Direct Marketing Glossary

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

A

Abandonment: Abandonment As in the phrase "call abandonment". This refers to people who, being placed on hold in an incoming call, elect to hang up ("abandon") the call. Call centers monitor closely the "abandonment rate" as a measure of their inefficiency.
A/B split: When a single mailing list is split in half and coded in order to test between two different segments such as two job functions within the same list.
ACD Automatic Call Distributor: A complex machine used in modem call centers for incoming calls. It routes calls to available agents, holds overflow calls, gives and takes messages, provides reports. A must for modern database marketing.
Active Subscriber: An individual who is a current subscriber to a particular magazine or any other type of goods and services. Active subscriber lists are a very targeted way of reaching customers.
Acquisition Cost: The cost of signing up a new customer. Lifetime Value is often used to compute the maximum allowable acquisition cost.
Address Service Requested: When printed below the return address of a mail piece, the USPS is authorized to provide the new address, if known, of an addresses no longer at the address on that mailing piece (Inquire with USPS about fees incurred).
Ad-hoc report: A reporting method which permits you to ask questions like: How may women over 60 have bought more than $200 from us in the last 4 months?
ANI Automatic Number Identification: A system whereby you can learn the number of a person who is calling you on the telephone. Can be linked to a database to find the person's name and address.
Alternative Media: Media vehicles other than traditional direct mail methods - this can include card decks, web-based marketing, package insert programs, etc.
ASCII: This is a file format used in direct mail media to transfer data. It is an internal coding scheme used by PCs based on seven bits of information, which represents 128 bit configurations.
Attrition Model: A model that predicts which customers are most likely to leave. Usually expressed as a percentage of likelihood.
Attrition Rate: The opposite of retention rate. The percentage of customers this year who are no longer buying next year.
Automated Mail: Mailers who comply with USPS guidelines for automated mail package design and address requirements can receive substantial postage discounts. Either a delivery point barcode or a zip+4 barcode must be provided on the address panel, which speeds the process and delivery of automated mail.
Affinity Analysis: A process of finding relationships between customer purchases. People who buy skis buy snow tires.
Affinity Matrix: A cross tab showing cross buying patterns by customers who did or did not buy Products A, B, C, and D.
Autosexing: A computer process for finding the sex and appending titles (Mr. Ms.) to a file of names.

B

Back-end Results: Results that have been calculated based on actual cost/conversion analysis.
Bangtail: That little piece of paper on the back of an envelope that gets removed via perforation and is another opportunity to get your advertising message seen. Commonly seen on credit card envelopes that are included with your monthly invoice.
Barcode: A series of vertical bars and half bars imprinted on a mail piece that represent the correct zip code information to automated delivery to an address.
Barcode Sorter (BCS): A mail-processing machine that reads barcodes on mail and automatically sorts the pieces.
Batch mode: If you have received 10,000 replies to a mailing, you can update your master file with these replies in one batch. This is the fastest and cheapest way to update records. The opposite is On-Line updating.
Baud rate: A measure of line transmission speed. 28.8 thousand Baud is a good speed for terminal and PC's connected to a marketing database. Speeds can go up to 56,000 or more.
Blow-ins: Inserts including in a mailing piece to enhance or add to the mailing offer; i.e. a buckslip.
Break-Even Analysis: A technique used to calculate profit by determining how many units or responses needed from a direct mail campaign before you begin to make money.
Brokerage Commission: The commission (usually 20%) paid by a list owner to a broker to handle the rental of a I ist.
Buckslip: A single sheet of paper inserted in a direct mail piece that's usually used to deliver another offer within the package.
Bugs: Errors that crop up in software. Call sed by inability of programmers to predict all possible ways that the code in their programs will be used to process data.
Bounce back: The practice of sending another identical (or similar) catalog back to someone who has just ordered something from one of your catalogs.
Business Publishers Association (BPA): An association which audits circulation numbers from specific publications. Its research is used to promote the readership audience of a particular publication.
Business Response Card (BRC): A return card, often with respondent's name and address information printed or affixed to it, which is included in a mailing package to facilitate responding to an offer.
Business Response Envelope (BRE): A return envelope supplied by the mailer to the recipient for use as a ready response device.
Business Reply Mail (BRM): A service that enables mailers to receive first-class mail back from customers by paying postage only on the mail returned to them by their customers.
Business- To-Business Marketing: Refers to marketing efforts targeted from a business to a business audience, i.e., companies and professionals rather than consumers at home addresses.

