is more often associated with long periods of time, such as a month. User session is
more often associated with shorter periods of time, such as 30 minutes. Both are valuable traffic metrics
for many websites. Frequency control in ad campaigns is a function of unique visitor and user sessions.
MARKETING ONLINE

Glossary of Advertising Media Terms

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Quick Index
A B C D E F G H I J KL M N O P QR S T U V W X Y Z

Above The Fold: In the context of banner ad placement, above the fold generally refers to a banner placement on a web page that can
be viewed without scrolling either horizontally or vertically. Most online ad networks define suitable above the fold placement as within
500 or 600 pixels of the top of the page.
Accumulative audience: See Cumulative audience.
Across the board: A program that is broadcast at the same timeperiod every day (see Strip).
Adjacency: A program or a commercial announcement that is adjacent to another either preceding or following, on the same station.
Ad Network: Ad networks (advertising network, banner network,online ad network) are advertising companies which administer ad
sales, billing, serving and collection for web sites. Ad networks often aggregate sites into specific categories or demographic groups,
then sell ad inventory to advertisers either to specific sites within thenetworks, specific categories or demographics, or via run of
network buys which target sites within the network. Ad networks can sell ad inventory on CPM, CPC, CPA and other revenue models. A
reviewed list of ad networks can be found here at Internet Ad Sales.
Ad Server: A third-party system composed of powerful server hardware, ad serving software, and a powerful internet connection, used
by advertisers and web publishers for rapid and reliable display of online advertisements. An important component of ad servers is
independent tracking of ad display and click information. Many adnetworks, including Burst and Fastclick, offer separately licensed
versions of their own ad servers which may be used by web publishers who manage some or all of their own advertising sales rather
than outsourcing to ad networks.
Ad Views: The number of times a specific ad has been displayed. Many ad networks sell advertising using a CPM model, in which ads
are purchased and web publishers reimbursed at a fixed rate per thousand impressions.
Affiliate: A broadcast station that grants a network an option ofspecific times for broadcasting network programming in return for
compensation.
Agate line: Newspaper advertising space one column wide by one-fourteenth of an inch deep; often referred to simply as "line";
somewhat obsolete because most newspapers now use "column inch"measurements of advertising space, especially for national
adver-tising.
Agency commission: Usually 15 percent, allowed to advertising agencies by media on the agencies' purchase of media space or
time.
Agency of record: Advertising agency that coordinates an advertiser's promotion of several products handled by more than a single
agency (see Blanket contract).
Agency recognition: Acknowledgment by media owners that certain advertising agencies are good credit risks and/or fulfill certain
requirements, thus qualifying for a commission.
Air check: Recording a broadcast to serve as an archival or file copy.
Allotment: The number and type of outdoor posters in a showing (see howing).
Alternate sponsorship: Two advertisers who sponsor a single program-one advertiser sponsors one week and the other sponsors the
alternate week (see Crossplugs).
Animated GIF: A graphic image in GIF (graphical interchange format) format composed of multiple layers which display in turn,
providing the illusion of motion. A large percentage of non rich-media banner ads are in animated GIF format. Animated GIF banners
have historically generated higher click-through rates than static images. However, as web users have grown more mature, some
studies indicate that blinking or flashing images are more often automatically ignored, as users have come to assume that any
animated image on a page is an advertisement.
Announcement: An advertising message that is broadcast between programs (see Station break, Participation, Billboard), or an

