Retargeting Glossary
Conversion Funnel
This describes the path a consumer takes from seeing an ad or otherwise hearing about a brand or concept (the broad end of the funnel) to possibly navigating an e-commerce web site and finally taking a desired action, such as making a purchase (the narrow end of the funnel). In a simplistic example, many users see an ad, fewer click, fewer visit a site, fewer purchase. Various stages of the funnel may be used as a proxy for measuring the effectiveness of advertising, and funnel events do not need to be linear.
Conversion Pixel
A pixel that fires when a user converts, e.g. clicks on an ad, registers, makes a purchase, etc. Advertisers place conversion pixels on a landing page, registration page, checkout page, etc.
Cookie
A parcel of text sent by a server to the cookie file in a browser and then sent back unchanged by the client each time it accesses that server. HTTP cookies are used for authenticating, session tracking, and storing information about specific users, such as site preferences or buying habits. Advertisers often use cookies to track the number and frequency of advertisements that have been shown. See also First-party Cookies and Third-party cookies.
Cookie-Sync Mechanism
The matching process of the SSP cookie ID to the DSP cookie ID.
Cost Plus
A payment model in which advertisers agree to pay the cost of media plus an additional CPM or % profit margin on top.
CPA
Cost per action/acquisition. A payment model in which advertisers pay for every action, such as a sale or registration, completed as a result of a visitor clicking on their advertisement. Note that an “acquisition” is the same as a “conversion.” CPC – Cost per click. A payment model in which advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their advertisement.
Data Management Platform (DMP)
A system that allows the collection of audience intelligence to Buyers, thereby allowing better ad targeting in subsequent campaigns.
Data Providers
Businesses that provide data about users so that advertisers can better target users.
Decisioning
The process by which an ad server, ad platform, or exchange chooses who to serve an ad to. This can be based on an auction, prioritizing certain advertisers based on relationships and prior agreements, or some other method.
Demand
Advertising demand; entities that wish to buy ad space and display creatives.
Demand Side Platform (DSP)
A technology platform that provides centralized and aggregated media buying from multiple sources including ad exchanges, ad networks and sell side platforms, often leveraging real time bidding capabilities of these sources. Retarget Local is a demand side platform.
Direct Media Buy
Pre-brokered agreements between an advertiser and publisher to deliver certain amount of specific inventory for a preset cost.
CPL
Cost per lead. A payment model in which advertisers pay for every lead or customer inquiry that resulted from a visitor who clicked on their advertisement. Also known as cost per inquiry.
CPM
Cost per thousand (“mille”). A pricing model in which advertisers pay for every 1000 impressions of their advertisement served. This is the standard basic pricing model for online advertising. See also CPC and CPA.
Creative
The actual graphical advertisement or banner itself. Common creative formats include GIF, JPEG, JavaScript, HTML, and Flash.
Creative Tag
Similar to an ad tag, this is a snippet of code that gives the location of the creative, which is usually a content delivery network (CDN) or an ad server.
CSV
Comma separated values. A data file used structured in a table form with fields separated by commas.
CTR
The number of clicks divided by total impressions served for a particular creative or campaign.
Direct Response
Term applied to marketing or advertising that is designed to solicit a direct response which is specific and quantifiable. In online display advertising, this can be clicking on an ad, making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, etc.
Display Advertising
Online advertising is often divided into “display” and “search.” Display ads are images and search is text based. Display ads, sometimes referred to as banners, come in standardized ad sizes, and can include text, logos, pictures, or more recently, rich media.
DMA
Designated Market Area. (It is sometimes called demographic metropolitan area.) A geographic area originally defined as a group of counties that made up a cohesive television market. May also stand for the Direct Marketing Association; see DMA OBA Compliance.
DR
Direct Response: Term applied to marketing or advertising that is designed to solicit a direct response which is specific and quantifiable. In online display advertising, this can be clicking on an ad, making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, etc.
Dynamic Ad Insertion
The process by which an ad is inserted into a page or player in response to a user’s request.
Dynamic ad placement
Allows alteration of specific ads placed on a page based on any data available about the user. It allows for multiple ads to be rotated through one or more spaces, served by a template creative.