Accordion Insert:An ad inserted in a magazine, folded with an accordion-style fold.
Ad Copy: The printed text or spoken words in an advertisement.
Added Value: The increase in worth of a product or service as a result of a particular activity - in the context of marketing, the activity might be packaging or branding.
Advertising Allowance:Money provided by a manufacturer to a distributor for the purpose of advertising a specific product or brand. See also,Cooperative advertising.
Advertising Budget:Money set aside by the advertiser to pay for advertising. There are a variety of methods for determining the most desirable size of an advertising budget.
Advertising Elasticity:The relationship between a change in advertising budget and the resulting change in product sales.
Advertising Plan:An outline of what goals an advertising campaign should achieve, how to accomplish those goals, and how to determine whether or not the campaign was successful in obtaining those goals.
Advertising Research:Research conducted to improve the efficacy of advertising. It may focus on a specific ad or campaign, or may be directed at a more general understanding of how advertising works or how consumers use the information in advertising. It can entail a variety of research approaches, including psychological, sociological, economic, and other perspectives.
Ad Specialty:A product imprinted with, or otherwise carrying, a logo or promotional message. Also called a promotional product.
Advertorial:An advertisement that has the appearance of a news article or editorial, in a print publication.
Adopter Categories:Five groups into which consumers can be placed according to the time it takes them to adopt a new product or service. The five categories are:
Affiliate:The publisher or salesperson in an associate or affiliate marketing relationship. The affiliate gives wider distribution to the affiliate merchant's products in return for compensation based on performance. The affiliate's source of distribution usually comes in the form of Web site traffic or email list subscribers.
Affiliate Marketing: Revenue sharing between online advertisers/ merchants and online publishers/ salespeople, whereby compensation is based on performance measures, typically in the form of sales, clicks, registrations, or a hybrid model.
Affiliate Directory:A categorized listing of affiliate programs. Also Known As: affiliate program directory, associate program directory
Affiliate Network:A value-added facilitator that provides services, including aggregation, for affiliate merchants and affiliates. Affiliate networks offer tracking technology, reporting tools, payment processing, and access to a large base of affiliates. Affiliate networks offer such services as one-click application to new merchants, reporting tools, and payment aggregation to affiliates. Also Known As: associate network
Agency Commission:The agency’s fee for designing and placing advertisements. Historically, this was calculated as 15 percent of the amount spent to purchase space or time in the various media used for the advertising. In recent years the commission has, in many cases, become negotiable, and may even be based on performance of the campaign’s success.
Banner Ad:A graphical web advertising unit, typically a large headline or title extending across the full page width often measuring 468 pixels wide and 60 pixels tall.
Boston Matrix:A product portfolio evaluation tool developed by the Boston Consulting Group. The matrix categorises products into one of four classifications based on market growth and market share. The four classifications are:
Brand:A name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers. The legal term for brand is trademark. A brand may identify one item, a family of items, or all items of that seller.
Brand Identity:How you want the consumer to perceive your product or your brand. Companies try to bridge the gap between the brand image and the brand identity.
Brand Image:The perception of your product or your brand by the consumer.
Brand Manager:Person who has marketing responsibilities to develop and execute marketing programs that increase brand identity and awareness for a specific product.
Business to Business (B2B): Relating to the sale of a product for any use other than personal consumption. The buyer may be a manufacturer, a reseller, a government body, a non-profit-making institution, or any organisation other than an ultimate consumer.
Business to Consumer (B2C):Relating to the sale of product for personal consumption. The buyer may be an individual, family or other group, buying to use the product themselves, or for end use by another individual.
Business-to-Business Advertising:Advertising directed to other businesses, rather than to consumers. Also Known As: B2B Advertising
Caption:A caption can be an advertisement's headline or the text accompanying an illustration or photograph.
Car Card:An advertising poster placed on buses, subways, etc.
Card Rate:Media rates published by a broadcast station or print publication on a "rate card." Typically the highest rate charged by an advertising vehicle.
Channel Distribution:An organized network of agencies and institutions which in combination perform all the functions required to link producers with end customers to accomplish the marketing task.
Circulation: Of a print publication, the average number of copies distributed. For outdoor advertising this refers to the total number of people who have an opportunity to observe a billboard or poster.
Classified Advertising:Print advertising that is limited to certain classes of goods and services, and usually limited in size and content.
Comparative Advertising:An advertisement in which there is specific mention or presentation of competing brand(s) and a comparison is made or implied.
Competition-Oriented Pricing: A pricing strategy that is based upon what the competition does.
Cooperative Advertising:A system by which ad costs are divided between two or more parties. Usually, such programs are offered by manufacturers to their wholesalers or retailers, as a means of encouraging those parties to advertise the product.
Copyright:The right of copyright gives protection to the originator of material to prevent use without express permission or acknowledgement of the originator.
Corrective Advertising:Advertisements or messages within advertisements, that the Federal Trade Commission orders a company to run, for the purpose of correcting consumers' mistaken impressions created by prior advertising.
Cost Efficiency:For a media schedule, refers to the relative balance of effectively meeting reach and frequency goals at the lowest price.
Cost Per Inquiry:The cost of getting one person to inquire about your product or service. This is a standard used in direct response advertising.