advertisement within a syndicated program or feature film; any broadcast commercial regardless of time length, within or between
programs, that presents an advertiser's message or a public service message.
American Research Bureau (ARB): One of several national firms engaged in radio and television research; the founder of Arbitron
ratings.
Annual rebate: See Rebate.
Area of Dominant Influence (ADI): Arbitron measurement area that comprises those counties in which stations of a single originating
market account for a greater share of the viewing households than those from any other market; similar to Nielsen's Designated Market
Area.
Audience: Persons who receive an advertisement; individuals who read a newspaper or magazine, listen to a radio broadcast, view a
television broadcast, and so on.
Audience accumulation: The total number of different persons or households exposed to a single media vehicle over a period of time
(see Cumulative audience.
Audience composition: Audience analysis expressed in demographic terms or other characteristics.
Audience duplication: Those persons or households who see an advertisement more than once in a single media vehicle or in a
combination of vehicles.
Audience flow: The movement of a broadcast audience's attention from one station to another when the program changes, measured
against the audience that stays tuned to the same station or network to view the new program (see Holdover audience).
Audience profile: The minute-by-minute viewing pattern for a program; a description of the characteristics of the people who are
exposed to a medium or vehicle (see Profile).
Audience turnover: That part of a broadcast audience that changes over time (see Audience flow).
Audimeter: A:C: Nielsen Company's automatic device attached to radio or television receiving sets that records usage and station
information (see People meter).
Availability: A broadcast time period that is open for reservation by an advertiser in response to an advertiser's or agency's initial
inquiry (slang "avail").
Average audience: The number of broadcast homes that are tuned in for an average minute of a broadcast.
Average exposure: The average (mean) number of times that each audience member has been exposed to an advertisement.
Average net paid circulation: Average (mean) number of copies that apublication distributes per issue.
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Call letters: The letters that identify a station; for example, WBZ-TV.
Campaign: A specific coordinated advertising effort on behalf of a particular product or service that extends for a specified periodof
time.
Car card: Transit advertisement in or on a bus, subway, or commuter train car.
Card rate: The cost of time or space on a rate card.
Carryover effect: The residual level of awareness or recall after a flight or campaign period, used to plan the timing of schedules.
Cash discount: A discount, usually 2 percent, by media to advertisers who pay promptly.
Category Development Index (CDI): A comparative market-by-market measure of a market's total sales of all brands of a single
product category, used to evaluate the sales potential of a market for a product category or a brand (see Brand Development
Index.
CC: The conclusion of a broadcast; for example, this program runs 11:30 pm:-CC.
Center spread: An advertisement appearing on two facing pages printed on a single sheet in the center of a publication (see
Double Truck).
Chain: A broadcast network; also, a newspaper or magazine group of single ownership or control.
Chain break (CB): The time during which a network allows a station to identify itself; usually a 20-second spot (slang "twenty");
now often a 30-second spot plus a ten-second spot, with 20 seconds remaining for identification.
Checking: The process of confirming whether an advertisement actually appeared.
Checking copy: A copy of a publication that is supplied by the medium to show that an advertisement appeared as specified.
Circulation: In print, the number of copies distributed; in broad- cast, the number of households within a signal area that have receiving sets; in outdoor, the number of people who have a reason- able opportunity to see a billboard.
City zone: A central city and the contiguous areas that cannot be distinguished from it.
City zone circulation: The number of newspapers that are distributed within a city, rather than in outlying areas.
Classified advertising: Advertising that is set in small type and arranged according to categories or interests.
Classified display advertising: Classified advertising of a larger size than most other classified advertising, possibly with
headlines, illustrations, and so on; classified advertising with some of the characteristics of display advertising (see Display
advertising.
Class magazines: Special-interest magazines with desirable upscale audiences.
Clearance: Coverage of national television households by the number of stations (or markets) accepting a network program for
airing; also, gaining available time on stations to carry a program or com- mercial.
Clear time: The process of reserving time or time periods with a station or network; checking on available advertising time.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): CTR, or click-through rate, is the rate at which visitors click an advertisement, usually calculated as a
percentage of ad impressions. The current industry standard CTR for 468x60 banner ads is about 0.25%. Highest CTRs are
usually generated using fake "message waiting" or javascript warning ads, which often have little or no relevance to their target
site. Ads of this kind can generate CTRs up to 11% or more, but, due to their nuisance value, can be detrimental to the hosting
site.

