Marketing Glossary

Curious about a certain marketing or advertising term? Our glossary has you covered.

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

What is Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)? Return On Ad Spend, or ROAS, is an efficiency metric that helps advertisers understand how their campaigns are performing by measuring the revenue earned compared to the money spent to run the campaign.  ROAS is represented with a ratio, for example, 3:1, where a company earns $3 for every $1 spent. Typically, the higher the ROAS, the better. However, there are some exceptions, especially if a company is looking to grow or scale their customer base.  ROAS Calculation ROAS is calculated by dividing the revenue generated by a campaign by the cost of running that campaign. For example, if you spent $1,000 on a campaign that generated $4,000 in revenue, you divide 4,000 by 1,000 to get 4:1.  What Is a Good ROAS?  A good ROAS depends on quite a few factors, but commonly, companies aim for a 3:1 ROAS. With a ROAS of 3:1, most companies are profitable.  However, ROAS doesn’t always need to be calculated (or understood) as a campaign efficiency metric. It can also tell advertisers how they’re performing on each marketing channel. Each company requires different ROAS thresholds depending on their goals and the tactics they’re using. To find the right ROAS for your company, consider what ROAS you need for each campaign, each channel, and an overall ratio.  How to Improve ROAS Companies can increase ROAS in several different ways. The fastest ways to improve ROAS include:  Optimize the audience segments being targeted by the campaign. Often, targeting people based on real-world behavior, like in-store visits and previous purchase behavior, results in better returns than online browsing alone.  Try a more comprehensive media mix. Based on the goals of the campaign, certain advertising channels will drive better results. Consider adding different channels to your campaign if you’re trying…

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Second Party Data

What is Second-Party Data? Second party data, or 2nd party data, is data that comes from a source other than a brand’s own audience, but was collected directly by that source. For example, Company A may purchase 2nd-party data directly from Company B. Companies usually form relationships and seek out data that is relevant to their audience. There is no middle man involved in the collection of this data. Sign up for Ads Manager Learn how to buy and manage all of our available advertising products in our easy-to-use self-serve platform. Sign up Subscribe to our Newsletters Stay on top of the latest location marketing news, strategies, tips and tricks. Subscribe See what location can do for you. Contact Us

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Pre-Roll Ads

What are Pre-Roll Ads? Pre-roll ads are promotional videos that appear before the main video that a user has selected to watch. Pre-roll ads can come before YouTube videos, social media videos, films, and more. They can also be called “pre-roll videos.” Sign up for Ads Manager Learn how to buy and manage all of our available advertising products in our easy-to-use self-serve platform. Sign up Subscribe to our Newsletters Stay on top of the latest location marketing news, strategies, tips and tricks. Subscribe See what location can do for you. Contact Us

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Overlay Ads

What is an Overlay Ad? Overlay ads are small banner ads that can typically be found at the bottom of a user’s video screen. Users can interact with overlay ads and will typically be sent to another landing page if clicked. Video overlay ads take up the bottom 20% of a video and can be closed. Overlay ads can contain text or images, and are often found in YouTube videos. Sign up for Ads Manager Learn how to buy and manage all of our available advertising products in our easy-to-use self-serve platform. Sign up Subscribe to our Newsletters Stay on top of the latest location marketing news, strategies, tips and tricks. Subscribe See what location can do for you. Contact Us

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Out-of-home (OOH)

What is Out-of-Home (OOH) Advertising? Out-of-home (OOH) advertising is any type of digital or static media that is shown outside a consumer’s home. Also called outdoor advertising, this type of advertising is shown on bus stops, billboards, park benches, community centers, etc. OOH media encompasses any type of ads experienced outside the house. Sign up for Ads Manager Learn how to buy and manage all of our available advertising products in our easy-to-use self-serve platform. Sign up Subscribe to our Newsletters Stay on top of the latest location marketing news, strategies, tips and tricks. Subscribe See what location can do for you. Contact Us

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Ad Inventory

What is Ad Inventory? Ad inventory is the amount of ad space that a publisher has to sell. Ad inventory refers to app, web, video, and mobile ads for sale that advertisers can buy. Sign up for Ads Manager Learn how to buy and manage all of our available advertising products in our easy-to-use self-serve platform. Sign up Subscribe to our Newsletters Stay on top of the latest location marketing news, strategies, tips and tricks. Subscribe See what location can do for you. Contact Us