Cost Per Rating Point (CPP):The cost, per 1 percent of a specified audience, of buying advertising space in a given media vehicle.
Cost Per Thousand (CPM):The cost, per 1000 people reached, of buying advertising space in a given media vehicle.
Counter Advertising:Advertising that takes a position contrary to an advertising message that preceded it. Such advertising may be used to take an opposing position on a controversial topic, or to counter an impression that might be made by another party's advertising.
Creative Strategy:An outline of what message should be conveyed, to whom, and with what tone. This provides the guiding principles for copywriters and art directors who are assigned to develop the advertisement. Within the context of that assignment, any ad that is then created should conform to that strategy. Also Known As: Copy Platform.
Creatives:A general marketing term used for the material used to generate leads and sell advertising developed and designed by art directors and/or copywriters in an ad agency.
Culture:The philosophy of a company, reflected in aims such as the maximisation of customer satisfaction
Customer:A person or company who purchases goods or services (not necessarily the end ?consumer?)
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV):The profitability of customers during the lifetime of the relationship, as opposed to profitability on one transaction.
Customer Loyalty:Feelings or attitudes that incline a customer either to return to a company, shop or outlet to purchase there again, or else to re-purchase a particular product, service or brand.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM):The coherent management of contacts and interactions with customers. (This term is often used as if it related purely to the use of IT, but IT should in fact be regarded as a facilitator of CRM.)
Customer Satisfaction:The provision of goods or services which fulfil the customer?s expectations in terms of quality and service, in relation to price paid.
Customer Service Programme:Strategy for assuring customers a positive buying experience in order to improve customer loyalty, increase cross-selling and promote advertising by word-of-mouth. See also 'customer satisfaction'.
Cyber-stealth marketing:Covert attempts using the internet to boost brand image, to make websites appear more popular than they are or to manipulate search engine listings.
DAGMAR:Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Response - a model for planning advertising in such a way that its success can be quantitatively monitored
Data Cleansing:Correcting or removing old, corrupt or inaccurate data.
Data Fusion:Combining information from different sources to obtain information of greater quality for the end user.
Data Mining:The use of powerful software to analyse data to identify patterns or relationships in that data.
Data Processing:The obtaining, recording and holding of information which can then be retrieved, used, disseminated or erased. The term tends to be used in connection with computer systems, and today is often used interchangeably with 'Information Technology'.
Data Protection Act:A law which makes organisations responsible for protecting the privacy of personal data. The current act (Data Protection Act 1998) is the United Kingdom's response to the requirement to implement National legislation in accordance with the European Directive 95/46/EC.
Database Marketing:Whereby customer information, stored in an electronic database, is utilised for targeting marketing activities. Information can be a mixture of what is gleaned from previous interactions with the customer and what is available from outside sources. See also 'CRM - Customer Relationship Management'
Decision Making Unit (DMU):The team of people in an organisation who make the final buying decision
Deep Linking:Hyperlinking to a page, file or image on a website that bypasses that website’s homepage.
Delegate:A participant at a professional training course, workshop or seminar
Demand and Supply:Demand is the desire for a product at the market price: supply is the quantity available at that price.
Demographic Data:Information describing and segmenting a population in terms of age, sex, income and so on, which can be used to target marketing campaigns.
Dichotomous Question:A questions with only two possible responses (eg Yes or No).
Differentiation:Ensuring that products and services have a unique element to allow them to stand out from the rest
DINKY:Double Income No Kids Yet - a demographic grouping
Direct Mail:Delivery of an advertising or promotional message to customers or potential customers by mail.
Direct Marketing:All activities which make it possible to offer goods or services or to transmit other messages to a segment of the population by post, telephone, e-mail or other direct means.
Direct Response Advertising (DRA):Advertising incorporating a contact method such as a phone number, address and enquiry form, web site identifier or e-mail address, with the intention of encouraging the recipient to respond directly to the advertiser by requesting more information, placing an order and so on.
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF):A method of estimating an investment's current value based on the discounting of projected future revenues and costs. The further into the future the flow occurs, the more heavily it will be discounted.
Disposable Income:Residue of personal income after statutory deductions at source.
Distance Learning:study at home via CD-Rom and workbooks
Distribution:The process of getting the goods from the manufacturer or supplier to the user.
Diversification:An increase in the variety of goods and services produced by an individual enterprise or conglomerate. It may be encouraged, either by business owners or by governments, in order to reduce the risk of relying on a narrow range of products.
DoDo:A product with a low market share of a declining market.
DRIP Framework:Differentiate - Reinforce - Inform - Persuade. A marketing communications model.
E-Commerce (Electronic Commerce):Any business transaction that takes place via electronic platforms.
E-commerce or E-marketing:Marketing conducted electronically, usually over the Internet.
Economic Value Added (EVA):EVA is an estimate of true economic profit after making corrective adjustments to GAAP accounting, including deducting the opportunity cost of equity capital.
Efficient Consumer Response (ECR):Having the right product in the right place at the right price with the right promotions. See also 'category management', with its emphasis on how products look to the customer - is seen as an integral part of achieving ECR.
EFQM:The EFQM Excellence Model is a framework for organisational management systems, promoted by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and designed for helping organizations in their drive towards being more competitive.
