Features and mechanisms of successful BTL advertising. BTL promotions: a step-by-step algorithm for holding BTL events Btl promotions a step-by-step algorithm for shopping centers
Television, radio and street in the new decade have lost their former strength. Advertisers refuse it in favor of a cheaper one. But Internet advertising also has a significant drawback, which is expressed in its excessive intrusiveness.
Banners that cover the entire screen, pop up on the content of the resource, pop up windows annoy users and sometimes damage the company's image.
All these types of advertising represent one large group of ATL advertising. ATL is an abbreviation that stands for “above the line”, which means “above the line”. Indeed, ATL advertising is not hidden, it openly sells the product to the target consumer, which sometimes causes a negative reaction from the latter.
But there are other tools marketing communications- BTL advertising. BTL or “below the line” in English means “below the line”. BTL communications are below the line of the product it sells.
The purpose of BTL advertising is to convey to the consumer information about the product, its properties and characteristics, to persuade a potential consumer to buy at the final stage of the sale. The consumer must independently realize the need for the product and make a decision to purchase it, nothing should put pressure on him.
- Strengthen the effect of ATL advertising;
- Attract new customers;
- Draw the attention of consumers to a new product;
- Differentiate from competitors;
- Adjust pricing policy without changing the price;
- Form a favorable image of the organization;
- Persuade the buyer to buy at the final stage of the sale.
The following purchase motives are distinguished:
- Material motive, which is expressed in the price of the product. This includes promotions and sales.
- A motive expressed in the product itself. This refers to the benefit of the buyer to receive a free sample of the product, a gift for the purchase, taste the product or get full information about it.
- Impression is a powerful motivator. Participation in an exhibition or presentation of a new product may interest the target consumer and become a motive for making a purchase.
It is on these motives that BTL advertising tools are formed.
BTL advertising tools
Special Events
Special events (for example, exhibitions, tastings, charity events) - this type of BTL advertising refers mostly to image advertising. It allows you to form in the minds of potential consumers certain associations about the activities of the company.
Sales promotion aimed at consumers
- Contests both in virtual and real space;
- Discounts, sales, more volume at the same price;
- Gifts for the purchase;
- Loyalty programs such as club cards.
Sales promotion aimed at intermediaries
This is a more effective sales promotion tool. It is directed not at the end consumer, but at the final link in the distribution chain, that is, the seller. For example, you produce natural homemade soap and sell it through a third-party online store. Your goal is to make it profitable for the online store to sell more of your products.
For this you can use:
- Discounts for large volume purchases. Any store has a need to fill their shelves with products. If you give an intermediary a discount on your product, he will be interested in a quick sale of your particular product. Why he will use sales promotion measures: better positioning of goods on the shelves, promotional materials in the store itself, discounts from a retail store.
- functional discount– reseller product discount, which is provided for the fulfillment of certain sales conditions: location on the shelves, promotional materials in the store itself, discounts from a retail store.
- Discounts for regular purchases. If the seller buys your product regularly, then he can be encouraged, this will achieve the following results: buyer loyalty, cooperation in promoting the product.
- Seasonal discounts– this type of discount is provided to the seller if your product is seasonal. For example, ice-cream is a seasonal product, in order to ensure its sales in the winter season, it is necessary to provide a stimulating effect.
Direct Marketing
Direct marketing is one of the most effective tools BTL marketing, since it allows you to personalize an advertising message for each specific consumer.
Direct marketing is expressed in the following forms:
- Direct mail is the distribution of advertising messages by mail. At the moment, this form of direct marketing is losing its positions, its place is taken by electronic mailing via the Internet. However, mailing has its advantage - you can send bulk packages, which will set you apart from your competitors.
- Catalog sales is a method of direct marketing using printed or electronic catalogs of goods sent to customers by mail, sold in stores or available on the Internet.
- Telemarketing is the use of the telephone as a direct selling tool to customers. There is incoming (when you take orders) and outgoing (self-creation of an offer and sale of goods by an account manager).
Distribution of promotional products
Distribution of promotional products and samples (including printed leaflets).
This BTL marketing tool is also associated with direct contact with the consumer. However, in the case of a promo, the promoter will be in contact with the target audience.
He will play a decisive role in the conduct of the entire campaign. The promoter must be supervised by a supervisor. His responsibilities include providing the promoter with material for distribution, as well as supervising his work.
Distribution of promotional products and samples on average increase sales by 20-25% during the promotion period, although this tool is not aimed specifically at sales. It is especially beneficial to conduct food tastings in stores, both the manufacturer of the product being tasted and the distributor will benefit from this.
Merchandising
Merchandising is the display of goods in a certain way. This tool is very important under high market condition. If, along with your product, there will be several more brands on the store shelf, then occupying the “arm's length” zone is very important.
About 70% of purchases are for goods located in this display area. You can designate the “outstretched arm zone” simply by stretching out your hand and making a circular motion with it, at this moment you need to be one step away from the shelves.
How BTL advertising works
Planning a promotion program using BTL advertising includes the following steps:
- Determination of the objectives of the advertising campaign.
- Definition of the target audience. Here you need to clearly indicate the number of people you want to reach with your advertising campaign, as well as the proportion of those who purchased the product. In the future, this will allow you to calculate the effectiveness of an advertising campaign and decide on the appropriateness of its implementation.
- Formation unique offer . At this stage, you should take a fresh look at your product, find the most valuable parameters for the consumer. Pay attention to the associative array that your product can cause to the target consumer. The consumer, when making a purchase, in most cases is based on emotions, the associative series will play into your hands. However, this is not enough. It is also necessary to formulate rational arguments in favor of your product.
