More About Topic
In 1954, Above The Line (ATL) and Below The Line (BTL), the dynamic duo, took the stage first. ATL was all about untargeted advertising such as a TV ad campaign, where the same advertisement runs across the country to people of all demographics.
On the contrary, BTL aimed specifically at a targeted audience of potential customers via billboards/ flyers/ direct emails/ search engine marketing or other similar sources.
And then came TTL as an integrated approach blending the best of both worlds: ATL and BTL. It combines the mass-market advertising approach of ATL with targeted, personalized marketing tactics of BTL. TTL covers every aspect of the customer journey, from initial brand awareness to customer retention. Let’s understand TTL with an example.
If a smartphone brand adopts TTL as its marketing strategy it will:
- Whether through the TV commercial, print ads, in-store promotions, or social media content, adopt a consistent and cohesive messaging strategy. The branding elements and key messages will be the same across all channels.
- Customers who see the TV commercial will be directed to the brand’s social media pages or website for more information, thereby increasing traffic and sales.
- Similarly, those who engage with social media content will be prompted to visit the smartphone’s physical store to experience the product firsthand.
- They might initiate a countrywide YouTube campaign, tailoring various video ads to users based on their location. Additionally, they could include a promotional code offering a discount on purchases made at their nearby store.
Therefore, TTL recognizes that a combination of mass communication and personalized engagement are key to achieving marketing objectives– brand awareness, direct response and conversion.
TTL utilizes high-reaching marketing channels to attract potential customers, guiding them towards other channels specifically tailored for conversion.
Here below is an image of DoorDash’s social media ad post with a coupon code. By combining the wide reach of social media advertising (ATL) with the personalized and direct response nature of the coupon code (BTL), DoorDash is using a Through The Line approach.