E-Learning:Interactive online tutorials, accessed via the internet or a company intranet
Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) System:A system whereby electronic tills are used to process customer transactions in a retail outlet. Local EPOS systems are usually connected to a central computer system, so that financial and inventory-related data can be exchanged between the store and head office, allowing automatic accounting and replenishment.
Emotional Selling Preposition (ESP):The unique associations established by consumers with particular products. For example, the emotional response to certain car marques ensures their continual success, even though other makers may offer superior performance at the same price.
Endorsement:Affirmation, usually from a celebrity, that a product is good
Entrepreneur:Someone who sees an opportunity and risks their own money to set up a business organisation in order to respond to it.
Environmental Scanning:Monitoring of an organisation’s external environment, allowing the organisation to spot or anticipate emerging issues. This provides an early warning of changing external conditions.
Environmental Set:Comprehensive list of factors which affect an organisation.
Equivalent Advertising Value (EAV):See 'Advertising Value Equivalent'.
Ethical Marketing:Marketing that takes account of the moral aspects of decisions.
Experience Curve:The plotted relationship between the amount of products produced and the cost per unit over time from launch. As more units are produced, the cost per unit usually declines, an effect that is partially attributable to the accumulation of experience.
Export Marketing:The marketing of goods or services to overseas customers.
External Analysis:Study of the external marketing environment, including factors such as customers, competition, and social change.
FAST Marketing:Focused Advertising Sampling Technique: an approach concentrating promotions into a short space of time to saturate the market.
Fax Preference Service (FPS):A database of business and individual telecoms subscribers who have elected not to receive unsolicited direct marketing faxes.
Field Marketing:The practice of sending representatives or agents to retail outlets with a view to building brand and supporting sales. They may for example conduct in-store promotions, set up point of sale displays, and ensure that products are displayed to best advantage.
FMCG:Fast Moving Consumer Goods - such as packaged food, beverages, toiletries, and tobacco.
Focus Groups:A tool for market research where small groups of customers are invited to participate in guided discussions on the topic being researched
Forecasting:Calculation of future events and performance
Four M's:Money, Material, Machine and Manpower - traditional framework for viewing the resources available to a business, which can be useful when designing a marketing plan.
Four P's:See 'marketing mix'.
Franchising:The selling of a licence by the owner (franchisor) to a third party (franchisee) permitting the sale of a product or service for a specified period. In business format franchising the agreement will involve a common brand and marketing format.
Free Market Economy:An economy in which forces of supply and demand are allowed to operate unhampered by government or other regulations.
Full Service Agency:Advertising agency offering clients a wide range of activities and expertise over and above the normal creative and/or media facilities. Such services will include marketing research and planning, merchandising and below-the-line sales promotions, press and/or public relations, packaging, etc.
Geodemographics:A method of analysis combining geographic and demographic variables For an example, see 'ACORN'
GLAM:Greying, Leisured, Affluent, Middle-aged - a demographic grouping.
Grey Market:Sometimes called 'silver market'. Term used to define population over a certain age - usually 65
Grey Marketing (also called Parallel Importing):The illicit sale of imported products contrary to the interests of a holder of a trademark, patent or copyright in the country of sale.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP):Total output of goods and services by the national economy in a full year.
Guarantees and Warranties:Legal documents committing a company to deal with faulty goods or services by a variety of methods including repair, replacement or compensation.
Guerrilla Marketing:The strategy of targeting small and specialised customer groups in such a way that bigger companies will not find it worthwhile to retaliate.
GUPPIE:Green YUPPIE - a demographic grouping. See also 'YUPPIE'
Hard sell:Sales behaviour that can be interpreted by the customer as aggressive or which places undue pressure on the customer.
Horizon Scanning:Exploration of future developments, opportunities and threats. Horizon scanning may explore existing issues and trends, as well as identifying new or potential issues.
House to House Distribution:Delivery of goods or literature to the consumer's front door or mailbox.
i-Coach:Online support service for marketing students and delegates, offering online tutorials, case studies and exercises
In-Company Training:Training programmes specially tailored to meet company requirements for groups of 6 or more people from the same company
Inducements:Incentives offered to overcome resistance to purchase, for example 'special offers' or money-back guarantees.
Industrial marketing:The marketing of industrial products.
Infant:A product with a high market share of a new market.
Infiltration marketing:Marketers joining chat rooms posing as ordinary users in order to spread marketing messages, usually as personal endorsements.
Infomercial:Paid-for television programme purporting to be a genuine station programme. Its use is restricted to certain countries including the USA, but not the UK. Similar in practice to an advertorial.
Innovation:Development of new products, services or ways of working
Institutional Market:A market for goods or services consisting of universities, schools, charities clubs and the like.
Inter-media comparison:Rarely used comparison of the cost effectiveness, advertising effectiveness, target demographics, etc of various media (eg television Vs radio, newspapers Vs magazines) to ascertain their overall effectiveness.
Internal Analysis:The study of a company's internal marketing resources in order to assess opportunities, strengths or weaknesses
Internal Customers:Employees within an organisation viewed as consumers of a product or service provided by another part of the organisation - products or services which the employees need to do their own work. For example, the marketing department could be internal customers of the IT department.
