OAAI - Outdoor Advertising Association of Illinois

Glossary of Industry Terms

Daily Impressions
Also called DEC (Daily Effective Circulation). The estimated number of persons passing an outdoor location on an average day.

DEC
Daily Effective Circulation. The average number of persons passing and potentially exposed to an advertising display for either 12 hours (unilluminated – 6:00am to 6:00pm) or 18 hours (illuminated – 6:00am to 12:00 midnight).

Demographic Profiles
Audience breakdowns based on various characteristics such as age, sex, income and education.

Display Period
The interval of exposure when an outdoor advertising campaign is viewed.

Distribution
The strategic placement of outdoor units across a market.

Exposure
Represents the reasonable opportunities for advertising to be seen and read. Common to all media.

Face
The surface area on an outdoor unit where advertising copy is displayed. A unit may have more than one face.

Facing
The cardinal direction that an outdoor unit faces. As an example, a north facing bulletin would be viewed by vehicles traveling south.

Flagging
A tear that causes poster paper to hang loose from a bulletin or poster panel face.

Flexible Face
Single-sheet vinyl used in computer painting.

Flight
A period of time. The length of an advertising campaign, sometimes divided into distinct segments over the course of weeks.

Frequency
The average number of times an individual has the opportunity to see an advertising message during a defined period of time. Frequency (and reach) in outdoor advertising is typically measured over a four week period.

Highway Beautification Act of 1965
Federal legislation sometimes referred to as the Lady Bird Johnson Act or HBA. The act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson and mandates state controls regarding outdoor media on interstate highways.

Illuminated
An outdoor unit equipped with lighting that provides night time illumination of an advertising message, usually from dusk until midnight.

Impression
Is a term used by all media to quantify the number of people who have an opportunity to see an ad in a given period of time.

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Note: Glossary provided by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America. To view a complete listing of industry terms click here.