(ATL) Above the line is an advertising technique using
mass media to promote brands. Major above-the-line
techniques include TV and radio advertising,web and
internet banner ads. This type of communication is
conventional in nature and is considered impersonal to
customers. It differs from BTL (Below the line), that
believes in unconventional brand-building strategies, such
as direct mail and printed media(usually involve no motion
graphics). The ATL strategy makes use of current media:
television, radio, Outdoor Monitor,and internet.

The term comes from accountancy and is to do with the way
in which Procter and Gamble, one of the world’s biggest
clients, were charged for their media in the 1950s and
1960s. Advertising agencies made so much commission from
booking media for clients that the creative generation and
actual production costs of making TV ads was free - hence
above the line. Everything else they paid for and was
therefore below the line.

Since then, models have changed. Clients are no longer
charged for their media in that way so the term has changed.
Loosely, above the line still means mass media. However
the media landscape has shifted so dramatically that
advertisers have reconsidered the definitions of mass media.

For example, the proliferation of TV channels means that
there is a far smaller likelihood that millions of people
will be watching the same commercial at the same time than
that a similar number will walk past the same
communication in Wal-Mart.

Obviously the Internet is the one remaining mass
communication channel. But when people engage with
internet advertising it is usually because they are
responding to highly targeted content-driven websites. But
can these really be called mass media? Just because it’s
on the internet doesn’t mean the whole world will look at it.

Increasingly, the skills learned in below the line
advertising such as specific targeting and specification
of communication are being used in mass media,
particularly the internet.

In organizational business and marketing communications,
Below the line (BTL) is an advertising technique. It uses
less conventional methods than the usual specific channels
of advertising to promote products, services, etc. than
Above the line (ATL) strategies. These may include
activities such as direct mail, public relations and sales
promotions for which a fee is agreed upon and charged up
front.

Above the line is a type of advertising through media such
as TV, cinema, radio, print, banners and search engines.
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.

In addition, Above the line is much more effective, when
the target group is very large and difficult to define.
But, if the target group is limited and specific, it is
always advisable to use Below the line promotions for
efficiency and cost-effectiveness.


More recently, agencies and clients have switched to an
'Integrated Communication Approach.' BTL is a common
technique used for "touch and feel" products (consumer
items where the customer will rely on immediate
information rather than previously researched items). BTL
techniques ensures recall of the brand while at the same
time highlighting the features of the product.

Through the line (TTL) refers to an advertising strategy
involving both above and below the line communications in
which one form of advertising points the target to another
form of advertising thereby crossing the 'line'. An
example would be a TV commercial that says 'come into the
store to sample XYZ product'. In this example, the TV
commercial is a form of 'above the line' advertising and
once in the store, the target customer is presented with
'below the line' promotional material such as store
banners, competition entry forms etc.

Promotion can be loosely classified as "above the line"
and "below the line" promotion. The promotional activities
carried out through mass media like television, radio,
newspaper etc. is above the line promotion.

The terms 'below-the-line' promotion or communications,
refers to forms of non-media communication, even non-media
advertising. Below-the-line promotions are becoming
increasingly important within the communications mix of
many companies, not only those involved in fmcg products,
but also for industrial goods.

Some of the ways by which companies do BTL (below the
line) promotions are by exhibitions, sponsorship
activities, public relations and sales promotions like
giving freebies with goods, trade discounts given to
dealers and customers, reduced price offers on products,
giving coupons which can be redeemed later etc.

BELOW THE LINE SALES PROMOTION

Below the line sales promotions are short-term incentives,
largely aimed at consumers. With the increasing pressure
on the marketing team to achieve communication objectives
more efficiently in a limited budget, there has been a
need to find out more effective and cost efficient ways to
communicate with the target markets. This has led to a
shift from the regular media based advertising.
A definition of below-the-line sales promotion given by
Rohan Salvi:
'An immediate or delayed incentive to purchase, expressed
in cash or in kind, and having only a short term or
temporary duration'.

Methods of below the line sales promotion

1. Price promotions

Price promotions are also commonly known as" price
discounting". These can be done in two ways:

1.1 A discount to the normal selling price of a product
or
1.2 More of the product at the normal price.

Alt Price promotions however can also have a negative
effect by spoiling the brand reputation or just a
temporary sales boost (during the discounts) followed by a
lull when the discount would be called off.

2. Coupons
Coupons are another, very versatile, way of offering a
discount. Consider the following examples of the use of
coupons:
· On a pack to encourage repeat purchase
· In coupon books sent out in newspapers allowing
customers to redeem the coupon at a retailer
· A cut-out coupon as part of an advert
· On the back of till receipts
The key objective with a coupon promotion is to maximize
the redemption rate – this is the proportion of customers
actually using the coupon.
It must be ensured when a company uses coupons that the
retailers must hold sufficient stock to avoid customer
disappointment.
Use of coupon promotions is often best for new products or
perhaps to encourage sales of existing products that are
slowing down...

3. Gift with purchase
The "gift with purchase" is a very common promotional
technique. In this scheme, the customer gets something
extra along with the normal good purchased. It works best for
- Subscription-based products (e.g. magazines) - Consumer
luxuries (e.g. perfumes)

4. Competitions and prizes
This is an important tool to increase brand awareness
amongst the target consumer. It can be used to boost up
sales for temporary period and ensure usage amongst first
time users.

5. Money refunds
Here, a customer receives a money refund after submitting
a proof of purchase to the manufacturer. Customers often
view these schemes with some suspicion – particularly if
the method of obtaining a refund looks unusual or onerous.

