Marketing – posturing and positioning

Marketing has been integral to my career. It is something I’ve used for myself or the organisations I’ve represented and worked for. In many instances, it has been the service I have ‘sold’. I’ve often described marketing in an elevator pitch as ‘posturing and positioning’ – and in a recent article. To expand on that statement, ‘posturing and positioning’ is the behaviour that is intended to impress in the space that your brand occupies in the minds of customers. In particular, how your brand distinguishes itself from your competitors. Broadly speaking, it can be divided into three types – namely:

• Above the line (ATL)

• Below the line (BTL)

• Through the line (TTL)

The ‘line’ was a term originally used to separate that which had mass penetration (ATL) and specific penetration (BTL). In recent years, developments in technology have blurred the line to create TTL marketing. In this article, I will talk through my thoughts on these types at a very high level and from the perspective and experiences that I have. It is not intended to be definitive, but when I pick up a brief, it is my checklist.

Above the Line

Above the line marketing strategies are, largely, untargeted and focused on building the brand and informing customers about products. ‘Untargeted’ being communication that is not directed at a specific group. Ordinarily, ATL activity consists of some/many/all of the following:

• Television

• Radio

• Print advertisements

• Outdoor advertising

ATL achieves:

• Reach

• Connection 

• Brand amplification

Television

Globally, we still watch a lot of TV. Therefore, TV advertisements will reach local, national, and international audiences depending on the TV channel and the contract in place with territories. 

As TV advertisements use moving images with audio, they have a better connection than still images or audio alone.

My introduction to TV advertising came when I was still at school – and an outcome of writing a letter to the manufacturers of the table football game, Subbuteo. By accident (hence, ‘The Accidental Disruptor’), I had cut my first TV advert when I was thirteen or fourteen years of age – and my last was also for toys (again) only recently.

It is important to note, the advent of services like Sky Adsmart and alike means that TV advertising can be targeted nowadays. In this instance, it must be considered more ‘digital’ than TV and TTL rather than BTL. Whilst we might still see chocolate brands wrapping around Coronation Street and alike, when we watch or record TV shows nowadays, we are more likely to see targeted advertising to the households demographic – which can be very powerful!

Radio

Similar to TV, radio reaches local, national, and international audiences. And again, this is dependent on the channel and the contracts in place with territories – particularly when listening to the service digitally. For example, my time in the USA means I regularly dip into American radio stations that I am familiar with. When it comes to the ad breaks, I get served advertisements for businesses local to me here in the UK – which is a little disappointing. I quite like listening to the uncomplicated approach of American advertising.

A little tip – when considering buying air time, studies have shown that consumers need to be regularly exposed to an advertising message/campaign before it begins to penetrate – maybe three/four times as a minimum. But, because of the frequency that this type of advertising can be delivered, it makes it a great cost-effective option for a campaign.

Print Advertisements (magazine and newspaper)

Local, regional and national print media has a wider reach than any of the other media. The fixed ad-slots provided by newspapers inform customers and prospective customers about the brand or offers. Equally, magazines that are niche can provide excellent value.

Of course, the shelving at newsagents has shrunk over recent years as newspapers and magazines provide a digital service, but the print option still provides breadth to a robust ATL campaign and is invaluable in hitting the ‘hard to reach’ audiences who avoid ‘digital’ or prefer traditional methods – I’ve found a few in recent years!

Outdoor Advertising

Billboards, posters, banners, bus shelters – the list is almost endless. It is all the advertising real estate found in public places and constantly on display. Probably the oldest form of marketing, they have great reach and should always be a consideration – after all, they are still there and in use (so they must work)!

Below the Line

This area of marketing consists of very direct activities focused on targeted groups and are often described as ‘direct marketing’ strategies, they tend to focus on conversion rather than brand amplification. In a nutshell, BTL utilises the following activities:

• Direct Mail Marketing

• Sponsorship

• Brand Activation

• In-Store Marketing

The advantages of BTL activity are:

• Highly Targeted

• Results driven

• Greater ROI visibility

Direct mail

Arguably, the most personal strategy in this list, direct mail is custom messages about the brand and/or offers that are curated for each individual customer and delivered by email, text or post. Whilst this can be used for brand amplification, the measurement is usually conversion and can offer great ROI.

As someone who is results driven, the key to success in DM is having clear and tangible objectives – sales revenue, profitability, lead generation etc. Once these have been visualised, discovery, research and planning the journey to achieve the goal helps formulate the strategy.

