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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
ABANDONED CALLS Those inbound calls which are abandoned before being answered.
ACCESS PERMISSION A group of designations that determine who can access a particular file and how that user can access the file.
ACTIVES Those names on a list that have made a recent purchase.
ADDITIONS Those names added to a list during an update cycle or operation.
ADDRESS The location of a record in a file; also the local address on a mailing list record.
ADDRESS CHANGE SERVICE (ACS) A computerized version of the Address Correction Requested service. To be eligible for this service, the mailer requests an identifying code which must print as the first line of the address block. Information on moves and non-delivery is supplied on magnetic media. Fees for ACS are lower than for ACR.
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED (ACR) A service of the USPS that can be requested by printing the words "Address Correction Requested" in the upper left corner of the mailpiece. If the address is undeliverable, the Postal Service will provide the mailer with the forwarding address of people who have moved, or will indicate a reason for non-delivery(such as "no such address," "unknown at this address," "forwarding time expired," etc.). The charge for this service varies depending upon the class of mail and the weight of the mailpiece.
ADDRESS CORRECTION SOURCE A service provided by the USPS to help provide corrected addresses for pieces undeliverable as addressed mailed third class bulk.
ADDRESS ELEMENT CORRECTION (AEC) Address records that can't get a ZIP+4 code from CASS-certified software are eligible for AEC. This USPS program, run by the Customer Support Center in Memphis, uses a battery of computer programs that attempt to parse and fix addresses errors so that ZIP+4 and carrier route codes can be determined.
ADDRESSING FORMAT The type style, line length, and number of lines utilized for a given name and address.
ADDRESSING MEDIA The means used to add name and address to a mailing piece. The major ones are cheshire labels, pressure-sensitive labels, computer, or ink-jet generated. Names and addresses are also supplied on telephone cards, IBM cards and sheet listings.
ADVERTISER For a classified telephone list, an indication of payment for Bold Face or multiple lines or 1" space or more. A list of companies who contract for space in a given publication. Advertisers, National - some 13,000 to 14,000 companies with sales and marketing executives who advertise countrywide.
AFFINITY GROUP A classification, either demographic or psychographic, which identifies a given record or list source.
AFFLUENTS That portion of households with 30% or more than the cost of taxes, plus the cost of living (where they are domiciled). This upper crust of America numbers about 25,000,000 or roughly 1/4 of the population. Because they have discretionary income to spend, affluents are a prime target for the "better things in life".
AGE A demographic selection factor, usually by year, and, for some, by exact date of birth; also the period since the last transaction for a given record; also for compiled lists, the date of the directory.
AGENT For lists for mailing, the broker serves as the "agent" of the mailer; the list manager serves as the "agent" of the list owner.
AGREEMENT LETTER A letter signed by the mailer agreeing to usage terms established by the list owner.
ALLOCATION In list work, the way identical records from two or more files are reported (and paid for).
ALPHANUMERIC The use of both letters and numbers for coding or identification.
ALTERNATE DELIVERY SYSTEMS Any means of delivering pieces to households other than the mails. Usually refers to hand delivery in localities of co-op advertising or shoppers.
ALUMNI Graduates of a given school or college. A major list source for educational fundraising.
AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARD CODE FOR INFORMATION INTERCHANGE (ASCII) The code developed by ANSI for information interchange among data processing systems, data communications systems, and associated equipment. The ASCII character set consists of 7-bit control characters and symbolic characters.
ANNUAL LEASE Provision of a given set of records for unlimited use by one mailer for one year. Cost, for compiled files, is customarily twice the single use rental fee per M.
APARTMENT Approximately 19% of the households in America are apartment dwellers in multiple occupancy buildings, including numerous high rises.
APARTMENT (Numbers) Designation by letters or numerals (or both) of dwelling units in multifamily buildings. "Occupant" mailers can reach each apartment by its code, but mail addressed by name only is subject to the vagaries of the local post offices (and the local carrier). In many areas, apartment house mail without apartment numbers is trashed if third class; or returned marked "Undeliverable as Addressed," if first class. As of mid-1995, the USPS had no plan to extend 9 digit zip codes to apartments.
This term is used in a broad-sense to describe any address data, such as suite number, building number, lot number, box number etc., that follows the primary address. The USPS calls the street address (or PO Box or rural route address) the Primary address. Information about the apartment, rural box, floor, suite, etc. is Secondary address data. The Postal Service may not be able to deliver mail addressed to high rises, rural routes, trailer parks, and office complexes without Secondary address data.
APARTMENTS (Numbers) Designation by letters or numerals (or both) of dwelling units in multifamily buildings.
APPEND The action that causes data to be added to the end of existing data.
APPLE TALK A proprietary computer networking standard from Apple Computer for use in connecting Macintosh computers and other peripherals, particularly LaserWriter printers; operates at 230 Kbps.
ARCHIVE (1) To store programs and data for safe-keeping. (2) A copy of one of more files or a copy of a database that is saved in case the original data is damaged or lost. (3) Synonymous with backup, backup copy.
AREA CODES Three-digit codes assigned by the phone company to encompass all phones listed in a given area.
ARRAY Listing of items in sequence order - either ascending (SIC) or descending (Penetration). A means to organize data in a given consistent way.
ASCII (American National Standard Code) For storing information on magnetic media -- tape or diskette -- created by and/or readable by IBM and IBM-compatible PC's, and by UNIX mainframes and PC's. (see EBCDIC)
ASSIGNED MAILING DATE A date for a mailing approved by the list owner to provide "protection" against competitive offers.
ASSOCIATIONS Rosters of members serve as sources for lists by classification.
ATTENTION LINE A prefix before an assigned title added to three-line company only business addresses.
ATTRIBUTE A characteristic or property of a file, directory, or object; for example, its size, last modification date, or flag. Any demographic selection factor.
AUDIO Pertaining to the portion of recorded information that can be heard.
AUDIO PROCESSING In multimedia applications, manipulating digital audio; for example, by editing or creating special effects.
AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATION Auditing entity for consumer magazine circulation.
AUGMENTATION To increase the value of a customer file by utilizing an overlay from another source.
AUTOMOTIVE (See CAR)
AVAILABILITY REPORT The available records in given classifications in given zip code areas. Usually produced for programs to serve selected neighborhoods.
BABY BOOMERS Large contingent of births between 1946 and 1964. Now entering affluent status.
BACK END All activities at a direct-response operation once promotion is launched. Back-end performance relates to purchase behavior over a given period of time by respondents.
BACK UP To copy information onto a diskette or hard disk for record keeping or recovery purposes.
BAG & BUNDLE MARKERS Asterisks or other symbols to designate the end of a zip, a town, a state, a region - or notation for any other sort for transportation.
BALANCE The remainder of a list or segment left after a test or a test and continuation. "Balances" become the heart of lists banks for future mail drops.
BANK CARDS There are now over 200,000,000 cards issued by banks in circulation; the great majority being Mastercard or Visa. Major consumer lists now include as one of the selectable attributes. The major T&E card (Travel & Entertainment) is still American Express, but bank cards, by their sheer volume are gaining market share.
BAR-CODE A series of vertical bars that represent the numerics of a Delivery Point, a ZIP+4 or ZIP Code. Bar-code on mailpieces can be read by high-speed equipment that automatically sorts mail into a pre-programmed sequence. Mailers obtain discounts for pre-barcoding mail. Letter mail requires Delivery Point Bar-code, representing the ZIP+4 plus the final two digits of the house number. Flat mail can use either Delivery Point or ZIP+4 Bar-code. Under Classification Reform, both First Class Mail and Standard Mail have new subclasses with a separate rate structure for bar-coded mail.
BAR-CODE SORTER A high-speed computerized machine that electronically reads a bar-code and automatically sorts mail for distribution within the postal system, to specific postal facilities, to specific carrier routes, or into the carrier's walk sequence.
BATCH FILE A file that contains a series of data to be processed sequentially.
BATCH JOB (1) An MVS job that the MVS initiator selects from a queue and starts running. (2) A job that is grouped with other jobs as input to a computing system. (3) Synonymous with background job, batch, batched job.
BATCH PROCESSING Data processing is either "on-line in real time" (usually a record at a time,) or in batches in sequential mode. Most list processing is done by batch processing.
BAUD RATE A measure of the rate of speed of information transfer via modem as number of bytes per second. (see BYTE)
BAUDOT Data-transmission code in which five bits represent one character. Use of letters/figures shift enables 64 alphanumeric characters to be represented. Baudot is used in many teleprinter systems, with one start bit and 1.5 stop bits added.
BED SIZE A selection factor for size for hospitals, and nursing homes (Comparable to number of rooms for hotels and motels.)
BEHAVIORAL LISTS Lists which offer selection on the basis of interests or hobbies or item or items purchased. A few growing lists are based on electing initial response to lengthy questionnaires. One unique application is formed from response data requesting specific mailing offers.
BIBLE BELT A primary section of southern and southwestern states which are inclined toward Christian fundamentalism. Belief in creationism is strong in this grouping.
BILL-TO-ADDRESS Business-to-Business mailers often are asked to utilize both "Ship to" addresses (for the receipt of the item by the specifier) and "Bill To" Addresses for the receipt of the invoice. It is good database management to capture both.
BILLING STUFFERS Advertising folders for mail response placed in envelopes along with invoices for Utilities and Department Stores.
BINARY In data processing, typically a data coding system based on combinations of two numbers. Binary can also mean a "yes/"no", on/off or any coding that consists of two alternatives. As a numerical notation, each position of a number is expressed as 0 or 1.
BINGO CARD A prepaid card bound into a magazine listing multiple free offers by advertisers.
BIRTH DATES A selection factor available on some compiled consumer lists--often called exact date of birth. (occasionally "EDOB".)
BIT FIELDS Used to define information in the database contained within one byte. One byte contains eight bits. Each bit is represented as either 0 or 1 (on, off). Adding bit field names or descriptions tells you what job that bit is performing in the byte field.
BITS PER INCH The packing of magnetic data per linear inch of magnetic tape. The usual packing is now 1600 BPI, which is being supplanted by the more economical 6250 BPI.
BLACKS Lists primarily or exclusively of Black consumers or Black-owned businesses, or Black professionals.
BLOCK In mainframe data processing, a group of records. In geodemographics, a piece of land bounded by four streets, although the boundaries can also be streams, rail road tracks, mountains or other surface features.
