Terms and Expressions

Allotment The number of units required to achieve a desired GRP level in a market. Traditional poster panel showings consist of illuminated and unilluminated displays that will vary by market size and population.

Alternative Media Outdoor formats that do not fall into the categories of: billboards, street furniture or transit. Most alternative media is used to create customized solutions for advertisers.

Annual ADT Annual Average Daily Traffic. Measurement representing the total number of vehicles passing a given location, based upon 24-hour counts taken over an entire year. Mechanical counts are adjusted to an estimate of annual average daily traffic figures, taking into account seasonal variance, weekly changes and other variables.

Cancellation Period A specified period of time when a contract can be terminated. Common to all media.

Charting a Showing The process of selecting individual unit locations to maximize outdoor advertising objectives.

Circulation Traffic volume in a market.

Continuity The elimination of gaps in a media schedule by maximizing the duration of a campaign, ideally 52 weeks. Coverage The boundaries of a market. The term also refers to the percentage of a county or counties exposed to an outdoor advertising campaign.

CPM Cost per thousand. The term refers to the cost of reaching one thousand advertising exposure opportunities in a market. Common to all media.

CPP Cost per gross rating point. The term refers to the cost of advertising exposure opportunities that equal one gross rating point in a market or one percent of the population. Common to all media.

Creative Brief Detailed marketing objectives that pertain to the design of an outdoor campaign. Common to all media. Daily Impressions Also called DEC (Daily Effective Circulation). The estimated number of persons passing an outdoor location on an average day.

DEC Daily Effective Circulation. The average number of persons passing and potentially exposed to an advertising display for either 12 hours (unilluminated - 6:00am to 6:00pm) or 18 hours (illuminated - 6:00am to 12:00 midnight).

Demographic Profiles Audience breakdowns based on various characteristics such as age, sex, income and education. Display Period The interval of exposure when an outdoor advertising campaign is viewed.

Distribution The strategic placement of outdoor units across a market.

DMA Designated Market Area. A rigidly defined geographical area used by A.C. Nielsen (market research) to identify TV stations that best reach an area and attract the most viewers. A DMA consists of all ZIP codes whose largest viewing share is given to stations of that same market area. Non-overlapping DMA's cover all of the continental United States, Hawaii and parts of Alaska.

DOT Department of Transportation. Official agency of the federal, state or city governments which regulates and studies traffic flow, and issues statistics on same. DOT studies are the basis of most DEC's audited by the Traffic Audit Bureau.

Efficiency The degree of value delivered to an audience relative to its space cost. Usually expressed as either CPM (cost per thousand) or CPP (cost per gross rating point). Emerging Media Recently developed or introduced outdoor formats.

Exposure Represents the reasonable opportunities for advertising to be seen and read. Common to all media.

Extension The addition of copy outside the restraints of a bulletin or premiere panel face. Sometimes referred to as cut-outs.

Face The surface area on an outdoor unit where advertising copy is displayed. A unit may have more than one face.

Facing The cardinal direction that an outdoor unit faces. As an example, a north facing bulletin would be viewed by vehicles traveling south.

Flexible Face Single-sheet vinyl used in computer painting.

Flight A period of time. The length of an advertising campaign, sometimes divided into distinct segments over the course of weeks.

Frequency The average number of times an individual has the opportunity to see an advertising message during a defined period of time. Frequency (and reach) in outdoor advertising is typically measured over a four week period.

Geo-Demographic Mapping Method of providing audience specifics as they relate to outdoor locations, both geographically and demographically. Enables plant operators to specify those locations which most efficiently reach target audiences - by age, sex, income, brand preference and purchase behavior profiles.

GPS Global Positioning System. Highly accurate location system which precisely pinpoints structures in terms of exact latitude and longitude using hand-held instruments that communicate with orbiting satellites.

Gross Impressions The sum of impressions registered against a target audience based on a GRP level of days or weeks in a schedule.

GRP Gross Rating Point. Also called TRP (Total Rating Point). The term refers to the total number of impressions delivered by a media schedule expressed as a percentage of a market population. Formerly called showings.

Illuminated An outdoor unit equipped with lighting that provides night time illumination of an advertising message, usually from dusk until midnight.

Impression Is a term used by all media to quantify the number of people who have an opportunity to see an ad in a given period of time.

Line The side of a highway or street on which an outdoor units is positioned.

Line of Sight The simultaneous viewing of more than one outdoor unit.

Load Factor The average number of persons riding each vehicle. Determined through national research and syndicated and government research reports. The current load factor for adult 18+ vehicle occupancy is 1.38.

