On this page, you will find the different types of terminology related to Flyer Distribution Standards and a description provided.

TYPES OF DELIVERY

Community Papers
A newspaper that is published 1 to 3 times per week, generally delivered to all deliverable households in their coverage area (TMC). Usually a member of CCNA (Canadian Community Newspapers Association).

Crew Delivery
Independent non-publishing Distributors who are in business to distribute flyers door-to-door.

Daily Newspapers (Paid)
A Paid publication that is published 5 to 7 days per week, traditionally in broadsheet format. Papers are distributed to Subs (Subscribers) or through SCS (Single Copy Sales). Most newspapers may have EMC (Extended Market Coverage) available to non-subscribers.

EMC Distribution (Extended Market Coverage)
Flyers distributed to Non-Subscribers of Daily Newspapers.

Polybags
Plastic bag distributed by Canada Post or by crew delivery in some markets (e.g. AdBag or Publi-Sac). Bags are also used in apartments by many distributors.

Shoppers/flyer wraps
Typically in tabloid format, with little or no editorial content and controlled circulation (e.g. Pennysavers).

TMC Distribution (Total Market Coverage – within specified geography)
Flyers distributed to all deliverable households either in a Community Paper, AdBag or by Crew.
TMCH = Houses
TMCA = Apartments included

Unaddressed AdMail
Canada Post TMC delivery to Houses and/or Apartments and/or Businesses.

TYPES OF GEOGRAPHY 

Statistics Canada

CA (Census Agglomeration)
Stats Canada defined Geographic Area with a population of 10,000 to 99,999.

CMA (Census Metropolitan Area)
Stats Canada defined Geographic Area with a population in excess of 100,000 (largest level of hierarchy).

CT (Census Track)
Stats Canada Geographic Area approximately 4,000 Households (middle level of hierarchy).

EA (Enumeration Area)
Stats Canada’s smallest unit, approximately 200 – 300 Households (smallest level of hierarchy).

Non-Standard

Distributor Route (Non-Canada Post)
The local geographic area that is defined by the distributor and can be any number of households.

Zone
A large area of non-standard geography.

DAZ (Distribution Area Zone)
Metroland term for units of approximately 1,500 households.

Canada Post

Postal Station
Serving geographic areas of one to four FSA’s (largest level of hierarchy).

FSA (Forward Sortation Area)
The first 3 digits of the Postal Code (e.g. M5W, H3A) comprising 3,000 to 15,000 Households (average 5,000), urban codes A1 to 9A, rural codes A0A.

LDU (Local Delivery Unit)
The last 3 digits of the Postal Code (e.g. 1E6, 4V8), used to locate communities within a rural FSA or city block or apartment within an urban Postal Walk (smallest level of hierarchy).

Postal Walk
The local geographic area within an urban FSA or approximately 100 to 500 households.

7P’s or A.D.S. (AdMail Delivery Slip)
Unaddressed Canada Post AdMail Manifest.

Bulk Rate
A quantity discount offered by Canada Post.

N.D.G (National Distribution Guide)
The instruction manual released by Canada Post outlining rules and schema for using the postal service for commercial mailings. “N.D.G.” is an acronym for mailing properly sorted to obtain bulk postage rates.

CANADA POST GLOSSARY

The following is a list of abbreviations used to describe modes of delivery.

RR: Rural Route delivery (delivery by contractor to customers living along or near well-defined roads in a reasonably well-settled area).

LC: Letter Carrier (delivery by a letter carrier).

LB: Lock Box, also called post office box (delivery to a specific box in a post office).

GD: General Delivery (delivery to customers not renting a post office box, customers having no fixed address, members of the travelling public, or anyone who cannot receive mail from a letter carrier or rural route contractor).

CF: Call For (delivery service provided to customers at most postal stations, allowing them to receive “personal contact” mail that cannot be delivered by their regular delivery service i.e., parcels, packages, etc.).

DR: Direct (delivery of bagged and/or bundled mail to customers receiving high volumes on a regular basis).

SS: Suburban Services (delivery by a contractor to group mail boxes. Usually found near or on the perimeters of urban areas).

MR: Mobile Route (delivery of mail to industrial parks or areas).

PO: Post Office

RPO: Retail Postal Outlet

LCD: Letter Carrier Depot

STN: Postal Station

MPP: Mail Processing Plant

GENERAL TERMINOLOGY

Circulation
Average number of copies per issue sold or distributed.

Controlled Circulation
Publications distributed free, or mainly free, to individuals within a specific demographic segment, geographic area or job function.

Coverage
Percentage of individuals in a specific target group/geographic area reached by a publication/combination of publications.

Cumulative Audience
Total number of homes/individuals/ reached by a schedule of issues within a given time.

Database Marketing
The systematic collection and manipulation of data to achieve marketing goals. Databases can include: customers, prospects, dealers/distributors.

Duplication
The extent to which two media vehicles have a common audience or two media vehicles delivered to the same address.

Flyer
An unaddressed, targeted advertising vehicle.

Insertion Order
A written order specifying date, size, positioning, etc. about an ad or ads; given by the agency or the client to the publication.

Merge-purge
Term used in the combining of two or more lists, dropping out duplicate names.

Penetration
Percentage of the geography that a media vehicle reaches (total flyers delivered/total households).

Primary Reader
Person who initially receives the publication at home or in the office, or who purchases a publication at the newsstand.

Reach
A measurement of the cumulative unduplicated target audience potentially exposed one or more times to a particular publication in a given time frame. Reach is usually expressed as percentage of the target population in a geographically defined area.

Readers per copy
Average number of persons who read a single copy. Calculated by dividing the total audience by the circulation.

Secondary or Pass-along Reader
Person who has occasion to view a publication which was initially received or purchased by another individual (the primary reader)

Self-Mailer
A common mail package built from one piece of paper-stock which does not require an envelope but does provide a response device.

S.I.C.
Standard Industrial Classification Code. A three- and four- digit code used to classify businesses by vocation.

Skew
A bias toward a particular segment of the population.

Split Run
Where an advertiser uses the full circulation of a publication, but has different material appearing in two or more regions.

Target Audience /Market
Population segment toward whom advertising is specifically directed and measured against. May be defined by demographics, lifestyle, media usage, product usage etc.

Weighted Audience
Audience to which adjustment factors have been applied. For example, a secondary target group may be discounted by 50% to reflect a different degree of importance.

Concordance File
Is the link between all standard geographic constructs (FSA, CT, EA, etc.), non-standard geographic constructs (routes, modules, trips, etc.), and six digit postal codes (FSALDU). Each FSALDU is assigned to a distribution unit (for standard or non-standard distribution systems). Distribution quantities can either be totaled for the distribution unit or provided for each FSALDU.

GEODEMOGRAPHICS

GIS (Geographic Information System)
A computerized system for linking and analyzing map data and related tabular data base information

Geocode 
The longitude and latitude of a location for mapping purposes.

RETAIL TERMINOLOGY

CLI (Customer Loyalty Index)
Number of customers in store divided by number of transactions

Cost Benefit Ratio
A measurement used to determine the ROI relative to the distribution costs within a specific geographical region.

Customer Conversion
Increasing in store customer purchasing

Retail Trade Area
Geographic area in which the majority (or relevant) of customers live.

R.F.M
Recency, frequency, monetary value. The three factors reviewed in evaluating a past buyer’s profile.