Clipping bureau: An organization that aids in checking print adver- tising by clipping the advertisements from print media.
Closing date: The final deadline set by print media for advertisingmaterial to appear in a certain issue: in broadcast, the term
"closing hour" may be used.
Closure: A sale resulting from following up on an inquiry from dir- ect mail advertising.
Column inch: Publication space that is one column wide by one-inch high, used as a measure of advertising space.
Combination rate: A special discounted advertising rate for buying space in two or more publications owned by the same
interests.
Commercial impressions: The total audience, including duplication, for all commercial announcements in an advertiser's
schedule (see Gross impressions.
Confirmation: A broadcast media statement that a specific time is still open for purchase by an advertiser who is preparing a
broad- castadvertising schedule.
Consumer profile: A demographic description of the people or house- holds that are prospects for a product or service (see Target
group).
Contiguity rate: A reduced broadcast advertising rate for sponsoring two or more programs in succession; for example, an
advertiser par- ticipating in two programs running from 7:00 pm: - 7:30 pm, and then 7:30 pm - 8:00 pm, may qualify for a contiguity
rate.
Controlled circulation: Circulation that is limited to persons who qualify to receive a publication; often distributed free to quali- fied
persons.
Cooperative advertising: Retail advertising that is paid partly or fully by a manufacturer; two or more manufacturers cooperating
in a single advertisement (slang "co-op").
Cooperative announcement: Commercial time in network programs that is made available to stations for sale to local or national
adver- tisers.
Cooperative program: A network broadcast that is also sold on a local basis and sponsored by both national and local
advertisers; for example, "The Tonight Show" (see Network cooperative program).
Corporate discounting: Incentives offered to advertisers with numer- ous brands of products; all of the
corporation's advertising sched- ules are combined for a larger discount level.
Cost per rating point (CPR) The figure indicates the dollar cost ofadvertising exposure to one percentage point of the target
group, audience, or population (see Rating point).
Cost per thousand (CPM): A dollar comparison that shows the relative cost of various media or vehicles; the figure indicates the
dollar cost ofadvertising exposure to a thousand households or individuals.
Cost per thousand per commercial minute (CPM/PCM): The cost per thousand of a minute of broadcast advertising time.
Coverage: The number or percentage of individuals or households that are exposed to a medium or to an advertising campaign.
Cover position: An advertisement on the cover of a publication, often at a premium cost; first cover=outside front cover; second
cover=inside front cover; third cover=inside back cover; fourth cover=outside back cover.
Cowcatcher: A brief commercial announcement at the beginning of a broadcast program.
CPA: CPA, or cost per action, is an ad payment model in which advertisers pay only when an ad display leads to a completed sale,
registration, download, etc. Virtually all affiliate network advertising can be thought of as CPA. Low-volume sites will find it difficult,
if not impossible, to generate revenue through CPA advertising, as a large quantity of banner displays would be needed to
generate actual sales. A typical CPA ad may generate a CTR (click-through-rate) of 1%, followed by a conversion rate (the rate at
which users complete a sale or registration) of 1%. At those comparatively high levels, 10,000 banners would have to be displayed
to generate one sale. For this reason, commissions must be high enough to translate into a reasonable CPM for the web publisher.
In the previous example, a commission on sales of $5.00 would translate to a CPM of $0.50, which is low but not unreasonable in
today's market for banner ads.
CPC: A performance-based pricing model for advertising sales, CPC, or cost per click pays publishers based on number of clicks
on a specific ad. Most ad networks, logically enough, only pay once per click per user within a specified time period, generally 24
hours or more. CPC rates can vary greatly, from $0.01 to $0.05 for low-scalenetworks, up to $0.35 or more for more reputable
ad networks.
CPL: Similar to CPA (cost per action), the CPL ad pricing model pays web publishers for every banner click that results in a lead or
inquiry for the advertiser. In other words, advertisers pay publishers only when a visitor not only click the ad and visit the
advertiser's site, but also performs a desired action on that site (such as request information via an online form).