Sponsorship

Whilst often considered ATL, investing in a partnership with events, activities or other organisations to acquire reach is, increasingly, considered to be a component of brand building strategies at a BTL level. The rationale for this is because the partners are likely to have tangible insight into their audience to be able to ascribe a cash value to the relationship with you. For example, a motor car tyre manufacturer is unlikely to sponsor an organisation, event or activity whose audience does not drive or does not influence drivers who use their products – but it does happen and the reasoning becomes evident in other ways. I have first hand experience of a national construction company sponsoring youth sports in major cities. The match was not immediately evident, but it served the construction company well with expediting its developments in those major cities.

Brand Activation

The key objective of this type of campaign is to bring a brand to life and encourage consumers to engage in a real-life experience. Whether it is an exhibition, roadshow or an event, brand activation can create long-term emotional connections.

Some of the longest and hardest working hours during my career have been in brand activation. It is also where I’ve had the greatest fun!

In-Store marketing

All undertaken within the retail environment, in-store marketing activities are many and varied. In a lot of instances, many of us don’t even identify with the marketing that we are being exposed to.

Working with a high profile shoe retailer a few years ago, we considered every conceivable component available to us to amplify the brand and aid conversion – window schemes, retail fitments, cardboard engineered point-of-sale, packaging and bagging, ticketing, flooring, wall coverings. We once packaged the building the store was in.

Through the Line

Only two components in this section, however, TTL techniques encompass all those mentioned earlier in this article (‘360° Marketing) and introduce ‘digital marketing.

360° Marketing

To put it simply, a 360° degree marketing strategy and campaign considers a broad all-encompassing view of the entire customer journey – from discovery (brand building) to purchase (conversion) – across every achievable and, importantly, viable touch point. 

A strategy like this is delivered using integrated ATL and BTL techniques. Most campaigns today are TTL campaigns and are very effective. The key to success is consistent brand communications throughout!

Whilst it is a contemporary term and largely associated with digital landscape, the principles have been around for a very, very long time. One of my first ever 360° campaigns was delivered long before digital was an effective tool. The brief was to reinvigorate and introduce a failing over-the-counter taboo pharmaceutical brand to newly identified markets (as well as existing markets) – reducing the associated stigma of the condition and treatment in the process. Our strategy for UK and Ireland utilised:

• TV

• Radio

• Print advertising (national and trade specific)

• Direct marketing

• In-store marketing

Due to the all-encompassing view of the customer journey, within six months of launch the brand stole significant market share from its competitors as an outcome.

Digital Marketing

This topic can command page-after-page of definition and insight – and it will need to be updated regularly as it changes so regularly. However, let’s not forget, it is just one tool in the marketing departments kit – along with all the others mentioned in this article. It is also the field I’ve been most associated with in the last ten years.

Holistically, a digital marketing strategy can be ATL and is BTL when cookie based. Users are served highly personalised communications based on their choices. This strategy has the potential of having a great return on investment (ROI) and is generally considered better by the consumers you are being served according to your history. Beyond this, tools are growing and changing. At this time, they include:

• Web (obviously) – and the platform (website) you are using

• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – achieved through an amalgam of a technically well built site; relevant content, good quality backlinks

• Search and pay per click (PPC) strategies

• Social media – both publishing content and advertising on those platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube etc.)

• Email marketing

• Re-targeting

• Display advertising

Those reading this article might be asking “where is Public Relations (PR)?’. Over the last decade or so, traditional PR – coverage in newspapers, industry-specific magazines, and on traditional broadcasting channels such as TV and radio – has been usurped by Digital PR. This revolution now encompasses online marketing strategies to help grow a brand’s presence and visibility. Therefore, it now sits firmly under this category. Although, the traditional techniques for achieving good PR are still relevant and evident.

To conclude, ATL, BTL and TTL are only effective when they are backed up by solid research and have realistics objectives. I recall the hours spent with Wolff-Olins as a consultant from Vauxhall being a great grounding for my career. Today, it makes me smile when I hear ATL messaging “Vauxhall – a British brand since 1903” hiding the fact that it was American owned from 1925; since 1980, the cars have largely been rebadged Opels; they are principally engineered in Germany; they are only available in the UK; French owned (a subsidiary of Groupe PSA) since 2017. Anyway, that’s a topic for another day!