C

Card Pack: A co-marketing device whereby several companies join in creating individual promotional cards packaged and mailed together like a deck of cards.
Carrier Route: The actual route walked by a mail person.
Carrier Route Presort: A process by which the carrier route number can be attached to street addresses within the 5 digit zip code. This facilitates delivery of the mail, and mailers who use carrier route presort can get a discounted mail rate.
Call center: The word for an inbound telephone division in a company. The operators are called Agen ts. The call center uses an ACD (automatic call distributor) to manage the calls efficiently.
Cash Buyer: One who sends payment with order.
CASS Certification: "Coding Accuracy Support System". Standardization to postal format that verifies address accuracy.
Catalog Buyer: One who has both product(s) from a catalog.
Charge Buyer: One who pays for the product of service after the receipt of it.
Cell code: After completing RFM analysis, every customer is assigned a Cell Code which identifies her recency frequency and monetary level of buying. The cell code is often used in mailing. Sometimes used interchangeably with the term Source Code.
CFO Chief Financial Officer: The man in charge of budgets.
CIF: Customer Information File usually in banks and financial institutions. A consolidation of many different accounts held by a household or individual, used for marketing purposes.
Cheshire Label: A paper stock address label, which is applied mechanically to the mail piece.
Churning: The practice of customers switching to another supplier based on special discount offers. Particularly used in the cellular telephone or credit card industries.
Click Through Rate: How often people click on an ad, banner, or pop-up when they see it.
Comma-Delimited File: One of the most common electronic formats for database exports. This type of file can be imported into Act!, Excel, Word, and many popular software packages.
Compiled Lists: Databases collected from a variety of directories, credit files and other resources. They are generated for marketing purposes, updated regularly, and give broad coverage of the market, including basic demographics. However, these lists often include only the top few people at an organization, and may not distinguish by market. As a result, they tend to work best for broad offers, such as office supplies.
Computer Verification (CV): A computer report showing the breakdown of certain variables and results in the merge/purge process. Includes information on net input quantity, net output quantity, bad records, duplicates, DMA Pander etc. This report is generally required as proof of net names mailed in order to qualify for any net name discounts when renting outside lists.
Control: The direct mail package that has consistently produced the most response over a period of time. It is against this package that all new package variables are tested.
Controlled Circulation: Gratis distribution, usually of a specific trade publication to individuals or companies based on an assumed involvement in that trade/industry. Recipients qualify themselves to receive the publication by direct request or by providing information which verifies their title or occupation.
Controlled Circulation Lists: The result of free magazine subscriptions offered to qualified subscribers who agree to provide detailed demographic information about their companies and purchasing authorities. As a rule these lists are very niche-oriented. They offer rich demographics and are highly selectable, but may only cover a portion of your entire target market.
Confidentiality Agreement: An agreement which precedes any contract with an oursourcin g agency. It says that your secrets will not be revealed to others.
Conversion rate: The percentage of responders who become customers.
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): A pricing structure based on a rate per "customer acquisition or sale".
Cost Per Click (CPC): A pricing structure based on a rate paid per "clicks" made on advertising banners instead of pay per banner "view". Because clicks represent visitors with an interest in the product/service being advertised, the rate is generally higher than that of the cost per "view".
Cost Per Order (CPO): Calculation that measures cost of getting one order divided by the marketing and fulfillment cost.
Cost Per Thousand (CPM): Cost of product or service per thousand units.
Counts: This is the number of addresses that fit a demographic screen in a given geography.
Cross Section: A selection of names and addresses from a list that represents an effective sampling of the total file.