- Choosing a BTL advertising tool depends entirely on the goals of the advertising campaign and the target audience to which it will be directed.
- Working out the details of the event. It all depends on which BTL advertising tool you have chosen. For example, if this is the distribution of promotional materials, then your task is to develop the design and informative part of the leaflets or create packaging for samples. In the event of a special event, you will have more than global work: search and decoration of the premises, development of the event program, sending invitations to guests.
- Work with clients. At this stage, the task of the contact staff is to most fully characterize the product, describe or demonstrate its positive properties, that is, to give the client the information necessary to make a purchase decision.
- Checkout. The main goal of BTL advertising is to sell a product.
The scheme of their joint work is as follows:
- Formation of the consumer's first impression of the product and company with the help of standard advertising;
- Formation of a potential client's need for a product using standard promotion tools;
- Leading the consumer to make a purchase when he contacts or expresses interest in the product using BTL advertising tools.
Calculation of the effectiveness of BTL promotions
The first thing to do when evaluating the effectiveness of BTL advertising is to determine the indicators by which you will evaluate. These indicators will depend on the goal that you set when planning your campaign.
There are the following indicators for evaluating the effectiveness of BTL advertising:
- Change in sales volume;
- Profit change;
- Changes in the level of company/brand recognition;
- BTL advertising costs;
- advertising campaign;
- Payback period of the project.
Examples of BTL advertising
Promoters got out of the cars and began handing out booklets to passers-by describing Alfa-Bank's advantages over competitors. Those who were interested in the offer were immediately offered to drive to the nearest branch of Alfa-Bank. In a few days, the company was able to literally poach more than 100 customers from its competitor.
The only tool for promoting these brands is a successful display on the shelves. At the same time, one can talk a lot about the low quality of these products, but one cannot dispute the fact that without the use of classical advertising tools, these products have surprisingly high recognition.
ATL and BTL are well-known concepts in marketing. Today, the separation between them is almost erased, but initially it was believed that ATL (above the line) was responsible for TV, radio, print advertising and other mass broadcast sources, and BTL (below the line) was exhibitions, e-commerce, various sales promotion activities . In this article, we will analyze what BTL advertising is, why it is also called trade marketing, what tools it is implemented with, as well as what types of promotions exist and how to effectively organize and conduct them.
The concept of trade or BTL marketing
First, let's deal with the concepts. The key difference between ATL and BTL is that the first type is responsible for creating the need to buy a product, while the second one completes the sale, inclining the consumer in favor of the promoted product. Trade marketing is a broader concept that includes BTL, trade, incentive, promo and promotional marketing. We will combine the concept of trade and BTL marketing, since both of them are responsible for creating motivation in the consumer, as a result of which a sale is made and, accordingly, purchasing power increases.
How BTL motivates
How to motivate the consumer to buy, increase sales growth and form the right image of the product? There are 3 ways:
- motivation through the price - to enable the buyer to save money;
- motivation through the product itself - the possibility of obtaining free samples, tastings, additional products in addition to the main ones;
- motivation through impressions - the opportunity to win a prize, to participate in an interesting event.
On their basis, a promotional campaign is formed and launched.
Directions BTL
Having defined what BTL is and what motivations it uses, let's consider two areas of its field of activity:
- Promotions and promotions to stimulate a potential consumer.
- Promotions and promotions for trade partners and resellers.
Consumer stimulation
How to persuade the buyer to buy? The answer is simple. There must be a motivation to buy it, for this, marketers conduct promotions at the final points of sale. We have already said that sales are stimulated by a favorable price and savings, either by a product as a gift, or by participation in a certain event. Now let's take a closer look at what BTL projects are and how they are classified. So, there are 3 types of BTL shares:
- Promo with image communication.
- Promo with a likely benefit.
- Promo with guaranteed benefits.
The first ones are not aimed at a specific product, but in general create a positive image of the company. So what is BTL communication?
- charitable events;
- club programs - the creation of communities of loyal customers, united by some kind of benefit;
- leaflets with clarifying or promotional information on ongoing promotions, on updating the range, special offers, etc.;
- pos-materials - various printed indexes, plates, signboards, etc. that attract attention;
- a dedicated promo area is a stand-alone platform with promoters where leaflets are distributed, or tastings are held, or gifts are given out.
- event marketing - fashion events dedicated to the company;
- packaging for special events that allows you to understand the level of the company and evaluate its participation in current world events, for example, a box with the symbols of the Olympic Games, Football Championship, etc.;
- sponsorship - financial support for sporting events, concerts, cultural events, elections, children's parties.
The second type of BTL shares involves the receipt of a possible gift. The most common way is to buy more goods to get a prize under the cover, label, etc. These are, as a rule, various lotteries, contests, instant prizes, games, etc.
The third type of BTL in marketing involves receiving a guaranteed gift if the conditions of the promotion are met (collect 10 caps, labels, etc.), but not only.
Distinguish:
- promotional packages, upon purchase of which the buyer receives the main and additional goods, the price of such a bonus usually ranges from 20 to 50% of the cost of the main one;
- loyalty programs - this is the prize that the buyer receives if he is faithful to your brand for a certain time (collects points, promotional codes, makes a purchase over 1000 rubles within 3 months);
- sampling - distribution of free samples;
- cost reduction, discounts for two purchases and other price manipulations;
- the wording “we will refund your money” can often be heard in the event of a breakdown or inadequate quality of the goods, in this case we are talking about receiving a sum of money upon the subsequent purchase of this trademark or any other by agreement. For example, when buying products for an n-sum, you get a card for 20% of this value for a purchase in a particular furniture store;
- Frequently seen on the street, in the magazine, and in many other places, discount coupons not only increase sales, but also bring in many new interested buyers.