BLOCK GROUP OR SUBBLOCK A small geographical area within a census tract, defined by the U.S. Census, consisting of a few hundred households.
BLOCK SIZE In mainframe data processing, the number of records in a block. A maximum of 32,000 records can be read at one time. On a magnetic tape, a blank space separates blocks of records.
BLOCKED FILE In mainframe data processing, a file that has had its records separated into blocks, each consisting of a specific number of records. Magnetic media intended to be read/processed by PC's do not require blocking -- such files are unblocked. Records produced in PC formats typically have individual records separated by commas (see Comma-Delimited File) or keyboard tabs (see Tab-Delimited File).
BOOK CLUBS Individual members who have made a commitment to buy books. There are two type of clubs -- negative option and positive option.
BOOKBUYER DATA BANKS Merged, unduplicated, names of bookbuyers from multiple files, or multiple magazines.
BOOKBUYERS Lists of mail order buyers of books, usually by subject matter (Also see Book Clubs).
BOUNCE BACK A subsequent offer by a mail order operator sent to the most recent buyers in the merchandise just ordered. Catalog operators often include another copy of the current catalog which created the order as the bounce back. Bounce backs, if properly coded, prove to be the most productive promotion available to a mail order company. (Outside offers; which may for a fee accompany the merchandise, are package inserts, not bounce backs.)
BOX NUMBER Strictly speaking, this is the number assigned to a mailbox on a rural route. Both the route number and the box number are required for delivery of the mail. The term is sometimes used to refer to a PO Box. For accurate delivery, post office boxes should always be indicated by the full description "PO BOX".
BPA (Business Publishers Association) The auditing entity for commercial and business magazine circulation.
BPI A measure of "packing" of data on a magnetic tape in "bits per inch." Most tapes today are 1600 or 6250 BPIs.
BPS (Bits per second) A measurement used to describe how fast data is transmitted. Usually used to describe modem speed.
BRANCHES Can be offices but usually refers to plants. The top 4,000 manufacturers in the U.S. control the destinies of some 400,000 branch plants. The so-called Fortune 1000 largest manufacturers embrace over 25,000 branch plants.
BRC The acronym for a business reply card.
BRE The acronym for a business reply envelope.
BREAKEVEN Dollars of response, measured by order margin, are equal to the total cost of promotion. (Break-even for the business means the order margin must equal the cost of promotion plus all other costs.)
BROADCAST MEDIA Radio and TV spot advertising used to produce direct response.
BROKER See List Broker.
BROKER DATA CARD See List Data Card.
BROKERAGE COMMISSION A proportion, usually set at 20%, paid to the list broker by the list owner for rental business on a list. If the transaction is arranged by the list manager, both brokerage commission and the managed commission are paid to the list manager. Broker commissions on large list orders are frequently negotiable.
BUFFER A temporary-storage device used to compensate for a difference in data rate and data flow between two devices (typically a computer and a printer); also called a spooler.
BULK MAIL CENTER A central receiving and distribution point for bulk mail. Each of the 21 bulk mail facilities (plus 8 auxiliary sites) receives second, third, and fourth class mail from other BMCs and distributes it to SCFs and delivery post offices within its own area, and also routes to other BMCs the bulk mail originating within its area.
BULK RATE MAIL Mail prepared to USPS standards to qualify for one of three third class discount rates--namely, bulk rate, five-digit zip, carrier-route presort.
BUSINESS LIST A list of establishments or individuals at establishments at business addresses. Includes businesses, institutions, offices of professionals.
BUSINESS LIST--COMPILED RESPONSE A merged list of business mail order buyers from multiple owners.
BUSINESS MERGE/PURGE See merge-purge.
BUSINESS OVERLAYS Addition of demographic data, primarily SIC classification, number of employees, telephone number to a business customer file.
BUSINESS UNIVERSE The totality (of all business, institutions and offices of a professional) within a given geographic area. For the USA as a whole, this embraces some 10,000,000 unduplicated establishments.
BUYER An individual or establishment that has ordered and paid for a product or service. A mail order buyer, if purchase has been induced through the mail.
BYTE A group of eight adjacent binary digits that are treated as a unit. The basic unit of data storage: one character. A megabyte is 1,024 bytes; a gigabyte is 1,000 megabytes; a terabyte is 1,000 gigabytes.
CANCELLATION List order cancellations usually result in no charge unless the list has been run prior to cancellation, in which case a run charge is usually assessed. Cancellation of a continuity program or a "til forbid" contract must be in writing. Cancellation of a subscription billed with the delivery of the first issue is usually satisfied by marking and returning the invoice.
CAR OWNER Next to telephone registrants, the most important register of data concerning households. Car registration data makes selection by number of cars, type, brand, age, and value possible.
CARBON COPIES Either cheshire labels or sheet listings can be run with two or three copies at the same printing by a computer. Because of the speed of the computer, most copies are now additional originals.
CARD DECK OR CARDVERTISER A direct mail cooperative advertising medium consisting in the main of a pack of individual postage-paid cards addressed back separately to each advertiser. Card decks now proliferate in almost every field of human endeavor - and they are a remarkably efficient means to secure low-cost inquires. Sales via card decks are usually limited to low-cost input type goods.
CARD FILE One of the computerized outputs of a list, usually 3" x 5" cards with phones, for phone canvassing. The PC has virtually replaced all but a few typed lists on outmoded proprietary cards.
CARDS, 3" X 5" Provision of list data on 3 by 5 card stock. Often sorted by sales territories or classification. Usually provided with ten-digit phone numbers for teleprospecting.
CARRIER ROUTE "Carrier route" is used as either a general or specific term. Specifically, carrier routes are primarily urban routes served by a letter carrier, as distinguished from rural routes, highway contract routes, PO Box delivery, General delivery, and delivery to unique ZIP Codes. In the general sense, the term refers to all these types of delivery. Each type of route has a specified sequence for delivery within fixed boundaries. Each route is identified by a code (the carrier route code) consisting of an alpha, which identifies the type of route, plus a route number. This code is used for sorting mail. The typical city zone carrier route consists of 350 or so households as walked by the individual carrier. There are 160,000 listed by the USPS plus 240,000 pseudo-carrier routes provided by major compilers of consumer lists.
CARRIER ROUTE CODE The alphanumeric code provided on a mailing label to identify a given carrier route. The geographical designation for these codes is updated every six months by the USPS which furnishes a CRIS tape (carrier route information system) to be used for carrier-route coding and sorting.
CARRIER ROUTE PRESORT (Carrier Rate Postage) A subclass of third class bulk mail which qualifies for a substantial postal discount for mailers who code and sort mail to the individual carrier route. Software is widely available that will identify the appropriate carrier route codes, and sort mail by carrier route code in accordance with postal specifications. Carrier rate postage is currently the lowest rate available for all classes of mail.
CARTRIDGE A magnetic tape format, the size of an old-fashioned 8-track audio tape. The industry standard at the moment is an IBM 3480 cartridge, and it has become the data storage medium of choice, supplanting round reels of magnetic tape because of greater data storage capacity, smaller size, and increased efficiency. Cartridges are fed through slots and require no tape handling.
CASH BUYER A mail order buyer who sends cash or check along with the order.
CASING The way the postal clerk, in office, sorts mail into a "case" with pigeonholes for his/her route in walk order, then "pulls" the mail in the order in which he/she walks his/her route. The postal case to this day has been virtually uncharged since the time of Benjamin Franklin.
CASS An acronym for Coding Accuracy Support System, a USPS program that sets standards for commercial software that appends ZIP+4 codes. The software must be submitted to an annual audit by the USPS to confirm that the software performs correctly. By passing the audit, the software becomes CASS certified. In order to qualify for postal discounts for ZIP+4 or barcoding, mailers are required to produce a CASS certificate (USPS Form 3553) which verifies that the ZIP+4s have been obtained from CASS-certified software.
CATALOG The provision of a specialty store with a very broad line in print. By 1995, one out of every six pieces mailed by third class bulk mail that carried advertising consisted of bound pieces of 20 pages or more. Such catalogs now total approximately 10 billion and are placed in the mainstream by over 12,000 separate entities, primarily catalog companies and major retailers. Business-to-Business catalogs are believed to be some 10% by volume of catalogs mailed to consumers.
CATALOG BUYER An individual or establishment that has made a purchase from a given catalog.
CATALOG REQUESTS Individuals who have called in or written in for a copy of the catalog.
CD-ROM A very small optically read thin metal disc which holds an extraordinary amount of read only data. Database America, for example, offers all 10,000,000 business records on one CD-ROM disc and over 80,000,000 consumer households with phones or just two CD-ROMs.
CENSUS TRACT A geographical segment of a zip code in metropolitan areas delineated by the U.S. Census Bureau embracing approximately 1,000 households. Major consumer compilers provide demographic profiles for each tract.
CENTROID In direct marketing: the geographic center point of a ZIP code, equidistant from each boundary.
CERTIFICATION The USPS periodically tests the accuracy of the commercial software that uses postal files for processing. Address matching software used in ZIP+4 processing must be CASS-certified annually. On a voluntary basis, vendors may PAVE-certify postal presort software, and may certify the accuracy of the bar-code print image.
CHADS A shorthand term for changes of address. The USPS has prepared a CHAD list for the entire country as a service to mailers. (The goal is to reduce the 15 percent of third class mail, which is undeliverable as addressed today.)
CHANGES OF ADDRESS PROCESSING A means to match known movers to a list prior to mailing to provide correct new addresses for such movers.
CHARACTER A letter, digit, or other symbol that is used as part of the organization, control, or representation of data. A character is often in the form of a spatial arrangement of adjacent or connected strokes.
CHARGE BUYERS Buyers whose credit rating and past history provides them access to mail order merchandise and services on a charge or open credit basis.
CHECK DIGIT A digit computed from analysis of a group of numbers on a given record which calculates to prove that the figures are correct. Nine-digit zip codes have no check digit. To utilize nine-digit for bar coded mail, however, a check digit is mandatory. (In this way, the major share of nine-digit mail now includes a check digit.)
CHECKING COPY A copy of a list, usually a sheet listing, used to monitor response to a mailing or phone solicitation.
CHESHIRE OR CHESHIRE LABEL An ungummed, machine-affixable label prepared on a computer or a word processor.