D

Data Appending: Specific data is added to a mailing list such as age or income in order to enhance responsiveness from a primary target audience.
Data Enhancement: A process whereby a customer file has data appended to it (such as age, income, home value) from some extemal data file. See overlay.
Database: Combining several lists on the basis of some common factor such as subject or publisher,into one merged masterfile.
Database Marketing: Collecting data on customers and using it to provide recognition and services to customers, resulting in increased customer loyalty and repeat sales.
Datacard: A list profile summary, generally obtained from a list broker or manager, which highlights the specifics of a particular mailing list with regard to counts, costs, selects, etc.
DBA Database Administrator: A person who controls a marketing database. The DBA should be someone from marketing or sales who has the budget for the database.
DDA: A banking term for checking account balances.
Dealer Training: A process whereby dealers are trained to handle your product.
Decoy: Also referred to as a "seed" or "dummy" name that is inserted into a mailing list for the purpose of monitoring usage by mailers.
Delivery Date: The data on which a list is to be received by the list user.
Delivery Point Barcode (DPBC): A delivery point barcode (DPBC) represents the 9 digit zip+4 code, the last 2 digits of the primary address or post office box (delivery point), and a single correction digit.
Delivery Sequence File (DSF): Created by the USPS, this file is designed to contain every deliverable address in the nation. It is the most complete addressing database available with details that allow validation for both correctness and completeness for deliverability.
Demographics: Socio-economic characteristics pertaining to a particular geographic unit or group of persons.
Direct Marketing: Interactive marketing that produces a measurable response or purchase. The data is stored on a database.
Direct Mail Advertising: Any promotional effort, which uses the USPS or another direct delivery service for the distribution of the printed advertising piece.
Direct Response Advertising: Advertising through any medium designed to evoke a measurable response from a potential consumer.
Direct Response List: A customer or prospect list comprised of people who have responded to direct response advertising by either buying, subscribing or inquiring.
Dollar Amount: Data that relates to the amount of money spent by a customer either per purchase or over a specific period of time.
Domain Name: A standard Internet address.
Duplicate: Two or more name and address records which are deemed equal, according to the list user's basis of comparison.

E

E-Commerce: A method of conducting financial or business transactions through the Internet.
E-mail: short for electronic mail, the transmission of messages over communications networks. Sent messages are stored in electronic mailboxes until the recipient retrieves them.
E-mail List: A list of contacts with their e-mail address rather than their mailing address.
E-mail Text Message: E-mails using only words, sentences and paragraphs in the body copy.
Enhanced Database: A database to which information has been appended through an overlay with another database or through surveys.
Expire: A former subscriber, one who, either by choice or default, has opted not to renew a subscription.
Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange (EBCDIC):: This is a file format used in direct mail media to transfer data. An internal coding scheme used by PCs based on eight bits of information, which represents 256 bit configurations.

F

Font: The collection of all letters, numbers, punctuation marks, etc. within a certain size and style.
Focus group: A group of customers who are assembled together by an advertising agency in a conference room to discuss a particular product. Useful for learning what the public thinks of your product or message or company.
Former Buyer: One who has previously bought one or more times from a company, but has made no purchases within a set past period, such as six or twelve months.
Free Order: Any lead-generating offer that is free of cost to the respondent.
Frequency: The number of times an individual has purchased either cumulatively or within a specific period of time.
Front-End Results: Initial results which have come in following an advertising campaign, that have not yet been fully analyzed for cost-efficiency or conversion rates.
Fulfillment House: A company specializing in responding to and tracking orders sold through Direct Mail.

G

Galley List: A method of printing mailing list information line by line. Also called a manuscript.
Geocoding: When demographic data is coded onto a mailing list in order to identify specific population criteria by geography.
Geographies: Segmentation of a list based on geographic subdivisions such as state, SCF or zi p codes.