BTL marketing, examples of which were discussed above, is ideal for attracting customers, increasing their loyalty and, as a result, increasing sales. In fact, there are many more of these measures, these are only the main and most effective ones. How do companies win buyers who themselves know what BTL is and apply it in their own practice.
Stimulation of intermediaries and partners
Running any business requires cooperation from the company. The denser and more stable it is, the more likely it is to establish uninterrupted sales with savings on transportation, storage, sales and other steps accompanying any sale. To do this, you need to clearly understand what BTL services are for resellers and partners and be able to apply them in practice. So, how to work effectively in this area?
- Increase purchases. For large wholesale parties, intermediaries often offer more favorable transaction conditions: wholesale discounts, annual bonuses. As for the distribution network, in order to sell a large number of goods, you can offer a discount limited in time, then in a fairly short time you will reduce storage costs and will not lose goods due to the expiration date. Often, for large volumes, manufacturers offer a bonus product at the end of the month or quarter, which covers some losses due to product spoilage and helps to avoid shortages.
- Increase distribution. Naturally, the more retail outlets and the wider geographically commercial network, the more sales the company expects.
- Stimulate employees. For increasing the volume of goods, reward both your own sales agents involved in promotion, and those outlets that sell the maximum amount of the product.
- Increase distributor loyalty by vocational training, business gifts, organization of holidays, corporate parties, training seminars.
How to analyze the BTL of an event?
To understand whether the promotion was effective, you need to write a BTL checklist. What it is? This is a list of questions to help you understand the goals and audience for which the promotion is being created, as well as evaluate and analyze its results. Here is a sample list of them:
- Details about the brand and its characteristics.
- The purpose of the promotion (for example, to increase awareness or increase sales).
- For whom the promo is intended, that is, the target audience of the product.
- Where is the event planned to take place?
- Is it possible to conduct it jointly with another company in order to minimize costs.
- Which tool is best suited for your goals.
- What is the best concept to implement it. Whether the time of its holding is connected with some important or memorable date.
- What is the company's advertising budget for this promotion?
- What staff will be required: a hired promotion company, store employees, or you can handle it on your own.
- What promotional materials do you need?
- What is the start and end period of the promo.
Check list
By creating a list of these key questions, you will know exactly what your plan of action is. And when the promotion ends, you will create a new checklist that will help you analyze the results. What is included?
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From this article you will learn
- What are BTL events and how they differ from ATL
- What are the main elements that make up the BTL package of events
- What BTL events are held
- What are the features of BTL events in the B2B sector
- What are the benefits of BTL events on the Internet
Promotion of any product or service in the current market conditions without advertising is almost impossible. Recently, BTL events are gaining great popularity in the development marketing plans companies. This advertising direction contributes to an effective and rapid increase in sales of a product or service, brand promotion, and also allows you to competently present and present a new product in the relevant market.
What is the difference between ATL and BTL events
All types of interaction between the buyer and the seller can be divided into two main categories: ATL and BTL.
ATL is an abbreviation for the English phrase "above the line". In Russian, it is translated as "above the line." This term appeared by chance when the large American company Procter & Gamble was compiling their next advertising plan with a budget. The plan included only the costs of the most famous methods of direct advertising, which were distributed through the mass media (radio, newspapers, television, etc.). After the plan was drawn up, the specialists of the marketing department remembered several more ways of advertising: distribution of free samples, holding competitions of various formats, sponsorship, various discount systems. These methods also needed to be included in the plan, so they drew a line under the main list, and already under it they wrote down new ones. Subsequently, this division was applied in other companies, and so it spread throughout the world. In Russia, a similar classification is also used.
It turns out that ATL are methods of direct advertising, which contain a number of activities for its placement:
- Mass radio stations.
- Newspapers and magazines.
- Television (federal and cable).
- Various ways to advertise on the Internet.
- Outdoor advertising.
- Advertising in transport (by taxi, in buses, trolleybuses, subway cars).
- Advertising in cinemas.
All remaining ways of interacting with the buyer that do not belong to this list are BTL.
BTL- This is an abbreviation for the English phrase "below the line", which translates as "below the line." These methods of communication do not apply to direct advertising.
According to statistics, at the moment BTL events are much more popular than ATL events, and they will gain more and more popularity every year. ATL advertising is gradually fading away. This has a very simple explanation. Direct advertising is already so tired of people that it repels more than it attracts. Therefore, in modern conditions it is much more efficient to use disguised advertising methods.
A distinctive feature of BTL events is that they do not require serious financial costs. But this does not mean that any novice marketer can handle their organization and conduct. In order for a BTL event to bring the desired result, a professional approach to its organization and management is needed. When the main staff of the company already has specialists in this type of advertising, there is no need to look for others. If there is no such staff, because the company is not so huge, it would be wiser to turn to a specialized BTL agency for help. You need to understand that an unsuccessful campaign can put an end to your reputation, which is why it is so important to involve specialists.
The main objectives of the implementation of BTL events are:
- Increasing the popularity of a product or service.
- Providing complete and detailed information about a new product to end users.
- Increasing the number of potential consumers by switching their attention from competing brands to their own.
- Brand promotion and maintaining its image.
- Increasing sales of goods or services of a particular brand.
- Positioning and presentation of the brand, in which consumers have an emotional attachment to it and its products.
The most important task of the entire BTL event is to bring the end consumer as close as possible to the goods or services of the brand, but with a minimum budget for holding the necessary promotions. First, a gathering place for potential buyers is found, and then various promotions and BTL events are held to influence buyers.
