Mailing List Glossary of Terms

ACTIVE SUBSCRIBER
One who has committed for regular delivery of magazines, books or other goods or services for a time period still in effect

ASSIGNED MAILING DATES
The date(s) on which the list user has the obligation to mail a specific list based on prior agreement between the list owner and the user

CATALOG BUYER
One who has bought one or more products from a catalog

CHESHIRE LABEL
Produced on continuous sheets of non-adhesive labels, 44 addresses to a sheet. Cheshire labels need to be machine affixed.

CLUSTER SELECTION
A selection routine based upon taking a group of names in a category or group of categories

COMPILED LIST
Names and addresses derived from directories, newspapers, public records, retail sales slips, tradeshow registrations etc. to identify groups of people with something in common

COMPUTER SERVICE BUREAU
An internal or external facility providing general or specific data processing services

DATABASE
A number of lists with a common interest merged into one master list eliminating duplicates

DISKETTES
Your list is sent to you in an IBM PC format and is available in Excel or Comma Delimited programs.

DECOY (Seed Names)
A unique name especially inserted in a mailing list for verification of list usage

DMA MAIL PREFERENCE SERVICE (MPS) / Telemarketing(TPS)
A service provided by DMA that enables individuals to have their names, address and or phone number removed from mailing lists. Do Not Call Laws National and state laws affecting your company's phone calls to consumers only

FILE DUMP
A printout of data on a magnetic tape for checking correctness, readability, consistency, ability to edit, etc.

FILE LAYOUT
A simple map of the data included in each record and its relative or specific location

HOT LINE LIST
The most recent names available on a specific list. This will be monthly, quarterly or last 6 months

HOUSE LIST
Any list of names owned by a company as a result of inquiry or buyer action or acquisition that is used to promote that company's products or services

INQUIRY
One who has asked for literature or other information about a product or service. Unless otherwise stated, it is assumed no payment has been made for the literature or other information

KEY CODE
A group of letters and or numbers, colors or other markings used to measure specific effectiveness of media lists, advertisements, offers etc.

LIST BROKER
A specialist who makes all necessary arrangements for one company to make use of the list(s) of another company or compiler. A broker's services may include most or all of the following: research, selection, recommendations and subsequent evaluation

LIST CLEANING
The process of correcting and/or removing a name and address from a mailing list because it is no longer correct

LIST COMPILER
One who develops lists of names and addresses from directories, newspapers, public records, sales slips, trade show registration and other sources of identifying groups of people or companies with something in common

LIST MAINTENANCE
Any manual, mechanical or electronic system for keeping name and address records so that they are up to date at any point in time

LIST MANAGER
One who, as an employee of a list owner or as an outside agent is responsible for the use, by others, of a specific mailing list(s). The list manager generally serves the list owner in several (or all) of the following: List maintenance, list promotion and marketing, list clearance and record keeping, collecting for use of the list by others

LIST OWNER
One who, by promotional activity or compilation, has developed a list of names having something in common-or one who has purchased (as opposed to rented, reproduced or used on a one-time basis) such a list from the developer

LIST RENTAL
An arrangement in which a list owner furnishes names to a mailer, together with the privilege of using the list on a one-time basis only (unless otherwise specified in advance)

LIST SAMPLE
A group of names selected from a list in order to evaluate the responsiveness of that list

LIST SELECTION
Characteristics used to define smaller groups within a list (essentially lists within a list). Although very small, select groups may be very desirable and may substantially improve response

LIST SOURCE
The media used to generate names on a mailing list

LIST TEST
A part of a list selected to try to determine the effectiveness of the entire list

MAGNETIC TAPE
A storage device for electronically recording and reproducing (by use of a computer) defined bits of data Magnetic Tapes are provided on 10 1/2" reel, 9 track, 1600 or 6250 BPI's, EPCIDIC or ASCII coding.

MAIL DATE(S)
Date(s) on which a user has the obligation to mail a specific list (by prior agreement with the list owner)

MAIL ORDER BUYER
One who orders and pays for a product or service through the mail

MAILER
One who uses the mail to promote a product or service using lists of others or house lists or both

MANUSCRIPT
These easy-to-read, single listings are perfect for telemarketing or inquiry follow-ups. Each manuscript is individually printed on a laser printer for maximum legibility.

MERGE
Combining of two or more lists (or two or more segments of the same list) usually in a predetermined sequence

MERGE-PURGE
Combining two or more units or lists and eliminating duplication at the same time

MULTIPLE BUYER
One who has bought two or more times from the same company

NTH NAME SELECTION
A fractional unit that is repeated in sampling a mailing list

NET NAME ARRANGEMENT
An agreement between list owner and list user, at the time of ordering or before, in which the list owner agrees to accept adjusted payment less that the total names shipped. Such arrangements can be for a percentage of names shipped or names actually mailed plus a small running charge for names provided but not mailed

NET-NET NAMES
An agreement made by a renter with a list owner to pay only for names that survive a given screen

OFFER
The terms under which a specific product or service is promoted

ONE TIME USE OF THE LIST
An intrinsic part of the normal list usage, list reproduction, or list exchange agreement in which it is understood that the mailer will not use the names on the list more than one time without specific prior approval of the list owner

PRESSURE SENSITIVE LABEL
Self-adhesive labels that can be machine affixed, or they can be hand-affixed. Peel and stick labels are normally used for small mailings.

PREVIOUS USAGE
The portion of a mailing list which has been used recently by a mailer who is now ordering another test or continuation. Names previously used, typically are not included in a mailing to the balance of names on a mailing list, as they are considered less likely to respond than names that have not received the mailer's offer

PYRAMIDING
A method of testing mailing lists, in which one starts with a small quantity and based on positive indications, follows with large and larger quantities of the balance of the list until finally, one mails the entire list

RUNNING CHARGE
The price charged by a list owner for names run or passed but not used by a specific mailer. When such a charge is made it is usually made to cover extra processing costs. However, some list owners set the price without regard to actual cost

SAMPLE MAILING PIECE / Telemarketing Script
Requests for certain very specific lists may require submitting a sample of your mailing piece and a copy of your telemarketing script. These must be submitted to the list owner or compiler for prior approval, before your list order can be confirmed and accepted. The sample must be identical to the actual piece you will be mailing. Please allow ample time for this process (about 1 - 2 days on most lists). Generally, for most list orders, this process is not necessary.

SECTIONAL CENTER (SCF)
The first three digits of a zip code area

STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION CODE (SIC)
Classification of businesses as defined by the U.S. Department of Commerce

TAPE DENSITY
The number of bits of information (Bytes) that can be included in each inch of specific magnetic tape (1600 BPI, 6250 BPI)

UNIQUE NAMES
After a merge purge process has been done the names that have appeared on one list only. A unique name differs from a duplicate name in this respect.