Above the line Marketing Vs Below the line Marketing

Above the line (ATL) is a conventional advertising technique which comprises of media like TV, Radio, Outdoor advertisements, web & internet banner ads. ATL way of advertising is impersonal to the customers. It's used in a case when company is mass marketing & number of target customers is very huge. ATL creates awareness about the advertised product/ service but it's a costly proposition.

On the other hand, Below the line (BTL) advertisements are very targeted to specific customers. BTL media includes direct mail, sponsoring events, public relations, giving coupons which can be redeemed later, use of freebies in promoting products & organizing meaningful events.

Few reasons which have made company to go for below the line advertisements are as follows:

• Advertisement Clutter: In today's world, customer is bombarded with information with various ads & hence many of marketing messages get lost in this clutter of ads. BTL method help to break the clutter & being very targeted, there is high response rate from customer.
• Cheap in comparison to ATL: BTL advertisements are dirt-cheap if you compare it with conventional media like TV, Radio.

Examples to show how Indian companies are leveraging the power of BTL promotions:

1. Companies like Coke, FMCG sponsor college fest for targeting young college goers. This kind of associations enhances the brand equity for the firm & it's very cheap in comparison to traditional Above the Line advertisements.
2. MBA coaching institutes like IMS, Career Launcher & Time promotes their centers by enticing students with free tests. They also hold informative workshops to create awareness among students.
3. Companies like "Make my trip", "Club Mahindra" promotes their brands by setting up a kiosk in center of a mall. This may include a person posing as a dummy tourist enjoying sunbath in sand.
4. Times Of India organizes various events in Delhi to promote their brand name. The events canvass from Sudoku to Marathon races, Celebrations at festival time like Diwali, New Year etc. All of these kind of events create positive associations for Times of India.
5. Another example of BTL advertising is NIKE - an athlete dressed up in NIKE sportswear could be seen jogging on the elevated treadmill for whole day on National Highway, Delhi.
6. Now a days, producers use BTL techniques to promote their movies. Recently, it has been championed by movies like Om Shanti Om & Saawariya when producers partnered with companies like - retail chains, TV channels, Entertainment channels, Mobile handsets and news channel.

Now a days, marketers have understood the efficiency & effectiveness of Below the Line marketing tools. But, now the challenge is to integrate BTL tools with ATL advertisement tools.