Internal Marketing:The process of eliciting support for a company and its activities among its own employees, in order to encourage them to promote its goals. This process can happen at a number of levels, from increasing awareness of individual products or marketing campaigns, to explaining overall business strategy.
International Marketing:The conduct and co-ordination of marketing activities in more than one country
Intra-media comparison:Rarely used comparison of the various promotional options for a given medium, eg The Times Vs The Independent.
IPS: Institute of Professional Sales, sister institute to The Chartered Institute of Marketing. IPS provide in-depth training and development at every stage of the sales career
IPTV:Internet Protocol Television. Technology allowing television and video signals to be received via an internet connection.
Joint Venture:A business entity or partnership formed by two or more parties for a specific purpose; for example, Virgin Mobile is a 50:50 joint venture company between Virgin Group and Deutsche Telekom's One 2 One.
JUPPIE:Japanese YUPPIE - a demographic grouping. See also 'YUPPIE'
Kelly Grids:See 'repertory grids'
Key Account Management:Account management as applied to a company's most important customers. See also 'account management'
Key Success Factors (KSF):Those factors that are a necessary condition for success in a given market. That is, a company that does poorly on one of the factors critical to success in its market is certain to fail.
Keyword buying:Advertisers paying for links to their websites to appear on internet search engines along side search results, sometimes as ”sponsored links”, based on keywords entered into the search engine. See ‘Search Marketing’.
Kidults:Adults who buy products that are predominantly aimed at children
Knowledge Management:The collection, organisation and distribution of information in a form that lends itself to practical application. Knowledge management often relies on information technology to facilitate the storage and retrieval of information.
Ladder of Loyalty:A marketing communications tool that aims to move a consumer along a path from a prospect (“not yet purchased”) to advocate (“brand insistence”) through customer (“trialist”) and client (“repeat purchases”) by using integrated marketing communications techniques. As a consumer travels up the ladder they become increasingly loyal to the brand. Also called the ‘Branding Ladder’.
Laggards:See ‘Adopter Categories’.
Late Majority:See ‘Adopter Categories’.
Learning Log:An assignment that charts a personal development plan and achievements of a delegate during a period of study
Lifestyle:Way of living, in the broadest sense, of a society or segment of that society. Includes both work and leisure, eating, drinking, dress, patterns of behaviour and allocation of income.
Logo:A graphic, usually consisting of a symbol and/or group of letters, that identifies a company or brand.
LTV:Long Term Value.
Macro Environment:The external factors which affect a company's planning and performance, and are beyond its control: for example, socio-economic, legal and technological change. Compare 'micro environment'
Mailing Preference Service (MPS):A database of individual home addresses where the occupiers have elected not to receive unsolicited direct (marketing) mail.
Market Challenger:A firm attempting to gain market leadership through marketing efforts - see also 'market follower' and 'market leader'
Market Development:The process of growing sales by offering existing products (or new versions of them) to new customer groups (as opposed to simply attempting to increase the company's share of current markets).
Market Entry:The launch of a new product into a new or existing market. A different strategy is required depending on whether the product is an early or late entrant to the market; the first entrant usually has an automatic advantage, while later entrants need to demonstrate that their products are better, cheaper and so on.
Market Follower:A firm that is happy to follow the leaders in a market place without challenging them, perhaps taking advantages of opportunities created by leaders without the need for much marketing investment of its own - see also 'market challenger' and 'market leader'
Market Leader:Seller of the product or service with the largest market share in its field - see also 'market challenger' and 'market follower'
Market Penetration:The attempt to grow one's business by obtaining a larger market share in an existing market - see 'market share' and 'market development'
Market Research (or Marketing Research):The gathering and analysis of data relating to market places or customers; any research which leads to more market knowledge and better-informed decision-making.
Market Segmentation:The division of the market place into distinct subgroups or segments, each characterised by particular tastes and requiring a specific marketing mix. See also 'marketing mix'
Market Share:A company's sales of a given product or set of products to a given set of customers, expressed as a percentage of total sales of all such products to such customers.
Market Value Added (MVA):Market Value Added (MVA) is the difference between the equity market valuation of a listed/quoted company and the sum of the adjusted book value of debt and equity invested in the company.
Marketing:Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably. CIM's official definition.
Marketing Acronyms:Usually, abbreviations such as YUPPIE, BUPPIE, and GLAM. See individual acronyms for a description.
Marketing Audit:Scrutiny of an organisation's existing marketing system to ascertain its strengths and weaknesses.
Marketing Communications:All methods used by a firm to communicate with its customers and prospective customers.
Marketing Decision Support System (MDSS):Tools for the collection and analysis of data to aid the marketing decision making process.
Marketing Information:Any information used or required to support marketing decisions - often drawn from a computerised 'Marketing Information System'.
Marketing Metrics:Measurements that help with the quantification of marketing performance, such as market share, advertising spend, and response rates elicited by advertising and direct marketing
Marketing Mix:The combination of marketing inputs that affect customer motivation and behaviour. These inputs traditionally encompass four controllable variables 'the 4 Ps': product, price, promotion and place. The list has subsequently been extended to 7 Ps, the additions being people, process and 'physical evidence'.
