Frequency cap
A limit on how many times one person is shown the same ad in a period.
Repetition builds recall up to a point and destroys goodwill past it. Caps exist because the marginal impression turns negative long before the budget does.
In newsletters and podcasts frequency is set by the publishing schedule rather than a control: appearing in every issue for a month is a frequency decision even though nothing in the tooling calls it one.
Terms it depends on
- Impression
- One instance of an ad being served — not necessarily seen, and not necessarily by a person.
- Share of voice
- The proportion of available ad slots in a property or issue that one advertiser holds.
- Category exclusivity
- A commitment that the publisher will not run a competitor's ad for an agreed period.