29th August 2007
A helpful guide...
Above the Line
Used to describe 'traditional' marketing activities that do not require a direct response but instead build awareness of goods or services, e.g. television and radio, posters and press.
Advertorial
A paid advertisement that is designed in such as manner that it gives the impression of being an editorial rather than advertisement.
Appointment Setting
The process of arranging qualified sales meetings for a field sales force.
Awareness
Advertising or other promotional activity (e.g. public relations) whose primary purpose is to increases general knowledge of the company, and to make people feel more positive towards it.
Below the Line
A term applied to marketing that carries a response mechanism. This includes coupons, DRTV and telemarketing (verbal responses).
Brief
Written instructions given to the supplier or suppliers before commencement of a project. This document details the project objectives, reporting procedures, timescales etc.
Business to Business
Marketing activity directed from one business to another (as opposed to a consumer).
Business Lists
Lists of business contact details used for marketing purposes, e.g. telemarketing. These lists are available in either electronic format or on labels.
Cold Call
The process of contacting a person (known as a prospect) that has no prior relationship with you, e.g. a telemarketing company calling from a previously uncontacted database.
Above the Line
Used to describe 'traditional' marketing activities that do not require a direct response but instead build awareness of goods or services, e.g. television and radio, posters and press.
Advertorial
A paid advertisement that is designed in such as manner that it gives the impression of being an editorial rather than advertisement.
Appointment Setting
The process of arranging qualified sales meetings for a field sales force.
Awareness
Advertising or other promotional activity (e.g. public relations) whose primary purpose is to increases general knowledge of the company, and to make people feel more positive towards it.
Below the Line
A term applied to marketing that carries a response mechanism. This includes coupons, DRTV and telemarketing (verbal responses).
Brief
Written instructions given to the supplier or suppliers before commencement of a project. This document details the project objectives, reporting procedures, timescales etc.
Business to Business
Marketing activity directed from one business to another (as opposed to a consumer).
Business Lists
Lists of business contact details used for marketing purposes, e.g. telemarketing. These lists are available in either electronic format or on labels.
Cold Call
The process of contacting a person (known as a prospect) that has no prior relationship with you, e.g. a telemarketing company calling from a previously uncontacted database.
Cold List
A list (database) of people who have no prior relationship with the advertiser. Cold lists are used as a method of generating sales leads.
A list (database) of people who have no prior relationship with the advertiser. Cold lists are used as a method of generating sales leads.
Consumer Lists
Lists of names (address and telephone number) of private individuals. These lists are available in either electronic format or on labels.
Lists of names (address and telephone number) of private individuals. These lists are available in either electronic format or on labels.
Cross-selling
Using a customer's buying history to select them for related offers, e.g. a car alarm for new car buyers.
Using a customer's buying history to select them for related offers, e.g. a car alarm for new car buyers.
Database
This can range from a simple list of names and addresses (on paper or in electronic format) to detailed profile data.
This can range from a simple list of names and addresses (on paper or in electronic format) to detailed profile data.
Data Capture (also known as data entry)
The process of keying-in or scanning data into an electronic format.
The process of keying-in or scanning data into an electronic format.
Database Verification
The process of telephoning an individual / business to verify the contacts name, job title and address prior to a mailing.
The process of telephoning an individual / business to verify the contacts name, job title and address prior to a mailing.
Deduplication (de-dupe)
The identification and removal of duplicate names and addresses from a database.
The identification and removal of duplicate names and addresses from a database.
Direct Mail
Often described as 'salesmanship in print'. Direct mail is a personally addressed advertising piece sent through the post.
Often described as 'salesmanship in print'. Direct mail is a personally addressed advertising piece sent through the post.
Enclosing
The physical folding and insertion of printed materials into an envelope. This process can be carried out by hand or by machine.
The physical folding and insertion of printed materials into an envelope. This process can be carried out by hand or by machine.
Follow-up Call
A telephone call made after the initial mailer has been sent with the objective of increasing impact and the response rate.
A telephone call made after the initial mailer has been sent with the objective of increasing impact and the response rate.
Fulfilment House
The place where the processing of an order takes place. This usually includes the acknowledgement of the order, dispatching of goods and the collecting of payment.