Marketing Myopia:Lack of vision on the part of companies, particularly in failing to spot customers' desires through excessive product focus. Term derives from the title of a seminal article by Theodore Levitt published in Harvard Business Review in 1960.
Marketing Orientation:A business strategy whereby customers' needs and wants, as identified by the marketing function, determine corporate direction.
Marketing Plan:A written plan, usually in-depth, describing all activities involved in achieving a particular marketing objective, and their relationship to one another in both time and importance.
Marketing Planning:The selection and scheduling of activities to support the company's chosen marketing strategy or goals. See also 'marketing strategy'.
Marketing Research:See 'market research'
Marketing Return on Investment (MROI):See Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI).
Marketing Strategy:The set of objectives which an organisation allocates to its marketing function in order to support the overall corporate strategy, together with the broad methods chosen to achieve these objectives.
McKinsey Seven S's of Management (or 7-S Model):A framework for considering business strategy with reference to seven interrelated, aspects of the organisation: Systems, Structure, Skills, Style, Staff, Strategy, and Shared values.
M-Commerce (Mobile Commerce):E-Commerce transactions using mobile or wireless devices. See ‘E-Commerce’.
MDSS:Marketing Decision Support System.
Media Neutral Planning:A customer focussed review of media options during communications planning based on research, analysis and insight, not habit and preference
Merger/Acquisition:
Micro Environment:The immediate context of a company's operations, including such elements as suppliers, customers and competitors - compare 'macro environment'
Mission Statement:A company's summary of its business philosophy and direction
MMS:Multimedia Message Service. Text, audio, graphic and video messages sent by mobile phones, or other compatible devices, over a wireless network.
Models (or Marketing Models):Graphical representations of a process designed to aid in understanding and/or forecasting. Computerised models allow the simulation of scenarios based on different assumptions about changes to the macro environment and micro environment. See also 'macro environment' and 'micro environment'
Modular Training:A training programme that is studied over a period of time, delivered in modules that are linked together
Mood Board:A visual illustration tool used either to represent the atmosphere or feel of an intended advertisement, or to research a consumer’s experience of a brand or product.
MOSAIC:Geodemographic segmentation model classifying neighbourhoods into 10 lifestyle types ie: Elite Suburbs; Average Areas; Luxury Flats.
Mystery Shopping:Employing individuals to anonymously visit or contact retailers or service providers in order to evaluate customer service, display quality, prices, etc.
National Change of Address (NCOA):Database that helps locate forwarding addresses.
National Readership Survey (NRS):A commercial organisation which provides estimates of the number and nature of the people reading UK newspapers and consumer magazines.
Net promoter score (NPS):Percentage of promoters minus percentage of detractors.
Neuromarketing:Technique to quantify how consumers will respond to brands and advertising. The brain is mapped, using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), to record conscious and subconscious responses to advertising, products or brands.
New Product Development (NPD):The creation of new products, from evaluation of proposals through to launch.
Niche Marketing:The marketing of a product to a small and well-defined segment of the market place.
NILKIE:No Income, Lots of Kids - a demographic grouping.
Objectives:A company's defined and measurable aims for a given period.
Offensive Marketing:A competitive marketing strategy, the purpose of which is to win market share away from other players in the market.
OINK:One income, no kids - a demographic grouping.
Omnibus Survey:Continuous survey that is used to cover a number of topics at the same time. Companies offering this facility invite sponsors to commission a limited number of questions that would not alone justify setting up a separate research study.
One to One Marketing (1:1 Marketing):Marketing that either treats each customer as an individual rather than as part of a broad segment, or that aims to establish a personal relationship with the customer.
Online Learning:Course material accessed via the internet or a company intranet
OPAL:Older People with Active Lifestyles - a demographic grouping.
Open Systems:A system can be defined as units or elements which interact with each other. An open system interacts with other systems or with its external environment.
ORCHID:One recent child, heavily in debt – a demographic grouping.
Organic Growth/Development:A company's expansion by the growth of its activities and ploughing back of profits, rather than by mergers/acquisitions. See 'mergers/acquisitions'
OTH:Opportunities To Hear.
OTR:Opportunities To Read.
OTS:Opportunities To See.
Packaging:Material used to protect goods; also an opportunity to present the brand and logo.
PANSES:Politically Active and Not Seeking Employment - a demographic grouping
Parallel Importing:See 'grey marketing'
Pareto Principle:Also called the 80/20 rule. The principle that about 80% of the outcomes will come from about 20% of your effort. See '10 minute guide' on the 80/20 rule.
Payment By Results (PBR):Remuneration of an employee or service provider according to productivity or other measure of performance
Peer to Peer (P2P) Marketing:Technique of encouraging customers to promote your product to one another, particularly on the Internet. An example might be a web site that offers users a discount on products in return for recruiting new customers for the site. See also 'word of mouth'; 'viral marketing'.
PEEST:Political, Economic, Environmental, Socio-cultural and Technological - a framework for viewing the macro environment. See 'macro-environment'
Penetration Pricing:Adoption of a lower price strategy in order to secure rapid wide penetration of a market.
Perceptual Mapping:Process of representing consumer perceptions of brands in relationship to each other. Consumers’ perceptions of brands are measured against certain criteria, ie value, customer service, innovation and quality. See ‘Brand Mapping and Brand Maps’.