The main elements that make up the complex of BTL events
BTL events include several different sales promotion schemes: direct marketing, public relations, face-to-face sales, thematic exhibitions, etc. These activities are planned and implemented based on a certain percentage of the total budget of the advertising campaign. In Russia, the classification is slightly different, and it includes:
- BTL-events to stimulate sales among consumers of these products.
- BTL-events to stimulate sales among sales representatives.
- Direct marketing.
- Special events (presentations, festivals, exhibitions, etc.).
- POS materials.
Sales promotion (sales promotion) is a means of marketing interaction that uses several methods of persuasion in relation to both the audience of consumers and the sales audience in order to cause certain actions or reactions.
Main advantages:
- Actively encourages further action.
- The value of the product is positioned in such a way that in the eyes of the buyer it becomes more important than the price of the product.
- There are new additional motives that encourage the purchase of a product.
- Increases the percentage of repeat purchases several times.
- Significantly increases the frequency of purchases and their volume.
Main disadvantages:
- The retail price may be understated.
- It will reduce the coverage of the target audience, because part of it will wait for discounts.
- There may be a decline in brand credibility.
- Can provoke competitors to carry out forward purchases.
Element 1: Sales promotion to resellers
Sales promotion in the field of resale are certain processes of BTL events that are aimed directly at traders involved in bringing a product or service to the consumer. In the United States, according to statistics, there are about 1.3 million retail dealers and about 340,000 wholesale dealers. The main methods of sales promotion here will be:
- All kinds of competitions among the dealers themselves (the main prizes will depend on the level of sales of the company).
- Dealer's special bonus (this bonus is given to the seller himself for the purchase of the goods being sold in a certain quantity).
- Trade coupons (certain compensation for businesses that deal in retail, from the manufacturer of goods). As a rule, such coupons are not repeatedly returned to the manufacturer of goods.
Element 2: Consumer promotion
This type of incentive includes the following BTL events:
- Product pricing game. Three main options are possible here: a discount from the basic price, a discount when purchasing a package (a package that combines several products, or an exclusive one), coupons of a different nature.
- Money back guarantee in case the buyer is not satisfied with the product.
- Various lotteries and thematic contests.
- Gifts that are given with the purchase of a product, gifts in the mail (to receive such, the buyer must send a label that will be evidence of this purchase), long-term work with discount coupons.
- Distribution of free samples of sold products (allows you to increase sales by 10%).
- Loyalty programs that are designed for the long term.
Element 3: Direct Marketing
Another component of BTL events is direct marketing. It has a number of advantages:
- Thanks to direct marketing the opportunity to work with narrow segments of the common market opens up. This is done by conveying the necessary information to the right audience.
- The communicative process can be personified in certain ways.
- Allows you to save the overall budget for advertising due to efficient spending.
- Direct marketing is very well managed.
- There are more opportunities for a complete analysis of all information.
Main advantages:
- Specific focus on specific goals.
- Controlled and easily measurable result.
- All elements of the system are very flexible.
- There is an opportunity to personalize various information.
Main cons:
- If the strategy is designed for a short time, such advertising will be ineffective.
- Contradictions appear between outgoing information and communication messages.
Element 4: Special events
The next element of BTL events are the so-called "special events". BTL events of this type allow you to reach the target audience as much as possible and give flexibility for the main selling messages.
Main advantages:
- The necessary corporate image is formed.
- Very large coverage of a diverse target audience.
- All crisis situations are predicted in advance, and a plan for getting out of them is also thought out.
- Thanks to such events, the buyer gains trust and emotional attachment to the company.
- Outgoing information is not fully controlled.
- Time costs are inevitable, because all decisions require agreement before they are made.
Element 5: POS materials
The last component of BTL events is POS materials. Particular attention should be paid to the following number of features:
- An important role is played by the nature of the information that will be provided to the buyer during the sale.
- Particular attention should be paid to strategies for promoting and positioning a product or service.
- Objectives must be clearly defined at various levels.
- Other uses for the marketing communications mix are emerging.
Read the material on the topic: POS-materials
What BTL events can be held
BTL events with image communication
Charitable actions will be one of the most obvious examples of image communication. The main objective of such BTL events is to collect Money to solve a specific problem or a number of problems of social significance. People love to participate in such events because they want to help others and show their best side. As a result of such promotions, a positive brand image is formed.
Organization of club programs is a good way of image communication. Such programs are aimed, first of all, at creating a certain group of people with common interests who will love and purchase brand products. Groups (clubs) will help not only improve the image, but also increase sales.
Flyer distribution is one of the popular types of BTL events. This method of communication allows you to convey to potential buyers all the necessary information and does not require serious financial costs.
POS materials for BTL events. This includes some visual elements (displays and light panels). These materials help draw attention to goods or services. They are located in places of accumulation of potential customers (shops, exhibitions, etc.).
Promo zone with the possibility of easy transportation. It is a special stand with promotional materials, near which there is always service personnel - promoters. They provide all the necessary information about goods or services, offer free product samples. It is very important that communication with the audience is competent, so promoters must have the appropriate qualifications. The success of the BTL event will depend on them.
Special BTL entertainment events. Their main task is to promote the brand and popularize certain products.
Special packaging is a transformation of the appearance of the offered products in the light of the upcoming holiday or a certain event. For example, packaging in New Year's style for Christmas or in the style of the World Cup on the eve of this event.
BTL events with guaranteed benefits for the consumer
When such promotions are carried out, the benefit of the product becomes very attractive to the buyer. This type of BTL-events includes promotional packaging. This is such a complete set, in which, in addition to the main product, a bonus product is attached, the cost of which should not exceed 40% of the standard price of the main product. Ideally, it should be 20 - 30%.