The place where the processing of an order takes place. This usually includes the acknowledgement of the order, dispatching of goods and the collecting of payment.
Gone-away
The term used to describe that a person mailed has moved address.
Hot Leads
A term used by telemarketing agencies to describe when hot sales leads are passed on to the client for them to pursue.
Incentives
'Extras' designed to increase response rates to a marketing message, e.g. a prize draw.
Interview
An interview is any form of contact intended to obtain information from a respondent or group of respondents.
Lead Generation
The process of finding people (consumer or business) with a qualified interest in a certain product or service.
The process of finding people (consumer or business) with a qualified interest in a certain product or service.
List
This can range from a simple list of names and addresses (on paper or in electronic format) to detailed profile data.
List Broker
A specialist who acts as an intermediary between the list owner and the list buyer.
A specialist who acts as an intermediary between the list owner and the list buyer.
List Building
The process of gathering names and addresses and compiling them into a database for direct marketing purposes (e.g. telemarketing).
The process of gathering names and addresses and compiling them into a database for direct marketing purposes (e.g. telemarketing).
List Cleaning/ List Cleansing
The process of telephoning an individual / business to verify the contacts name, job title and address prior to a mailing.
List Rental
The process of renting a list of names from a broker or list owner.
The process of renting a list of names from a broker or list owner.
Lapsed Customer Re-generation
The process of re-contacting 'former' customers and following up on 'lost orders/old quotations' with the objective of generating new leads.
Mailer
Direct mail (or a mailer as it is known in the marketing industry) is a personally addressed advertising piece sent through the post. A personalised advertisement sent through the post.
Direct mail (or a mailer as it is known in the marketing industry) is a personally addressed advertising piece sent through the post. A personalised advertisement sent through the post.
Mail Merge
Merging a mailer template with contact details in order to personalise a mailer.
Market Research
The Market Research Society (MRS) defines research as follows: The collection and analysis of data from a sample of individuals or organisations relating to their characteristics, behaviour, attitudes, opinions or possessions. It includes all forms of marketing and social research such as consumer and industrial surveys, psychological investigations, observations and panel studies.
The Market Research Society (MRS) defines research as follows: The collection and analysis of data from a sample of individuals or organisations relating to their characteristics, behaviour, attitudes, opinions or possessions. It includes all forms of marketing and social research such as consumer and industrial surveys, psychological investigations, observations and panel studies.
Mystery Shopping
The use of individuals trained to experience and measure any customer service process, by acting as potential customers and in some way reporting back their experiences in a detailed objective way.
Networking
A business referral network established with the objective of providing a structured environment for the growth and development of the business membership through the exchange of quality referrals.
Prospects
A list of contacts who have been identified and/or qualified as being a potential customer.
A list of contacts who have been identified and/or qualified as being a potential customer.
Response Rate
The level of replies to a particular campaign. Usually portrayed as a percentage.
Respondent
A respondent is any individual or company from or about whom data is collected or is approached for interview.
Salutation
The addressing of a mailer to a particular individual, e.g. Dear Mr Hinchcliffe or Dear Anthony.
The addressing of a mailer to a particular individual, e.g. Dear Mr Hinchcliffe or Dear Anthony.
Seeds
The list owner's own details placed into a mailing list in order to identify whether a rented list is being used more than the agreed level.
The list owner's own details placed into a mailing list in order to identify whether a rented list is being used more than the agreed level.
Telemarketing (also known as Telephone Marketing)
Outbound telemarketing is the process of telephoning potential customers from a targeted list of names (database).
Inbound telemarketing is where respondents reply to a telephone number, usually as a response to a mailer or an advertisement.
Telesales
The process of using the telephone as a medium to sell products and/or services. Where 'telemarketing' is used to market products and/or services over the phone, 'telesales' is the process of actually 'closing' the sale over the phone. Telesales is often associated with low value sales.
Telephone Interviewing
The term used for when a market research ‘questionnaire’ is implemented over the telephone rather than face to face or via the internet. Telephone Interviewing is known by a number of different names, including tele-research.
Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
The defining reasons that provide a competitive advantage over the competition.
The defining reasons that provide a competitive advantage over the competition.