H

HHI: Household Income.
Horizontal List: A list that includes a broad range of industries.
Hot Line List: This term refers to the most recent names, when made available, which have been added to a specific list. The term "hot line" should always be accompanied by the period of time it reflects, such as weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.
House List: A company's list of its own buyers, subscribers or inquirers.
HTML: Short for Hyper Text Markup Language, the authoring language used to create documents on the World Wide Web. HTML defines the structure and layout of a Web document by using a variety of tags and attributes.

I

Indicia: The preprinted postal permit information on the outside of an envelope or self?mailer. This includes the company's permit number and city from which the mailing has taken place, along with any information required by the USPS.
Inquirer: One who has requested literature or other information about a product, company or service, but has not yet made a purchase.
Inserts: Additional promotional media included in a mailing piece to enhance or add to the mailing offer, i.e., a buckslip.
Internet Service Provider (ISP): An organization or business offering Web server services for the Internet.

J

Johnson Box: The top part of the letter, set above the body of the letter, that states the main message of the offer in a compelling way; the letter's "headline".

K

Key Code: A code consisting of letters and/or numbers that are assigned to a specific list by the list user to facilitate the tracking of responses and analysis of a given list's effectiveness.

L

Layout: The arrangement of text blocks, headlines and graphics on a page.
Lead Generation: Marketing efforts that are conducted with the objective of acquiring sales leads that can be converted to a "sale" to generate business for a product/service.
Lettershop: A company that personalizes, labels, sorts and stuffs envelopes in preparation for standard mail (A).
Lifetime Value: The long-term value of a customer to a company. This tells you how much you can pay to acquire that customer.
Lift Note: A folded sheet that is a "last chance" to deliver an advertising message. Usually written by a person other than the main writer of the letter. Good place for a testimonial.
List Broker: A specialist who arranges for one company - the mailer - to rent a list of another company. List brokers often provide other services for the mailer such as list
List Rental: List rental simply means renting a list or database for mailing, emailing, telemarketing or faxing. The list stays with the listowner but certain parts of the list or database is sent to the mailer for mailing strictly for 1-time usage only. List rented could be sent several ways by the list owner, the most popular and practical is by electronic Format or email following the ASCII delimited format.
List Borkerage: If we go by the Brokerage definition, brokerage is when a thrid party interacts between a buyer, the Target Audience, and the seller, the Direct Marketer or the mailer. An ideal list Broker does not just interact between the Direct Marketer and the Target Audience but take the extra effort to provide intelligent and carefully-researched lists recommendations and also deliver the lists requirements efficiently, following timelines set by the Direct Marketer.
List Cleaning/Hygiene: The necessary procedure of correcting, removing, and lor updating the names and addresses on a mailing list (see "Address Service Requested" and "NCOA").
List Compiler: One who develops lists based on information obtained from directories, purchase/warranty cards, public records, and other resources of public information about people; and/or companies which share some common characteristic.
List Exchange: An agreement between two companies for the use of each other's list at no cost.
List Format: The format in which a list can be output for mailing such as magnetic tape, diskette, e-mail transmission, Cheshire labels, pressure-sensitive labels.
List Maintenance: Any system for keeping the vital information on a list up-to-date.
List Manager: A specialist, appointed by the list owner, who is responsible for promoting and regulating the use of a specific mailing list. Other services provided by the list manager include list maintenance, list clearance, record keeping, billing and collection.
List Owner: The person or company actually responsible for the development of a list of names and entitled to all rights pursuant to such ownership.
List Owner Approval: Required authorization of approval from list owner prior to list being released to mailer. Approval is based upon review of direct mail sample.
List Rental: The arrangement through which a list owner furnishes names for a one-time use only to a mailer. Although the principal parties are the actual list owner and list user, a list broker who, on behalf of the mailer, takes care of all necessary arrangements with the list manager who acts as the agent for the list owner.
List Segmentation: The process by which specific selections within a list such as gender, geographic area, recency of purchase, home or business address, title and/or SIC code can be utilized to produce a smaller but more finely honed list.
List Sequence: The order, most usually by zip code, in which names and addresses appear on a list.
List Source: The media through which names and addresses were generated such as direct mail, direct response television, Internet, and space ads.
List Test: A random sampling of a list used to determine the effectiveness of the entire list.
List UserIMailer: One who rents someone else's list with the purpose of marketing services an/or products through the mail.