Special programs that are aimed at increasing customer loyalty. These are marketing BTL events that allow you to keep the buyer connected with the brand. An example of such programs can be considered a cumulative system of bonuses that can be exchanged for real goods when the required amount is accumulated. Many modern specialty stores offer such cards to their customers. For each purchase, bonuses are credited to the card, which can then be exchanged for any product from the store's assortment.
Sampling is a BTL event marketing tool that allows you to correctly present brand new products to your target audience, which will increase the likelihood of a first purchase. Sampling types include distribution of free product samples or product demos (computer and mobile software), tastings and test drives.
BTL events to reduce prices. These promotions, which are aimed at selling a certain type of product, are temporary. To make the new price of the goods noticeable, bright price tags with the inscriptions "Sale" are made.
coupon shares. Allows you to purchase goods at a certain discount. In terms of the main action, this BTL event is similar to a regular trade-marketing move aimed at reducing the price. Only in this case, the discount is provided if the buyer has a special coupon available. Such promotions allow you to attract new customers.
BTL promotions with probable profit
These promotions (BTL events) allow buyers to win various gifts. The increase in the percentage of sales and promotion of the brand will depend on the quality, cost and necessity of the gift.
Lotteries. During such a BTL event, all buyers of certain products have the opportunity to win one or more prizes. For example, the Lays company announced that each pack of chips has a code that you can register on their website and get the opportunity to win many valuable prizes, and the main one was a car.
Contests. These are very effective promotions among all BTL events. Thanks to the development of the Internet and social networks, holding contests has become very simple. For example, a manufacturer of computer components, Intel, announced a competition. The prize was the most powerful processor for a computer. The main conditions were joining the community and reposting the entry. Thus, the popularity of the brand has increased significantly.
Instant gift. This BTL event is as follows. When buying a product for a certain amount, the buyer receives a gift.
Mobile and computer games. The brand is embedded in such a game, which increases its recognition and, on a subconscious level, causes emotional attachment to the products of this brand.
Organization and holding of BTL events: step by step instructions
Step 1. Studying the target audience
The very first and most important step for a successful BTL event will be to identify your potential buyer. This will allow you to select the target audience, because it is much easier to create the right and effective ways of interaction, which will significantly increase the level of sales.
To determine the type of buyers of a particular product, you can use the following:
- The results of various marketing research.
- Information on these products from users on the Internet (various reviews on forums and discussions on social networks).
- Direct observation of the behavior of potential buyers at the point of sale. As a result of these observations, one can understand the motives of people choosing a particular product.
If a company sells toys, it is clear that the main target audience is parents and young couples. Pensioners, athletes and other segments of buyers will not be interested in these products.
Step 2. Estimate the cost of a BTL event
Standard methods of advertising in various media are very costly. Compared to them, BTL events are not only much cheaper, but also more efficient. Each action can be adjusted to a specific task, which will allow you to divide the advertising budget evenly and in small portions. To conduct BTL events of various nature and directions, you must have:
- qualified personnel;
- free product samples;
- necessary materials (booklets, posters, leaflets, magazines, catalogs, etc.);
- a special stand for the presentation of materials and rental of space at the main points of sale.
For example, let's take a BTL event based on sampling. So, there is a coffee company that sells special types of coffee products. Its advertising budget is 3 million rubles. 375 thousand free samples are being prepared, the cost of each is 8 rubles. For 1440 promotional hours, the full distribution of materials is made. No more than 300 thousand rubles will be required for various consultations. For all the time you can hold up to 2500 consultations and conclude 400 contracts of various sizes.
Step 3. Choose the type of BTL promotion
The type of BTL event should be chosen based on specific goals (which may be different in each company) and the category of goods or services. You can stop at the distribution of samples, various lotteries, distribution of leaflets, etc.
Step 4. Choose the place and time of the event
The place and time of BTL events are not clearly defined. Depending on the main goals and individual preferences of the company itself, places for holding actions and their exact time will be determined.
To achieve the desired effect from BTL events, they need to be held in places where people buy something (various shopping centers, specialized salons and shops), since this is where access to a wide target audience is open, some of which are your potential buyers. Sometimes a good result is shown not only by shopping centers, but also by busy city streets, train stations and airport lounges.
As for the timing of BTL events, there are no restrictions. BTL events can be held absolutely on any days when there is a target audience at the points of sale. To stand out from competitors, you can hold promotions during special periods (when it's time to give gifts), because this way you can not only distinguish yourself favorably, but also increase the percentage of sales.
Step 5. Choose an agency to organize the action
In order for the outcome of a BTL event to meet your expectations, you need to correctly present the product and find an approach to the buyer. Therefore, everything falls on the shoulders of the promoters. Future sales of goods or services depend on their qualifications and professional skills.
You can look for professionals of this kind among the company's staff, but it is best to seek help from a specialized agency. However, it is worth paying attention to the track record of this organization (what promotions were held, what brands they collaborated with). You have to choose the most successful ones.
Step 6. We form the rules for the event
Specific rules for conducting BTL events are drawn up based on the main goals. The company must have a complete understanding of what it will promote, for whom it will promote and what results this promotion should lead to. The format of the promotions should not go beyond the overall brand strategy.
The fundamental goals of such BTL events are to increase brand popularity and increase sales. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to all the little things. A stand with promotional materials, the color of the clothes of the attendants should correspond to the general style of the brand itself. The duration of such promotions should fluctuate within 3-6 weeks, since after 6 weeks the interest in the offered goods and services disappears and it is not advisable to continue the promotion for longer.
