Marketing & Advertising Glossary
From CPM to programmatic, every term in advertising and media buying explained in plain English.
BARB Ratings
UK RegulationBARB Ratings measure TV audience size and demographics across UK households, providing the currency for broadcast media buying and planning decisions.
BCAP
UK RegulationBCAP is the UK regulatory body that sets and enforces advertising standards for TV, radio, and on-demand services.
Backlinks
On-Page SEOLinks from external websites pointing to your site. Backlinks are a key ranking factor in SEO, signalling authority and trustworthiness to search engines.
Backpropagation
AIBackpropagation is the algorithm that trains neural networks by calculating errors and adjusting weights to improve predictions.
Banner Blindness
CreativeThe tendency for users to ignore or overlook banner advertisements on web pages, treating them as visual clutter rather than content worth engaging with.
Behavioural Targeting
AudienceTargeting ads to users based on their online behaviour, interests, and browsing history rather than demographic data alone.
Benchmark
AIA benchmark is a reference point or standard used to measure and compare the performance of AI campaigns, models, or strategies against historical data or industry averages.
Bid Request / Bid Response
BuyingThe real-time exchange of ad purchase requests and pricing offers between ad exchanges and buyers, forming the core mechanism of programmatic advertising.
Bid Shading
BuyingA bidding strategy where advertisers reduce their maximum bid below their true value to improve profit margins on programmatic ad purchases.
Bid Strategy
Google AdsAn automated approach to setting bids in Google Ads that optimises your ad spend towards specific campaign goals like conversions or ROAS.
Bleed Trim & Safe Zone
Creative & DesignTechnical specifications that define printable areas, safe content zones, and trim edges in print design to prevent cropping errors and ensure quality output.
Blog Content Strategy
Blog ContentA structured approach to planning, creating, and distributing blog content that aligns with business goals and audience needs.
Boosted Post vs Paid Ad
Platform StrategyBoosted posts promote existing organic content with a budget, while paid ads are purpose-built campaigns with advanced targeting and creative options.
Bound Insert
MagazinesAn advertising insert physically bound into the spine of a magazine during production, travelling with every copy to ensure guaranteed distribution and high vis
Brand Awareness
BrandingBrand awareness measures how familiar consumers are with your brand. It's a foundational marketing metric that tracks recognition and recall among your target a
Brand Collateral
BrandingAll the visual and written materials that represent a brand consistently across touchpoints – from logos and typography to tone of voice and imagery guidelines.
Brand Lift Study (Social)
BrandingA measurement study that quantifies changes in brand perception and consumer attitudes resulting from social media advertising campaigns.
Brand Positioning
StrategyBrand positioning is the strategic placement of a brand in consumers' minds relative to competitors, defining its unique value and market identity.
Brand Safety
StandardsBrand safety ensures adverts appear alongside appropriate content, protecting brand reputation and advertiser investment in UK media channels.
Brand Voice
BrandingThe distinctive personality and tone a brand uses in all communications, creating consistency and recognition across every customer touchpoint.
Branded Podcast
PodcastsA podcast series created and funded by a brand to build audience engagement, tell company stories, and establish thought leadership whilst maintaining publication
Breakfast Show Advertising
Radio & AudioRadio advertising during breakfast time slots (typically 6am-10am), targeting commuters and early morning audiences with high reach and engagement.
Broad Match vs Exact Match
Google AdsBroad Match casts a wider net for keywords, while Exact Match restricts ads to precise search terms. Each offers different reach and relevance trade-offs.
Broadcaster VOD (BVOD)
TV & BroadcastBroadcaster Video on Demand (BVOD) is ad-supported streaming content offered directly by UK TV channels like BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, and All 4.
Bumper Ad
TV & BroadcastA short video advertisement, typically 6 seconds or less, designed to deliver a quick brand message before, during or after streaming content.
Bus Advertising (T-Sides & Supersides)
TransitLarge-format advertising panels on the sides of buses, including T-Sides (rear) and Supersides (full-length), offering high-impact visibility across UK urban ro
Bus Shelter Advertising (Adshel)
TransitAdvertising displayed on illuminated panels at bus shelters across the UK. A high-frequency transit medium reaching commuters in urban and suburban locations.