If you are an entrepreneur, you must have definitely heard of terms like brand activation, ATL, TTL and btl marketing. Budding entrepreneurs often get overwhelmed by these terms when they set off to market their brand and products in the market.

Over the years, businessmen and companies have recognized the potential of marketing. To cater to various businesses and their specific requirements, marketing has branched out extensively as well.

There are 3 categories of marketing viz

  • Above the line marketing – Also known as ATL marketing uses mass media as the main medium to communicate with their respective target audience. Most (business to consumer) B2C companies opt for ATL marketing mediums in order to help them reach out to the vast segment of audience. ATL marketing mediums are perfect for the brands and products that have a mass appeal and are seeking to reach out to an extensive audience in a short span of time.
  • Below the line marketing – Also known as BTL marketing, uses off beat marketing mediums that are directed to a specific set of audience. Though BTL marketing is adopted by both B2C and B2B (business to business) companies, it is slightly more preferred by B2B companies. BTL marketing strategies may not produce surplus results immediately but it definitely does yield tremendous benefits in the long run.
  • Through the line marketing – Also known as TTL marketing is a combination of both ATL and BTL marketing. Many brand and companies use integrated marketing mediums to reach out to their target group. Such integrated marketing techniques are known as TTL marketing.

Still confused about the difference between ATL and BTL marketing? Here goes..

ATL Marketing

  • ATL marketing strategies uses traditional marketing mediums such as TV, Print Media, Radio
  • ATL marketing strategies are targeted towards a large set of audience. It is an effective medium to reach out the masses.
  • ATL marketing mediums are quite expensive. A slot at prime time will put a hole in your pockets.
  • One of the loopholes of ATL marketing is that deliverables cannot be measured. Though the investment in ATL marketing campaigns is considerable, there is no sure shot way to measure your return on investment (ROI)
  • ATL marketing activities give incredible brand exposure in a short period of time since it grants exposure to a wide set of audience.
  • ATL marketing strategies are ideal if you want to send across a message to the audience. Simply put, ATL medium only facilitates one-way communication. So if you are seeking to send a quick message to your target group then ATL marketing is your best option.

BTL Marketing

  • BTL marketing strategies on the other hand uses off-beat mediums. Some of the branches of BTL marketing are telemarketing, internet marketing, visual merchandising, brand activation, exhibitions etc.
  • BTL advertising is the best option if you want to reach out to a specific set of audience. BTL marketing activities give you access to address and communicate to a specific target group. This ensures that your message is communicated to the right people at the right time. For example btl activities for retail stores gives you direct access to your customers
  • When compared to ATL marketing activities, BTL marketing is relatively budget-friendly.
  • One of the perks of indulging in BTL advertising is that you can accurately measure your deliverables. You can exactly measure your ROI with BTL marketing.
  • BTL marketing not just gives brand exposure but it also adds credibility to the brand. It is a tremendous brand building activity.
  • The reason why many brands prefer BTL marketing is because it enables two-way communication between the brand and the consumer. BTL advertising gives a chance for brands to conduct a dialog with their customers, hence laying a foundation for a healthy brand-customer relationship.

In the past decade or two BTL advertising and BTL ideas have taken the center stage. For years ATL marketing mediums have been the prime mode of communication for brands and slowly it has reached its saturation point. BTL marketing on the other hand is a breadth of fresh air since it uses ‘the road less traveled’. More importantly BTL marketing adds tremendous value to the brand especially in the long term.