Perfect Competition:An open market situation where free trade prevails without restriction, where all goods of a particular nature are homogeneous and where all relevant information is known to both buyers and sellers.
Performance Prism:A performance measurement and management framework. It addresses all of an organisation’s stakeholders - principally investors, customers, intermediaries, employees, suppliers, regulators and communities.
Personal Data:Data related to a living individual who can be identified from the information; includes any expression of opinion about the individual.
Personal Selling:One-to-one communication between seller and prospective purchaser
PEST:Political, Economic, Socio-cultural and Technological - a framework for viewing the macro environment. See also 'macro-environment'
Pester Power:The influence children have over purchases by adults: an influence which, controversially, advertisers may seek to stimulate
PESTLE:Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological, Legal and Environmental - a framework for viewing the macro environment. See 'macro-environment'
Pharming:Redirecting traffic from a website, such as a bank, to a bogus website designed to mimic the original website in order to steal a user’s login details and other personal information. See ‘Phishing’.
Phishing:Sending legitimate-looking emails, often giving the impression that they are sent from a trusted source, such as a bank, asking for personal information that can be used for identity theft. See ‘Pharming’.
Physical Evidence:The elements of 'marketing mix' which customers can actually see or experience when they use a service, and which contribute to the perceived quality of the service, e.g. the physical evidence of a retail bank could include the state of the branch premises, as well as the delivery of the banking service itself.
PIMS:Profit Impact of Marketing Strategies: a US database supplying data such as environment, strategy, competition and internal data with respect to 3000 business. This data can be used for benchmarking purposes.
Podcast/Podcasting:Term used to define the broadcasting of multimedia files to iPods or other similar devices. Subscribers are able to view or listen to podcasts online.
Point of Sale (POS) (also called Point of Purchase):The location, usually within a retail outlet, where the customer decides whether to make a purchase. See also 'EPOS - Electronic Point of Sale'.
Pop-under:Automatically launched internet advertisement that appears in a small window behind another webpage. See ‘Pop-up'.
Pop-up:Automatically launched internet advertisement that appears in a small window in front of another webpage. See ‘Pop-under'.
Porter's Five Forces:An analytic model developed by Michael E. Porter. The five forces in terms of which the model analyses businesses and industries are: Buyers, Suppliers, Substitutes, New Entrants and Rivals
Portfolio (and Portfolio Analysis):The set of products or services which a company decides to develop and market. Portfolio analysis is the process of comparing the contents of the portfolio to see which products or services are the most promising and deserving of further investment, and which should be discontinued.
Positioning:The creation of an image for a product or service in the minds of customers, both specifically to that item and in relation to competitive offerings.
POSTAR:Poster Audience Research - the UK Outdoor advertising industry audience measurement organisation.
Premium Pricing:Highly pricing a product or service to give an impression of quality or in order to offer the consumer additional service.
Prestige Pricing:Applying a high price to a product to indicate its high quality. See ‘Premium Pricing’.
Price Maker:A producer who has enough market power to influence prices.
Price Taker:A producer who has no power to influence prices.
Problem Child:See ‘Boston Matrix’.
Product Life Cycle:A model describing the progress of a product from the inception of the idea, via the main period of sales, to its eventual decline.
Product Placement:The use of a product or service within a television or radio programme, or a film: an example would be the appearance of a leading coffee brand on a table in "Eastenders". There are strict guidelines as to the payments that can be given for such appearances.
Professional Marketing Standards:CIM's grid of marketing competencies required to achieve business aims. CIM's new syllabus structure is mapped out against each marketing level as identified in the grid. Previously called Statements of Marketing Practice.
Professional Services:The services of individuals or companies that are accredited by professional bodies, such as accountants, lawyers and chartered marketers. See also 'Chartered Marketers'
Promotional Mix:The components of an individual promotional campaign, which are likely to include advertising, personal selling, public relations, direct marketing, packaging, and sales promotion.
Promotional Plan:Detailed plan describing promotional objectives and activities involved in achieving the role of promotions as laid down in the marketing plan.
Proximity Marketing:The wireless transmission of advertising to compatible devices in a local area.
P's:See 'marketing mix'.
Public Relations:The function or activity that aims to establish and protect the reputation of a company or brand, and to create mutual understanding between the organisation and the segments of the public with whom it needs to communicate.
Pull Promotion:Pull promotion, in contrast to Push promotion, addresses the customer directly with a view to getting them to demand the product, and hence "pull" it down through the distribution chain. It focuses on advertising and above the line activities. See also 'push promotion'
Push Promotion:Push promotion relies on the next link in the distribution chain - e.g. a wholesaler or retailer - to "push" out products to the customer. It revolves around sales promotions - such as price reductions and point of sale displays - and other below the line activities. See also 'Sales Promotion'
Qualitative Research:Market research that does not use numerical data but relies on interviews, 'focus groups', 'repertory grid', and the like, usually resulting in findings which are more detailed but also more subjective than those of 'quantitative research'.
Quantitative Research:Market research that concentrates on statistics and other numerical data, gathered through opinion polls, customer satisfaction surveys and so on. Compare 'qualitative research'
R & D:Research and development.