Step 7. Evaluate the effectiveness of the BTL promotion
At the end of each action, it is necessary to make a full assessment of the effectiveness of the BTL event. This will identify strengths and weaknesses that can be taken into account in subsequent BTL events. For example, this way you can identify a certain event that has shown the greatest efficiency, and repeat it at other points of sale.
The overall effectiveness of the conducted BTL event is evaluated according to the following criteria:
- The total income from the promotion.
- The percentage increase in sales of goods or services.
- Direct and indirect costs of the action.
- The period during which the stock fully paid for itself.
- The overall return on the stock.
The event is considered successful if all the results were not lower than planned by the company. After a successful BTL event, sales should rise by 25%, and sometimes more.
Effective BTL events: examples of well-known companies
In modern market conditions, the buyer has become more demanding. All traditional methods of advertising bring less and less effect every year, especially if they are used to promote a completely new product on the market.
For example, let's recall the BTL events that brought the world-famous Media Markt brand to our market. The appearance of the company was accompanied by a special play on stereotypical Russian values: bears, nesting dolls, an open soul. Stores opened with a bright festive program that attracted a lot of people. For the first few months there were discounts on the entire range. The brand in Russia was actively involved in holding contests, distributing free trial materials, various contests and shows with the invitation of world stars. Thanks to this, he won the hearts of buyers.
Launching a brand is one thing, but it also needs to be kept afloat.
For example, the well-known company Red Bull regularly holds competitions for aircraft made by amateurs. In just a few years, this event has gained worldwide popularity and attracted the attention of millions of people. In addition, the company sponsors many sporting events. It is not surprising that the energy drinks of this brand are very popular all over the world.
Modern conditions for the development and implementation of the Internet in our lives allow us to use all the tools of Internet marketing for the effective conduct of BTL events.
The main features of the Internet:
- You can create a specialized website where all the necessary information about the brand and ongoing BTL events will be posted.
- Advertising of various types (banners, direct, advertising in social networks).
- Regular updates on the progress of promotions and all the news.
- Sending mail with news, invitations to new promotions and congratulations.
For a full-fledged BTL event, the Internet will play a very important role. All costs for conducting advertising activities on the Internet are small. There is no need to develop a specialized design and print something extra. Of course, websites and emails will require a certain branding style, but web design is quite simple and inexpensive. All costs are the creation and promotion of the site, mailing lists, advertising on the Internet.
The costs of BTL events on the Internet include:
- Attraction cost
The cost of communication with a potential buyer on the largest portals on the Internet (following a link with an advertisement) is much lower compared to standard communication. It is worth paying attention here that in order to carry out some promotions on the Internet, you do not need to advertise on all major portals. It would be more expedient to choose less popular, but more thematic Internet sites, since it is on such sites that the necessary narrowly focused target audience gathers. Plus, this is not just informing about the BTL event, but the full interest of the potential buyer. After all, advertising links are not clicked just like that, only interested users follow them.
- The cost of direct communication
When a BTL event takes place on the Internet, this allows you to significantly save your advertising budget. In this case, there is no need to hire professional promoters and set up a call center to answer calls. Internet marketing tools are very extensive and allow you to perform many useful functions.
To answer all questions there is a special support service. In 90% of cases, all questions are standard and of the same type, so you can make a section with frequently asked questions on the site. By going there, a potential buyer will be able to find answers. This will significantly increase brand trust and affect sales.
All responsibilities for promotion, answering questions, sending letters can be handled by 1-2 people, and not a whole department of promoters and employees of another plan, as in traditional ways of holding BTL events.
- Project maintenance/management costs
Organizing BTL events on the Internet has a great advantage over standard methods. Throughout the campaign (from the start of the launch to the determination of the winners), it is only necessary to control the competent supply of promotional materials and occasionally notify them with news. All other processes are automatic.
Attracting the necessary audience, collecting a database of contacts - all this happens automatically, thanks to Internet marketing tools. One specialist can monitor the entire process of the BTL event, answer questions and send the necessary letters. All this will significantly save your advertising budget.
In this way, The BTL event option on the Internet with minimal costs consists of three stages:
- preparatory stage (creation of a website and promotional materials);
- the stage of attracting sponsors to the BTL event and organizing advertising on the Internet;
- purchase and packaging of prizes necessary for the action.
The total cost of the entire action (BTL event) will depend on the chosen direction, the popularity of this topic on the Internet, the presence of the target audience and its quality, the availability of Internet sites on this topic with a large number of visitors (target audience).
The average conversion rate of a site visitor into a participant in a BTL event is 2%. With the right organization of the action and successful hitting the target audience, this figure can be increased to 15%, but no more. Although there are no limits - with a competent approach, everything is possible.
It is very effective to use Internet marketing when promoting consumer goods of a mass nature.
Industries for which BTL events on the Internet are effective:
- Computer software.
- Automotive industry (sale of spare parts and provision of repair and maintenance services).
- Products of various FMCG categories.
- Mobile communication, phones and mobile software.
- Mass goods and services of various nature for women/children.
- Appliances.
- Legal and financial services (assistance with loans, card processing, etc.).
- Travel and tourism industry (vouchers, air tickets, guides, etc.).
- Sports nutrition and goods.
Summing up, we can say that the holding and organization of BTL events on the Internet can seriously compete with the standard methods of holding such events. The high efficiency and low costs of BTL events on the Internet are simply amazing.
