Glossary of terms

This page offers definitions of terms related to advertising agency software and media sales software not commonly found in other glossaries.

artist fees

In UK advertising, artist fees or artist payments covers the process of managing payments to artists for TV and radio work, including repeat fees.

addressable TV advertising

Delivering TV commercials to viewers based on their age, gender, income, lifestyle, and so on.

augmented reality marketing

In marketing, augmented reality (AR) ties together print advertising and digital advertising, giving the reader the chance to launch and interact with onscreen graphics by exposing a printed pattern to a webcam.

avail

In U.S. advertising, an avail refers to inventory that a TV or radio seller has available to offer a local TV or radio media buyer. Several avails comprise a proposal. Electronic proposals enter the advertising agency's system automatically without retyping, saving the agency time and ensuring the accuracy of the data. Donovan Data Systems electronically transmits proposals between local TV and radio media buyers and sellers in the industry-standard Proposal XML format. Donovan Data Systems has also introduced an electronic proposal, or RFP, process for digital media.

brand allocation

In U.S. advertising, brand allocation entails assigning purchased television inventory to brands, based on target dollars and/or gross rating points (GRPs). Network syndication and cable buyers save time using Donovan Data Systems' automated brand allocation tool. Local TV buyers who buy true pool, allocate brands using Donovan Data Systems' local TV buying software.

cash-neutral

(Same as float neutral) A company is cash-neutral when money paid in (e.g., by clients) is paid out (e.g, to vendors) on the same day. In advertising, advertisers are demanding that ad agencies maintain a cash-neutral position. They don't want the agencies to hold their money or receive it before they need it. Donovan Data Systems' BrandOcean production and agency workflow system helps advertising agencies manage their cash and monitor cashflow.

client accounting

In advertising agency finance, client accounting (in the UK, 'media accounting') covers billing advertisers for media time and space and paying media vendors, for instance TV stations or website publilshers.

decoupling

In advertising, decoupling occurs when advertisers look for more control by putting in different hands the production services for a campaign. With accurate price lists and cost comparisons, and effective estimating and approval processes, an agency can demonstrate the added value of keeping creative and production work together.

double spotting

In U.S. advertising, double spotting refers to TV or radio commercials for the same brand that run close together. Donovan Data Systems' media buying software for national TV and radio prevents double spotting. Using its automated brand allocation tool, advertising agencies define the period in which two commercials should not run for the same brand. Donovan Data Systems' media buying software for local TV and radio flags invoices for which double spotting occurred.

float-neutral

(Same as cash-neutral) A company is cash-neutral when money paid in (e.g., by clients) is paid out (e.g, to vendors) on the same day. In advertising, advertisers are demanding that ad agencies maintain a cash-neutral position. They don't want the agencies to hold their money or receive it before they need it. Donovan Data Systems' BrandOcean production and agency workflow system helps advertising agencies manage their cash and monitor cashflow.

IO

In advertising, an agency buying internet, newspaper, magazine or out-of-home advertising space, sends an insertion order (or IO) containing the details of the buy. Enabling the website or publisher to accept or reject orders electronically, makes workflow more efficient.

net(work)

National TV or radio advertising.

nominal account

An account, heading or code within the nominal or general ledger, used to analyze income and expenditure. In advertising agency accounting, examples of nominal income accounts might be press commission and fee income.

overage

In advertising, an overage or overrun occurs when an advertising agency devotes more time or cost to a job than it can bill to the advertiser. If the overage is then recognized in the books, it becomes a write off.

over-servicing

In advertising, an agency over-services a client when its staff devotes more time to an account than the agency can bill to the client, resulting in lost hours. Effective agency time management is one way to avoid over-servicing clients.

proposal

In advertising, a proposal is sent to an advertising agency by a website publisher in reply to a request for proposal (RFP). Loading the proposal automatically into the advertising agency's computer system reduces processing time and the scope for error. Similar efficiencies are possible for spot TV and other media.

retargeting

In digital advertising, retargeting (also called behavioral retargeting) involves serving ads elsewhere on the web based on users' past activity on your own site, for instance the purchases they didn't complete.

RFP

In advertising, an RFP (or request for proposal) can mean either the request that an advertising agency sends to a website publisher, or the proposal sent to the agency in reply. Loading the proposal automatically into the advertising agency's computer system reduces processing time and the scope for error.

spot

Local TV or radio advertising, or a single TV or radio commercial.

spot buy

Commercial time bought on local TV or radio.

spot buying

The business of buying commercial time on local TV or radio.

targeted TV advertising

Delivering TV commercials to viewers based on their geographic location, e.g. zip code.

write off

In advertising, a write off occurs when an agency recognizes in its accounts a time or cost overage or overrun, often brought about by over servicing. An advertising agency can avoid write offs if it monitors actual production job costs and time against budget.