RAJAR:Radio Joint Audience Research. Operates a single audience measurement system for the radio industry - BBC, UK licensed and other commercial stations.
RAPPIES:Retired Affluent Professionals - a demographic grouping.
Recession:A period of negative economic growth. Common criteria used to define when a country is in a recession are two successive quarters of falling GDP or a year-on-year fall in GDP.
Reference Group:A group with which the customer identifies in some way, and whose opinions and experiences influence the customer's behaviour. For example, a sports fan might buy a brand of equipment used by a favourite team.
Relationship Marketing:The strategy of establishing a relationship with the customer which continues well beyond the first purchase.
Repertory Grid Method (RGM):A technique for representing the attitudes and perceptions of individuals; also called Personal Construct Technique. The technique can be useful in developing market research (and other) questionnaires. Also known as 'Kelly Grids'
Residential Training Courses:Intensive training courses involving evening training sessions and including overnight stay and full accommodation
Return on Equity (ROE):Measures the rate of return on the ownership interest (shareholders' equity) of the common stock owners. ROE is viewed as one of the most important financial ratios.
Return on Investment (ROI)/Return on Capital Employed (ROCE):The value that an organisation derives from investing in a project.
Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI):The value that an organisation derives from investing in marketing. See ‘Return on Investment (ROI).
Return on Sales Enablement (ROSE):The value an organisation derives from investing in activities that drive sales.
RSS (Really Simple Syndication):Software that allows electronic content to be sent to websites or compatible devices as soon as it is updated or posted. There is some debate as to what RSS actually stands for. Really Simple Syndication is the most commonly used term.
Sales Promotion:A range of techniques used to engage the purchaser. These may include discounting, coupons, guarantees, free gifts, competitions, vouchers, demonstrations, bonus commission and sponsorship.
Sampling:The use of a statistically representative subset as a proxy for an entire population, for example in order to facilitate quantitative market research.
Sandwich Board:Advertising poster carried by a person in public, usually in the form of two displays, one at the front and one at the back, suspended over the shoulder and thus “sandwiching” the carrier.
Scamp:Preliminary design or layout of an advertisement or other promotional material. Also a UK pressure group against offensive advertising (S.C.A.M.P. - Stop Crude Advertising Material in Public).
Screening:The evaluation or testing of a product, and sometimes its 'marketing mix', at various stages in the 'NPD' cycle.
Search Marketing:Promoting a company’s website using internet search engines. Either getting a company website listed in search results (unpaid) or as a listing on the same webpage as the search results (paid).
Segmentation:See 'market segmentation'
SEO:Search Engine Optimisation
Seminars:One day training sessions involving role play and syndicate group work exercises
Sensitive Data:Information relating to racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or other beliefs, trade union membership, health, sex life and criminal convictions.
Seven Ss:See 'McKinsey's seven Ss'
Shallow Linking:Hyperlinking to a website's homepage.
Share of Voice (SOV):The total percentage that you possess of the particular niche, market, or audience you are targeting.
Shareholder Value:The worth of a company from the point of view of its shareholders. Maximising shareholder value is a common objective for business management.
SINBAD:Single Income, No Boyfriend and Absolutely Desperate - a demographic grouping.
SINDI:Single Independent and Divorced (only applies to women) - a demographic grouping.
SITCOM:Single Income, Two Kids Outrageous Mortgage - a demographic grouping.
Skills Level Analysis Process:An online tool to assess skills of marketing professionals and to measure them against business aims and objectives
Skimming:Setting the original price high in the early stages of the product life cycle in an attempt to get as much profit as possible before prices are driven down by increasing competition.
SLAP:Skills Levels Analysis Process, an online tool to assess skills of marketing professionals and to measure them against business aims and objectives
SLEPT:Socio-cultural, Legal, Economic, Political and Technological - a framework for viewing the 'macro environment'
SMART objectives:A simple acronym used to set objectives is called SMART objectives. SMART stands for:
SME:Small to Medium Enterprise. Variously defined: according one EU definition, it must employ under 250 people, have either a turnover of less than EUR 40 million or net balance sheet assets of less than EUR 27 million, and not be more than 25% owned by a larger company.
SME (Small to Medium Enterprise):Usually defined as organisations with fewer than 250 employees, with medium businesses having 50 to 249 employees and small businesses having up to 49 employees. Small businesses include micro businesses, which can be separately defined as having up to five employees.
SMS:Short Message Service. Text only messages sent by mobile phones, or other compatible devices, over a wireless network.
Social Marketing:The application of marketing concepts and techniques to propagate ideas and behaviours for the social good.
Socially Responsibly Marketing:The concept that marketing should not harm the social environment and that it should work to benefit society in the long term.
Societal Marketing:See ‘Social Marketing’.
SOHO:Small-office/Home-office.
SOSTT:Situation, Objective, Strategy, Tactics and Targets
Space Maps:See ‘Brand Mapping and Brand Maps’.
SPAM:Unsolicited e-mail, often advertisements sent to a very large number of recipients.
Spin:The attempt to manipulate the depiction of news or events in the media through artful public relations - often used with derogatory connotations.
Sponsorship:Specialised form of sales promotion where a company will help fund an event or support a business venture in return for publicity
Stakeholder:An individual, organisation or community that has an interest in the strategy and operation of an organisation. Stakeholders may include shareholders, employees, customers, government, local communities, opinion formers, suppliers and partners.