CHESHIRING Affixing of cheshire address labels by a cheshire-affixing machine.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE A title for an executive at a business or institutional establishment.
CHILDREN Families with children make up a substantial portion of all families in America. Data are selectable by age of child, in some lists by actual birth date. One specialized list here is of newborn babies.
CIRCULATION LIST The actual recipients of a magazine, book club, house organ, or newsletter. Circulation lists may be selectable by term, length on file, how initial order was received, besides any demographic data pertaining to the classification or type covered. A list of regular recipients (paid, controlled, or qualified) of a publication or periodical.
CITY There are over 12,000 cities in the United States with populations of 2,000 or more. They may be selected by population size and area. Can address officials by name or by title.
CITY DIRECTORIES Over 1,500 cities are canvassed, house to house, on a scheduled basis, to provide individualized data on households including occupation. One company, R.L. Polk publishes city directory data on 26 million households. A major source for individuals by certain occupations at home addresses. Includes apartment numbers and phone numbers. (Another major source for occupations is from credit report files.)
CITY SIZE Most major business files provide 8 or 9 ranges of city sizes. This simplifies directing mail, or suppressing mail, to a given city size - say cities with a population of 500,000 or more.
CLASSIFICATION While discretionary income is the most important single factor where consumers or households are concerned, the most important single fact about a business record is the kind of business - it's the classification in other words.
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Small space advertising in the classified columns of mediums noted for mail response has been the starting point for many mail order fortunes. There are fifty classifications available, and literally hundreds of magazines and newspapers that offer mail order propositions.
CLASSIFIED DIRECTORIES There are over 5,000 separate directories of classified listings (yellow pages and blue pages) covering over 14,500,000 listings for some 10,000,000 unduplicated companies, institutions, and offices of professionals. Most such directories are published once a year by the 1,600 or so telephone companies in the United States.
Updated compilations of classified data are the major source of lists providing complete listed coverage of over 10,000,000 separate business-oriented classifications.
CLEANING A term used to describe the updating of a list to remove "undeliverable as addressed" (or aging) data from a file.
CLEARANCE The appraisal given by a list owner for the mailing of a specific package to his or her list. A necessary step in obtaining the right to rent for all mail order buyer lists.
CLIENT/SERVER MODEL A division of labor between computers. Computers that provide a service other computers can use are known as servers.
CLUB PLAN A method of selling on a continuity basis.
CLUBS America is a highly social society, and, as a result, has tens of thousands of different kinds of clubs -- business, social, education, military, political, social service, and religious. Clubs with phones denote those that have their own individual meeting place. The majority of clubs in America meet in the homes of the current chairperson. In small-town America, one of every ten full-time homemakers is the president of a local club.
CLUSTER BOX An outdoor mailbox that is opened by a key (similar to PO Boxes or mailboxes in apartment buildings). They are usually groups of boxes (clusters) built into a wall or kiosk. They are typically found in townhouse developments.
CLUSTERING Selection of names of consumers on the basis of similar geographic, demographic, or psychographic characteristics. Clustering ranges from broad-brush selections by zip code, to very finite, such as members of boards of directors and their next door neighbors. A number of proprietary computer programs seek to break the 100,000,000 U.S. households into 40 or 45 attractively named clusters. Since data is now available for upwards of 40 attributes for almost any single given household, and modeling can identify useful profile collations of such attributes, group clustering tends by contrast to be "too course for comfort."
CODE OR CODING A means to identify a specific promotional effort.
CODE LINE A line on an address imprint utilized to identify basic data about the addressee, such as length of service, dollar volume of purchases, recency of purchase, and so on.
CODING, GENERIC A form of coding (either initially by key, or transmitted later by means of a lookup table) which utilizes a single character to compare results of mail order sales by mediums within each media. Generic coding makes it possible for the computer to produce basic report data assembled by major source.
COLD LIST A prospect list as yet untested by the mailer.
COLLATE A process by machine or by hand, which brings together several individual parts of a mailing or a catalog. A collation may be forty cards into a card deck or twenty coupons into a co-operative, or the assembly of a letter, folder, order form and return envelope into an outer envelope for a solo mailing.
COLLEGE STUDENT A few commercial firms in America compile several million college student names each fall, primarily from College published phone books. In past years, one such list was sponsored by Time Magazine, another by Newsweek.
COMMA-DELIMITED FILE A file produced by, and readable by, a PC, wherein individual records are separated by commas.
COMMISSION The sum paid a List Broker or List Manager or Advertising Agency for the placement of a list rental or a space purchase, or an electronic media "buy."
COMMON CARRIER A private utility company that furnishes communications services to the general public.
COMMUNICATION While internal communication is important, this word in direct-mail terms usually refers to telephonic communication with customers and prospects.
COMPACT DISC A disc, usually 4.75 inches in diameter, from which data is read optically by means of a laser.
COMPILED LIST An original list of individuals or establishments taken from printed records. Such list data can be rented for one time use or leased for unlimited use by one mailer. Compiling is the only methodology to obtain complete coverage of a classification. Most major compilations in addition to names and addresses include phone numbers as well.
COMPRESSED FILE A file that has been "shrunken" via compression to save space. An uncompressed file has had no such compacting.
COMPRESSION An algorithm used to compact or shrink the amount of space a file takes up on magnetic media.
COMPUTER ACRONYMS Five are particularly well known:
COMPUTER LETTERS Letters produced by a computer can be one of three types: match fill letters in which the name and address is computer generated onto a preprinted form letter; individual complete letters; or computer "spectaculars" in which the letter is only one element computer printed. The new laser printers now can produce two full 35-line letters per second.
COMPUTER NETWORK A means to provide access to a data server or any one of a group of PCs by multiple users.
COMPUTER PERSONALIZATION As more and more data find their way to more and more lists, the capacity of computer-generated correspondence is increasing exponentially and with it the capacity to personalize more and more mail . . . even to catalogs.
Now includes the capacity of the computer to personalize the cover of a catalog and can be extended to personalization on any or all pages of a special "Catalog created for one."
COMPUTER PROGRAM A set of instructions for a computer.
COMPUTER SERVICE BUREAU An independent business offering computerized handling of mailing lists.
CONFIDENCE LEVEL Statistically valid measure of how often, in one hundred attempts, test results can be expected to be within given limits. Confidence level is based not on the number of pieces mailed, but on the number of responses received.
CONSUMER LIST A list of individuals at household addresses. May be a compiled list, a response list, or a list produced as the result of a local canvas. May also be a list of addresses only for title addressing to resident or occupant.
CONTACT NAME On a mailing list, the personal name (or names) of an executive at a given business establishment. For larger companies, can be selected by functional titles. Major business files include a single contact name for over 75% of the business universe.
CONTINUATION A mailing to the same list following a successful (or near successful) test. Usually four to ten times larger than the test if the list universe warrants. May be a roll-out, which usually means a larger part or the entire balance of a list. (Also called Pyramiding.)
CONTINUITY PROGRAM A direct mail sold program designed around delivery of many units based on a single theme. Usually introduced with a starter item or set, followed at timely intervals with a series of allied products - particularly books, music or collectibles.
CONTINUOUS FORMS Computer forms, preprinted or plain, with matching pin holes to either side used to produce computer labels, cards, sheet lists, and reports.
CONTRACT An agreement between an owner or his or her manager and a renter. Most list management agreements are also contractual in nature. Contracts for the promotion of a list entity exist between owners and their list managers. Each list rental is a contracted relationship whether instituted by the owner or the manager or a list broker. Other Direct Mail resources are provided on a contractual basis - including computer services, mailing services, printing services.
CONTRIBUTORS Respondents who have made donations to a charitable or fundraising appeal. Often called donors. Selections of some lists include recency, frequency, and size of donation.
CONTROLLED CIRCULATION Recipients of a magazine free of charge who are qualified to receive it by their classification, lifestyle, or group affiliation.
CONVERSION The process of converting an inquirer, or a trial offer buyer, or a catalog requester to regular customer status via a sale.
CONVERSION OF A LIST Transfer of printed data, almost always by key stroke, to magnetic form for access by a computer. Now also applies to transfer of computerized data from one medium to another. Applies to transfer from tape to diskettes for utilization on word processors.
CONVERSION RATE The percentage of responses converted to customer status.
COOPERATIVE Any form of direct-response advertising involving offers from more than one mailer. Includes billing stuffers, package inserts, cardvertiser decks, split panels, or pages in self-standing stuffers, ride-alongs, and all forms of "marriage mail."
COPIES Extra copies of a mailing list, either on sheet list or labels, often carbons if cheshire, but second originals if pressure sensitive. For a sheet list and a set of labels, two separate computer runs are required.
COPY Five factors cause a change in response: package, offer, timing, list and copy. Direct mail without copy, without words, is tongue-tied and useless.
COST OF MONEY One of the costs of running any business and often forgotten in the analysis of the costs to run a direct-response operation.
COST PER INQUIRY Derived by dividing the number of inquiries elicited into the cost per 1,000 prospecting pieces in the mail. (This is customarily the first of a two-step process. These are the two costs: cost to buy the inquiry and cost to convert an inquiry to customer status.)
COST PER THOUSAND The entire promotional cost of a mailing package in the mail. Includes four separate cost inputs: printing, forms, and envelopes; rental of outside mailing lists; postal costs; and fulfillment (all operations to get packages into the mail stream).
COST TO BUY Like cost per order this pertains to the expenditure for promotion not amortized by the order margin of sales.
COUNT The total number of records that match the criteria in a query.
COUNTS The number of names available (either on an estimated basis or actual) for a given selection; also basic list counts as given for universes in list catalogs, or as given on a list card for a given list.
COUNTY There are some 3,050 political units called counties in the United States. Some 500 of them have a population of over 50,000. While many businesses are now oriented to do their marketing on zip code lines, some firms still utilize counties to define branches and territories.
COUPON CLIPPERS Respondents who make a practice of filling in coupons, bingo cards, or free requests through cardvertisers, but have no intention to buy. By raising qualifications the numbers of these "information hounds" can be reduced or kept under control.
COUPONS Coupons delivered by direct mail have the highest redemption rate; they also have the highest cost per thousand.
COURIER Expedited Nationwide Service for delivery of data packages and documents on a next day (or two day) delivery schedule. Both Federal Express and United Parcel Service maintain accessible computerized status information from pickup to delivery on every shipment. Roadway Express offers a similar service, for shorter hauls, via trucks.