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IP Address

What is an IP Address? An IP address, or IP addresses, are one of many signals used in GroundTruth’s Audience Targeting Platform to identify and provide real-time personalization and advertising targeting for millions of users. The device graph links multiple types of identifiers to form a consistent, unified view of the customer. Sign up for Ads Manager Learn how to buy and manage all of our available advertising products in our easy-to-use self-serve platform. Sign up Subscribe to our Newsletters Stay on top of the latest location marketing news, strategies, tips and tricks. Subscribe See what location can do for you. Contact Us

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GDPR

What is GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)? The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is a law that came into effect on May 2018 by the European Union to protect EU citizens’ personal data. While the goal was to provide data protection for all individuals living within the European Union, the GDPR also affects businesses worldwide that deal with Europeans. The GDPR was groundbreaking legislation because it set new standards for data protection. Groundtruth makes its own commitment to privacy by securing its own MRC accreditation. Being MRC-accredited is the most recognized indicator that GroundTruth is a trusted source for location, place, and visitation data. Sign up for Ads Manager Learn how to buy and manage all of our available advertising products in our easy-to-use self-serve platform. Sign up Subscribe to our Newsletters Stay on top of the latest location marketing news, strategies, tips and tricks. Subscribe See what location can do for you. Contact Us

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Foot Traffic Attribution

What is Foot Traffic Attribution? Foot traffic attribution, or footfall attribution, is the ability to attribute physical store traffic to your digital ads. Foot traffic attribution connects the real world behavior of consumers to the ad exposure they received. It is the ability to quantify how much the out-of-home or digital exposure influenced them to visit a physical store location. How Does Foot Traffic Attribution Work at GroundTruth? GroundTruth uses our powerful Blueprint technology to verify foot traffic for our customers. With over 5 million Blueprints, GroundTruth can verify when shoppers visit a retail block or a specific location. We use signal data from our Blueprinted locations and compare that with the people who saw one of the ads our customer placed. We can then show both Verified and Projected Visits. Verified Visits are those we know occurred after a shopper saw an ad. Projected Visits is the foot traffic we can assume occurred because of the customer’s ad campaigns, but we don’t have a verified signal. What Insights Can Companies Gain from Footfall Attribution? As more customers voice privacy concerns, digital, and specifically mobile identifiers, are less and less reliable. That means two things. First, media platforms need to work to create other identifiers to ensure the highest quality audience data. And second, companies need to prioritize foot traffic as a performance metric. With footfall data and verified footfall attribution, companies can make direct connections with their target customers. In-store visits show a higher level of intent and a deeper loyalty to your products and services than online visits. What companies learn about the people who visit their store is much more valuable, in terms of real business results, than online traffic. How Does Foot Traffic Attribution Help in the Marketing Funnel Foot traffic attribution can help the marketing…

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First Party Data

What is First-Party Data? First-party data (1st party data) is the information that a company collects directly from its own customers and users. This data is obtained through various touchpoints, such as loyalty programs, email sign-ups, customer surveys, website interactions, and more. Since it is gathered directly from customers, first-party data is often the most accurate and relevant, providing invaluable insights into customer behaviors, preferences, and needs. 1st Party Data Definition 1st party data refers to information collected directly by a company from its audience. Whether it’s collected through digital channels like website interactions, mobile apps, or offline through in-store purchases, this data is proprietary to the business and offers the most direct view of customer engagement. Since it comes straight from the source, it is considered highly reliable. 1st Party Data vs 3rd Party Data The differences between first-party data and third-party data is significant. They include: 1st party data: Directly collected by a company from its customers, making it accurate, reliable, and relevant to the company’s target audience. It is often used for customer retention and personalized marketing campaigns. 3rd party data: Gathered by external companies and sold to businesses. Third-party data is typically less specific, covering a broad range of consumers from various sources. It lacks the personal connection and accuracy of 1st party data, often being used for broader, top-of-funnel marketing efforts. Examples of First-Party Data Businesses collect first-party data from numerous sources, including: Website interactions: Information about page visits, time on site, and product views. Loyalty programs: Data on purchase frequency, product preferences, and customer lifetime value. Email lists: Subscriber information collected through opt-ins or promotions. Surveys and feedback: Customer opinions, preferences, and experiences gathered through direct outreach. Social media interactions: Likes, shares, and comments on brand-owned channels. Point-of-Sale purchases: Products and services purchased in-store…

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