We’ve come to accept that promotional channels are divided down the middle – above the line and below the line.
Which is most effective? Who gets the budget? When a product flies off the shelf – do we praise the snappy OOH campaign or the disruptive in-store displays? Or the bigger question – where is the finger pointed if it doesn’t…?
If you’re not slamming your fist on a desk and hissing ‘IT DEPENDS!’ through taut lips and gritted teeth, maybe you’ve been duped by this clunky bipartisan framework.
The brisk economic climate has fed the streamlining of workforces and budgets, alike. Marketing teams are being asked to do more with less – and scrutinise, ‘do we really need that?’ Important question – but choosing advertising or instore activations is like considering whether you’d prefer your car to have front wheels or back wheels. It probably goes faster with all four.
As a below the line agency – literally BTL Engage – we know our campaigns shine brighter when aligned with well-executed creative and media.
Activating in-store capitalises on the brand awareness job done outside the four walls of retail. Great creative and media grows luscious juicy fruit – then shopper campaigns cash in with the harvest.
For example, one study showed that people sampling a product were 28 percent more likely to purchase if they’d already heard of the brand. They perceive the brand is worth more because of ATL work done well. Advertising and activation work hand-in-hand – they set ‘em up, we knock ‘em down. And over, and over, again.
Continue reading in the latest issue here, and to learn more about shopper marketing, experiential activations or promotional products, reach BTL Engage at hello@btlengage.com
