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Information Regarding Listing Allotment and Descriptive Text

Every Thomas Register advertiser is provided a certain number of free bold face listings, an unlimited number of light face listings as well as a company profile listing with their advertising program. Making effective use of these listings is essential to achieving maximum return from your Thomas Register program. This area of our site will provide you with the details regarding the number of listings provided, the amount of text allowed as well as what is acceptable listings text. For further information or help in developing your listing text consult your Thomas Register Representative by clicking on "office staff & reps" to the left.

Number of Listings Allowed:
Bold Face — Advertisers receive one bold face listing for every $150 invested in Thomas Register in Print and Thomas Register on CD-ROM.
Light Face — Unlimited.
Company Profile — Each company receives one Company profile listing. However, cross references are provided free of charge for situations where a company name has changed.
Amount of Free Listing Text Allowed For Advertisers:
Bold Face — 32 words per listing. This is a simplified explanation of the actual policy. If this does not adequately address your needs please consult your Thomas Register Representative.
Light Face — 16 words per listing.
Company Profile — 80 words.
Note: The number of words allowed refers specifically to the "descriptive text". You do not count the words in your address or other contact and associated information that appears at all your listings in arriving at the number of words allowed.

What Type of Descriptive Text is Allowed to Appear in Listings
The "Summary Of Products & Services" ("Company Profile Text") and "PDM" (The descriptive text that appears in your product and services listings, PDM stands for product descriptive matter) in Thomas Register should help qualify buyer inquiries. Text must be strictly factual, succinct and unbiased, and must never sound like direct statements by manufacturers. The Summary and PDM are definitely not "advertising", and Editorial (not the advertiser) has final say on their content. The following examples illustrate the types of Company Profiles TEXT and PDM we hope to receive.

ACCEPTABLE COPY:
  1. PRODUCTS and SERVICES: Use generic terms to NAME and DESCRIBE what's for sale. SUMMARIZE a large product line. ("Fluid Power Products") LIST the items in a small product line. ("Pumps, Valves, Fittings")
  2. PURPOSE/APPLICATION: What does it do? What is it for? ("For Heating, Drying & Baking")
  3. INDUSTRIES SERVED: Who uses it? ("For the Pharmaceutical & Cosmetics Industries")
  4. MATERIALS: What is it made of? ("Carbon, Mild & Stainless Steels")
  5. What TYPE? What KIND? ("High & Ultra-High Vacuum," "Mechanical & Electromechanical," "Pressure Sensitive")
  6. What SIZES? ("Metric Fasteners," "Castings To 30,000 Lbs.")
  7. STANDARDS/SPECIFICATIONS ("ASME Code Tanks")
  8. QUANTITIES ("Prototypes," "Short Runs," "Production Quantities")
  9. Verifiable, quantifiable or objective DELIVERY information. ("Just-In-Time Delivery," "48-Hour Turnaround," "8-Week Delivery From Prototype To Production," "Next Day Delivery") WARNING: contrast these examples with #9 in the "Unacceptable Copy" list below.
  10. Names of COMPANIES (not brands!) whose products are carried or handled by distributors or manufacturers' representatives.
UNACCEPTABLE COPY:
  1. Brand names or trademarks when used if they were generic terms (such as "Lucite Embedments"). Brands are only acceptable when their protected status is indicated, or when proper ownership is cited ("TeflonŽ Coatings" or Molding Of General Electric Ultem Brand Polyetherimide Resins").
  2. Company histories.
  3. Mission statements or policies.
  4. Slogans or mottoes: "Everything For The Plastic Molder", "First In Widgets Since 1922"
  5. Factory Size: "65,000 Square Foot Plant", "Four Acre Facility"
  6. Boastful, promotional, subjective or unverifiable claims of any kind. Avoid words and phrases like: Better "Committed to..." or "Dedicated to...", Exacting, Exceptional, Fast, Innovative, Latest, "Leaders in...", Modern, Quality, Sophisticated, Superior, Unique.
  7. Convenience of location: "Near Major Interstates", "Minutes From O'Hare"
  8. Comparisons with competitors or competitor's products, whether overt or implied.
  9. Delivery information that is vague, subjective or unverifiable: "Quick Delivery" (or Fast, Immediate, Prompt, Rapid, Timely, etc.)
  10. Direct statements from manufacturers: "We Make..." or "Our Products Include..." (Instead, say: "Mfr. of...")
  11. Direct statements to subscribers: "To Your Specs." (Instead say: "To Specs.")
  12. Copy so unrelated or irrelevant to the heading under which it is intended to appear that the company will seem misclassified.
  13. Pricing statements or claims: "Low cost", "Economical", "Cost effective", "Competitive pricing", "Volume discounts", "Factory Direct pricing"
  14. Guarantee and warranty statements.
  15. Offers of literature: "Call For Our Free Catalog"
  16. Superscripts and subscripts (Ft3 or H2O).
Referral Lines:
Several types of referral lines are available to Thomas Register advertisers:

Referral Line Desired How To Get It
"See Our Catalog In Catalog File Section" By request
"See Our Lit-By-Fax Information in The Catalog File" Automatic
"See Our Full-Page Ad At [Heading]" By request
"See Our Multiple Ad Program At [Heading]" By request (for Dominance Programs)
"See Our Company Profile in Volume..." Given Automatically
"See Our Insert At [Heading]" By request
Company Name-Change Referral in CoPro Vol. Lightface by request automatic
 (unless not wanted)
Company Name-Change Referral in CoPro Vol. Boldface: separate contract required

Referral lines in the Products & Services Volumes require a boldface listing.




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