The USPS competitive product, Express Mail, is at lower cost, but entails delivery to the Post Office, and, as yet, cannot provide status or tracing information. Lower cost Parcel Post has no means to trace a package.
CPI The short form for cost per inquiry. Usually refers to the first stage of a two-step (or more) selling operation.
CPM The total promotional cost in the mail of 1,000 pieces. This includes four parts: cost of printing, cost of the list, cost of the postage, and cost of all aspects of fulfillment at the mailing shop. It does not usually include the cost or preparation of the pieces, prior to printing.
CPO (Cost Per Order) Almost no direct mail prospecting is done at a profit. There is a promotional cost to buy a new customer. This cost is the differential between gross profit on sales and cost in the mail per 1,000 pieces.
Example:
Cost in mail (all promotional costs) - $300 Per M Order Margin (Gross Profit Per Unit) - $30 If Sales = 8 x $30 order margin = Gross Profit - $240. Cost in mail - $300 Less Gross Profit on Sales -$240 = Loss of $60 $60 Gross Profit Loss - Divided by 8 Sales = Cost of Order of $7.50.
CREATIVE COST The amount spent to produce camera-ready copy for production of a mailing. This is a "sunk" cost which can only be amortized by additional mailings for an original offer. Usually creative cost is disregarded, initially, in measuring the effectiveness of an offer against promotion cost.
CREDIT CARD BUYERS Respondents who buy by phone or by mail and charge such purchases to a credit card.
CREDIT CARD REPORTS Daily logs of credit card transactions provided for authorization and control. (Manual, if under twenty-five per day; usually automated to save clerical time if more numerous.)
CREDIT SALE A direct-response sale to be paid after delivery. May involve financing the account receivable if time payments are involved.
CREDIT SCREENING Formerly included matching a desired list against a credit masterfile and being able to mail some "short form" financial offers only to that small proportion of those matched individuals who passed a given limit. Process was costly and time consuming. Now credit granters are providing lists approved for credit.
CRIS FILE The Carrier Route Information System file contains information about each carrier route in the country, and is updated monthly. The file is used to code address records to permit carrier route presort of mail files.
CRIS TAPE A USPS coding structure or magnetic tape providing a means to carrier-route code a list for third class presort bulk mailing.
CRITERIA If there were to be one word to define the most important aspect of lists, it would be "criteria." Criteria distinguish one list from another, one segment from another, one selection from another.
The four major forms of criteria for selection (which see), are:
Demographics - Attributes Psychographics - Lifestyle
Characteristics Mail Order Characteristics - Relation of Name to
List Owner Physical Characteristics - Mailability Attributes
CROSSTAB To tabulate a row of inputted figures, by segments of a column to provide a spreadsheet. Can be accomplished for any pair of accessible variables.
CRT In computerese this describes a cathode ray tube on which customer data (usually) can be displayed and individually manipulated. Off premise data processing uses CRTs to obtain access to data on the lists of others.
CRUTCH FILE A copy of all records being utilized for a given task as a bit of security. Holding a tape copy of multiple keyed prospecting lists, for look up of source codes is a form of a crutch file.
CULTURAL A large number of mailers seek cultural lists for books, records, newsletters, opera, theater, ballet and fundraising. There are cultural-type buyers and cultural-type donors. Some 5 million homes qualify as part of the cultural market.
CURBLINE BOX A mailbox fixed to the top of a post or standard at the side of the road. They are typical of rural and some suburban addresses.
CUSTOMER PROFILE The demographic and/or psychographic description of a typical buyer on a direct response customer file.
A report following matching of a customer file against a masterfile of consumers; an essential first step in the production of a computerized model.
CUSTOMERS For printed data, these are subscribers, or recipients. For charitable and fundraising offers they are known as donors. For products and services sold by direct response they are the buyers.
DAT TAPE Digital Audio Tape: A magnetic medium for data storage, produced on a PC or a mainframe, typically either 4mm or 8mm wide, in a cartridge.
DATA Any and all information available on a list file or made available to augment, correct, enhance, change or effect that file. All demographic or psychographic information found on that file. Hard copy source for conversion to magnetic form.
DATA CAPTURE The act of extracting from each transaction the data required for list building or list updating and preserving such data in magnetic mode.
DATA CARD A printed card providing basic data as to price per M as well as all other list rental information for a given list. Standardized as to size (5-1/2 x 8-1/2" or 8-1/2" x 11") and also for the most part by the information presented. Most list brokers now create such cards from their on-site computer system. The majority of such systems are provided and updated by MIN which also provides the basic data for the Database America list card delivery system.
DATA ENTRY Conversion of selected data of transactions from hard copy to magnetic form.
DATA INTEGRITY A performance measure based on the rate of undetected errors.
DATA OVERLAYS Programatically transforming any items or data from one list to another. Typically utilized to add demographic data (and telephone number) to a business or a consumer customer file. Also includes reverse appending of establishment name or individual name to a given phone number.
DATABASE A database is an organized collection of data. The data can be names & addresses, used cars or any other collection of data. Retrieving the data quickly and easily makes the data useful for analysis or to generate labels, lists, reports, etc. It is a file consisting of all inputs owned or controlled by a single company, including its customers, which can be accessed, retrieved, selected, augmented, and manipulated through multiple channels on line in real time for management of the marketing function.
DATE OF COMPILATION When dealing with compilers, it is good practice to ask the source and date of the data. If the compiler cannot or will not answer these questions, find one that can. There are no secrets on this type of list.
DATE STAMP The date of the order or response, essential if a list is to be expired after a given time. It is imperative to keep the initial date stamp on every record and add on date stamps for subsequent transactions. Two digits usually suffice -- one for month, (with X and Y for November and December) and one for year. (See Julian Dating.)
DBA MAILABILITY SCORE As a standard feature of DSF processing, Database America interprets the results of DSF processing and summarizes them in the form of a Mailability Score. This score ranks records according to the quality of the address, and scores them on a scale of 1-7 to predict the likelihood of the address getting delivered. The Mailability Scores can be used to make better mail/no mail decisions, and to provide direction for file updates.
"DEADBEAT" LIST List of "bad pays" or poor risks which are used as suppress files prior to a major mailing.
DEALER LOCATOR A computer program which identifies the closest retail outlet (or repair shop) for a given product line or brand to the home of the requester.
DEALERIZATION Allocation of given records in given classifications in given areas to match branch, dealer, or sales representative markets. Lists so "dealerized" are usually utilized several times. (See Availability Report.)
DECISION POWER Business mailers have a constant need to reach the individuals (or individuals) who can authorize an order. Often the order is issued by a purchasing agent, but he is not the specifier, the party who has made the decision to order. It is because of this that both "Ship To" and "Bill To" addresses, when given, are of value.
DECODE Almost all direct mail is coded or keyed with a few characters or numbers. A decode convert this short form code into the name of the source.
DECOY Also known as a "seed" or dummy. A record unique to only one list inserted as a control to flag what was mailed, at what time, by whom.
DEDICATED TELEPHONE LINE A line typically set up to facilitate data transfer between computers in different locations, as opposed to access via dial-up modems. Dedicated lines are not as prone to the static and interruptions which can turn the transfer of large amounts of data into a nightmare. Most fax lines are now dedicated.
DEDUPE The process of eliminating all duplicate records that have been identified.
DEFAULT MATCHING Many high-rise locations have multiple ZIP+4 codes, one will identify the building, another a specific floor, and another a specific company. In the process of appending ZIP+4 codes to a mail file, the software tries to make the most specific match possible if there is insufficient address information to verify, for example, a company's ZIP+4, the software will default to a lower level of specificity and assign the proper ZIP+4 for that level.
DELETIONS All updating of lists involves adds (new records), changes (canape adds or changes in a record already on the file) and "kills" (deletions). Simplistically "changes" are often made in two steps: first a kill of the old record then a changed add (as a replacement).
DELINQUENT A mail order buyer who has not paid his or her bill.
DELIVERABILITY The proportion of a list which is deliverable by third class bulk mail. (This varies immensely from 99 percent or more for a list like the AMA list which is updated weekly, to 75 percent or 80 percent for some segments of compiled files which have not been updated in eighteen months or longer.)
DELIVERABILITY GUARANTEE Most compiled files (and virtually no response files) guarantee to pay postage costs for the portion of mail "undeliverable as addressed" which exceeds a stipulated percentage. This guarantee does not apply to duplicate sets. When undeliverables or "nixies" exceed the "guarantee" a refund is made providing the mailer sends proof in the form of the returned pieces to the owner within the stipulated time frame.
DELIVERY DATE The date set by the list renter (or his or her agent) for the receipt of a list at a mailing house or a merge-purge house.
DEMOGRAPHICS The basic demographic selection factors on a list, chief among them for consumers; income, location, age, education, family makeup, length and type of residence and ownership of cars. For non-households, the chief demographic factors are classification, size, and location.
DENSITY From a list point of view, how many records are available for a given geographical area. For floppy disc use, it is essential to know the name and physical characteristics of the disc and the system under which it will operate.
DESCENDING In order from the greatest magnitude to the least magnitude.
DIRECT ADDRESSING A means to address directly to the mailing piece with or without coding and commentary. Now done by creating a mailing tape to run a computer or ink jet. Formerly done through moving the pieces to where the list was maintained primarily on metal plates.
DIRECT MAIL (OR RESPONSE) ADVERTISING The process of placing ads in space or on electronic media to elicit a direct response. (Direct mail describes mailing an offer to a prospect to elicit a direct response.)
DIRECT RESPONSE LIST Individuals or establishments that have responded to offers through the mails.
DIRECTORIES Defined by the American Library Association as "a list of persons or organizations systematically arranged usually in alphabetical or classification order, giving addresses, affiliations, functions and similar data for organizations." In the list world, the major directories are alphabetic and classified (yellow pages) lists of phone registrants. Other directories for list work include industrial directories, trade directories, membership directories, club rosters, and so on.
DISCIPLINE The rigor exercised in converting raw data into magnetic form per such variables as tables, spelling, prefixes, suffixes, prestige addresses. If is principally the differences in discipline which determines the proportion of one list which can be matched against another list.
DISCOUNT List owners provide a discount of 20 percent to brokers for placing business on their lists. In addition, the management fee, if the list if managed, runs from 10 to 20 percent and is, in effect, a sales discount (so far as the owner is concerned) from the published list price.
