Jargon Buster

Ability or extent of capability to uniquely identify an individual or a device between data sets of two or more parties in a given context e.g. targeting individuals with advertisements

ATV is the ability to serve different ads to different target groups and audience segments watching the same linear TV content. This helps deliver more relevant ad content to each viewer. Addressable advertising combines the reach and power of linear TV with the possibility to be precise with data-driven targeting such as demographic profile, viewing behaviour, interests, and location. Three types of technologies are used for the delivery of ATV: HbbTV, IPTV, and OTT.

Ads.txt is a project designed by IAB Tech Lab to increase transparency in the programmatic advertising ecosystem. Ads.txt stands for Authorised Digital Sellers and is a simple, flexible and secure method that publishers and distributors can use to publicly declare the companies they authorise to sell their digital inventory, through a simple text file attached to a URL (an ads.txt file can be accessed by searching for examplewebsite.com/ads.txt). 

By creating a public record of Authorised Digital Sellers, ads.txt will create greater transparency in the inventory supply chain, and give publishers control over their inventory in the market, making it harder for bad actors to profit from selling counterfeit inventory across the ecosystem. As publishers adopt ads.txt, buyers will be able to more easily identify the Authorised Digital Sellers for a participating publisher, allowing brands to have confidence they are buying authentic publisher inventory. 

More information can be found here.

An umbrella term referring to any TV content that has evolved beyond traditional, linear TV delivery methods. Advanced TV describes new digital advertising capabilities and impression-based delivery applied to premium video content. Advanced TV generally encompasses OTT/CTV, VOD and addressable / data-driven linear TV.

Also known as “ad networks,” a company that provides a single point of contact for sales representation for multiple websites by aggregating all the sites’ advertising inventory. Ad networks are used by advertisers, agencies to reach audiences and by publishers, typically to sell remnant inventory. 

Advertising-ID is a unique identifier that corresponds to a single specific device. The advertising-ID is stored on the device itself.

Different operating systems have different names for the advertising-ID in their system. In Apple’s iOS it’s ‘IDFA’, in Android ‘AAID’, Roku, ‘RIDA’; Amazon ‘AFAI’, etc.

When a web site owner or publisher displays an advertisement (such as a promotional link) on its site for a brand or merchant and is paid for the performance of the advertisement, this is known as affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing activity generates large amounts of online sales in the UK and worldwide. 

A website or computer application that pulls together information from diverse sources. There are different types of aggregators, in the advertising industry, these notably include content, data, news, social media, and/or video aggregators. 

A set of rules established for making a calculation. Online, algorithms are commonly used to determine the listings shown via search engines and for automated methods of ad trading and delivery.