Below the Line

• Below the line promotion refers to targeted promotional activities that are more personalized and involve direct communication with the target market. BTL activities are typically more cost-effective, measurable, and aimed at specific groups or segments rather than a mass audience.
• Direct Marketing:

  • This involves sending promotional material directly to consumers via emails, SMS, or direct mail. Direct marketing is highly targeted and allows businesses to personalize messages.
  • Advantages: Highly targeted, measurable results, personalized messages.
  • Disadvantages: Can be seen as intrusive, limited reach.
• Sales Promotions:

  • These are short-term incentives such as discounts, coupons, "buy one get one free" offers, or loyalty schemes aimed at encouraging immediate purchases.
  • Advantages: Immediate boost to sales, encourages trial and repeat purchase.
  • Disadvantages: Short-term effect, can reduce perceived value of the brand.
• Personal Selling:

  • Involves direct interaction between the sales team and customers, either face-to-face, through phone calls, or via online platforms. Personal selling is especially common in B2B (business-to-business) markets or high-value consumer products like real estate or cars.
  • Advantages: Highly personalized, allows for building customer relationships, good for complex or expensive products.
  • Disadvantages: Expensive due to labor costs, time-consuming.
• Public Relations (PR):

  • PR involves managing the public image of a business through media coverage, press releases, events, or sponsorships. The goal is to create a positive reputation for the company.
  • Advantages: Can enhance reputation, cost-effective compared to advertising, builds credibility.
  • Disadvantages: Hard to control the message fully, results can be unpredictable.
• Sponsorship:

  • Sponsorship involves a business supporting events, sports teams, or charitable activities in exchange for publicity. It can raise brand awareness and improve the brand’s reputation by associating it with positive causes.
  • Advantages: Enhances brand visibility, supports positive brand image, targeted to specific audiences.
  • Disadvantages: Can be expensive, results are less measurable than other BTL methods.
• Trade Promotions:

  • These are promotions aimed at retailers or wholesalers to encourage them to stock a company’s products. This may include special pricing, bulk discounts, or display allowances.
  • Advantages: Helps businesses push products into retail, increases distribution.
  • Disadvantages: May reduce profit margins, short-term impact.
• Digital and Social Media Marketing:

  • Businesses use targeted online marketing through social media, search engine optimization (SEO), and email marketing to reach specific customer segments. These strategies are highly targeted and measurable.
  • Advantages: Targeted advertising, measurable, interactive, relatively low cost.
  • Disadvantages: Can require constant monitoring and content creation, dependent on internet users.