M

Magnetic Tape: A storage medium for electronically recording and reproducing via computer the data on a mailing list.
Mail Date: A pre-assigned and agreed-upon date on which the list user must mail to a specific list.
Mail Order Buyer: One who purchases services and/or products through the mail.
Mail Preference Service (MPS): A residential file of consumers who have requested less promotional mail at home. Consumers register with MPS by providing their name and home address to the DMA. The complete file includes all consumers who have registered with the service over the past ive years. The file is updated on a quarterly basis.
MatchfUniqueness Code: Abbreviated data extracted from name and address record, which makes possible the identification of duplicate records.
Matrix: A spreadsheet format containing information/data for analysis purposes.
Media: The actual vehicle used to transmit an advertising message; i.e., televisions, newspaper, radio, Internet and direct mail.
MergelPurge: The process by which two or more lists are combined so the duplication within and between lists can be eliminated.
Modem Transfer: An electronic transfer of information through a phone line.
Monetary Value: The dollar value of a customer's purchase(s).
Multiple Buyer: Also known as a repeat buyer. One who has purchased two or more times from the same company.

N

NCOA: National Change of Address. Based on consumer information given to the U.S. Post Office for mail forwarding from old to new address.
Net Name Arrangement: An agreement between list owner/manager and list user/broker, which allows for the mailer to pay for fewer names than actually received. Such arrangements are made when the quantity ordered from a given list is a least 50,000 names, though terms vary from list owner to list owner.
Nixie: A mailing piece returned to a mailer because it is deemed undeliverable by virtue of incorrect name and/or address information.
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS):: New industrial coding system developed jointly by the US, Canada and Mexico to provide comparability in statistics about businesses across North America. This 6 digit coding system identifies new industry segments not previously included in the 4 digit SIC code system. It also includes more flexibility for adding industry segments in the future.
Nth Name Selection: A fractional unit that is repeated in sampling a mailing list, i.e., every 10th name is randomly selected (sequence can vary depending on the list owner).

O

OE: Outer envelope. The envelope that your package will be delivered in. Usually, a "teaser" line is on the front to entice the recipient to open your letter.
Offer: The terms under which the mailer promotes a specific product or service.
One-Time Use: All list rentals are for one-time use only unless special arrangements are made with the list owner/manager.
Opt-in E-mail: refers to promotional e-rnails that have been requested by the individual receiving them. Unlike spam, opt-in e-mails are only sent to people who request them.
Opt-In E-mail List: A list of e-mail addresses of people that have agreed to receive e?mail solicitations over the Internet.
Opt-out: An e-mail recipient's request to discontinue receiving e-mail messages from particular senders.
Optical Character Reader (OCR): A computerized mail processing machine that scans addresses on mail and applies the proper barcode.
Overs (or Overruns): The portion of print run that exceeds the quantity specified in the purchase order.