CPM: CPM, or cost per thousand (the M is from the Roman numeral for thousand, which was derived from the Latin "mille"), is the
price an advertiser pays for each 1000 displays of a banner ad. As opposed to performance-based models such as CPA or CPC,
CPM rates guarantee web publishers revenue for each ad displayed, whether the visitor clicks it or not, and are thus usually
preferable to CPC or CPA models. CPM levels at the most common ad networks range from $0.20 - $1.50 for 468x60 banners, up
to $5.00 - $8.00 for popups, popunders and layer ads, and potentially higher for interstitials and full page ads.
Crossplugs: In alternating sponsorships, permitting each advertiser to insert one announcement into the program during the
weeks when the other advertiser is the sponsor, maintaining weekly exposure for both (see Alternate sponsorship.
Cumulative audience: Cumulative broadcast rating; the net undupli- cated audience of a station or network during two or more
time periods; also used to describe how many different households or people are reached by an advertising schedule (also called
"accum- ulative audience," "net audience," and "unduplicated audience"); technically, a cumulative audience is those persons who
were ex- posed to any insertion of an advertisement in multiple editions of a single vehicle, whereas an unduplicated audience is
those persons who were exposed to any insertion of an advertisement in a combinat- ion of vehicles or media, counting each
person only once (slang) "cume".
Cumulative reach: The number of different households that are ex- posed to a medium or campaign during a specific time.
Cut-in: The insertion of a local commercial announcement into a net- work or recorded program.
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Dayparts: Specific segments of the broadcast day; for example, day- time, early fringe, prime time, late fringe, late night.
Deadline: The final date for accepting advertising material to meet a publication or broadcast schedule (see Closing date).
Dealer imprint: Inserting a local dealer's identification into nat- ionally prepared advertising.
Dealer tie-in: A manufacturer's announcement that lists local deal- ers; not the same as "co-op".
Delayed broadcast (DB): A local station broadcasting a network pro- gram at a time other than its regularly scheduled network time.