Which BTL events are always a winner
One of the simplest and most effective BTL events is the distribution of printed advertising materials. For the successful implementation of such events, high-quality printing of leaflets, flyers, leaflets, etc. is necessary. In this case, you should contact the printing house. If you want to order high-quality web printing of printing products in Moscow, the SlovoDelo printing house, which specializes in all types of printing, will help you. In addition, it has the most modern and high-quality equipment, and qualified employees fulfill orders of any complexity.
Traditional advertising is giving way to BTL promotions. With the development of the market and the saturation of consumers with information, the requirements for advertising goods have greatly increased. Companies need to look for new, non-standard approaches to promoting their products. Advertisers never tire of repeating that advertising should be unobtrusive, interesting and relevant. You can't argue with that. Another question: how to put these principles into practice, how to find a strong creative solution?
Oksana Glagoleva,
Business Development Director, BrandNew
It is believed that BTL promotions are the most effective for FMCG companies, as they allow influencing the buyer at the time of making a purchase decision. For example, a consultant on the sales floor can switch the visitor's attention from a competitor brand to their product. However, BTL tools are so diverse that it allows you to choose an effective set of methods for any category of goods.
Regardless of whether you are promoting an economy or premium product or service in the b2b or b2c segment, you will be able to find the option that suits you. Thus, pharmaceutical companies successfully hold trade conferences where they tell pharmacy representatives about new drugs, and financial institutions use sponsorship (support the Olympics or cultural projects).
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Another plus of BTL events- flexible budget. By tailoring a stock to your needs, you can play around with its cost side by cutting costs (table). The main costs are for the production of advertising materials, hiring promoters and inviting famous people. The most effective in terms of "price - coverage" are integrated solutions: a combination of ATL and BTL.
The use of such solutions allows you to achieve really high results in terms of audience coverage and sales growth.
Another argument in favor of BTL promotion- the ability to demonstrate the non-obvious benefits of a product or service. If customers don't know or understand the value of your product, then one of the most effective tools can be consultations conducted by promotional staff at the point of sale, supported by demonstrations and sampling of your products.
I will give an example of a campaign organized to promote LG bread makers in the Eldorado chain. The action was held on weekends for two weeks before Easter. Promoters, dressed in Russian folk costumes, mixed ingredients, baked Easter cakes and treated people right in front of shop visitors.
Demonstration and tasting made it possible to show the simplicity of baking bakery products. The dough is kneaded right in the oven - and in a few minutes the fragrant cake is ready. Most visitors, having tasted fresh baked goods, asked for more information about the offered ovens. While on other days they refused consultations, considering such a purchase unnecessary.
As a result of the campaign, every third visitor who took part in the tasting and asked for a consultation purchased a bread machine.
BTL tools
- Tasting- a promotional event during which potential consumers are offered to get acquainted with the taste properties of the product for free. The main purpose of tastings is to make the first purchase of goods by the consumer. Usually arranged in supermarkets, large grocery stores and shopping centers.
- Events (special events)— bright, memorable events (citywide holidays, sporting events, festivals, concerts, club parties), combining ATL-, BTL- and PR-technologies, attracting the attention of the target audience through various information channels, reinforcing each other due to the synergy effect.
- Consultation- a story about the product, most often at points of sale.
- leafleting— distribution of leaflets (leaflets) in places with high traffic (central streets, markets; city holidays, etc.).
- Lottery- a promotion with the possibility of receiving a valuable prize for the purchase of even one product. Promotions are instant (instant win - you can find out about winnings immediately after making a purchase) or with a delayed prize draw (it takes place at the end of the promotion among all lottery participants).
- Gift with purchase- a guaranteed gift received by the buyer for the purchase of a certain amount of goods. The price of a gift, as a rule, is no more than 30% of the purchase price. Usually, a gift is logically related to the product offered (beer nuts, cigarette lighter, etc.).
- Switching- exchange of competitor's products (often incomplete packaging) for a new packaging of the promoted brand. The goal of the organizer is to switch the buyer to your brand. Switching is especially popular in the promotion of tobacco products.
- Sampling– free distribution of test samples (samples) of the promoted product. Unlike tasting, sampling can be done on the streets, in crowded places, since each sample has its own packaging. Usually used when introducing a new product to the market.
Price of BTL shares (examples)
| BTL promotion | Segment | Budget | Audience Reach | Contact cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tasting (10 outlets) | Sweets | 0.5 million rubles | 20,000 contacts (tastings) |
25 rub. |
| street sampling (1440 promo hours) |
Freeze-dried coffee | 3 million rubles | 375,000 contacts (samples handed out) |
8 rub. |
| National lottery with guaranteed prizes | Beer | RUB 20.5 million | The number of unique participants is 155,000 people. 1.6 million promo codes have been registered. 3.8% responses | |
| Encouragement of the best sellers in the partner network with prizes from the manufacturer (b2b, 20 points of sale) | Consumables, office equipment | 600 thousand rubles | Increase in sales during the promotion by 20.5% | |
| Familiarization of potential customers with the services of the bank (consulting in shopping centers) | financial products | 300 thousand rubles | 2500 consultations with distribution of leaflets, collection of customer data. 395 concluded contracts | |
How to ensure the effectiveness of BTL promotions
In order for a BTL campaign to become truly effective, it is necessary, firstly, to clearly know your target audience; secondly, do not make a mistake with the choice of tool; thirdly, choose the right time and place for it. The task is not easy - I propose to disassemble it point by point.
What will "hook" your consumer
Understanding the client's motivation is perhaps the most important factor in the success of a BTL campaign. If you know your consumer by sight and understand their problems and desires, you can create the right “promo hook”.