P

Package: The actual promotional piece of a mailing effort.
Package Insert: A promotional piece included in a product shipment either for other products offered by the same company or for products offered by different companies.
Package Test: Testing the elements of one mailing piece against those of another, usually via A/B split test on the same list(s).
Paid Circulations: Distribution of a publication to paid subscribers.
Paid Subscriptions Lists: These lists have the advantage of compiling recipients who are proven buyers, having subscribed to a specific publication and, therefore demonstrating their interest in a given industry or field. They tend to have fewer change of address issues than other lists and provide a relatively targeted audience; however, they may not provide complete demographics.
Perf: Perforation.
Permission-based E-mail List: An e-mail list of recipients who have given their permission to receive e-mail promotions from related topic marketers.
Postage Types (first, periodicals, standards)
Periodicals: a class of mail, formerly called second class, that consists of magazines, newspapers, or other publications issued at least four times a year at regular intervals from a "known office of publication". Periodicals usually have a list of subscribers and a requesters as appropriate.
Precancelled Stamps: Stamps cancelled by printing across the face before they are sold to mailers.
Premium: Something offered to prospective buyer, most often as a free bonus, as an incentive to purchase the product offered in the direct mail package.
Prepress Proofs (also known as "Off-press Proofs"):: These are made by photomechanical or digital means in less time and at lower cost than press proofs.
Pressure Sensitive Label: An adhesive-backed label which can be removed from a sheet and affixed to another by applying pressure either manually or mechanically;.
Prior Order Omit: An instruction on a list order whereby names provided on a previous order are to be omitted from the current order. This option allows a mailer to order all "new" names.
Prospect Lists: These are single-line listings including the name, address, and a phone number of prospective buyers. Mainly used for telemarketing or follow-ups to a mailing.
Protection: The amount of time before and after an assigned mail date, usually one week, during which the list manager will not allow the same names to be mailed by competitive offers.
Psychographies: The attributes or qualities used to infer the lifestyles or attitudes of customers and prospective customers.

Q

Qualification Form: Form that needs to be filled in order to "qualify" for a free subscription to the controlled circulation of trade journals.

R

Radius Mapping: Geographic mapping that is used to designate a specific radius surrounding a primary location based on zip code, county or state.
Recency: The latest purchase or other activity made by a client, individual, or company on a given list.
Recency, Frequency, and Monetary Value (RFM): efer to glossary for specific definition of each term.
Recency, Frequency, Monetary Value, Product Category and seasonality (RFMPS): Refer to glossary for specific definition of each term.
Reciprocal Arrangement: Arrangement whereby list owners agree to rent their list to each other.
Response Device: Any form, such as an order card, on which respondents indicate their response to a direct mail offer.
Response Lists: Generated from a company's sales records. They may include information about what product was purchased, and how and when it was purchased, in addition to the purchase price and the frequency of purchase. However, response lists are often less complete, and depending on the purchase procedure, may not include the purchaser's name and title. In addition, response lists may not be updated as frequently as other types of lists.
Response Rate: Percentage rate of the number of respondents to a direct mail campaign based on the number of pieces mailed.
Return Postage Guaranteed: Indicates to the USPS that it is authorized to return, for a fee, any ndeliverable Standard Class mail to the mailer.
Return On Investment: Calculation used to measure financial success of a marketing campaign.
Rollout: A mailing that goes to a larger quantity of names after a test mailing has produced god results.
Running charge: The price charged by either the list owner, list manager, or computer house for processing an order.