Delivery: The ability to reach or communicate with a certain aud- ience or number of people by using a particular advertising schedule;
the physical delivery of a publication.
Demographic characteristics: The population characteristics of a group or audience.
Designated Market Area (DMA). A term used by the A:C: Nielsen Com- pany; an area based on those counties in which stations of
the orig- inating market account for a greater share of the viewing households than those from any other area (see ADI); for example,
Lake County, Illinois, belongs to the Chicago DMA because a majority of household viewing in Lake County is or can be ascribed to
Chicago stations rather than to stations from Milwaukee or any other market.
Digest unit: See Junior unit.
Direct advertising: Advertising that is under complete control of the advertiser, rather than through some established medium; for
example, direct mail or free sampling.
Direct mail advertising: Advertising sent by mail; also used to describe advertising in other media that solicits orders directly through
the mail.
Direct marketing: Sales made directly to the customer, rather than through intermediaries or intervening channels: includes direct mail,
direct advertising, telemarketing, and so forth.
Directory advertising: Advertising that appears in a buying guide or directory; advertisements in a store directory: for example, Yellow
Pages advertising.
Display advertising: Print advertising that is intended to attract attention and communicate easily through the use of space, illustrations, layout, headline, and so on, as opposed to classified advertising.
Display classified advertising: See Classified display advertising.
Double spotting: See Piggyback.
Double spread: See Two-page spread.
Double truck: Slang term for a print advertisement that uses two full pages side-by-side, but not necessarily the two center pages, usually for a magazine advertisement (see Center spread and Two-page spread.
Drive time: Radio broadcast time during morning and evening commuter rush hours.
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Earned rate: The advertising rate that is actually paid by the ad- vertiser after discounts and other calculations.
Effective frequency: Level or range of audience exposure that pro- vides what an advertiser considers to be the minimal effective
level, and no more than this optimal level or range; also called "effective reach".
Effective reach: See Effective frequency.
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Facing: A billboard location with the panels facing the same dir- ection and visible to the same lines of traffic.
Fixed rate: An advertising rate for advertising time that cannot be taken away or "preempted" by another advertiser; usually the
highestadvertising rate; commonly used in broadcast advertising.
Flat rate: A print advertising rate that is not subject to discount.
Flight (flight saturation): Concentrating advertising within a short time period; an advertising campaign that runs for a specified number of weeks, followed by a period of inactivity (see Hiatus), after which the campaign may resume with another flight.
Fold: The bottommost visible area of a web page as displayed on a standard screen size (currently defined as 800x600 pixels). Many
adnetworks require their ads to be displayed "above the fold" (see related definition).
Floating time: See Run of schedule.
Forced combination: A policy to require newspaper advertisers to buyadvertising space in both morning and evening newspapers
owned by the same interests within a market.
Forcing distribution: Using advertising to increase consumer demand, thereby inducing dealers to stock a product; seldom used not.
Fractional page: Print advertising space of less than a full page.
Fractional showing: An outdoor advertising showing of less than 25 (see Showing).
Free circulation: A publication sent without charge; often with con- trolled circulation.
Frequency: The number of times that an average audience member sees or hears an advertisement; the number of times that an
individual or household is exposed to an advertisement or campaign (frequency of exposure); the number of times that an
advertisement is run (frequency of insertion).
Frequency discount: A reduced advertising rate that is offered by media to advertisers who run a certain number of advertisements
within a given time.
Fringe time: Broadcast time periods preceding or following prime time; television time between daytime and prime time is called "early
fringe" and television time immediately following prime time is called "late fringe".
Full run: One transit advertising car card in every transit bus or car.
Full showing: The number of outdoor posters that are needed to reach all of the mobile population in a market at least once within a
30-day period (see Gross rating points); also called a 100 showing (see Showing).

Ladies of the House (LOH): A term used by A.C. Nielsen Company in some of its reports, referring to female heads of households.

Landing Page: A landing page is the advertiser's web page to which a user is directed after clicking an ad. For affiliate, CPL and CPA
sales, it is important that the landing page is one which entices users to immediately purchase a product or service, rather than simply
the home page of the advertising site.
Lead: A lead indicates a potential customer who has expressed interest in a product or service, generally by means of requesting
additional information or following through on an online registration. Some affiliate programs pay on a CPL, or Cost Per Lead, basis.
Life: The length of time during which an advertisement is used; the length of time during which an advertisement is judged still to be
effective; the length of time that a publication is retained by its audience.
Life-style profiles: Classifying media audiences on the basis of career, recreation, and/or leisure patterns or motives.
Linage: In print, the number of agate lines to be used for an ad- vertisement or for a series of advertisements, now made somewhat
obsolete by the declining use of agate-line measurements (see Agate line).
Line rate: The print advertising rate that is established by the number of agate lines of space used; somewhat obsolete because of the
declining use of agate-line space measurements.
List broker: An agent who prepares and rents the use of mailing lists.
Local rate: An advertising rate offered by media to local adver- tisers that is lower than the rate offered to national advertisers.
Log: A broadcast station's record of its programming.

O & O station: A broadcast station that is "owned and operated" by a network.

One time only (OTO): A commercial announcement that runs only once.
One-time rate: See Open rate.
Open-end transcription: A transcribed broadcast with time for the insertion of local commercial announcements.
Open rate: The highest advertising rate before discount can be earned; also called "basic rate" and "one-time rate".
Overrun: Additional copies of an advertisement beyond the number actually ordered or needed; extra copies to replace damaged outdoor posters or transit car cards.

Package: A series of broadcast programs that an advertiser may sponsor.