DISCRETIONARY INCOME The U.S. government stipulates that the line delineating affluence is an income 30 percent greater than the local cost of living plus taxes. The sum above this is "discretionary income" available for the better things in life. Much of direct mail to householders is an attempt to tap this fund of discretionary income.
DISK A means to store list data magnetically for easy retrieval in compact form. Can be a hard diskette, a laser disk, or a floppy diskette. A round, flat, data medium that is rotated in order to read or write data. See also compact disk, hard disk, and diskette.
DISKETTE A thin, supple metallic disc is used as a magnetic means to store transfer relatively small volumes of data from one computer to another. Some producers of lists on diskettes also provide an operating system to provide output in the form of labels, sheet lists or cards.
DISKETTE DRIVE A mechanism used to seek, read, and write data on diskettes.
DISPLAY See CRT.
DMA MAIL PREFERENCE SERVICE See Mail Preference Service.
DNM Individual list records coded for "Do Not Mail" suppression.
DNR Individual list records coded for "Do Not Rent" suppression.
DOLLARS A selection factor for the size of purchase or purchases from a direct response customer file. Can be dollars per item, per quarter, per year, highest dollars, or cumulative dollars where available.
DOLLARS PER CATALOG This usually pertains to the average number of dollars of gross sales generated by each copy of a catalog. It may also relate to the cost of the catalog in the mail.
DOLLARS PER M The total promotion of cost to place 1,000 given pieces in the mail.
DOLLARS PER PIECE The total promotional cost to place one given piece in the mail.
DONOR LIST Individuals (or establishments) who have made a donation to a charitable or fundraising appeal.
DOS (Disk Operating System) The original and still popular program that runs on PCs.
DOWNLOAD To accept data coming in from an outside source -- which could be a diskette to slip into a PC, or a file that has come in electronically via modem from another computer. Conversely, to upload a file is to send data to another computer, typically, electronically.
DRIVER'S LICENSES The major source of exact age data utilized by compilers of consumer data.
DROP (MAIL DROP) The time and usually the description of a given mailing. Drop day is the day such a mailing is scheduled to be delivered to the postal service. (If test groups are not mailed at the same time, the measurement of half life may be mangled.)
DROP SHIP Some mailers save time and money by bypassing the local postal facility, and transporting mail directly to a more distant postal facility that is nearer to the addresses in the mailing. To qualify for Destination Entry Discounts, mail is drop shipped to BMCs, SCFs or Destination Delivery Units. Second class publications are often drop shipped to postal facilities in distant zones to save on the zone-rated postage. (Merchandise purchased through a catalog may be "drop shipped" from the warehouse or storage of the actual maker.)
DRY TEST A mailing made to solicit orders for a product not yet available to determine the likelihood of success through direct mail or direct-mail-advertising.
DSF (Delivery Sequence File) The DSF, compiled by the USPS, is a comprehensive database of every one of the 120,000,000 addresses that the USPS delivers to. DSF serves as a tool to improve mailing list selections and to provide walk sequencing of mail files. DSF processing will confirm the accuracy of mailing lists, identify address errors, and provide information about the address. DSF processing is performed by commercial vendors under license by the USPS. Outside lists compared to the DSF by one of a handful of licensees can make a substantial contribution to reduce wasteful mailings.
DUAL ADDRESSES In business lists, the ship-to-address may be and often is different from the bill-to-address. It is a good customer protection policy to mail both. Suitably equipped mail fulfillment skills can provide dual addressing for catalogs in line, one as the mailing address (on the cover) and the other on a card or form with identical coding information serving as the order form. This form is then gathered in and bound into the catalogs - increasing dramatically the proportion of responses which can be captured by key code.
DUMMY Another name for a decoy or seed.
DUMP A printout, character by character, of a few hundred records of a given tape. A dump should accompany any tape delivery along with a description of the file, and a "tape layout."
DUPE Trade lingo for a duplicate record that has been identified and eliminated. It is good practice to look at the "matched pairs" or "dupes" so identified to make certain the dropped record is really a duplicate.
DUPE ELIMINATION The process through merge-purging, by which duplication is removed from a list or group of lists.
DUPLICATION FACTOR The proportion of names and addresses on one list that also are found to be on another list. Merge-purge programs produce reports on internal duplication (intradupes within the house file), duplication between outside lists and house files, as well as interduplication between two or more outside lists brought in to merge-purge against the house files. The rate of duplication between the house lists and each outside list is a meaningful indicator of the affinity of such outside lists for the product or service being offered.
DWELLING TYPE Consumers live in one of two kinds of dwelling units - Single Family Units or Multiple Unit Dwellings. Almost 19% of the American population lives in multiple dwellings, the great majority in high rise buildings.
EBCDIC (Extended Binary-Coded Decimal Interchange Code) The primary machine language coding structure used by IBM and IBM-compatible mainframe computers.
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) The exchange of information (orders, invoices, counts, list cards, requests for quotations, list approvals) between two computers. EDI consists of standards which use a combination of rules (syntax) and tables to encode and transmit business information (a form of electronic mail between computers).
EDIT CHECKING A progammatic screen to ensure that the data entered fit given parameters such as zip to be numeric only and five or 9 digits. Checking of labels or sheet lists by the mailer to see if output agrees with instructions as to sex, geography, unduplication, typography, copies (if any) and other selection factors.
EDIT REJECTS Records identified via data processing as faulty, eliminated from further processing. Such records might, for instance, lack a last name, lack a primary or secondary address (see definitions), have a mismatched ZIP and city or state which are not correctable.
EDITING RULES A discipline created by a printed set of rules of publishing standards for entry of each data element. Includes handling of titles, innovation, punctuation, length of field, numerals and all variants.
EDT Electronic data transfer via telephone lines.
EDUCATION This is a field served exceptionally well by list compilers - Public Schools, Private Schools, High Schools, Colleges, Trade & Personal Training Schools. Includes educators by over 250 disciplines, coaches, special education. For most lists, data is available by enrollment.
EFFORT KEY REPORT A report covering responses, over a period of time, to multiple keyed offers. Results, in numbers and percentages, usually per thousand pieces in the mail, for each key of a multi-key mail plan. Provides a way to compare lists, packages, offers . . . and determine next steps to take, if any.
ELASTICITY Comes from "elasticity of demand" to determine what effect in response a change in price or offer will create. Those markets that show little change are inelastic; those that vary greatly with price are highly elastic.
ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARD In the data processing world, a facility for electronic data transfer (EDT) whereby senders can "post" a data file to a telephone number provided by the receiver, avoiding the delays inherent in creation, mailing and processing of a magnetic tape. Now an important feature of the Internet.
ELECTRONIC MEDIA The original electronic medium was the telephone, followed by Radio, TV, Fax, E-Mail, Intercommunication, the Internet, for the most part direct response by electronic media, is now generated through commercial time purchased on Radio or TV.
ELEVEN-DIGIT BAR CODED ADDRESSING All bar coded mail now includes 11 digits - the 9th digit zip code, plus the last 2 digits of the local address. There is also now a check digit, something the 9-digit zip code never provided.
ENGINEERS Direct mail covers all types of engineers: aeronautical, chemical, plastic, industrial, sanitary; quality control, electronic, safety - over 30 disciplines selectable via 8-digit SIC - with phone numbers.
ENUMERATION DISTRICTS The small geographic areas assigned by the U.S. Census Bureau. For these small areas and subblocks (with an average of about 140 families), the census publishes a huge volume of median demographic data. There are some 400,000 enumeration districts and subblocks. The 9-digit zip code has made these far less important as there are over 19,000,000 separate 9-digit zip codes or one for every 6.5 mailable addresses in America (both households and non-households).
ENVELOPE The addressed outer carrier (paper or plastic, or a combination of the two) in which the pieces of the mailing package are enclosed.
ENVELOPE STUFFERS Printed offers placed in the envelopes of others. Can be other mailers (known as ride-alongs), or in billing envelopes, for utilities, cable companies, credit card companies or department stores.
ENVELOPES Envelopes come in all sizes and all colors. The conventional envelope for first class mail is the 4" X 9-1/2" number 10 envelope. Other frequently used sizes are the 6" X 9", the 9" X 12", and the Baronial measuring 5" X 7".
ETHNIC LISTS List data, selected on the basis of surnames, to indicate ethnicity. List proportions of Black families and Hispanic families are published by the U.S. Census Bureau. Overlays based on surnames are available to ethnicize segments of a customer file.
EXACT DATE OF BIRTH Age is one of the important demographic facts about consumer. Through overlays with Driver's Licenses a large proportion of Age Data on major consumer files includes the day, month and date of birth. The balance of age codes are usually in one or two-year ranges, part of which is compiled.
EXCHANGE A reciprocal relationship in which one mail order company swaps buyers, usually on a name for name rental basis, with another mail order company; often both prospect in the same market. Some mail order buyer lists are available only on an exchange basis. Where exchanges are not even, careful control is mandatory.
EXECUTIVES A good portion of business mailings goes to executives, both at home and at business. Major lists offer up to thirty or forty functional titles for executives. Some lists provide selection by size of company (by employees or sales) provided the stock exchange, besides making possible geographical selection, with or without the phone number.
EXPIRE A former customer or former member of an organization, or former subscriber, or former continuity buyer; any record which is removed from a live file.
EXTENDED ATTRIBUTES Additional information that the system or a program associates with a file. An extended attribute can be any format, for example text, a map, or binary data.
EXTERNAL LIST Any list other than the house files of a mailer.
EYEBALL A LIST Visually reviewing output of a list on cheshire or sheet list to check the validity of the data. This should be done prior to mailing or use by the buyer of the list. Things to look for: Geography, Sex, Selection, Duplication, Two-Line Addresses, 9-Digit Zip Code, SIC Classification (Fifth Digit Zip, if used as a select).
FACTOR ANALYSIS A statistical analytic tool used to determine the selection factors within a list that influence response.
FAMILY Members of a given family, or family group, living at a given household. Households are always unique, some families consist of just one family member. Usually connotes presence of children on a file of consumers.
FANFOLD FORMS Folded, perforated, continuous (blank or preprinted) forms utilized for computer printouts.
FARMERS China has 800,000,000 living on farms; the United States feeds itself and part of the rest of the world from 2,600,000 farms. Selection is available by size, crop, type, as well as number of livestock, also by type.
