What is the TTL Marketing?

One of the most important changes in recent decades has undoubtedly been the evolution of communication; advertising, in all its forms, has become a permanent part of our lives and, with the entry into the age of social media, we have seen a further transformation in many areas, including marketing.

Since always, the practical development of the advertising industry has been divided into two different types of products: BTL and ATL. The two acronyms (Below The Line and Above The Line respectively) stand for something much deeper and more structured, i.e. two well-defined strategies for implementing marketing operations.

It must be made clear at the outset that when we talk about marketing on the web, this definition includes all the countless possibilities offered by the network, and therefore a range of alternatives that goes from sponsorship on any social network to the use of YouTube, via side banners to advertisements.

By BTL methodologies we mean that large set of targeted advertising aimed at a very specific and defined user audience. This category therefore includes advertising aimed at an audience that is already loyal to the proposed product – such as sponsorships of sporting events, which are clearly aimed at a well-defined target audience – or that may have already shown interest in the specific article in the past and is thus updated, basically through direct marketing operations.

ATL, on the other hand, is a completely different matter, since it is dedicated to the masses, to a more global public, without any particular sectoralisation, aimed at certain targets rather than others. It is clear that this type of advertising has always found its main means of dissemination in all those media which, by their nature, are aimed at the general public: from newspapers to television and posters.

Now we come to the present day, when, as we have already mentioned, there has been a profound change due to the evolution of communication and digitalisation: these factors have in fact led to a third form of advertising expression, born from the union and integration of the two strengths of the two previous ones, Through The Line (TTL). This type of marketing therefore works both on a targeted audience and on the masses, using at the same time some elements of BTL and some of ATL advertising.

The result is essentially a totally new type of communication campaign, which is gaining more and more ground and which operates above and below the mass media line: integrated advertising campaigns conceived to be cross-media (i.e. designed to be suitable for dissemination on all types of communication channels and not to be anchored to a specific one) which are developed not only through television commercials and billboards, but also through direct marketing up to the dissemination guaranteed by the new means of digital marketing via the web.

A solid digital strategy, including every touch point that companies have with consumers (social media marketing, email campaigns and integration with your website objectives). Through this, the former have the opportunity to cement their brands in the minds of consumers and build consumer loyalty, while also encouraging them to take action and make them want to interact with the manufacturer.

A marketing service designed with a Through The Line approach ensures that it is open to a wide range of audiences, both targeted and peripheral. In addition, it secures investors’ budgets: unlike an ATL approach, which does not always lead to profits, the TTL approach offers a more integrated approach that can be more profitable in terms of earnings.

Clearly, much of the credit for this new product should go to those who have allowed the web to develop so consistently and rapidly, giving rise to new ideas in all kinds of sectors: the users themselves, who through their ever more constant use of the web have led to the birth of Through The Line advertising, and who today make it a sector that is still evolving, as is only natural.

Mediability can help you develop an effective marketing strategy that fits both your business objectives and your budget. Contact us for a meeting with our experts, where you can agree on a creative marketing plan that will produce the results you are looking for.