Media Mix The combination of media types used together to meet the objectives of a media plan. Outdoor advertising tends to enhance the overall effectiveness of various media mixes, particularly by cost-effectively increasing reach and frequency.

Mobile Billboard A truck equipped with one or more poster panel units. The truck can either be parked at specified venues or driven around designated localities.

MSA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The U.S. government uses a three-tiered classification of metro markets. The purpose of this census system of market designation is to enable federal agencies to use consistent geographic definitions when collecting and disseminating metro area statistics. The basic unit - the MSA - is defined as a geographic area comprising a significant population nucleus together with adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and social integration with that nucleus.

Number of Units The total number of units in a contracted outdoor advertising program. Also reflected by the GRP or TRP level of a program

OAAA Outdoor Advertising Association of America. The term refers to a national trade association representing and supported by the member plant operators, suppliers, associates and international members. The mission of the OAAA is to promote, protect and improve the outdoor advertising medium by focusing on legislation, marketing, product improvement, new technologies and industry unity.

Official Counts The traffic counts taken from official (governmental) sources such as city, state or county departments of transportation.

Out of Home All advertising that is specifically intended to reach consumers outside the home. Out of home includes, but is not limited to, outdoor media and radio. Outdoor Advertising The term refers to many forms of media that carry advertising messages to consumer audiences outside the home.

Outdoor products are divided among three primary categories, billboards, street furniture and transit.

Override The continuation of an outdoor advertising program beyond a contracted period. An override, if offered by an outdoor company, is provided at no additional cost to an advertiser.

PDM Plant Defined Market. The geographic area of outdoor media distribution defined by a local outdoor operator and based on county coverage.

Plant All the outdoor advertising units in a market that are operated by a single company. Sometimes the term refers to the outdoor company itself.

Posting Date The date when a poster program is scheduled to commence. A five day leeway is customary.

Posting Instructions Detailed marketing objectives provided to an outdoor company by an advertiser or agency. The information is used to chart a showing with the greatest efficiency in reaching a desired target audience.

Posting Leeway The outdoor company is allowed a grace period of five working days before and after a scheduled posting date. This allows the company to complete posting a showing without penalty in the event of a delay caused by weather or unforeseen circumstances.

Proof-of-Performance Certification by an outdoor company that contracted advertising services have been rendered.

Rating Point One rating point equals 1% of the market's population.

Reach The approximate percentage of a target audience's population which will be potentially exposed to an advertising message at least once during a specified period of time. Reach is normally measured over four week periods. Common to all media.

Riding the Showing The physical inspection of the units that comprise an outdoor program in a market - either pre-buy or post-buy

Rotary Bulletin A standardized 14' x 48' bulletin that is moved to different locations in a market at fixed intervals, usually every 60 or 90 days. A rotary bulletin program can provide balanced reach in a market.

Showing See GRP or TRP.

Sign Any structure used to display information regarding a product or service. An outdoor unit is a sign.

Snipe An adhesive strip that is used to change a portion of copy displayed on an outdoor unit.

Surface Arterials Major streets in towns or cities that carry a heavy flow of vehicular traffic.

TAB Traffic Audit Bureau. The official national authority for circulation authentication of outdoor advertising. It is a third-party, independent organization supported by advertisers, advertising agencies and media owners, and applies statistically reliable counting procedures.

Target Audience The profile of the most desired consumer prospects for a product or service, listed by characteristics such as demography, lifestyle, brand or media consumption, purchase behavior, etc. Common to all media.

Traffic Count The recording of the vehicles and pedestrians passing a given point; used by TAB to authenticate the potential exposure of outdoor advertising structures.

Traffic Origin Research which provides advertisers with information about the audience passing outdoor advertising structures, not just those in immediate vicinity of the individual location. Collected license plate data are correlated with residence data and demographics to pinpoint the origin and destinations of persons having potential exposure to outdoor advertising.

Transit Transit advertising are displays affixed to moving vehicles or in the common areas of transit terminals and stations. Transit displays include, but are not limited to: bus panels, train/rail panels, airport panels, taxi panels and mobile advertising signage (trucks).

TRP Total Rating Point. Also called GRP (Gross Rating Point). The term refers to the total number of impressions delivered by a media schedule expressed as a percentage of a market population. Formerly called showings.

Ubiquity Omnipresence. Everywhere at the same time.

Unilluminated Unit An outdoor unit that has not been equipped with lighting for nighttime illumination of an advertising message. The DEC for an unilluminated unit is calculated using a 12 hour viewing period. Sometimes referred to as a regular unit.

Unit Any outdoor advertising display.

Vinyl A single-sheet substrate on which an advertising message is rendered by either computer production or hand painting. Vinyl is primarily used on the face of bulletins & Premiere products.