ATL marketing, which is exactly what?

ATL marketing and BTL marketing are two marketing strategies commonly used in the advertising industry to promote any product or brand. The first one is used to strengthen the position of the brand and reach as many recipients as possible through the mass media. Too general? Details can be found in the text. 

What will you learn from the article?

In the world of marketing, there are various strategies and tools that help companies reach their customers. One of the most popular and effective promotion methods is ATL marketing, i.e. Above The Line marketing.

In this entry you will learn what ATL marketing is, what distinguishes it from BTL marketing (Below The Line marketing), what advantages it brings and what it can do in the context of brand promotion.

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Above The Line, or ATL marketing, refers to general, untargeted, mass campaigns designed to raise brand awareness and reach more people. On the other hand, Below The Line, or BTL marketing, refers to a much smaller and highly targeted world of advertising. Ads targeted at individuals, with an easy-to-track ROI in which target group is defined with remarkable precision.  

What is ATL Marketing? 

ATL marketing is the approach most often used to build brand awareness and promote company values. Every self-respecting woman should know them PR agency. Wide-ranging campaigns are largely untargeted and undertaken at a generic level. A good example of the ATL marketing approach is a nationwide or even global television advertising campaign. The same ad is shown nationwide to all viewers, meaning people from all demographics.  

This strategy is a good way to promote your brand, but it's hard to measure the exact impact and return on investment. However, its purpose is not to precisely express an increase in the conversion rate. It is generally making customers aware of the existence of a brand or product and increasing the company's visibility on the market. 

BTL marketing, or the reverse of ATL marketing 

BTL marketing is a strategy based on something completely opposite to ATL. It is aimed only at selected people who have been identified as potential customers. Popular BTL strategies include direct marketing such as email and social media use, and event sponsorship.  

Unlike ATL, BTL marketing focuses on targeting specific ads to specific people. Communication strategy in this case, it is about ensuring that both the content and its location are in line with the intentions of potential customers as much as possible. BTL differs from ATL marketing also in that it is much more focused on return on investment (ROI), getting an increase in conversion rate, and "measurable" success. Rather than simply increasing brand awareness, BTL aims to physically provide consumers with a product, focusing directly on the user and their needs.  

What ATL marketing can do?

ATL marketing consists of wide-ranging advertising activities targeted at a wide audience. As already mentioned, ATL communication aims to build the brand and inform customers about the product. The media message goes to everyone who has access to it. Example? TV. An average of 4.3 hours of television per day is watched by humans. This data is for the whole world. TV commercials range from local to national to international audiences depending on the TV channel and the agreement between the parties. Television commercials appeal to viewers because moving images with sound are more attractive to view than still images or sound itself.  

ATL marketing also uses the power of radio. According to psychologists, consumers must encounter an advertising message at least three times before it begins to penetrate their consciousness. Radio is therefore an ideal option to meet all the requirements for both frequency and creative advertising. The more so that radio - like television - can have a local, national and international range.

Another platform through which ATL marketing reaches the masses of recipients are printed media. Magazines and newspapers are ideal communication channels to inform customers or potential customers about the brand or its offer. In addition, there are many industry journals, making it easy to target multiple niches directly. Finally, but not the least important for this strategy, outdoor advertising, usually carried out in public places. Well-exposed billboards, banners, etc. have the greater range, the better location they are.  

What are the advantages of ATL marketing?

The main advantage of ATL marketing is its wide, nationwide, and even international reach. The nature of this type of messages reaches the recipients well. Media, such as television, use audiovisual material that makes it easier for a company to connect with its audience. Media advertising is also a key tool in defining and implementing brand identity, and this is built by customers. The role of ATL in building the brand is to reach as many potential customers as possible and to communicate creatively with information about the brand and the benefits it can give them. Therefore, this type of marketing plays an integral role in brand building. 

ATL marketing and BTL marketing 

The definitions of both of these marketing approaches were first applied in 1954. This was when Procter & Gamble began paying different companies separately and at a different rate for direct promotional activities and wider advertising campaigns, separating the two approaches. In this way, The Line separates direct marketing from targeted campaigns from the more general and commonplace. It separates campaigns aimed at increasing brand awareness from those aimed at producing direct results and a measurable return on investment. 

Marketing is constantly evolving and the question often arises whether this "line" is not blurring? For example, the massive use of social media nowadays. Does their wide exposure mean that this is the place for ATL? After all, communication through them can also be highly targeted, i.e. BTL. The key to solving this puzzle is to consider the intention and purpose of the action taken. 

Use of ATL advertising

In any well-planned ATL campaign, agents pay attention to the potential ATL advertisingbecause it makes it possible to build a consistent brand image in front of a wide audience. Both television and radio become the ideal medium for this when you want to influence consumer sentiment and increase recognition. In addition, complementing the message with cleverly chosen BTL materials allows communication to be strengthened, leading to conversions and deeper audience engagement. Finally, effective ATL campaign requires the integration of mass channels and local activities to reach both a broad group and specific market segments. Combining ATL campaigns with dedicated BTL materials creates a strategy that engages and builds long-term relationships with audiences.

Who should opt for an ATL campaign?

Companies aspiring to rapidly grow awareness and dominate the industry should consider ATL campaign as the main element of communication. This solution works especially well when you want to reach a wide audience - then ATL campaign effectively supports the perception of a brand's value and its presence in the public space. Companies focusing on "economies of scale" and increased interest in the product should reach for the ATL advertisingto gain immediate publicity. For these brands ATL marketing can open doors to new markets and build a suitable base for subsequent sales campaigns.

How much does ATL marketing cost?

Budget estimation for ATL marketing is based on a number of factors - reach, duration and media choice - which affects the financial scope of the investment. Normally, larger television campaigns generate higher costs, however ATL marketing on radio or online can be more affordable, offering budget flexibility. When preparing a bid, agencies often analyse similar productions to price the ATL campaign according to market standards, taking into account the timetable and objectives. As a result, a well-planned ATL advertising allows costs to be optimised and coverage maximised, while supporting ATL marketing local activities.