ATL v/s BTL
Introduction
“The most difficult decision to make, especially when it’s a choice between where you should be and where you want to be,” this quote probably sums up the challenge that brands face in the current market scenario when they have to choose the erstwhile form of advertising and choose the right form i.e. between ATL and BTL. These two forms of marketing originally used to separate marketing activities, which had mass penetration (above the line) to those, which had specific penetration (below the line). They often confuse people as to what they stand for. The terms ‘Above The Line’ and ‘Below The Line’ came into existence way back in 1954 when Proctor and Gamble payed their advertising agencies a different rate from the agencies who took on the other promotional activities.
Above the Line advertising (often referred as Above the Line promotion / Above the Line marketing / ATL marketing / ATL advertising), consists of advertising activities that are largely non-targeted and have a wide reach. ATL communication is to build the brand and inform the customers about the product. Conversions are given less importance in ATL advertising. These include conventional media, as we know television, radio, print as well as the internet. Below-the-line advertising (often referred as Below the Line promotion/ Below the Line marketing / BTL marketing / BTL advertising) consists of very specific, memorable and direct advertising activities focused on targeted groups of consumers. Often known as direct marketing strategies, below the line strategies focus more on conversions than on building the brand. Below the line (BTL) advertising is more one to one and involves the distribution of pamphlets, handbills, stickers, promotions, brochures placed at point of sale, on the roads through banners and placards. It could also involve product demos and samplings at busy places like malls and market places or residential complexes. Other BTL activities could include roadshows or moving hoardings with the ad of the product and vehicles with promotional staff interacting with people demonstrating the product and distributing literature of the product.
Deciding between these two forms is one of the most persisting challenge that brands deal on
day-to-day basis. Allocating the budget between these two media, a marketer has to decide and more so in a scenario when marketer is expected to drive the brand presence. Understanding these two forms clearly and defining the short term and long-term objective is probably the best way to clear the mist around.
ATL versus BTL in today’s milieu is contextual. There are majorly three factors, which determine the decision making while choosing between these two forms. The first factor is objective driven, where the brands have more focus on what is the overall aspiration, whether they want focus on brand presence and brand recall or want to focus on targeted marketing. For example certain markets, like rural markets where the reach of mass media like print or television is limited, BTL marketing with direct consumer outreach programs do make the most sense. When budget is an issue and the brands want to have a consumer connect, BTL has a better ROI. To understand today’s scenario, one of major ATL medium, television reaches an average of 615 million individuals in India every week. This, out of a total universe of 675 million (people in TV households), means 9 out of 10 people with access to TV are watching it every week and with an average daily viewing time of 3 hours 16 minutes. Such data becomes the key factors while making a decision based on objective. The 2nd factor becomes one of the most important components to decide between these two mediums, which is the overall allocation of budget for marketing. The 3rd factor which has become very crucial in last few years is emerging of the new age media which is more or less the digital media. A fact about digital media is that in the year 2017, eMarketer estimates, advertisers in India will spend about $7.98 billion on paid placements in all media, up 13.5% over 2016 spending levels. By 2020, spending will hit $11.82 billion. Most of that spending still goes towards traditional media and will continue to do so throughout eMarketer’s forecast period. This year, 12.6% of all ad spending will go towards digital. In 2017, digital ad spending in India will surpass $1 billion and will amount to 14.3% of total outlays. By 2020, the figure will be 20.2%. However, this surely affects, as within the same budget the marketer has to manage all the three forms.
Some people would consider ATL and BTL antiquated terminologies in an era, which uses the internet and with lightning speed changes in modes of communication to reach out to the consumer. When you are communicating with a niche audience, BTL is better. However, digital media has more or less broken these boundaries of ATL versus BTL as digital communication can address both at the same time.
Interestingly, there is a new phrase called Through the Line, or TTL, which integrates both ATL and BTL activities. BTL communications from brands is rapidly a dying form of reaching out to the audience with agencies and clients adapting the Integrated Communication approach.
To conclude on the two forms of brand communication, BTL is extremely important, but then when wasn’t it? It is just that until now it was taken for granted and not too many innovations were made. I am glad the industry is planning to revolutionize this game. It is not a question of mass media versus BTL. It is an era of mass media plus BTL.”
