Glossary: DRTV

ad agency (general)

Hired by businesses to market products using traditional advertising avenues (print, spot TV, etc.). May consult with specialized infomercial agencies to maximize resources and create complementary campaigns.

ad agency (infomercial)

Hired by corporations and product owners to execute their infomercial program (on a fee or commission basis). Provides one or more of the following infomercial services: product assessment, marketing strategy, creative, production, media planning/buying/analysis, and back-end management. Infomercial ad agencies differ from infomercial direct marketers, who retain product ownership.

ad allowable

A dollar amount determined to be the maximum media expense per unit sold in order to make a minimum profit. Approximately the gross profit per unit, less all direct selling costs, except media time.

adjacency

Commercial spot time purchased adjacent to or within a specific program that targets the advertiser’s ideal demographic. For example, if Richard Simmons appeared as a guest on Late Night with David Letterman, his media buying agency might purchase an “adjacency” for “Deal A Meal” immediately before, after, or during the show.

ADO

Acronym for Ampex’s digital video effects (DVE) system.

affidavit

The document that TV station and cable network sales departments create and send their agency clients confirming their allotted commercial run times and specific prices paid.

affiliate

Any broadcast TV station that is financially compensated for local telecasting of national programs for a network (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, WB).

aftermarketing

See back-end sales.

airing

The broadcast of an infomercial in a specific time spot.

airtime

Media time periods a network or broadcast station has available for infomercial placements.

Analog

Audio and video presented or collected in a continuous form as voltage measurement.See also: analog editing

analog editing

Editing systems manipulating audio and video recorded in analog form.See also: Analog

Area of Dominant Influence (ADI)

A television marketing area defined by Arbitron. Each county in the U.S. is assigned to only one market, according to where the majority of household viewing hours are directed.

auction format

An infomercial program structure that mirrors an auction. For example, “Telephone Auction” successfully aired in 1985-86, presenting products for live audience bidding. As bids peak on each product, the auctioneer dramatically reveals the actual bargain price for the TV audience, which is usually significantly lower.

avail

A spot or infomercial time period available for purchase.

average take

Term used by continuity marketers to describe the average number of orders a consumer will make once entering a continuity program. For example, a music club member may take an average of six CDs before canceling their membership.