FAX MODEM Really should be fax/data modems. Modems that enable you to send and receive faxes in addition to ordinary computer-type data.
FIELD The location on a tape of a given set of information--such as name, address, city, state, SIC, ZIP code. May be variable length or fixed. For addressing purposes almost always in "fixed fields" where ZIP code for example, is always found in the same five positions in a record.
FIELD LENGTH The number of bytes or characters in a particular data field for a record on a magnetic medium.
FIFTH-DIGIT ZIP SELECT Utilizing the fifth number in a ZIP code as a cross-section selection method.
FILE LAYOUT The sequence of data fields for a particular record stored on magnetic media. For example: First and last name, Primary address, Secondary address, phone number, date of last purchase, amount of last purchase. In a Fixed-Field file, each of those data elements, or fields, will always occupy the same number of bytes on each records, whether or not any data resides in those fields. In a Variable-Length file, the length of each data element -- and each individual record -- depends entirely upon the length of the "live" data in that field. For example, a fixed-field file will always have the name field take up a specific number of bytes, say positions 1 to 30. In a variable-length file, if the first and last names (and the space in between them!) add up to 22 characters, or bytes, that is how long the name field is in that record. You can immediately see two consequences immediately: Variable-length-field files take up less space on a tape or diskette, but they can be a nightmare to decode, read or process, because the data is never in a consistent position for each record!
FILE SEQUENCE The sequence (alphabetic, zip code, SIC, arranged by volume) in which a list of names is maintained.
FILE SERVER A heavy duty mini computer CPU (central processing unit) dedicated to handling and processing data shared by a network of PCs.
FILE TAGGING Adding data from one file to another; can refer to the unauthorized additions to house files of information owned by others.
FIM Facing Identification Marks (FIM) are a series of vertical bars that must appear in the upper right of business reply mail. The FIM bars are used by automated equipment to identify business reply, and to properly orient the piece for processing.
FINANCIAL SERVICES There are over 500,000 establishments providing financial services. Here are found lists of banks, savings and loans, stockbrokers, insurance and real estate firms, and cemeteries.
FIRM NAME The firm or organization name appears on the USPS DSF and ZIP+4 file only if that firm has its own ZIP Code or ZIP+4 code.
FIRST CLASS Any mailable matter can be sent First Class mail, but mail that is of a personal nature and mail that is sealed against inspection must be mailed at First Class service. This includes personal correspondence, bills and statements, and any other mail that is specific to the addressed individual. Under Classification Reform, First Class will be restructured into two subclasses for mail preparation and postage rates: Automation (bar-coded mail), and Retail (non-bar-coded mail). It is now estimated that 15 percent or so of all mail with advertising is placed in the mail stream as first class mail. (This is more or less balanced by that portion of 3rd class which does not include advertising.)
FIRST TIME BUYER On a given list, a mail order patron who has purchased for the first (and only) time to date. Customer information should always be accompanied by the key or source code, and a date stamp.
(Many mail order companies concentrate on buying "first time" buyers and this is necessary. But building a Direct Mail operation is based on converting such first time buyers into regular repeat buyers.)
FIRST-IN-FIRST-OUT (FIFO) A queuing technique in which the next item to be retrieved is the item that has been in the queue for the longest time. [A]
FIVE-DIGIT ZIP CODE A numeric code that identifies the addresses served by a specific post office and its branches. Mail that is presorted to the 5-digit level can earn postage discounts.
FIXED COST A way of establishing a fixed cost per sale including not only promotion cost but also all other costs. Can and should be calculated on large unit sales.
FIXED LISTS Cost per sale including all other costs except promotions.
FLAG A computerized means to identify data added to a file or the usage of a list segment, by a given mailer.
FLAT CHARGE A fixed cost for the total of a rental list, usually applies to smaller lists.
FLEXIBLE DISK See Diskette, floppy.
FLIGHT A given mailing, particularly where multiple drops are to be made on different days to reduce number arriving at one company at one time.
FONT A particular style (shape), size, slant, and weight, defined for an entire typographic character set; for example, 9 point Helvetica Italic Bold. When applied to outline or scalable character sets, which can be scaled to any size, font refers to style, slant, and weight, but not to size.
FOREIGN LIST HANDLING A few data processing centers are now equipped to convert, store, access, update and merge purge foreign lists.
FOREIGN MAIL Lists of householders and business outside the United States.
FORM 3202 This is the Statement of Mailing that must be provided by the mailer of any bulk mailing. The 3602 identifies the class of mail, the level of sortation, the postage rate, the number of pieces, and the postage due for the mailing. It provides certification by the USPS.
FORMAT The location of each item of data on each record of a mailing list.
FORMER BUYER Record of an individual or establishment showing purchase within a prior record.
FORTUNE 300 Fortune Magazine's selection of the largest fifty companies in six classifications: banking, retailing, wholesaling, insurance, construction and utilities. Compilers provide up to ten executives by name and title for each of these large companies.
FORTUNE 1000 Until recently, the one thousand largest manufacturing companies in the U.S. as published by Fortune Magazine. Now includes parts of what was formerly Fortune 300 - the largest fifty companies in six major classifications: banking, retailing, wholesaling, insurance, construction and utilities. All of these companies have sales in billions of dollars. (Compilers can provide the top 100, 500, 1,000, 2,000, et al in any given major classification. Thus no necessity to restrict pulls to these published by Time, Inc.)
FOUR-LINE ADDRESS The typical individual name list at business addresses requires a minimum of four lines: name of individual, name of company, local address, and city, state & zip code. Three-line records at business addresses can have a title on the 1st line. Three-line name lists are usually at home addresses. Computers can easily split out three-line addresses from records with 4 or more lines. (Cheshire labels can accommodate 8 lines of closely packed address data.)
FOURTH CLASS Includes books, records, tapes, educational materials, and printed material that can't be mailed as any other class of mail. This by another name is parcel post, the USPS service to deliver mail parcels weighing over 16 ounces.
FRAUD There are at least 50,000,000 list transactions per year that mail over the facilities of the USPS. The number of misuses or misappropriations of lists is an infinitely small percentage of these transactions. These few problems which do surface in direct mail use usually involve misrepresentation or other shoddy, even criminal offers.
FREE-STANDING INSERT An advertising insert, either solo or co-operative, inserted in newspapers, usually the Sunday editions, delivered with the newspaper. It is a little known fact that this form of prospecting is now greater by a substantial margin than all direct mail for prospecting.
FREQUENCY A measure of multiple purchases by a mail order buyer. One of the selection factors when utilizing mail order buyer files.
FRONT-END RESPONSE The initial responses generated by a direct-response promotion without consideration of returns, credit, payment, and subsequent purchases.
FULFILLMENT All activities to get in the mail stream performed after printed pieces and mailing list data are delivered to the mailing service plant; also refers to the physical handling of an order, or an information request, or a premium or a refund. (Should not be confused with subscription fulfillment which requires unique computer programming.)
FUNDRAISING LISTS Lists which contain individuals who have either demonstrated willingness to contribute or are considered worthy of testing for contributions.
GAINS CHART An aggregate table showing the range of predicted consumer response rates for the best to worst prospects.
GALLEY LISTING OR SHEETLIST A printout of list data on sheets, usually in zip or alphabetic order.
GENDERIZATION A program run to add gender to mailing lists (based on first names where available). Sex is a useful selection factor in the list business.
GEOGRAPHICS A selection factor based on location, can be state, city, SCF, zip code, telephone area code, enumeration district, or carrier route.
GIFT BUYERS Mail order buyers of gift merchandise, also buyers who order gifts in some quantity to be shipped to others.
GIFTEES List of individuals sent gifts or magazine in bulk by mail by friends or donors or business firms. Giftees are not truly mail order buyers; rather they are mail order recipients and beneficiaries.
GOVERNMENTS An often overlooked source of lists. Governments register cars and homes and dogs; bankers and hairdressers, plumbers and veterinarians. Government lists include buyers, subscribers, inquirers. Governments license TV stations, ham operators, and CBs.
GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION Access to spreadsheets and windows make possible analysis of markets graphically by Age, Income, Dollars, Time or any other variable studied.
GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI) The key to Windows access to data by means of graphical icons.
GRAPHS A tool to analyze and present numerical data in a visual way.
GRID TEST A means to test more than one variable at the same time. This is a particular useful method to use to test different offers by different packages over a group of prospect lists.
GROUPS Society is formed of "groups"--that is clubs, associations, memberships, churches, fraternal orders, political groups, religious groups, sporting groups, collector groups, travel groups, and singing groups. Wherever human beings are, there we find groups.
GUARANTEE There is no "guarantee of results or response" in direct mail. Some compilers offer guarantees of percentages of delivery (usually from 90 to 95 percent) and pay the postage costs on all returned "undeliverable as addressed" that exceed the guaranteed proportion. Almost all direct mail operators have "money back" guarantees in case of dissatisfaction with the merchandise received.
GUI (Graphical User Interface) (Pronounced "gooey") Graphical User Interface, typically synonymous with Windows, although, as many know, Windows is an emulation of the Mac OS.
GUMMED LABELS A form of perforated label requiring dampening to affix. Replaced for all practical purposes by pressure-sensitive labels which can be peeled off and affixed without water.
HALF LIFE A formula for estimating the total response to be expected from a direct-response effort shortly after the first responses are received. Makes valid continuation decisions possible based on statistically valid early partial data.
HANDSHAKING Exchange of predetermined signals between two devices establishing a connection. Usually part of a communications protocol.
HANDLING CHARGE A fixed charge added per segment for special list requests. Also shows up as part of "shipping and handling" charges for transportation of labels, cards, sheets, or tape and merchandise.
HARD COPY A printout on a sheet list or galley of all data available on a magnetic source such as a tape, a disc, or a floppy.
HARD DISK A rigid disk in a hard disk drive that you cannot be removed. The hard disk can be partitioned into storage areas of variable sizes that are subdivided into directories and subdirectories. See also partition.
HEAD OF FAMILY From telephone, voter, or car data, the name and sex of the individual on the registration file.
HEADLINE The primary wording utilized to induce a recipient to read and react.
HEAT TRANSFER A form of label which transfers reverse carbon images on the back of sheet to mailing pieces by means of heat and pressure. (After use for transfer, the labels, now one-up, can be glued and affixed by machine which provides a second copy of the list.)
