the out-of-home advertising vocabulary

A

• AGENCY COMMISSION: Sum of money paid to an advertising agency by media for placing business, usually 15% of the gross rate of the contract.
• ALLOTMENTS: The number of poster panels comprising a showing. Generally, the larger the market, the more panels there are in a showing.
• APPROACH: The distance measured along the line of travel from the point where the advertising structure first become visible to the point where copy is no longer readable (having passed out of the line of sight).
• ARTERIES OR ARTERIALS: The major streets of a city or town.
• AUDITED OR AUTHENTICATED: The Traffic Audit Bureau (TAB) independently audits records and circulation data for posters and bulletins according to established procedures approved by the buyer and seller community.

B

• BACKLIGHTED UNITS: Advertising structures which house illumination in a box to throw light through translucent advertising printed on plastic or heavy duty paper for higher visibility, especially at night.
• BLANKING: A white paper border surrounding the poster copy area. It is applied between the poster and the panel molding. Under industry standards for 30-sheets, it is 6 1/2" to 11 1/2" at the sides and 5" at the top and bottom.
• BLEED POSTER: The use of blanking papers of the same color as the poster background, to bring the design area up to the molding.
• BLEED THROUGH: A production difficulty created when the previous design used on an advertising structure can be seen through the current message. This can occur because of the kind of paper used, the chemical reaction of certain pigments or because of excessive wetting from heavy rain.
• BOARDS: A common term for poster panels and painted bulletins.
• BULLETIN: The largest of the three standardized advertising structures. The most common size is 14 x 48 feet. Copy is reproduced by three methods: 1) new flexible face materials, which are single sheets of vinyl for hand-painting or computer painting (see Uniface) 2) painting directly on the surface 3) posting with preprinted paper.

C

• CHARTING THE SHOWING: The process of selecting individual poster panel locations in a market. This often involves specific requests from the buyer that are planned to achieve maximum reach and frequency.
• CIRCULATION: Circulation (potential viewers) is the foundation for determining the advertising value of outdoor. Outdoor circulation is based on traffic volume.
• COAT OUT: The process of covering a painted advertising message with white or grey paint before new copy is painted.
• CODE OF ETHICS: The Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) has a voluntary set of principles pledging member plants to operate in the public interest.
• COLLATING POSTERS: Posters are made up of individual sheets. These sheets are organized or collated in the sequence needed so that the bill poster will post the advertising message properly.
• COMMERCIAL SIGNS: Privately owned (usually on-site) advertising structures used on roofs, walls or other outdoor surfaces of business establishments or factories, for the purpose of identification or direction of that particular business.
• COMPUTER PAINTING: New technique that digitally scans photographic art and mechanically paints flexible surfaces for UNIFACE positions.
• COOPERATIVE ACCOUNT: Method of sharing costs of advertising by a manufacturer and a distributor or dealer/retailer. Common to all media.
• COUNTING STATION: A defined point on a street (arterial) where vehicles are recorded to determine circulation. This method is used not only by the outdoor plant operator but also by federal, state and local traffic departments.
• COVERAGE: 1) The boundaries of a market. 2) Also refers to a county or counties and the percent exposed to Outdoor advertising.
• "C" PRINT: A glossy four-color print usually taken from a transparency. Often used as guide artwork for bulletin painters to follow for color and composition of illustrations.
• CUT-OUTS/EMBELLISHMENTS: Letters, figures or mechanical devices that are attached to the face of a bulletin to provide a three-dimensional effect for greater attention value.

D

• DAILY EFFECTIVE CIRCULATION (D.E.C): Potential viewers. The audience that has an opportunity to see the advertising structure in a 24-hour period.
• DISPLAY PERIOD: The exposure time during which the individual advertising message is on display. Posters are normally contracted for monthly exposure; rotating bulletins usually display the same copy for a two to three month period; permanent bulletins' display period varies depending on individual contracts.
• DISTRIBUTION: The location of the individual advertising structures within a market , relative to exposure potential.

E

• EFFECTIVE CIRCULATION: Potential viewers...the audience that has an opportunity to see an advertising structure.
• EFFICIENCY: The degree of value delivered by an audience relative to its space cost. Usually expressed in cost-per-thousand (CPM).
• EIGHT SHEET: A 5' x 11' poster panel generally placed for exposure to pedestrian as well as vehicular traffic. Used with great efficiency to penetrate specific neighborhoods, ethnic and other geo-demographically distinct target markets.
• EMBELLISHMENTS: Letters, figures, or mechanical devices which are attached to the face of an advertising structure to create a 3-D effect. Sometimes referred to as extensions or cut-outs.
• EXPOSURE: Represents the opportunity for a message to be seen and read, common to all media.
• EXPRESSWAY: Limited access roadways, usually with a speed limit of 55 mph. Parking is prohibited.
• EXTENDED SERVICE: An adjustment for lost serviceby exposing the advertiser's message to the public beyond the period specified in the contract.
• EXTENSION: Common to most bulletin formats is the ability to extend the copy area outside of the 14' by 48' frame. The result is a magnification of the perspective for the viewing audience. The illusion of a closer aspect-ratio lends more drama to the image.

