|
Direct-Marketing
Resources |
|
Glossary
of Terms |
| Address
Service Requested |
|
An endorsement
which, when printed below the return address in the upper left-hand
corner of the mailing piece, authorizes the USPS to provide, for a fee,
the known new address of a person no longer at the address to which the
piece was mailed. |
| Bar
Code |
|
A coding structure
printed on a mailing piece which is used by the USPS for mail sorting. |
| Carrier
Route Presort |
|
Mail that is sorted
into a bundle for delivery to a specific delivery route. The mail
carrier performing delivery breaks down the bundle at the delivery post
office. For example, all books going to Rural Route #2, Pontiac,
Illinois, would go directly to the mail carrier assigned to that route
in one bundle. |
| CASS |
|
An acronym for Coding
Accuracy Support System, a program by which USPS approves software
vendors and other information service providers to provide certified
Zip+4 and address correction services to the general public. Mailing
lists must be verified and corrected using CASS certified software in
order to qualify for automation discounts. |
| Delivery
Point Barcode |
|
An extended barcode
allowing mail to be sorted in the order in which it is delivered by the
postal carrier. |
| Duplicate
Identification (See Merge-Purge) |
|
The process of
merging together two or more lists available on computer tape. This
permits the identification of duplicates for separate handling, i.e.,
purging or mailing again as multibuyers. |
| Indicia |
|
The preprinted
marking on each piece of mail in a bulk mailing showing that postage has
been paid for by the sender. |
| Key
Code (key) |
|
Group of letters
and/or numbers, colors or other markings used to identify, measure and
track the specific effectiveness of media, lists, advertisements and
offers, or any part thereof. |
| Mail
Date |
|
The date when a
list user, by prior agreement with the list owner, is obligated to mail
a specific list. No other date is acceptable without specific approval
of the list owner. |
| Merge-Purge |
|
To combine two or
more lists for list enhancement, suppression or duplicate elimination
using a computerized matching process. |
| Minimum
Order Requirement |
|
A stipulation
stating that payment of a given amount will be paid regardless of
quantity order. |
| Multiple
Buyer |
|
A person who has
made a direct-mail purchase on two or more different occasions; also
known as multibuyer or repeat buyer. |
| NCOA
(National Change of Address) |
|
A service of the
USPS to improve the accuracy of mailing addresses. The NCOA file is
compiled from change of address cards filled out and submitted by those
who are relocating in order to have their mail forwarded to a new
address. Mailing lists can be matched against this file in order to
update delivery addresses. This service is provided by vendors licensed
with the USPS or their business partners. |
| Net
Name Arrangement |
|
An agreement made
prior to or at the time of ordering a list, whereby the list owner
agrees to accept adjusted payment for less than the total names shipped
to the list user. Basis for agreement can be for a percentage of names
shipped or names actually mailed, whichever is greater, or for those
names actually mailed without a percentage limitation. Running charges
may or may not be applicable. |
| Nixie |
|
A bad address; a
mailing piece returned to the mailer by the USPS under proper
authorization, because of an incorrect or undeliverable name and
address. |
| Nth
Name Selection |
|
A fractional unit
that is repeated in sampling a mailing list. For example, in an
"every 10th" sample, selected records would be the 1st, 11th,
21st, 31st, etc., or, 2nd, 12th, 22nd, 32nd, etc. |
| Pandering
List |
|
A list of
individuals who have reported receipt of sexually offensive literature
to the USPS in order to ensure that the same mailer cannot mail to them
again except under penalty of law and pending criminal charges. |
| R.F.M.R. |
|
An acronym for
Recency-Frequency-Monetary Value Ratio, a formula used to evaluate the
sales potential of names on a given mailing list. |
| Response
List |
|
Individuals or
institutions who have responded to direct-marketing offers either by
mail or phone; such are more likely to respond again than those included
on a non-response list. |
| Salting
by seeds/dummies/decoys |
|
The process of
adding names with special characteristics to a list for purposes of
identification and protection from unauthorized list use. |
| Sectional
Center Facility (SCF or SCF Center) |
|
A USPS distribution
unit comprised of different post offices whose zip codes begin with the
same first three digits. |
| Split
Run (A/B Split) |
|
Printing two or
more variants of a promotional ad run on an Nth or A/B split throughout
the entire edition; use of geographical segments of a publication for
testing of variants. |
| Testing |
|
Preliminary mailing
or distribution intended as a preview or pilot prior to beginning a
major campaign. Test mailings are used to determine probable acceptance
of a product or service and usually made to specially selected lists. |
| White
Mail |
|
Mail from customers
with no purchase order form or other identification, including
complaints, commendations, referrals, orders, checks or cash; considered
any integral part of every direct-mail operation. |