HELP A choice on a pop-up menu that gives assistance and information; for example, general help about the purpose of the object.
HIGH RISE An apartment or office building that has a bank of lock boxes for mail receptacles (a minimum of four mail boxes).
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS Several compilers provide lists of high school juniors and seniors at their home addresses. The original data, usually printed phone rosters, are not available for all schools or localities.
HIGH-TICKET BUYERS Buyers who have purchased expensive items by mail.
HIGHWAY CONTRACT ROUTE Similar to a rural route, except that the mail is delivered by a private contractor under the terms of an agreement with the USPS. Highway contract routes are usually in areas that are sparsely populated or too remote to justify a full-time postal employee.
HOME BUSINESS Businesses, run from homes, estimated to be over 6,000,000 households of which over 2,000,000 charge off home-office on their IRS reports.
HOME BUYER (Home Buyer, New) Usually a recent (or very recent) purchase of a brand new house or a house formerly owned by others. To be distinguished from "Home Owners" in general who can have owned a house at the same address for a number of years.
HOME OFFICES For major businesses, the executive or home office location as differentiated from branch offices or plants.
HOME OWNERSHIP Seventy-five percent of American families live in homes they own. Twenty-five percent of American families are renters. Renters have little interest in offers to maintain, upgrade, or improve living quarters.
HOMOGENIZATION The unfortunate and misleading combination of responses from various sources. Often the use of a single "average" response for a mailing made to customers and prospects alike.
HOT LINE The most recent buyers on a list which undergoes periodic updating. (Those who have just purchased by mail are the most likely buyers of other products and services by mail.)
HOUSE LISTS Those list segments controlled or owned by the list owner. Includes customers, inquiries, expires, warrantees, white mail, salespeople's qualified prospects, gift buyers, giftees, trials, and so on.
HOUSEHOLDS All lists are delivered to households (homes) or to non-households. Households are selectable on a demographic basis. Householders (consumers) may be selectable on a psychographic basis.
ICON A graphical representation of an object, consisting of an image, image background, and a label.
ID A number assigned to a given individual or company record as a permanent identification code.
INACTIVE BUYERS Buyers who have not placed an order or responded during a specified period of time.
INCOME Perhaps the most important demographic selection factor on consumer files. Major compiled files provide surprisingly accurate individual family incomes up to about $40,000. Incomes can be selected in $1,000 increments; counts are available by income ranges for every ZIP code.
INCOMING CALLS A log of inbound calls, including duration, usually by trunk or line, or agent.
INDEX A means to translate a field of random data results into a form which makes possible direct comparisons.
INDEXING Creation of a standard, say 100% of recovery of promotion cost, to enable comparison between mailings of different sizes.
INDICIA What the USPS calls a permit imprint, many mailers know as the indicia. It's preprinted in the upper right corner of the mailpiece, and indicates that postage has been paid to a permit-numbered account. The indicia substitutes for stamps or metered postage.
INDIVIDUAL Most mailings are made to individuals. However, all occupant or resident mail in effect is to an address only. A portion of business mail is addressed to the establishment (by name and address) only, or to a title and not to an "individual."
INFLUENTIALS In business mail order, those executives who have decision power on what and when to buy. Also those who exercise clout in their business classification or community. In consumer PR mail, those individuals (executives, professionals, educators, clergy, labor, and so on) who make a difference in their localities or work.
INITIAL SOURCE CODE The code of the mailing effort which brought the name to the customer file for the first time. It is important to maintain this code, as well as the date stamp of the sale:
INPUT DATA Original data, usually in hard copy form, to be converted and added to a given file. Also taped lists made ready for a merge-purge, or for a data bank.
INQUIRY (OR REQUEST) A response in the form of an inquiry for more information or for a copy of a catalog.
INSTALLMENT BUYERS Mail order buyers who have purchased goods or services on a periodic payment basis.
INSURANCE LISTS Insurance lists abound. There are lists of companies - life, property, casualty, and health. There are lists of agents: general agents, special agents, brokers, adjusters, and agents who are also real estate agents. There are lists of buyers and inquiries for each and every kind of insurance -- including buyer by age. There are lists of buyers of books and resellers on insurance.
INTER-FILE DUPLICATES Duplicates between different files.
INTERACTIVE PROCESSING A processing method in which each action by a system user causes response from the program or the system. Contrast with batch processing.
INTERLIST DUPLICATE A name and address appearing on two or more lists. (Usually not duplicating the basic customer file.)
INTERNET See special section at end of the mail marketing glossary.
INTRA-FILE DUPLICATES Duplicates within the same file.
INVALID RECORDS Records which when passed against an edit screen are found to be wrong in some significant way. Such records are "bumped" from the file, and then printed out for clerical review.
INVOLVEMENT A means to get the prospective to do something, to get "involved", in the order or inquiry procedure. Includes instructions as to tabs, tokens, labels or other devices to be handled.
IPS Instructions Per Second -- a measure of the speed with which a computer processes information, typically in the millions of instructions per second: MIPS.
ITEM In the selection process with a mail order list, denotes the types of goods or service purchased. In input terms, it is a part of a record to be converted.
JCL (Job Control Language) The language that assigns and controls specific data processing projects for mainframes. JCL is, essentially, a kind of all-purpose programming language that allows the execution of programs written in any programming language: Cobol, Assembler, etc.
JOB FUNCTION The descriptive title of an executive at a business address; also a title added to a three-line business address to direct the mailing piece to a given function.
JOB NUMBER An assigned number given to a completed order.
JULIAN DATING A three-digit numerical systems for date stamping a transaction by day. January 1 is 001, while December 31 is 365.
KEY CODE A means utilized to identify a given promotional effort so response can be identified and tracked and measured.
KEY CODE--GENERIC A form of hierarchical coding in which promotional vehicles can be analyzed within type of media -- newspapers, magazines, Sunday supplements, self-standing stuffers, mailing lists, radio and promotion, TV promotion, take-ones, and so on.
KEY LINE A line of alphanumeric characters designating selected facts about an individual customer record such as length of term, size of purchase, classification, identification number. In magazine updating, it is almost imperative for the key line to be provided to make any change in the records, as for example, a change in address.
KEY PUNCH A means to convert hard copy to machine-readable form by punching holes in either cards or paper tape.
KEY PUNCH/KEY STROKE The clerical means used to convert hart copy data, one character at a time, to magnetic form.
KEY STROKE A means to convert hard copy to machine readable form through a typewriter key or similar. A good portion of key stroke conversion today goes directly to some electronic form usually either on a cassette or a tape. When many key-to-tape machines are linked together, the data go directly to disc in the computer complex.
KEY VERIFYING Having two operators at the data entry stage key punch that same data for 100 percent accuracy.
KEYSTONE A measure of mark-up (100% of all costs except promotion). Not recommended for direct mail (See Order Margin.)
KILL To delete a record from a file.
LABEL A paper form bearing a name and address which when affixed (usually by machine) to a mailing piece, serves as the mailing address.
LABEL IMAGE FILE Also a PRINT IMAGE FILE: A file wherein data elements are kept in precisely the same sequence and order they will appear upon printing. For example, a file kept as Last Name, First Name, is typically not a label image file. Also, if a particular field is missing in a label image file, it does not print as a blank, but all other fields move up: a record missing a first and last name will not print a blank first line, but will print the primary address as the first line.
LABEL, PEEL-OFF (OR PRESSURE-SENSITIVE) A self-adhesive label form that can be peeled off its backing form and pressed onto a mailing piece by hand. When the backing sheet of a peel off label is affixed to a mailing piece, the recipient can be invited to peel off the label and affix it as his or her return address to an enclosed order form.
LABELS, GUMMED Perforated label form on paper stock which must be individually separated and moistened before being applied with hand pressure to the mailing piece.
LABELS, ONE UP Conventional cheshire or pressure sensitive labels for computer addressing are four-across horizontal. One-up labels are in a vertical strip with centerholes for machine affixing.
LAN (Local Area Network) (1) Two or more computing units connected for local resource sharing. (2) A network in which communications are limited to a moderate-size geographic area, such as a single office building, warehouse or campus, and that do not extend across public rights-of-way.
LASER LETTERS Letters printed by the latest high speed computerized imaging method. The new lasers can print two letters side by side, each of thirty-five or forty lines, in one second.
LAST DIGIT ZIP See Fifth-Digit Zip.
LATE CHARGE A charge for the cost of money imposed by some list owners for list rentals not paid within a specific period.
LATITUDE A measure, in degrees, of distance north or south of the Equator, where 0– equals the Equator, 90– N. Latitude is the North Pole; 90–S. Latitude is the South Pole. Used in conjunction with an East/West measurement: Longitude, any point on the globe can be pinpointed.
LATITUDE & LONGITUDE Precise location of a site for mapping or calculating coverage in miles. Until recently, it was restricted to the control of a zip code. Now available for any one of 21,000,000 9-digit zip code addresses. Appearing on major business universe files.
LAYOUT See File Layout.
LENGTH OF LINE The computer which has capacity to print 132 characters across a 14-1/2" sheet has forced discipline here. In four-across cheshiring, the longest line can not be more than thirty characters; for five across this limit is twenty-three characters. Capable data processors, utilizing all eight lines available on a 1" deep label can provide two full lines, if need be, for the title line.
LENGTH OF RESIDENCE Major compilers who utilize telephone or car registration data maintain the number of years (up to 16) a given family has been at the same address. This provides another selection factor available from these stratified lists.
LETTERSHOP A lettershop handles all details of printing and mailing letters and stuffers; a mailing house essentially handles the preparation and the mailing of bulk quantities of mail.
LIBRARY LISTS There are two major classifications of libraries, private (plus special) and public. Public libraries can be selected by number of purchase dollars available per year for book funds. In the public sector, there are public libraries, high school libraries, and college libraries. In the private sector, there are specialized collections such as science, business, law, medicine, and religion. There are also librarians by name, including members of the Special Libraries Association.
LIFESTYLE SELECTIVITY List professionals seek actual proof of lifestyle habits through lists indicating what people need, what people read, what people buy, what people own, what people join, and what people support. Major lists based on consumer surveys provide data on hobbies, ownership, and interests.