S

Sample Mailpiece: What the mail offer is all about
Saddle Stitching: Stapling a publication from the back to the center.
Sample Mail Piece: An example or reasonable facsimile of the piece to be mailed by the list user of a particular list, and which must be submitted to the list owner or manager for approval prior tot he mail date.
Saturation List: A list of every address in a given geography. This type of list normally does not provide the names of the residents, only the addresses.
Seasonality: Term that is used in reference to the timing of a particular direct mail campaign.
Sectional Center Facility (SCF): A USPS distribution center comprised of different post offices with zip codes starting with the same three digits.
Seed: This is another term used for a decoy. See "decoy" in this glossary.
Selection Criteria: Defining characteristics that identify segments with a list.
Self Mailer: A direct mail piece which requires no envelope for mailing, provided that eh paper stock used is heavy enough to meet USPS requirements.
Service Bureau: A company specializing in such computer services as mail list management and merge/purge operations.
Shelf Life: The length of time before an item (such as a catalog) becomes obsolete.
Sorting: In direct mail, the arrangement of pieces in a bulk mailing by zip code to facilitate processing and more reliable delivery.
Source Code: Analogous to Key Code. Also refers o an alphabetical and/or numerical code used to distinguish one media source from another.
Space Buyer: A customer whose initial contact with a company was through an advertisement placed in a magazine or newspaper.
Spam: Unsolicited e-mail advertising for a product or service that is sent to a mailing list or newsgroup. The general definition of spam includes any e-mail junk mail or junk newsgroup postings.
Split Test: Representative segments from the ame list, each in a zip code sequence, used mainly for package tests (sometimes referred to as an "A/B Split". Refer to glossary definition of "A/B Split".
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC): US Government's coding system that categorizes businesses by general business activity into 4 digit codes. It is being replaced by a new coding system (see NAICS) that has been developed to include new industry segments.
Standard Mail: Formerly known as "third class" or "bulk" mail. To qualify as standard class mail, you need a minimum quantity of 200 identical pieces per mailing. Mailers who sort their mail by zip code and tie and bag it according to USPS regulations are eligible to mail bulk, often referred to as business class or standard class.
State/SCF/Zip Count: The number of names and ddresses for a specific geographic unit.
Suppression Files: A specific list of people who are not to be sent promotional mail, such as marketer's current customers, bad debt customers, people who have requested not to receive direct mail promotions and the DMA's 'Mail Preference Service List.

T

Tape Dump: A sampling In printout form of names on a magnetic tape use tor checking correctness, readability, etc. of the information contained on that list.
Target Audience/Target Market: Defining and identifying those people who have the greatest interest in your product or service.
Test: An initial mailing focusing either upon list(s), package, or offer to determine the probable acceptance of a product. For statistically valid results, only one variable at a time may be tested.
Text Messaging: Sending short text messages to a device such as a cellular phone, PDA or pager. Text messaging is used for messages that are no longer than a few hundred characters. The term is usually applied to messaging that takes place between two or more mobile devices.
Telephone Preference Service (TPS): file of consumers who have requested fewer promotional calls at home. Consumers register with TPS by providing their names, address and phone number to the DMA. The complete file contains those consumers who have registered within five years. This file is updated on a quarterly basis.
Title: A designation before or after a name which identifies individual occupation, i.e. Dr., Rev., Sister, or position such as Sales Manager, Assistant to the President, etc.
Tracking: Term that is used in reference to monitoring list performance. The maintenance of records concerning various aspects of mailings, e.g., response rate, date mailed, location of respondents, etc.
Trial Buyer: One who buy s a product with the understanding that it may be examined for a specific time before being paid for or returned.
Trial Subscriber: One who orders a publication either for a period of time less than the normal subscription period or on a conditional basis.

U

Unders: The number of pieces by which a printing run is short of the quantity specified in the purchase order.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL): A unique address on the Internet that conforms to the standard form of Internet address on the World Wide Web.
Unique Names: The names left after a merge/purge.
Update: Adding recent names and current information to the master list.
Usage: Term referring to those mailers who have used the list for their direct mail programs. "Continuation Usage" refers to those mailers who have used the list more than once, indicating positive performance. "Test Usage" refers to mailers who have used the list typically only one time.
USPS: the abbreviation for the United States Postal Service.

V

Vertical List: A list that represents a specialized industry.

W

Web-based Marketing: An online marketing effort that is based on communication via the Internet.
Web Press: A press that prints on rolls (or webs) of paper instead of single sheets.
White Space: Areas on a page that have no printing on them.
Window Envelopes: Envelopes having an opening through which an address printed on an insert is visible.

Z

Zip Code: A group of five digits used by the USPS to designate specific post offices, stations and branches and the area served by each.
Zip Sequence: All mailing lists are provided numerically by zip code, unless otherwise requested.
Zip+4: A zip+4 consists of the zip code, which identifies the individual post office or delivery area, and 4 additional digits that identify a specific range of delivery addresses. Use of the zip+4 helps to eliminate undeliverable mail.

DM Centre

Direct Marketing Glossary

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