Glossary: B
- B2B
- A business that sells primarily to other businesses.
- B2C
- A business that sells primarily to end consumers.
- backgrounder sheet
- A brief review of an organization's history, mission, financial support or other information provided to the media with other publicity materials in order to supply basic information that may be used in a news story. It is also known as a fact sheet.
- ballot box
- The check box on a form or response card; a box into which responses can be deposited for later collection.
- banner ad
- A graphical internet advertising tool. Users click on the graphic to be taken to another website. The term "banner ad" refers to a specific size image, measuring 460 pixels wide and 60 pixels tall (i.e., 460x60), but it is also used as a generic description of all graphical ad formats on the internet.
- banner blindness
- A term referring to the tendency of internet users to ignore banner ads.
- below-the-line cost
- Any cost in the advertising production process that is not specifically itemized in the production budget.
- big box ad
- Website banner ad, usually measuring 300 pixels wide and 250 pixels tall (i.e., 300x250).
- billing in process
- The practice of invoicing for work performed to-date while projects are still under way.
- bingo card
- A reader response card—resembling a bingo game card—that is bound into a publication and enables readers to request additional information from advertisers by circling the number that corresponds to a specific ad or offer in the publication.
- bitmap (BMP) image
- An electronic image file mapped on a grid (raster) of small squares called pixels. Each pixel is assigned a specific location and color. Bitmap files are commonly used for photographs.
- bleed
- A term used to describe ink coverage that extends all the way to the edge of an ad or printed piece. This is accomplished by printing on paper larger than the finished size of a publication/printed piece, then trimming the paper to the desired size.
- blog
- A hybrid form of internet communication that combines a column, diary and directory. The term, short for "web log," refers to a frequently updated collection of short articles/posts on various subjects with links to additional resources.
- blow-in
- The act of inserting business reply cards or other printed materials loosely into a publication. So named because they are literally blown into the publication by a machine prior to mailing.
- blueline
- In offset printing, a final proof made from the film. The blueline is made from color separations and assembled to demonstrate exactly how the printed piece will fold. A blueline represents the final production stage for making revisions.
- bounce-back
- A customer reply card, generally included in direct-mail pieces or publications to help collect customer data or generate leads. (Also see BRC.)
- bounce rate
- Can mean either the percentage of emails that are returned to the sender as undeliverable or the number of people who visit a specific web page who proceed no further; usually expressed as a percentage.
- brand
- More than just a logo or a name, a brand is the idea that exists in the minds of customers about a company and its products or services.
- brand equity
- The value of a brand. From a consumer perspective, brand equity is based on consumer attitudes about positive brand attributes and favorable consequences of brand use.
- brand extension
- A product line extension marketed under the same general brand as a previous item or items. A brand extension is usually aimed at another segment of the general market for the overall brand.
- brand personality
- This is the description, in human terms, of the characteristics, traits and behavior of the brand.
- branding
- The process by which a business employs marketing strategies to get people to easily remember their products and services over a competitor's.
- BRC
- Business reply card. A pre-addressed, postpaid card typically used to generate response to an offer.
- BRE
- Business reply envelope. A pre-addressed, postpaid envelope that allows a prospect to conveniently respond to an offer.
- brochure
- A pamphlet or booklet with four or more pages, often used for sales, promotion, information delivery or image-building. A standard brochure size is 8½" x 11" when closed.
- buckslip
- In direct mail, one or more small inserts—about the size of a dollar bill—included with a letter or brochure. Buckslips are used to emphasize special offers, or to summarize or reiterate an offer included in the letter/brochure.
- build-up
- In printing, a condition where material such as lint or paper dust collects on part of the press, possibly affecting the quality of the printed piece.
- bulk
- The thickness of a single sheet of paper or the thickness of a book exclusive of its cover. Also refers to shipping materials in large quantities.
- button ad
- A graphical advertising unit smaller than a banner ad. Also called a tile ad.