F

• FACE: The surface of an outdoor advertising structure on which the advertising message is posted or painted.
• FACING: Specifies the direction the poster may be seen to traffic flow. For example, a south facing panel can be seen only by north-bound traffic.
• FIBER OPTIC DISPLAY: An innovative use of electronic light-transmitting fibers to create changeable copy displays.
• FLAGGING: A tear in paper used on a poster panel, causing the paper to hang loose and "flag" in the wind.
• FLEXIBLE FACE: Refers to the new vinyl, single-sheet bulletin material which is replacing sectioned hard-wood boards in many markets. See Uniface and Bulletin.
• FREQUENCY: The number of times an average individual has the opportunity to be exposed to an advertising message during a defined period of time. Frequency in outdoor usually refers to the calendar month since this time period coincides with the standard contract practices.

G

• GROSS RATING POINTS: The total number of impressions delivered by a media schedule as expressed by a percentage of the population. GRPs for Outdoor generally refer to the daily effective circulation generated by poster panels divided by the market population. Often used interchangeably with "showing".

H

• HAND COUNT: When no official source traffic counts are available and/or obsolete, hand counts may be conducted by the plant operator.
• HEAD-ON: An advertising structure built so that all traffic approaches perpendicular to the face of the structure.
• HIGH SPOT BULLETIN: Large advertising structures located at strategic places which permit opportunities for very high levels of exposure. They are often larger than other bulletins commonly sold in the market.

I

• ILLUMINATED: Outdoor advertising structures with electrical equipment installed for illumination of the message at night. Common code is I11 or I. These are found in areas with high circulation day and night.
• IMPRINTS-DEALER: A strip imprinted with the name, address and/or phone number of the local dealer handling the product being advertised.
• INTENSITY: Poster showings are sold at different levels of advertising weight determined by the plant operator. The owner determines the most efficient way to buy the market at certain advertising weights. Common GRP showing sizes are #25, #50, #75, and #100. The seller designates what advertising weight is for sale.

L

• LINE OF TRAVEL: The center of a lane of traffic moving in one direction.
• LITHOGRAPHY: A popular printing method for producing large quantities of posters in full color.
• LOAD FACTOR: The average number of persons riding in each vehicle. This factor has been determined through national research as well as evaluation of government research and reports for highway capitalization.
• LOCATION LIST: A list describing the location of all panels sold and delivered.

M

• MANDATORY COPY: Copy that is required by law to appear on the advertising of certain products. This applies to all print media. There are definite specifications as to size, positioning and rotation of such mandatory messages.
• MOLDING (TRIM): The frame of wood, metal, or plastic which surrounds the face of an advertising structure (poster panel).
• MONOPOLE/UNIPOLE: Structures fabricated on a single steel pole or column.
• MULTIPLE FACING: An outdoor advertising location where there are two or more adjacent or stacked posters facing the same direction.

O

• OFFICIAL COUNT: The traffic count taken from official sources such as state or city Departments of Transportation.
• OUTDOOR PLACEMENT: Companies or agencies which specialize in out-of-media development, placement and checking/evaluation. Employed by advertisers or agencies to contract, negotiate and check out-of-home space because of their particular expertise in this media form.
• OUTSIDE PANEL: Poster located closest to the edge of the street, where two or AGENCIES more panels are positioned side-by-side.
• OVERLAY: A paper strip or price designation, such as dealer imprint, which is pasted on the face of an existing poster.

