Direct Marketing Lexicon

P - from Palletising to Purchasing power

Palletising

From 0.5 tons upwards, trays or bundles must be placed on Europallets. Mixed pallets carrying items from various senders or containing various postings can thus be consolidated.

Panel

A group of persons, households, enterprises etc. who are regularly surveyed. A panel is a kind of long-term sample.

Pantone colours

Pantone is an international colour system with 751 different shades that are mixed using 9 basic colours. Pantone colours are selected using the so-called Pantone swatch book.

Paper

Natural paper:

1. smooth; for letters, low resolution brochures, memos etc.
2. smooth on one side; suitable for packaging of all kinds, belly-bands etc.
3. satin-coated; most coloured papers are satin-coated. A mechanically smoothed surface is required especially for writing paper.
4. Embossed, hammered; extraordinary structure, lends sophisticated appearance to letters, brochures, menus etc.

Coated paper:

1. Chromo; coated on one side, for labels, valuable wrapping paper etc.
2. Art print paper; coated on both sides, for high quality, high resolution prints, illustrations etc.
3. Machine-coated paper; the image quality is not as brilliant as on art print paper. Machine-coated paper is suitable for all printed products.

Paper formats

See DIN formats.

Paper weight

Paper weight is expressed in grams per square metre (g/m ²). Also called grammage.

Parallel fold

A method of folding in which each fold on the sheet is parallel to the others.

Pareto principle

Also called the 80-20 rule: a universal economic principle. A major part of the overall business success is generated by a very small proportion of the overall effort. For instance, generally speaking around 20% of customers generate around 80% of revenue.

Partial posting

Consecutively numbered partial postings may be submitted as part of an overall posting. In such cases the posting list must state the total posting volume.

Peel-off label

Self-adhesive label on a Mailing that can be peeled off the backing paper and affixed to an order form or reply card.

Penetration

Proportion or number of addressees contacted using an (advertising) message in relation to all possible contacts.

Perforation

A tear line along which a section can be torn off from the main document without any auxiliary devices. It encourages a response from the addressee of a Mailing as the reply section can be separated effortlessly from the rest of the Advertising material.

Personalisation

The establishment of contact to an addressee as an individual, using their name, a salutation and other personal data. By personalising your advertising material you achieve a high attention value among your addressees. Today's modern production processes enable you to personalise very large print runs at a reasonable cost.

Pictogram

An abstracted pictorial representation. For instance, a pictorial representation of a telephone is often printed before the telephone number.

Pinfeed holes

Holes running along the edge of continuous forms.

Pitch

Measure of fixed-width laser fonts. It describes the number of characters that fit in a horizontal inch. Typewriter fonts typically have a set width of 10 pitch, i.e. 10 characters fit into one horizontal inch (= 2.54 cm).

Pixel

A pixel is an addressable unit (image or script).

Postage optimisation

Computer-aided process to pre-sort bulk printed products. The customers' preparatory work is rewarded by discounted postage rates.

Postage paid impression (PPI)

If a large number of mail items must be franked, the postage paid impression is the easiest and fastest option. The impression is placed in the upper right-hand corner of the address side and may be produced by means of any mechanical process, e.g. printing, computer printing and so on. Deutsche Post supplies printing plate-compatible proofs with no lettering for the postcode/town free of charge.

Post-event letter

A follow-up letter sent some days after the main Mailing to enhance or reactivate the addressee's curiosity.

Posting

Posting entails the delivery of prepared mail pieces to the postal service, bundled by postcode, area, region and city, and the settlement of charges via a posting list.

Posting list

Posting lists provide precise information about the number of items posted, and are required by the postal service. They have contract character, are binding and serve as a basis for settlement of charges.

Posting number

The posting number is entered into the posting list by the posting office.

Potential

The sales that are possible over a certain period of time, assuming that all measures have the best possible effect.

Predatory competition

In a market economy, an important and desirable form of competition where stronger rivals squeeze their weaker competitors out of the market.

Price policy

Decisions relating to product pricing. Typical scenarios include the introduction of new products, cost increases or decreases, and competitors' price adjustments.

Print media

Printed information and Advertising material (such as newspapers, letters, Mailings, brochures, catalogues etc.).

Private addresses

The contents of lists containing addresses of private individuals, as opposed to business and commercial addresses.

Prize draw

Active prize game that requires the entrants, unlike in a free lottery, to perform an activity. This is usually a simple riddle or puzzle that tends to be related to a product or PR campaign.

Prize games

There are three main prize game categories: prize draws, free lotteries and sweepstakes. In direct advertising, free gifts and prize games are the most effective incentives to order or respond. Your prize games must be open to all addressees, regardless of whether they order or not.

Product policy

Decisions relating to the development and introduction of new products, product design, termination of unprofitable or outmoded products.

Product range

Variety of products and services offered by a company at a given time. Other terms used include collection, product collection or assortment.

Product samples, trial packs

These are an attractive complement to the Mailing and ensure that this (classic) form of advertising elicits a strong response.

Prognos study

Prognos is a leading European consulting firm for studies and concepts in the fields of energy, transport, environment and media/communications.
http://www.prognos.de.

Promotion

see Sales promotion

Proof

• Printing proof that is produced by a printing machine.
• A trial print-out produced using data or films.

Prospect advertising

First step in a multi-step direct advertising campaign. Campaigners usually attempt, at relatively low cost, to identify prospective customers within a larger target group who wish to receive further information or an offer. During the second phase the required information is sent to the respondents from the first phase with the aim of turning them into customers.

Provider

Abbreviated term for ISP or internet service provider. Also called access provider or service provider.

PS

Abbreviation for 'post scriptum'. The PS is an important element of an advertising letter; experience has shown that readers pay particularly high attention to it. It usually serves to highlight once again the main advantage of the product, or encourages readers to respond.

Public relations (PR)

• Targeted maintenance of relations with the public or certain target groups, using selected media. PR serves to inform and influence the public.
• All activities designed to influence the image of an enterprise or industry.

Purchasing behaviour

Purchasing behaviour provides important information regarding the evaluation and assignment of a target group to a certain category. Criteria include mail order purchasing, one-off/repeat purchasing, cash payments, credit payments and so forth.

Purchasing frequency

Value/figure expressing how often a product is purchased by consumers within a given space of time.

Purchasing power

Financial power, expressed as an amount that is available to private households or companies for purchases. This criterion is used to segment addresses. The income criterion, which is not always sufficiently differentiated, is today often supplemented or replaced by more precise and reliable selection criteria.