Package plan discount: A spot television discount plan for buying a certain number of spots, usually within a one-week period.
Packager: An individual or company that produces packaged program series; also called "syndicator".
Paid circulation: The number of print copies that are purchased by audience members.
Panel: A single outdoor billboard.
Partial showing: An outdoor showing of less than 25.
Participation: A commercial announcement within a broadcast program, as compared with one scheduled between programs; also
called "par- ticipating announcement".
Participation program: A broadcast program with each segment spon- sored by a different advertiser.
Pass-along readers: Readers of a publication who acquire a copy other than by purchase or subscription (see Secondary audience.
Pay cable: Cable television programming for which the audience must pay or subscribe.
Penetration: The percentage of households that have a broadcast receiving set; a measure of the degree of advertising effectiveness;
the percentage of households that have been exposed to an adver- tising campaign.

People meter: Slang for a broadcast ratings measurement device that records individual audience members who are present during a
program.
Per issue rate: A special magazine advertising rate that is deter- mined by the number of issues that are used during the contract period; similar to a frequency discount, except not based on the number of advertisements, but rather on the number of issues in which
anadvertising campaign appears.
Piggyback: Slang for two of a sponsor's commercial announcements that are presented back-to-back within a single commercial time
seg- ment; for example, two 30-second commercials in a 60-second time slot; also called "double spotting".
Pilot: A sample production of a proposed broadcast program series.
Plans board: An advertising agency committee that reviews campaign plans for clients.
Plug: A free mention of a product or service.
Point-of-purchase advertising (POP): Promotions in retail stores, usually displays.
Position: The location of an advertisement on a page; the time when a program or commercial announcement will run in a broadcast;
special positions may cost premium prices.
Potential audience: The maximum possible audience.
Preemptible rate: An advertising rate that is subject to cancellation by another advertiser's paying a higher rate, usually in broadcast;
the protection period varies by station:, and ranges from no notice to two-weeks notice or more (see Fixed rate.
Preemption: Cancellation of a broadcast program for special material or news; the right of a station or network to cancel a regular program to run a special program; a commercial announcement that may be replaced if another advertiser pays a higher or "fixed" rate.
Premium: An item that is offered to help promote a product or ser- vice; a higher-cost advertising rate (see Premium price.
Premium price: A special advertising rate, usually higher, for spe- cial positions or other considerations.
Preprint: Advertising material that is printed in advance of the reg- ular press run, perhaps on another printing press with greater capability for color, and so forth.
Primary audience: Individuals in the print media audience who pur- chase or subscribe to the publication (see Secondary audience).
Primary household: A household in which a publication has been sub- scribed to or purchased.
Primary listening area: The geographic area in which a broadcast transmission is static-free and easily received.
Primary readers: Those persons who purchase or subscribe to a pub- lication; readers in primary households.
Prime time: The hours when viewing is at its peak on television; usually the evening hours.
Product allocation: The various products that are assigned to spec- ific times or locations in an advertiser's schedule, when more than
one brand is advertised; the amount of the advertising budget that is allocated to individual products.
Product protection: A time separation between the airing of broad- cast commercial announcements for competitive goods or
services.
Profile: A term used interchangeably with "audience composition" to describe the demographic characteristics of audiences.
Program compatibility: Broadcast programming or editorial content that is suitable for the product or service that is being promoted;
suitability of the advertisement or campaign theme with program content.
Progressive proofs: A test press run of each color in the printing process.
Projected audience: The number of audience members calculated from a sample survey of audience size; the number of broadcast
viewers, either in total or per receiving set, based on the sample for the rating percentages.

Publisher's statement: The certified circulation of a publication, attested by the publisher and subject to audit.
Pulp magazine: A publication, usually printed low-quality paper, with sensational editorial material; for example, a mystery, de- tective,
or "TV/movie" magazine.

