Explained - ATL, BTL, and TTL

By NIIT Editorial

Published on 14/10/2021

6 minutes

Marketing, as a consumer centric industry has changed drastically in turn changing advertising approaches. Advertising takes place majorly on two patterns. The products are either advertised broadly to the mass market or the same is done for a targeted group of consumers. ATL and BTL relate to these very categories and if you are new to these advertising terms, then this article is just what you need.

Above The Line Marketing

ATL is mostly used to generate, and spread brand awareness. Their aim is to simply place the brand name in front of the consumer. National level ad campaigns are a good example of ATL. Such campaigns do not target a demographic but the general-level audience at large. The objective is to establish a first connection and define what the brand-identity stands for. Other examples of similar campaigns would include radio transmission ads or print media ads which simply broadcast the brand name and its tagline.

From an ROI perspective, ATL campaigns cost a lot to produce and remain untargeted. That is because they are not meant to create leads and high-value conversions but a mass-market appeal. In the upcoming sections we will discuss how you can learn an online digital marketing certification course to learn ATL techniques.

Below the Line Marketing

In contrast, BTL campaigns are targeted to user groups who have the potential to be converted to customers. Advertisers use a variety of mediums to target people which includes outdoor advertising, email marketing, and direct outreach channels such through phones and SMS. As per a study, 71% of the customers prefer personalized ads, which outlines the significance of BTL marketing.

You can track the exact ROI with digital marketing tools that offer high customization such as defining the location, age limit of viewers, time zone and whatnot. You can calculate the leads that have converted to customers and create further strategies to loop in drop-out leads for future. From SEO SEM marketing courses to a social media marketing course, students are learning about BTL marketing from variegated sources.

Through the Line Marketing

TTL campaigns combine the best of both worlds, that is ATL and BTL approaches. The aim is to find relevant placeholders for brand exposure as well as establish a line towards the target audience. Advertisers combine the tools and marketing channels for both ATL and BTL. For instance, a national level campaign for television could be supplemented with targeted ads for the relevant demographics on social media platforms.

TTL campaigns serve the dual benefit of increasing brand visibility in the public eye while at the same time attracting leads that give business. Considering the expenses incurred to support such all-encompassing initiatives, through the line marketing is usually taken up by established enterprises.

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