. In simple sense, we can regard the traditional marketing style, where advertisements are done to entire people, where consumers don’t feel that advertisement is for them personally; we can regard it ATL. Television Commercials, Newspapers Ads, Radio Jingles, Hoarding Boards can be kept under ATL. Below The Line, on the other hand is localized and focuses on individuals. It is more personal type of communication, and personal touch can be observed thereby. Pamphlets, Sponsorships, Personal selling can be taken into consideration of BTL Advertising.
Today, customer wants individual care and respect. After all, every
individual is different, and after the basic needs are fulfilled, they want
identity. So, for a good earning job holder; 20% Extra Glucose does not attract
him more than the greeting of shopkeeper asking him to visit again. Below the
line advertising typically focuses on direct means of communication, most
commonly direct mail and e-mail, often using highly targeted lists of names to
maximize response rates. Personal touch counts more in today’s world. Same
Glucose, if served a glass at the shop while purchasing Glucose. It probably
costs less than extra 20%, but the personal touch makes the consumers special.
ATL focuses on promotion of the product to the mass; while BTL can go through
sponsorship of any event in the community.
The main purpose of any advertisement is: informing, reminding,
persuading and reinforcing and brand building. Informing and reminding
objective can be fulfilled through ATL form for sure. BTL is the one that
reaches near consumer and plays the role of other objectives like persuading
and reinforcing. You may know that certain product exists in the market through
TV commercial, but you will put your hand forward to make a purchase only when
you see the advertisement or the product in the shop where you go to make a
purchase. Back then, I used to see various Noodles advertisements on Television,
but I would ask for the product only when I saw them available on the store.
Availability of product on the store would be known when the posters or banners
would be hung on the store itself. Promotional schemes would be next factor
attracting me. You would get a long pencil on the collection of ten coupons.
Hence, I would make purchase of noodles for that.
As a consumer, which Advertisement would create impact upon you? A soft drinks
commercial on Television with celebrities? Or the same soft drink company
offering a glass of cold drink at Bagmati Cleaning campaign for every
volunteer? You would be pleased and satisfied at the time of cleaning campaign
rather than seeing celebrity in the advertisement. Brand can be created only
when individual satisfaction turns multiple. ATL can never create satisfaction,
it is through BTL, and satisfaction can be achieved. Celebrity endorsement do
have separate scope in brand building though.
Maybe it is because of this understanding, political parties never focus
on ATL for any election task, rather they spend huge amount of BTL form. They
probably are at least aware from the experience that only BTL can play
effective role for persuading and reinforcing. Things are changing, and BTL has
been coming into practice as well.
BTL helps in building customer relationship as it increases the local
touch with the customers. Investment in BTL advertisement is comparatively low
in comparison to ATL. Hence, it is cheaper form. BTL advertisement can be
targeted to certain market group as well, as there is no any necessity to spend
for the unnecessary ones. As, there remains personal touch, it is more
effective form of advertisement. Every community is different, so BTL
advertisement can be designed in such a way, that each community can enjoy
their local taste in advertisement. This probably is the reason why local
languages have been brought into practice. Feeling of belongings can be brought
into practice. The effectiveness of the advertisement can easily be monitored
as well, if found to be ineffective, it can be changed at any time with no huge
expenditure thereby.
At the time, when country it is planning to get decentralized, and drop
down into local. It is high time; advertisements need to be localized as well.
In increasing complex mode of promotional options ranging from click to
scrolling down; any marketers should not ignore the basic concepts of
perception, interaction and measurability offered by BTL. At the time when ATL
focuses on branding and identity, BTL is important for customer acquisition,
retention and loyalty. Branded products
should rather concentrate towards BTL than investing more on ATL. The
advertisement focused for me makes me interested rather than the advertisement
focused for over all group.
Published in New Business Age of January 2015 issue.
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