LIFETIME VALUE There are two key factors: the first is the cost to buy a customer, and the second is the lifetime value of that customer. It is the lifetime value (and the promotional span) which determines whether or not a given effort key has produced a profit for the operation.
LIFT LETTER A separate piece added to conventional solo mailings asking the reader to consider the offer just once more.
LINE OF TRAVEL Sortation of carrier-route coded lists (and hence pieces for delivery) in the line of travel utilized by the individual postal carrier. Under re-classification, may become mandatory for lowest postal rate. In development in 1995.
LIST AFFINITY Correlation of a mailing offer to selected mailing list availabilities.
LIST BANK See Data Bank.
LIST BROKER A service to handle all details to bring the buyer (the list owner) and the seller (the list owner) together.
LIST BUILDING The process of collecting and utilizing list data and transaction data for list purposes.
LIST BULLETIN An announcement of a new list or of a change in a list previously announced.
LIST CARD The conventional 5-1/2" X 8-1/2" card utilized to provide essential data about a given list.
LIST CATALOGS Directories of lists with counts prepared and distributed, usually free, by list managers and list compilers.
LIST CLEANING Another phrase for list updating -- the process of correcting a mailing list. "Cleaning" implies the removal of the records "undeliverable as addressed."
LIST COMPILATION The business of creating lists from printed records. The individual or company making such lists is known as a compiler.
LIST COUNT The number of names and addresses on a given segment of a mailing list; a count provided before printing of tapes or labels. The universe of names available by segment or classification.
LIST CRITERIA Those factors on a mailing list that differentiate one segment from another. The criteria can be demographic, psychographic, or physical in nature.
LIST, CUSTOM COMPILED In prior years, all compiled lists were typed and thus were custom prepared to order; today, virtually all compiled files, with multiple data elements, are precompiled on tape for virtually any selection the user wishes.
LIST DATA BANK See Data Bank.
LIST ENHANCEMENT The transfer via overlay of data elements from one list to another; to differentiate from augmentation list enhancement occasionally means the adding of data from inside sources (as an executive to a business file) while augmentation is enhancement from outside sources.
LIST EXCHANGE See Exchange.
LIST FRANCHISE Major compilers often provide copies of all or parts of their files on a franchise basis to list wholesalers and mailing shops. Most such contracts are for a short period of years. The list may be paid for on a fee basis or, particularly on large files, on a royalty basis.
LIST KEY See Code or Key.
LIST MAINTENANCE The methodology to keep a mailing list current through timely updating of adds, kills, and changes.
LIST MANAGER, IN-HOUSE Almost all list managers are independents serving multiple list owners; some very large list owners, however, opt to manage the list rental activity through full time in-house employees.
LIST MANAGER/LIST MANAGEMENT While the list broker works for the mailer, the list manager services the list owner as merchandiser of a list, involving all details of promotion, rental, collection, and control.
LIST MONITORING Checking deliverability and time of delivery for a given list.
LIST PAYMENT The sum transmitted for an individual list transaction to the list owner; either directly from the list user, or from him through his list manager or list broker.
LIST PERFORMANCE The response logged to a mailed list or list segment.
LIST PROTECTION Lists are valuable. They are protected by review of mailing and mailer, insertion of lists seeds, obtaining of a guarantee of one time use only.
LIST RANKING In building a "bank" of lists for future use, each list is ranked in descending order on the basis of logged response and/or logged dollars of sales.
LIST RENTAL An arrangement in which a mailer obtains the right to mail the list owned by another on a one-time basis at an agreed upon cost per thousand names.
LIST RENTAL HISTORY A report showing tests and continuations by users of a given list. This usage record, exclusive to each broker or to the list manager, is the key to list recommendations. Historical data can be maintained by list, mailer, product or source of business. Repeat usage by mailers by name is perhaps the most important information desired by a knowledgeable direct marketer.
LOG IN The act of identifying yourself as authorized to use the resource. Often, the system requires a user ID and password to check your authorization to use the resource.
LOG OUT The act of removing access to a remote resource from a workstation. Contrast with log in.
LONGITUDE A measure of distance east and west of the Greenwich (England) Meridian (Greenwich was the site of the original Royal Observatory), also called the Prime Meridian -- a north/south line, considered Zero degrees, 0–. Points around the globe are measured as degrees east and west of the Prime Meridian, up to 180– East or West, where a meridian, very roughly along the International Date Line, bisects the Pacific Ocean. See: LATITUDE.
MACHINE-READABLE Imprinted alphanumeric data, including name and address, which can be read and converted to magnetic form by an optical character reader.
MAGALOGUE A mail order catalog that includes paid advertisements, and in some cases brief editorials, making it similar to a magazine format.
MAGNETIC TAPE A means to store names and addresses in magnetic form for sequential processing by a computer. Most tape lists are furnished in fixed field format (the ZIP code is always in the same five positions on each record), on nine-track tape, 1600 or 6250 BPI (bits per inch) in IBM mode.
MAGNETIC TAPE CHARGE A charge made for the tape reel on which a list is furnished. The reel usually is not returnable for credit.
MAIL (PIECE) VOLUME The USPS publishes monthly figures on Units, Dollars and Pounds. This is further broken down by class of mail and the current data (a total to date) is compared with each of these volume figures for the year prior.
MAIL COUNT The amount of mail deposited with the USPS on a given date as reported on the certification form (3602) provided by the postal service.
MAIL DATE The date selected for delivery of a mailing program to the U.S. Postal Service. Working backwards from this date, mailers can calculate time needed for creation, printing, purchasing, assembling and fulfillment.
MAIL DOLLAR SALES Estimates of dollars of sales due to Direct Mail Advertising or to Direct Response Advertising as a whole. Catalog dollar sales are usually reported separately. Care must be taken when referring to such estimates. For example, all catalogs in 1995 totaled about 12 Billion pieces (17% of Third Class volume). Total catalog dollar sales are estimated to be from $15 Billion to $65 Billion. As to the latter often quoted figure, each catalog is credited with sales of over $5 - which is absurd.
MAIL MONITORING A means to determine how long individual pieces of mail take to reach their destinations; also utilized to verify content and ascertain any unauthorized use.
MAIL ORDER Direct sale of a product or service, or elicitation of an inquiry or a catalog request by direct mail.
MAIL PLAN A mailing using records based on specific criteria to target a select group of people. The selection of segments of the house file to mail during a given period plus those outside lists to be continued as well as new lists to test. Utilizing answers to "what if" scenarios, many direct marketers are now producing mail plans via computer.
MAIL PREFERENCE SERVICE A well advertised program of the DMA providing a means to consumers to remove their names from a large number of mailings. When this same service provided a means to consumers to add their names to get more mail, two of three opted to add, only one-third to remove.
MAILER The organization that enters mail in the postal mail stream. For third class mail this includes over 750,000 establishments with permits; this is almost 1 of every 10 establishments in America. The mailing house is also sometimes called by this term.
MAILER'S TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE A group of representatives from virtually all associations involved in any form of mailing and related services that meets periodically with USPS officials to provide pragmatic advice and technical information and recommendations on postal policies.
MAILING HOUSE A direct-mail service establishment which among other services for the mailer, will affix labels, sort, bag and tie the mail, and deliver it in qualified ZIP code strings to the USPS for certification. Many mailing houses also provide printing as well as computerized services.
MAILING PACKAGE What is mailed with all of its pieces. This is the way the offer is "dressed" when it arrives in the mailbox.
MAILSTOP An internal routing number at many large companies, without which third-class mail will not be delivered. Business-to-business mailers must allow for the inclusion of a mailstop in their customer and prospect file layouts.
MAINFRAME A traditional "computer," distinguished not by processing power and ability, but by sheer size. Typically dedicated to mainline data processing: high-volume bulk processing of records; traditional access is through "dumb" terminals. IBM and IBM-compatible mainframes use EBCDIC machine coding language.
MARGINAL LIST TEST A test that almost, but not quite qualifies for a continuation.
MARK SENSE Use of a pre-coded multiple choice mail questionnaire. Answers indicated by filling in circles or squares. Response then tabulated by an optical character reader.
MARKET In the list world, each list is a market; all potential buyers that can be reached by mail are the market.
MARKET PENETRATION The proportion of buyers on a file to the total list or to the total area. For business lists, penetration is usually analyzed by two- four and 8-digit SIC classifications.
MARKETING INFORMATION NETWORK See MIN.
MARKUP A term utilized by retailers to denote percentage added to cost of goods sold. It is not germane in direct-mail calculations. The operative phrase in direct mail is "order margin" which is a discrete number of dollars, not a percentage or proportion of anything.
MARRIAGE MAIL A form of co-op in which the offers of two or more disparate mailers are combined in the same folder or envelope for delivery to the same household or establishment.
MASTERFILE A single combined file of all list inputs owned or controlled by a company, which can be found individually on subsidiary files. Publishers offer executives from multiple magazines. Mail order customers offer selects across product lines. Compilers offer any segment- consumer, business - embraced in the master file. Masterfiles provide large data banks now marketed in Science, Computers, Ethnics, Professionals, et al.
MATCH CODE An extract of parts of a name and address which serves to identify a specific record.
MATCH RATE The proportion of records on a customer file which match a master business or consumer file. Match rates vary considerably based on the discipline exercised by the owner of a list, the age of that list, the presence or lack of a zip code or a phone number.
MATCHED CITY PAIRS For testing purposes when individual markets must be utilized, a means to do A in city Y, but not B, while doing A and B in city X with the premise that the two cities are reasonably matched as to size, income spread, and type of lifestyles.
MATCHING The process of overlaying one list with another and transferring selected data attributes (usually from a masterfile) to a customer file. Matching shows up in many ways in direct marketing: phone appending, merge-purge, list suppression, merge identification, all partake in a matching process.
MAXIMUM COST PER ORDER Lifetime value (and time span) of each major cell of customers on a customer file. This helps set a limit to the price to pay for a new customer.
MECHANICAL ADDRESSING SYSTEMS While this is the computer age, numerous lists are filed on cards or plates and addressing is done by mechanical means. Most such lists are quite small. Card lists can be easily updated by the owning organization.
MEDIA Response is the name of the game, and direct mail is just one of the players. The other major media used for response include space advertising (newspapers and magazines) self-standing stuffers, radio, TV, take-ones, car cards, package inserts, billing inserts, and hand delivery. (With generic coding, response for each one can be compared, in total, with response for each other media.)