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Codes:Codes that identify a business or service according to its primary kind of activity. Two-digit codes are the most general classifications, but most codes use at least four digits to allow more specific industry identifications.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Codes:Codes that identify workers by job function. SOC codes sort occupations into a small number of broad categories, usually using a numerical coding system. The coding within these categories is extended to define narrower categories and job functions.
Statements of Marketing Practice (SOMPS):CIM's grid of marketing competencies required to achieve business aims. CIM's new syllabus structure is mapped out against each marketing level as identified in the grid. Now called Professional Marketing Standards.
Storyboards:Sequence of sketches designed to show the main elements of a television or cinema commercial.
SUPPIES:Senior Urban Professionals - a demographic grouping
Supplier Relationship Management (SRM):Managing relationships with suppliers often through the use of IT systems - compare 'customer relationship management'
Supply (and Demand):See 'Demand'
Supply Chain:The network of suppliers, manufacturers and distributors involved in the production and delivery of a product.
SWOT Analysis:A method of analysis which examines a company's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Often used as part of the development process for a marketing plan, or to feed the results of a marketing audit back into a revised plan.
Syndicate Groups:Smaller groups of delegates from a larger main group - usually separated out to work through a practical exercise, eg a role play
Tailored Training:A training programme that is customised to suit particular company/industry objectives
Target Group Index (TGI):A continuous survey of adults in which their purchasing habits in detail are related to their media exposure, thus facilitating accurate media planning.
Targeting:The use of 'market segmentation' to select and address a key group of potential purchasers
Telemarketing:The marketing of a product or service over the telephone
Telephone Preference Service (TPS):A database of business and individual telecoms subscribers who have elected not to receive unsolicited direct marketing calls.
Test Marketing:Making samples of a new product available to see what representative consumers think of it and its proposed 'marketing mix'
TINKIE:Two Incomes, Nanny and Kids - a demographic grouping
Trade Marketing:Marketing to the retail and distributive trades.
Training Course:A course that focuses on practical application of skills to better enable delegates in their workplace.
Training Qualification:A qualification for sales and marketing professionals that is assessed through work based projects.
Tweenagers:8 to 12 year olds or 7 to 11 year olds.
Unique Selling Preposition (USP):The benefit that a product or service can deliver to customers that is not offered by any competitor: one of the fundamentals of effective marketing and business.
Unmentionables:Groups of products that are considered 'too delicate' to mention or to advertise. These may include sanitary towels, condoms or incontinence pads
VALS:Values and Lifestyles: the categorisation of people according to their way of living, using groupings such as Belongers, Achievers, Emulators, I-am-me, Experiential, Socially conscious, Survivors, Sustainers and Integrators
Value Added:see 'added value'
Value Preposition:The set of qualities of a good or service that allows it to fulfil the customer's needs and desires, as opposed to simply benefiting the seller
Viral Marketing:Spreading a brand message using word of mouth (or electronically - 'word of mouse') from a few points of dissemination. Typical techniques include using email messages, jokes, web addresses, film clips and games that get forwarded on electronically by recipients
Virtual Community:A community that exists and interacts online.
Vision:The long-term aims and aspirations of the company for itself
VoIP:Voice over Internet Protocol. Technology allowing voice communication to be delivered using internet protocol, an alternative to delivering voice communication over a public switched telephone network.
WAP:Wireless Application Protocol. Specification allowing wireless devices to interact with information sources. A common application is the use of microbrowsers for wireless internet access.
War Horse:A product with a large market share of a declining market.
Web 2.0:Concept of the World Wide Webs transformation from a collection of websites to a computing platform supporting web applications, harnessing (pooling) the intelligence of its users and allowing users to define how they interact with organisations and each other.
Weblogs:An internet publishing device allowing an individual or company to express their thoughts and opinions. Businesses can use weblogs as a marketing communication channel.
White Goods:Large electrical devices for domestic use, such as fridges, freezers and dishwashers. Used to be cased in white enamel, hence the name
White Space:Areas of any company where strategy and authority are vague, and where useful entrepreneurial activity can flourish. Compare 'black space'.
WI-FI (Wireless Fidelity):Wireless network connection standards allowing computers LAN (Local Area Network) access via a wireless link.
WiMAX:Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. Technology to deliver wireless broadband access over distances of up to 6 miles, an alternative to broadband access via a fixed line local loop.
WOOF:Well Off Older Folk - a demographic grouping.
WOOPIES:Well-Off Older People - a demographic grouping.
Word of Mouth:The spreading of information through human interaction alone. Some campaigns have used this as key element, for example, the British Gas privatisation's 'ask Sid' promotion. See also 'viral marketing'
Workshops:Interactive training sessions involving role play and syndicate group work exercises
YAPPIES:Young Affluent Parents - a demographic grouping
YOOFS:Young, free and single – a demographic grouping.
Youth Market:Young customers viewed as a marketing opportunity. Typically the term denotes those aged 16 to 24, but various age ranges are in use, from '12 to 24' to 'under 35'
YUPPIE:Young Urban Professional - a demographic grouping
ZUPPIE: Zestful Upscale Person in their Prime