Identification (ID). A spot television commercial eight to ten sec-
onds in length, during a station break; the last two seconds of the
visual time may be reserved for showing the station call letters
("station identification"); a ten-second broadcast commercial an-
nouncement, sometimes referred to as a "ten."
Impact. The degree to which an advertisement or campaign affects
its audience; the amount of space (full-page, half-page, etc.) or
of time (60-second, 30-second, etc.) that is purchased, as
opposed to reach and frequency measures; also, the use of color,
large type, powerful messages, or other devices that may induce
audience reaction (see Unit).
Independent station. A broadcast station that is not affiliated
with a network.
Index. A numerical value that is assigned to quantitative data for
ease of comparison.
Individual location. An outdoor location that has room only for one
billboard.
Insert. An advertisement that is enclosed with bills or letters; a
one-page or multi-page print advertisement that is distributed with
the publication and may or may not be bound into it.
Insertion order. A statement from an advertising agency to a media
vehicle that accompanies the advertisement copy and indicates spec-
fictions for the advertisement.
Integrated commercial. A broadcast advertising message that is de-
livered as part of the entertainment portion of a program.
Island position. A print advertisement that is surrounded by edit-
orial material; a print advertisement that is not adjacent to any
other advertising; a broadcast commercial that is scheduled away
from any other commercial, with program content before and after;
often at premium advertising rates.
Isolated 30. A 30-second broadcast commercial that runs by itself
and not in combination with any other announcement; usually found
only on network television.
Junior unit. Permitting an advertiser to run a print advertisement
prepared for a small page size in a publication with a larger page
size, with editorial matter around it in the extra space; similarly,
using a Reader's Digest-size advertising page in a larger magazine
is usually called a "Digest unit."
Key. A code in an advertisement to facilitate tracing which adver-
tisement produced an inquiry or order.
Ladies of the House (LOH). A term used by A.C. Nielsen Company in
some of its reports, referring to female heads of households.
Life. The length of time during which an advertisement is used;
the length of time during which an advertisement is judged still to
be effective; the length of time that a publication is retained by
its audience.
Life-style profiles. Classifying media audiences on the basis of
career, recreation, and/or leisure patterns or motives.
Linage. In print, the number of agate lines to be used for an ad-
vertisement or for a series of advertisements, now made somewhat
obsolete by the declining use of agate-line measurements (see
Agate line).
Line rate. The print advertising rate that is established by the
number of agate lines of space used; somewhat obsolete because of
the declining use of agate-line space measurements.
List broker. An agent who prepares and rents the use of mailing
lists.
Local rate. An advertising rate offered by media to local adver-
tisers that is lower than the rate offered to national advertisers.
Log. A broadcast station's record of its programming.
M. 1,000.
Magazine concept. Buying a certain number of broadcast announcements
from a station with a certain guaranteed audience level, without
selecting the specific times or programs.
Mail-order advertising. Advertisements intended to induce direct or-
dering of merchandise through the mail; the advertisements them-
selves are not necessarily distributed through the mail and may
appear in other advertising media.
Make-good. A repeat of an advertisement to compensate for an error,
omission, or technical difficulty with the publication, broadcast,
or transmission of the original.
Market. See Target market and Target group.
Market potential. The reasonable maximum market share or sales level
that a product or service can be expected to achieve.
Market profile. A geographic description of the location of prospects
for a product or service sometimes used instead of "target profile";
see Target Market and Target profile.
Market share. A company's or brand's portion of the sales of a pro-
duct or service category.
Mat service. A service to newspapers that supplies pictures and
drawings for use in advertisements; entire prepared advertisements
may be offered ("mat" is slang for "matrix").
Maximail rate. The cost of an agate line of advertising space at the
highest milline rate; somewhat obsolete as the usage of agate lines
has declined.
Media buyer. The person who is responsible for purchasing advertising
space or time; often skilled in negotiation with the media.
Media planner. The person who is responsible for determining the
proper use of advertising media to fulfill the marketing and pro-
motional objectives for a specific product or advertiser.
Merchandising. The promotion of an advertiser's products, services,
and the like to the sales force, wholesalers, and dealers, promotion
other than advertising to consumers through the use of in-store dis-
plays, guarantees, services, point-of-purchase materials, and so
forth; display and promotion of retail goods; display of a mass media
advertisement close to the point of sale.
Message distribution. Measurement of media audience by the successive
frequency of exposure, for example, saw once, saw twice, and so on.
Metropolitan area. A geographic area consisting of a central city of
50,000 population or more, plus the economically and socially inte-
grated surrounding area, as established by the federal government;
usually limited by county boundaries (slang "metro area").
Metro rating. The broadcast rating figure from within a metropolitan
area.
Milline rate. A comparison of the advertising-line rates of news-
papers with uneven circulations by calculating the line-rate-per-
million circulation; determined by multiplying the line rate by
1,000,000 and dividing by the circulation; now somewhat obsolete
because of the declining use of agate-line measurements and adver-
tising-line rates.
Minimil rate. The cost of an agate line of advertising at the low-
est possible milline rate; somewhat obsolete as the usage of agate
lines has declined.
Mood programming. Maintaining a single approach or characteristic
in broadcast programming.
Net. Money paid to a media vehicle by an advertising agency after
deducting the agency's commission (also, slang for "network").
Net unduplicated audience. The number of different people who are
reached by a single issue of two or more publications (see Cumula-
tive audience).
Network. In broadcast, a grouping of stations; an organization that
supplies programming to a group or chain of stations.
Network cooperative program. A network program with provisions for
inserting local commercials (see Cooperative program).
Network option time. Broadcast time on a station for which the net-
work has the option of selling advertising.