Tabloid: A newspaper of the approximate size of a standard newspaper folded in half (slang "tab").
Tag: Dealer identification, usually added to the end of a broadcast commercial announcement to indicate where the product or service
being advertised can be purchased in the local market.
Targeting, Ad Targeting, Targeted, Targeted Ads: Targeting refers to the means by which advertisers attempt to reach a desired
audience through choice of category (in an ad network), choice of web site, choice of demographic, geographic location, or whatever
other criteria the advertiser finds interesting. Targeted ads command higher CPM rates than non-targeted ads, with the most finely
targeted, site-specific, usually earning the highest rate.
Target group: Those persons to whom a campaign is directed; those individuals with similar characteristics who are prospects for a
product or service; also called "consumer profile".
Target market: The geographic area or areas to which a campaign is directed; the areas where a product is being sold or introduced;
also called "market profile".
Target profile: A demographic description of the target groups, often including the geographic target markets.
Tearsheet: A publication page with an advertiser's message, sent to the advertiser for approval or for checking.
Teaser: An advertisement that precedes the major portion of an ad- vertising campaign, intended to build curiosity.
Telemarketing: Selling by use of telephones, either initiating the calls or receiving orders.
Ten: Slang for a ten-second broadcast commercial announcement.
Thirty: Slang for a 30-second broadcast commercial announcement.
Throwaways: Free shopping newspapers.
Tie-in: See Cooperative advertising and Dealer tie-in.
Till forbidden (TF): A newspaper insertion order abbreviation; run the advertisement until told to stop.
Time buyer: The person who is responsible for purchasingadvertising on radio and television (see Media buyer).
Time period rating (TP):. the rating for a particular broadcast time period, regardless of the program that was broadcast during that
slot.
Time sheet: A form used by a time buyer to keep track of the data on amedia buy; also called a "buy sheet": the form used to keep
track of how advertising agency personnel use their time, for application in billing purposes.
To be announced (TBA): Used as a notification in broadcast program schedules.
Total audience: The number of all the different homes or individuals who are tuned to a broadcast program for six minutes or longer.
Trade paper: A specialized publication for a specific profession, trade, or industry; another term for some business publications.
Traffic: Just as it sounds, traffic refers to the rate at which a site is visited. The term is general, but the best true measures of traffic are
calculated in terms of unique visitors and page views.
Traffic count: The number of persons who pass an outdoor panel loc- ation.

Trim size: The final magazine page size, after it is trimmed.

Turnover: The frequency with which the audience for a broadcast pro- gram changes over a period of time (see Audience turnover).
Twenty: Slang for a 20-second broadcast commercial announcement also called a "chain break" or "station break".
Two-page spread: A single print advertisement that crosses two facing pages; also called "double spread" or "double truck" (see
Center spread and double truck).

Vehicle: An individual outlet of anadvertising medium, such as a certain magazine or a specific broadcast station or program.
Vertical cume: The total number of different people who were tuned to successive broadcast programs.
Vertical publication: A business or trade publication that is of in- terest to all levels or job functions within a single business or
profession.
Vertical saturation: Many broadcast commercial announcements sched- uled throughout the course of a single day, generally
designed to reach many different people, in an attempt to reach a high percentage of the broadcast audience.
Visits: The number of distinct visits to a web site within a specified time period, such as one day or one month. Visits are an imprecise
term and numbers may vary considerably depending on the type of calculation used, but many log and statistical applications define a
visit as a single browser session by a single IP address. Multiple browser sessions by the same visitor will often be counted as a single
visit if the time frame within which they occur is short. Because of the often arbitrary and imprecise methods used to determine visit
counts, the term is of comparatively little statistical value. Page views and unique visitor counts, computed individually and in
combination, are far more useful in determining the relative popularity of a web page or web site.

Wait order: An instruction or request to delay publication of a print advertisement; also, but seldom, used in broadcast.
Waste circulation: The readers of a publication who are not prospects for the product or service being advertised; advertisement
distribut- ion in an area in which the product or service is not distributed.
Yield: In the context of banner ads, yield indicates the percentage of clicks divided by impressions for an ad on a given page (see clickthrough rate).