Marketing Glossary

A/B Testing

A/B testing compares variants by randomly assigning experimental units, such as users or accounts. With suitable design and analysis, it can estimate the effect of a change under the tested conditions. A test can also end without a clear winner.

Analytics

Above the Line

Above the line, or ATL, traditionally means advertising in mass media such as television, radio, print, cinema and outdoor media. The term helps classify communication activities. By itself, it says nothing about the quality of an idea, the precise audience or a campaign’s success.

Marketing

Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a B2B approach in which marketing and sales focus their work on selected companies. Content, contacts and offers are adapted to those companies’ relevant tasks. The aim is to develop suitable customer relationships; strong profitability is not established by the approach alone.

Marketing

ACR Data

ACR data is generated through Automatic Content Recognition: automated identification of media being played. On supported smart TVs, video and audio signals can indicate which content ran on the device. This is initially a device-level observation: it establishes neither a particular person’s attention nor automatically anonymous processing.

Data

Ad Click

An ad click is a click action recorded by an advertising platform. Depending on the format, it may open a website, initiate a call or trigger another function. A recorded click establishes neither a successful page visit nor an intention to buy.

Performance

Ad Impression

An ad impression is an ad display counted under the rules of the relevant advertising system. It describes a contact event, not a distinct person reached. Even an impression classified as technically viewable does not establish that someone paid attention to the ad.

Performance

Added Value

In marketing, added value means an additional benefit relevant to customers compared with an alternative. It may involve better usability, clearer advice or a useful service. Whether an addition creates value depends on the task, expectations and effort required.

Strategy

Advertorial

An advertorial is advertising presented in a form that resembles editorial content. It provides room for explanations, stories or applications. Its commercial nature must remain recognisable; an article format does not make it an independent editorial recommendation.

Content

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)

AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization: work on useful answers that search or answer systems may surface. It includes clear explanations and technically accessible content. Preferential selection cannot be guaranteed.

SEO

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a partnership model in which partners refer people to offers and receive compensation under agreed rules. Payment may be linked to a valid sale, qualified lead or click, for example. The definition of the payable outcome, its attribution and transparent disclosure of the commercial relationship are central.

Performance

Agency

In marketing, an agency is an external provider of services such as strategy, creative work, communication, production, media or digital development. Its responsibilities depend on its specialism and the agreed assignment. Good collaboration requires a shared understanding of the task, scope and responsibilities.

Marketing

Agenda Setting

In communication research, agenda setting describes how the selection and prominence of issues can influence their perceived importance. For brands, this means contributing relevant topics to public discussion. It does not mean freely controlling coverage or the audience’s views.

Strategy

Agent AI

Agent AI is a label used for AI agents or agentic AI applications. It usually refers to systems handling multi-step tasks with tools. The expression does not identify a distinct model class or an automatically production-ready solution.

AI

Agent Payments Protocol (AP2)

The Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) describes how AI-agent purchase and payment authority can be linked in a technically verifiable way. Specification v0.2 uses checkout and payment mandates. AP2 is a component within a commerce process; it replaces neither the store nor the payment provider and does not guarantee general legal compliance.

Tech

Agent-to-Agent Communication (A2A)

Agent-to-agent communication means exchange between AI agents. The specific Agent2Agent protocol, or A2A, standardises parts of that exchange across separate systems, including capability descriptions and task handling. It is not a name for every form of multi-agent collaboration.

AI

Agentic AI

Agentic AI describes AI applications that can select next steps within set boundaries while working on a task. They often combine language models, information, tools and feedback. The term is not a uniform maturity or quality level.

AI

Agentic Checkout

Agentic Checkout means purchase completion prepared by an AI agent or executed within granted authority. It may include the basket, delivery details and handoff to a payment provider. The agent need not perform every step alone. Buyers must understand the terms, and an order should be reported as complete only after actual system confirmation.

Performance

Agentic Commerce

Agentic Commerce describes shopping processes in which AI agents take on tasks such as product discovery, comparison or order preparation. Purchasing can be included when the specific integration and granted authority allow it. Brands therefore need both understandable, current product information and a reliable path from recommendation to a confirmed order.

E-Commerce

Agentic Social Media

Agentic social media describes using AI agents for connected social media tasks such as topic research, drafting and analysis. The steps a system may select or execute need explicit definition. The label does not promise greater reach or impact.

AI

AgentOps

AgentOps is the organisation of AI-agent operations: releasing versions, observing processes, assessing results and responding to failures. It groups practical operating tasks; a monitoring tool alone does not make an agent reliable.

AI

AI Agents

AI agents are software systems that use AI to work through a task over multiple steps and may use tools. In language-model-based agents, the model selects next steps within defined boundaries from the request and results so far.

AI

AI Algorithms

AI algorithms are computational procedures supporting tasks such as search, planning, classification or learning in AI systems. In machine learning, a model learns relationships from data. Not every algorithm learns, and not every AI system acts autonomously.

AI

AI as a Service (AIaaS)

AI as a Service (AIaaS) refers to AI capabilities delivered by a provider through the cloud. Organisations can analyse text or classify images without developing the underlying model themselves. A useful solution also depends on data, integration, quality and ongoing operation.

AI

AI Avatars

AI avatars are digital characters or likenesses whose appearance, voice or movement is produced with AI. They may present a prepared script or form part of an interactive system. These uses differ: a talking avatar video does not automatically answer questions and has no personal experience or professional judgement.

AI

AI Content

AI content is material generated or substantially shaped with artificial intelligence, including text, images, audio and video. The term describes how it is made, not its quality. Effective content still needs a strong idea, reliable claims and a form suited to the brand and the task.

AI

Topic clusters by use case

Performance Marketing

Brand & Creative

AI & Automation

Content & Social

Data & Measurement

SEO & Search

Strategy & Growth

Industry-Specific

A

A/B Testing

Above the Line

Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

ACR Data

Ad Click

Ad Impression

Added Value

Advertorial

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)

Affiliate Marketing

Agency

Agenda Setting

Agent AI

Agent Payments Protocol (AP2)

Agent-to-Agent Communication (A2A)

Agentic AI

Agentic Checkout

Agentic Commerce

Agentic Social Media

AgentOps

AI Agents

AI Algorithms

AI as a Service (AIaaS)

AI Avatars

AI Content