6. Frequent user/loyalty incentives
Repeat purchases may be stimulated by frequent user
incentives. Perhaps the best examples of this are the many
frequent flyer or user schemes used by airlines, train
companies, car hire companies etc.

7. Point-of-sale displays
Shopping habits are changing for the people living in
metropolitan cities. People prefer big retail outlets like
Big Bazaar to local kirana stores. Most of the decisions
of buying are taken by the virtue of point-of-sale
displays in these retail outlets.
SOME INTERESTING EXAMPLES OF BTL PROMOTION
Most of the big brands are following the suit of BTL
promotion because of rising prices of media based
promotion, advertising clutter and increased impulse
purchasing.

Some of the interesting examples are:
· Most of the educational institutes like career launcher,
Time and PT are holding informative workshops and free
tests for students which give a direct interaction of
these institutes with the target customer and hence a
suitable platform to sell themselves.

· Ring tones and music videos on cell phones are helping
the entertainment industry to promote for a music video or
a movie for dirt-cheap rate as compared to media promotion.

· Various companies sponsor sport events to promote their
brand, but nowadays media companies like Hindustan Times
are holding weekly events through out the country in which
companies can put up their stalls, display banners and
posters and arrange for some fun activities. These events
give the companies a platform at very low price to promote
their brand and increase visibility among target consumer.
These companies also give discount coupons to winners in
the games, which in turn boost the sales of the products
and ensure that first time users try these products as well.

· Pepsi organized an inter school cricket event for 425
schools across 14 cities which did wonders for the company
by promoting the brand amongst the right target customer
for almost no cost.
· Most of the pharmacy companies do BTL promotion by
getting shelf space through doctors to display their
products or by giving away free calcium tablets again
through doctors, knowing that for a patient a personal
advise from a doctor would hold more value as compared to
a commercial advertisement.

· Another interesting BTL promotion was by NIKE. An
athlete dressed up in Nike sportswear could be seen
jogging on an elevated treadmill for the whole day on
National Highway 8, Delhi.

· Tata Shaktee is a strong rural brand from Tata Steel,
for roofing products, has BTL avtivity in the form of Haat
participation. By having a stall at Haat, Tata Shaktee
engages potential consumers in interactive games around
differentiating attributes of the product. Also, discount
coupons are given for interested buyers, with details of
nearby retailers.

· BTL promotions are gaining popularity among all big
companies nowadays considering their effectiveness because
of the "individual customer promotion" at a price, which
is much lesser than the normal media promotions.

The Top Ten Reasons Why PR Doesn't Work

1.The client doesn’t understand the publicity process. PR
folks need to better educate people about how publicity
works. The first thing many clients ask is, “Can you get
me on Oprah or the front page of the Wall Street Journal?”
The answer might be “yes,” but the process to get to the
“yes” may take months or years, and may first include a
series of smaller placements.

2. The scope of work is not detailed and agreed upon by
both parties. Here’s a typical example: a client signs an
agreement to spend $3,000 per month. Client expects to get
three publicity placements per month. PR person expects to
work 20 hours, regardless of the outcome. The inevitable
disconnect leads to customer frustration and the feeling
of being “burned.”

3. The client has not been properly trained on how to
communicate with the media. Proper training for interviews
is crucial; otherwise, key messages can be misconstrued,
and even negative stories can result. Clients seldom blame
themselves when this happens.

4. The client and the PR person or firm are not a good
match. Example: Client hears about a local PR person,
meets and likes the PR person, and figures it’s a good
match. Or the client chooses the lowest price PR option.
And the PR person, instead of referring the client to
another practitioner who is a better fit, decides to take
on the client—and the money.
5. The client has not gotten results quickly enough and
ends the relationship too soon. Client should plan on
conducting a campaign for a minimum of six months. And
even that is aggressive. A year should really be the bare
minimum to commit to PR The media works on its own
timetable, which is usually much longer than the client’s.

6. PR people don’t explain the kind of publicity
placements a client will most likely receive. Every client
wants a big profile of the company on the cover of a major
magazine or newspaper, but most stories are about a
“trend,” several companies, or some recent news with
quotes from experts. Profiles are few and far between.
Yet, instead of explaining this, PR people often tell
potential clients what they want to hear, in order to get
the business.

7. Clients don’t realize that what happens after you get
the publicity coverage is sometimes more important than
the actual placement. My smartest client didn’t care if he
got a quote or a profile—he just wanted to be included in
major media. When it was time to get an agent and
publisher for his book, he handed them a list of all his
media placements, and this clinched the deal. The agent
and publisher figured that if all of the major media was
willing to include him as a source, then he must have
something important to say.

8. Clients refuse to be flexible on their story angles.
One of my clients once said to me, “We only want
profiles.” When the media wasn’t interested, they refused
to consider other story angles that the media was
interested in. Now I make sure clients are willing to have
us pitch three to four angles.

9. Clients get upset when the media coverage is not 100%
accurate or not the kind of coverage that they wanted. One
of my former clients said, “That TV segment on me was only
a minute long.” When I explained that length of time was
impressive in TV Land, she refused to understand.

10. Clients won’t change their schedules for the media.
Clients need to drop everything if the media calls. This
may be inconvenient, but the media waits for no one. If
you want to be a “media darling,” then you need to make
yourself available at any time. Those who do will reap the
best benefits and placements.

According to the classical theory …. (a long definition
follows). We would like to explain it in a very simple
and funny way.

Well the PR person is not someone who:

Has only a blond hair and perfect body look
Knows very difficult words as: pressrelease, event,
celebrity, lifestyle, media (the list is too long)