P

• PANEL NUMBERS: Panels are given numbers to aid employees in the painting or posting of the advertising structure. These same numbers serve to pinpoint panels being purchased by a buyer.
• PERMANENT BULLETIN: A painted display which remains on one location for the entire term of the single advertiser’s contract.
• PLANT: All of the outdoor advertising structures in a given city, town or area operated by an outdoor company, or plant operator.
• PLANT CAPACITY: The total number of #100 showings available in a plant. This is determined by dividing the total panels in a plant by the number of panels which make a #100 showing.
• PLANT OPERATOR: A company or individual who operates and maintains out-of-home advertising structures.
• POSTER: Advertising messages posted on advertising structures.
• POSTERIZE: A design developed in a manner or style characteristic of pictorial posters. All elements are eliminated except the ones which identify the product.
• POSTER PANEL: An outdoor advertising structure on which bleed posters or 30-sheet posters are displayed. Its dimensions are 12 1/4' x 24 1/2'.
• POSTER (30-SHEET): An advertisement with copy area measuring 9’7” high by 21’7” wide.
• POSTING DATE: The date on which the posters of a showing are scheduled for display. Most plants will have several posting dates during the month to even their work load and provide a variety of start dates to coincide with special advertising promotions.
• POSTING INSTRUCTIONS: Detailed information sent to the Outdoor company by an advertiser or agency. These instructions should include as much marketing information as possible so that the seller can choose the panels which have the greatest efficiency in reaching the advertiser's target.
• POSTING LISTING: The process of selecting the individual panels which will comprise a poster showing under contract.
• POST-RIDE: An in-market field check of poster locations with advertising copy in place.
• POUNCE PATTERN: The method most frequently used for enlarging art and copy to fill painted bulletin size. The design is projected onto large sheets of paper and traced in outline form. The outline is then perforated with an electric needle. The perforated sheets, known as pounce patterns, are held against the painting surface and dusted with charcoal dust, to reproduce the outline of the design on the surface to be painted.
• PRE-PASTING: A technique for applying paste to the surface of posters in the plant rather than in the field.
• PRE-RIDE: An in-market field check of available panels to determine specific locations to be included in a specific GRP showing.
• PROOF OF PERFORMANCE: Certification that advertising service has been delivered.
• PUBLIC SERVICE COPY: Copy of a civic or philanthropic nature posted in the interest of community welfare.

Q

• QUINTILE ANALYSIS: A set of summary statistical measures, dividing the universe into five ranges for the purpose of determining media exposure.

R

• RAIN-LAP: Posters trimmed so that the upper sheets overlap the lower sheets, similar to the way shingles are laid on a roof. This lessens the possibility of flags due to rain seepage between the poster and the panel face.
• RATED: An advertising structure that has been evaluated for visibility, competition, direction of traffic, type of area and circulation.
• REACH: The number of people, as a percentage of the population, exposed to an advertising message.
• RENEWAL PAPER: Extra posters sent to plant operators to replace those that may be damaged during display period. Should be 10 - 20% of total order.
• RIDING THE SHOWING: A physical inspection of the panels which comprise an advertising buy.
• ROTATING BULLETIN: The process of moving a bulletin from one location to another at stated intervals to achieve more balanced coverage and increased reach of a market.

S

• SCREEN-PRINTING: A method of printing for small to moderate quantity runs which employs stencil rather than metal plates.
• SECTIONS: Removable pieces of a bulletin, permitting rotation of the unit to another location.
• SETBACK: The distance measured from the line of travel to the center of the advertising structure.
• SHOWING: The intensity with which various number of poster panels cover a market. Common showing sizes are: #100, 75, 50, 25. For example, a #50 showing will deliver 500,000 daily exposures (or 50%) in a market with one million people in it. A showing size does not indicate the number of poster panels utilized.
• SNIPE: Additional message pasted over a poster to identify dealers, give prices, or other information.
• SPACE POSITION VALUE (SPV): The index of visibility of a poster panel. It is based on four factors: length of approach, speed of travel, angle of the panel, and its relationship to adjacent panels.
• SPECTACULAR: An Outdoor advertising display, of bulletin size or larger, designed for a particular advertiser on a long term contract. The ad copy is presented in a spectacular fashion through the use of specialized electrical and mechanical devices.
• SPOTTED MAP: A map of a market with dots to show the placement of panels or bulletins for a general or specific buy.
• STACKED PANELS: Outdoor advertising structures with the facings built one above the other. Also called deck panels.
• STANDARDIZED STRUCTURES: Outdoor advertising structures (poster panels and bulletins) built in accordance with the specifications of the Institute of Outdoor Advertising (IOA).
• STOCK POSTER: A standard design covering a specific category of business which may be purchased and used by advertisers in that category merely by adding their trade name to the stock poster design.
• SUPERFLEX: See Uniface.
• SURFACE ARTERIES: The major streets of a city or town that are easily accessible. They have restricted parking.

T

• TRAFFIC AUDIT: An authentication of circulation of outdoor media as applied to the advertising structures. Data are collected either by official (government) count or by hand count. In all cases, counts are verified by the TAB.
• TRAFFIC COUNT: Recording the number of vehicles passing a given point, in order to establish daily effective circulations of locations.

U

• UNIFACE: The new smooth face system of producing and installing bulletin advertising on single sheets of flexible vinyl material stretched onto 14' by 48' frames. Adaptable to digital computer painting techniques as well as hand-painting.
• UNILLUMINATED PANEL: Name given to a standard poster panel not equipped with illumination. These panels are usually found in areas with high daytime but low nighttime circulation.

W

• WAVE POSTING: Concentration of poster showings in a succession of areas within the market. Usually coincides with special promotions in each of these areas by the advertiser.