MASTERING ADVERTISEMENT CAMPAIGN - ABOVE THE LINE (ATL), BELOW THE LINE (BTL), THROUGH THE LINE (TTL)

Often, we tend to stereotype any form of advertisement campaigns is always associated with marketing activities. From our general understanding, this is arguably true in a sense because the primary goal is to promote and raise a brand awareness of a certain product or service. Although marketing and advertisement go hand in hand in real-life implementations, however, it does not necessarily mean that they are 100% the same since there are plenty of differences which distinguish them within professional or work environment standpoint. Regardless of their distinctions from a certain number of perspectives, marketing sets the foundation by defining target audiences, understanding their needs, and developing value propositions whereas advertisement supports marketing efforts by creating brand awareness, enhancing visibility, and generating leads (sales).

First of all, there is a commonly asked question in the realm of marketing where people may be wondering or frequently asking the difference between these three terms called "Above the Line (ATL), Below the Line (BTL), and Through the Line (TTL)". Well, they are by practice classified as the three popular marketing strategies that many companies implement to promote their products or services. In fact, each of their approaches has its own unique strengths and weaknesses.

As it was first used in 1954 when Proctor and Gamble began paying different firms separately and at a different rate for direct promotional activities and wider advertising campaigns, ‘the Line’ terminology in marketing was subsequently used by advertising agencies to split the direct or the targeted campaigns from those more general and widespread aimed at brand awareness; including those with the presence or absence of direct results and direct return on investments. Hence, by mastering or entirely understanding these marketing approaches and how they practically differ from one another will ultimately help businesses to create effective advertisement campaigns according to their organizational needs and purposes.

ABOVE THE LINE (ATL) MARKETING

By definition, Above the Line (ATL) marketing refers to a form of marketing communication that utilizes mass media channels such as "television, radio, print media (e.g. brochures), outdoor advertising, online media" to reach a wide audience. It is a type of marketing strategy that targets a large audience through mass media which typically involves the use of broad-based advertising campaigns that are designed to reach as many people as possible. Perhaps, one of the major advantages of ATL (Above the Line) marketing is that it can generate significant exposure for a brand or product. However, this type of marketing strategy can also be expensive and challenging to measure the effectiveness of the overall campaign. Whatever it is, ATL marketing can be an effective way for companies to create a high level of brand awareness and reach a large audience. Still, it is important to carefully consider the target audience and the goals of the campaign to determine if this approach is the most effective option.

BELOW THE LINE (BTL) MARKETING

Unlike the ATL marketing where the communication is not directed towards a specific group, BTL (Below the Line) marketing focuses on targeted groups of consumers. As it is often known as direct marketing strategies, BTL (Below the Line) marketing concentrates on personalized communication with individual customers or small groups. Typically, the BTL (Below the Line) incorporates activities such as "direct mail, email marketing, targeted search engine marketing (e.g. PPC Google Ads), promotional events, sponsorship, trade shows and exhibitions, in-store promotions". As these activities are designed to reach specific audiences, customized messages are essential to encourage people to take specific actions such as making a purchase or engaging with a brand on social media. In any case, the BTL marketing campaigns offer several advantages which make them an attractive option for businesses, such as smaller budgets, easily being tracked or measured, and enabling marketers to evaluate their effectiveness and make necessary adjustments. However, since BTL (Below the Line) marketing emphasizes on a niche market or specific audiences, this in turn can limit brand visibility and recognition which may impact businesses’ long-term marketing objectives.

THROUGH THE LINE (TTL) MARKETING

Last but not least, here comes the TTL (Through the Line) marketing which is a blend of ATL and BTL marketing. It is a marketing technique which aims to achieve the best of both practices by combining mass-market advertising with targeted and personalized marketing. Given an example, the use of "360 degree marketing" where companies do not only promote via a national TV channel or newspaper, but also running their own online banners through social media posts, blogs, community forums, and so forth. After all, social media platforms are important for TTL (Through the Line) marketers because the platforms allow them to reach out to customers directly via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. – providing an interactive media where they can share information about new products and promotions, build relationships with their customers, and improving general brand awareness.