Newspaper syndicate. A firm that sells special material such as
features, photographs, comic strips, and cartoons, for publication
in newspapers.
Next to reading matter. A print advertising position adjacent to
news or editorial material; may be at premium rates.
Nielsen. The A.C. Nielsen Company; a firm engaged in local and
national television ratings and other marketing research.
Nielsen Station Index (NSI). A rating service for individual tele-
vision stations.
Nielsen Television Index (NTI). A national television rating ser-
vice, primarily for network programming.
No change in rate (NCR or NCIR). Used when some other format or
specification change has occurred.
O & O station. A broadcast station that is "owned and operated"
by a network.
One time only (OTO). A commercial announcement that runs only once.
One-time rate. See Open rate.
Open-end transcription. A transcribed broadcast with time for the
insertion of local commercial announcements.
Open rate. The highest advertising rate before discount can be
earned; also called "basic rate" and "one-time rate."
Overrun. Additional copies of an advertisement beyond the number
actually ordered or needed; extra copies to replace damaged out-
door posters or transit car cards.
Package. A series of broadcast programs that an advertiser may
sponsor.
Package plan discount. A spot television discount plan for buying
a certain number of spots, usually within a one-week period.
Packager. An individual or company that produces packaged program
series; also called "syndicator."
Paid circulation. The number of print copies that are purchased by
audience members.
Panel. A single outdoor billboard.
Partial showing. An outdoor showing of less than 25.
Participation. A commercial announcement within a broadcast program,
as compared with one scheduled between programs; also called "par-
ticipating announcement."
Participation program. A broadcast program with each segment spon-
sored by a different advertiser.
Pass-along readers. Readers of a publication who acquire a copy
other than by purchase or subscription (see Secondary audience).
Pay cable. Cable television programming for which the audience
must pay or subscribe.
Penetration. The percentage of households that have a broadcast
receiving set; a measure of the degree of advertising effectiveness;
the percentage of households that have been exposed to an adver-
tising campaign.
People meter. Slang for a broadcast ratings measurement device that
records individual audience members who are present during a program.
Per issue rate. A special magazine advertising rate that is deter-
mined by the number of issues that are used during the contract per-
iod; similar to a frequency discount, except not based on the number
of advertisements, but rather on the number of issues in which an
advertising campaign appears.
Piggyback. Slang for two of a sponsor's commercial announcements
that are presented back-to-back within a single commercial time seg-
ment; for example, two 30-second commercials in a 60-second time
slot; also called "double spotting."
Pilot. A sample production of a proposed broadcast program series.
Plans board. An advertising agency committee that reviews campaign
plans for clients.
Plug. A free mention of a product or service.
Point-of-purchase advertising (POP). Promotions in retail stores,
usually displays.
Position. The location of an advertisement on a page; the time
when a program or commercial announcement will run in a broadcast;
special positions may cost premium prices.
Potential audience. The maximum possible audience.
Preemptible rate. An advertising rate that is subject to cancellation
by another advertiser's paying a higher rate, usually in broadcast;
the protection period varies by station., and ranges from no notice
to two-weeks notice or more (see Fixed rate).
Preemption. Cancellation of a broadcast program for special material
or news; the right of a station or network to cancel a regular pro-
gram to run a special program; a commercial announcement that may
be replaced if another advertiser pays a higher or "fixed" rate.
Premium. An item that is offered to help promote a product or ser-
vice; a higher-cost advertising rate (see Premium price).
Premium price. A special advertising rate, usually higher, for spe-
cial positions or other considerations.
Preprint. Advertising material that is printed in advance of the reg-
ular press run, perhaps on another printing press with greater capa-
bility for color, and so forth.
Primary audience. Individuals in the print media audience who pur-
chase or subscribe to the publication (see Secondary audience).
Primary household. A household in which a publication has been sub-
scribed to or purchased.
Primary listening area. The geographic area in which a broadcast
transmission is static-free and easily received.
Primary readers. Those persons who purchase or subscribe to a pub-
lication; readers in primary households.
Prime time. The hours when viewing is at its peak on television;
usually the evening hours.
Product allocation. The various products that are assigned to spec-
ific times or locations in an advertiser's schedule, when more than
one brand is advertised; the amount of the advertising budget that
is allocated to individual products.
Product protection. A time separation between the airing of broad-
cast commercial announcements for competitive goods or services.
Profile. A term used interchangeably with "audience composition" to
describe the demographic characteristics of audiences.
Program compatibility. Broadcast programming or editorial content
that is suitable for the product or service that is being promoted;
suitability of the advertisement or campaign theme with program
content.
Progressive proofs. A test press run of each color in the printing
process.
Projected audience. The number of audience members calculated from
a sample survey of audience size; the number of broadcast viewers,
either in total or per receiving set, based on the sample for the
rating percentages.
Publisher's statement. The certified circulation of a publication,
attested by the publisher and subject to audit.
Pulp magazine. A publication, usually printed low-quality paper,
with sensational editorial material; for example, a mystery, de-
tective, or "TV/movie" magazine.
Qualified circulation. The distribution of a publication that is
restricted to individuals who meet certain requirements; for example,
member physicians are qualified to receive the Journal of the Ameri-
can Medical Association.
Qualified reader. A person who can prove readership of a publication.
Quantity discount. A lower advertising rate for buying a certain
amount of space or time.
Quarter-run. One-fourth of the car cards that are required for a
full run in transit; a card in every fourth transit system vehicle.
Quintile. One-fifth of a group; usage in advertising often refers
to audience members who have been divided into five equal groups
(quintiles), ranging from the heaviest to the lightest media usage
levels.
Rate. A charge for advertising media space or time.
Rate book. A printed book that is designed to provide advertising
rates for several media vehicles; for example, Standard Rate and
Data Service.
