Disadvantages of TTL Marketing

To know about TTL Marketing, we first need to understand the basic concepts of ATL and BTL marketing. 

Above the line (ATL)

  • Marketing activities are done on a large scale
  • To create a clear, well-defined brand image and to reach a massive audience
  • No defined target set of customers
  • Use of different media- newspapers, television, radio, magazines

Below the line (BTL)

  • A small scale marketing strategy
  • Directed towards a target set of potential customers
  • Personalized and objective – aims to gain tangible results through conversions, a measurable ROI and audience interaction. 
  • Includes no channels of mass communication
  • Use of direct mailing, flyers, pamphlets, brochures

These two terms were coined in 1954 by Procter and Gamble to deal with more direct promotional efforts. This categorization helps to identify marketing strategies by type, helping to gauge the impact, results, and return on investment of each approach.

Now, let’s focus on TTL Marketing

Through the line (TTL)

  • Integrated approach
  • Involves both ATL and BTL Marketing techniques
  • Use of traditional and digital media for better exposure
  • Allows to reach a target audience and achieve a high return on investment
  • Allows companies to engage with customers and potential customers through multiple channels
  • A consistent message across different media helps to generate a solid customer perception about the brand and the product.

Disadvantages of TTL Marketing:

  • Creating a marketing strategy with high reach and frequency can be very costly. The bigger the campaign, the more the expense.
  • Huge competition among the businesses
  • Not ideal for small businesses
  • Creates opportunities to mislead the target audience
  • Promotion of unnecessary consumption of goods and services

Consider the needs of your brand or product, study your available options thoroughly, go through your finances and then create a marketing strategy that fulfills all your promotional needs.