Knowledge base: marketing terms explained

01Marketing

Target audienceThe specific group of people or organisations you want to reach with your marketing and communication. SegmentationDividing a market into distinct groups with shared characteristics, so you can approach each group in a targeted way. PositioningThe place your brand occupies in your target audience's mind relative to competitors. SWOTAn analysis framework covering Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. BenchmarkA reference point you measure your own performance against — often based on industry averages or competitors. FunnelThe path a potential customer takes from first encounter (awareness) to purchase and loyalty. CTRClick-Through Rate — the percentage of people who click your ad after seeing it. CPCCost Per Click — what you pay for each click on your ad. CPLCost Per Lead — the cost of generating one qualified lead. ROASReturn On Ad Spend — the revenue you generate for every euro you spend on advertising. ROIReturn On Investment — the return on an investment, expressed as a percentage of the total cost. ConversionThe moment a visitor takes the action you want: a purchase, sign-up, enquiry or download. RetargetingAdvertising again to people who visited your website before but have not yet converted. KPIKey Performance Indicator — a measurable indicator that shows to what extent a goal is being achieved. Lookalike audiencesAudiences that Meta or Google build based on their similarity to your existing customers. Affiliate MarketingA performance-based form of marketing in which external partners earn commission by sending traffic or customers to an advertiser through tracking links. B2C MarketingMarketing aimed at reaching and persuading individual consumers to buy products for personal use. E-commerceSelling and buying products or services online through websites, apps and digital marketplaces. BudgetingPlanning, allocating and monitoring financial resources for marketing activities over a set period. Project managementPlanning, organising, executing and controlling projects to achieve marketing objectives within time, budget and quality parameters. GovernanceThe structures, policies and responsibilities an organisation uses to manage and account for its marketing activities. CRMCustomer Relationship Management — the combination of strategy, processes and technology an organisation uses to manage and optimise customer relationships.

02Brand

Brand identityThe visual and verbal expression of your brand: logo, colour palette, typography, tone of voice and style. Tone of voiceThe consistent way a brand communicates in writing: the tone, the choice of words and the personality that shines through. Brand ExperienceThe overall impression a consumer forms across all interactions with a brand — from first contact to post-purchase. Employer BrandingStrategically positioning an organisation as an attractive employer to attract, engage and retain talent.

03Content

SEOSearch Engine Optimisation — improving your website so it ranks higher in unpaid search results. UGCUser Generated Content — content created by users or customers rather than by the brand itself. Content strategyThe overarching plan that determines how an organisation creates, distributes, manages and measures content to achieve brand and audience goals. CopyrightThe exclusive right of the creator of an original work to reproduce, distribute and adapt that work, and to give others permission to do so. AccessibilityDesigning digital products and communication materials so that people with a range of disabilities can use them.

04Media

Email marketingUsing email as an owned marketing channel to inform, activate and convert subscribers — from one-off campaigns to automated flows. Display AdvertisingVisual online ads — made up of images, animation or video — shown on websites, apps or platforms outside the search engine. Mobile MarketingMarketing activities aimed specifically at users on mobile devices, using the mobile context for relevance and reach. Retail MediaAdvertising space that retailers offer to brands to reach customers at the point of purchase intent, on the retailer's own platform. Digital MediaOnline media channels and platforms that brands use to reach audiences through internet-connected devices.

05Data

AttributionAssigning value to the channels and touchpoints that contribute to a conversion. First-party dataData you collect yourself, directly from your own customers and visitors, without third parties in between. GDPR / AVGThe European privacy law that regulates the processing of personal data for every organisation that reaches EU residents. AVG/GDPRThe General Data Protection Regulation (AVG in Dutch) — the European privacy law that protects EU citizens' rights over their personal data. Privacy & ConsentThe obligation and strategy to collect and process users' personal data in line with privacy law and with explicit consent.