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Media Dictionary
- Pass-Along Readership / Readership: The estimated number of true readers of a print publication, usually more than the circulation (actual printed copies). "Readership" is a controversial topic, and some media critics charge is readership is a fictional number used by publishers to inflate their circulation. For example, a newspaper with a 100,000 circulation (actual printed copies) might claim each copy is passed to new readers on average 2.1 times, for a total "readership" of 210,000.
- Pay Per Click (PPC): An internet advertising model where advertisers pay each time the ad is clicked on. See CPC (Cost Per Click).
- People Using TV (PUT): The percent of people in a target audience watching TV for five minutes or more during a quarter-hour period.
- Phishing: A form of online identify theft in which scammers send out fake emails attempting to trick recipients into disclosing personal information such as Social Security or credit card numbers. For example, the scam might send out an email appearing to come from a reputable bank "notifying" the recipient that they need to update their password and also retype personal information. The recipient would be directed to a fake web site that appears to be the actual bank web site. Once personal information is obtained, the scammers typically would then steal funds from the victim's bank or credit card accounts.
- Pod: In television advertising, a pod is a timeslot for a group of commercials between programming.
- Podcast: A blog format which uses audio clips. A user creates an audio clip, posts it online, and puts it somewhere where other users can download and hear it. The term began falling out of favor in 2006-2007 as online audio and particularly online video became more prevalent.
- Portable People Meter (PPM): An electronic measurement device developed by Arbitron in 2006-2007 to improve the accuracy of radio ratings. The device is small enough to be carried by survey participants and picks up an inaudible signal from radio stations to record the exact stations users in a research population are listening to; it was to replace the old Arbitron diary system of radio ratings in 2008 and 2009 in major U.S. markets. The PPM system sparked controversy upon launch because it determined that radio ratings were lower than previously thought, especially among younger demographic populations; the early rollout of the system generated protests from Clear Channel and other major radio networks who questioned whether the survey structure was valid.
- Positioning: A marketing strategy popularized by Al Ries and Jack Trout in the early 1970s in which marketers seek to capture a "position" in consumers' minds relative to other brand positions. Ries and Trout's concept was simple: In each product category, consumers rank options in a mental "ladder," and marketers should strive to achieve one of the top rungs of the ladder by creating a fresh position vs. their competitors. Classic examples of this strategy include the Coke vs. Pepsi "cola wars" of the 1980s and Wendy's attack of McDonald's and Burger King with the "Where's the Beef?" ads. In each of these examples, one brand tries to make itself more appealing by comparing it uniquely to the competitor brands.
- Posting Cycle: The length the entire outdoor campaign, usually measured in weeks.
- Posting Date: The date on which outdoor promotions begin their display.
- Posting Period: The length of time one outdoor panel is displayed, usually measured in 4-week or 30-day increments.
- Public Access: In cable television, non-commercial channels set aside for use by the public.
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