Perhaps you do not have the results of market research on hand. Well, go to the point of sale of your product and observe the buyers at the moment when they choose a product: find out if they study the label, what they pay special attention to. Watch what products they buy without hesitation. Talk to them and find out why they are confident in their choice.
For example, when Gazprom Neft suggested that we develop a campaign aimed at increasing customer loyalty, we started by observing the visitors of gas stations together with the customer's representatives. We found that motorists not only notice and welcome innovations at gas stations, but also willingly share their opinion on what else could be improved. That's why we suggested that gas station visitors become service experts themselves and give their own assessment of the quality of service.
Any visitor to Gazprom Neft filling stations could send an SMS with their opinion or assessment of the service and become a co-author of positive changes. The action, which lasted six weeks, was attended by 43,974 people. They sent 108,529 SMS with an assessment of the quality of service and their proposals. 6000 participants received gifts. 36 of the most active went on a tour of the regions of Russia as a real group of experts.
They visited filling stations and, following the tour, shared with the company's management their proposals for improving the quality of filling stations. A sense of belonging to the life of the brand allowed to form a significant group of loyal consumers.
Another source of data on customer needs can be Internet research. Study discussions related to the consumption of your products or services, and questions asked on forums and websites. There is no such topic that people would not discuss on the Internet.
How to choose the right BTL tools
Based on the information received, you will be able to decide on the most appropriate promotion method. It should match your brand, product category, and audience level. For example, a beer consumer will not accept product advice, while for a whiskey consumer (when a new brand enters the market), it may be more motivating than a gift with a purchase.
The action, in which part of the proceeds from sales goes to charity, will be well received by juice consumers, but will not be stimulating for representatives of companies engaged in small wholesale purchases and thinking primarily about cost reduction.
When calculating the effectiveness of a BTL campaign, it is necessary to take into account such factors as the category of the product, the frequency of its consumption, the duration of the promotion, the target group, and the cost-benefit ratio. For example, a promotion with the accumulation of codes for two months will not be effective for shampoo, as it does not correlate with the frequency of purchase: the participant simply does not have time to accumulate enough codes to receive a valuable prize.
But it is attractive for consumers of different dairy products of the same brand, since the frequency of consumption is quite high and the prize seems to be more affordable.
Guerrilla marketing will be costly and ineffective for mass-market products with national coverage (such as milk), but it can be highly effective for niche products, such as premium alcohol, which is difficult to achieve under existing restrictions for the alcohol industry.
- Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Best Examples
How to choose a venue for a BTL event
The place of a BTL event is the real environment of a person’s life, the space where he makes a decision to buy and turns from a consumer into a buyer (shops, service outlets, gas stations), as well as alternative areas where he is ready to receive information about the brand (waiting rooms in airports and railway stations, theater box offices). For example, some companies use alternative lifestyle channels in addition to standard promotion channels.
So, coffee tasting can take place not only at points of sale, but also in bookstores. This approach allows you to reach the maximum target audience in the channels relevant to the brand and contributes to brand positioning. And sampling premium coffee at the box office provides an opportunity to work with an audience that would be too expensive to cover with a promotion at 20-30 outlets cities. In addition, the brand is beginning to be perceived as a product for sophisticated connoisseurs of beauty.
When people tend to react to a BTL promotion
One of the most important components of the success of a BTL event is choosing the right time to communicate with the consumer. Remember the action in "Eldorado"? A bread machine is not an essential item, and it is unlikely that anyone will include it in their shopping list when going to an electronics store. That is why the action was timed to coincide with the time of baking Easter cakes and preparing for the festive period, when the consumer is ready to make a gift to himself and his loved ones.
Running BTL promotions during traditional gift seasons is an effective way to increase sales. A creative BTL promotion can make your product stand out from the crowd of competitors' special offers. For example, in the pre-New Year period, we held a campaign to promote LG mobile phones. It was intended to stimulate sales in small wholesale and non-chain regional stores. We played on what New Year- this is the only time of the year when even notorious cynics are ready to believe in magic.
Together with the new LG phone, buyers received a business card with Santa Claus's "ice line" phone. Each caller could count on a gift. All callers received 100 rubles. on account. And every 100th caller had the opportunity to personally talk with Santa Claus (and not with an answering machine) and tell him about his cherished desire. Someone dreamed of higher education for their child, someone dreamed of a new TV.
The wishes of the five participants were fulfilled. Cell phone sales grew by 35%.
The effect of integrated solutions
Recently, companies are increasingly using integrated methods to promote their products, combining ATL and BTL tools. For example, TV ads run simultaneously with promotions at retail outlets. Increasingly, BTL events are turning into TTL (through the line).
Such an integrated solution, for example, was used when promoting Russian market Scotch whiskey The Famous Grouse. Almost all channels possible from the point of view of legislation were involved in the action. The main tasks were to increase brand awareness and stimulate the primary purchase at off-trade channel sales points and in the HoReCa area. The Famous Grouse has been Scotland's number one blended whiskey brand for over 30 years.
In Russia, he is not yet so well known. It was important for us to attract the attention of buyers who are not yet very well versed in whiskey, and to prove that they are right in their choice of this particular brand. The action "The Scots know how to choose" became a creative solution.
A viral "chooser" video was posted on a high-reach YouTube channel. Embedded directly into the video were interactive fields in which users entered one of the response options to choose from (for example, “Grow a beard or shave?”, “Confess what you did, or lie?”), And the Scots made the only correct choice.
Everyone who watched this video received a virtual certificate of the right choice with the announcement of a promotion held at points of sale. During the first week of showings, the video was watched by more than 43,000 unique users, it collected more than 100,000 views.
And at the points of sale by this time there were already pallets and promotional bottles. By purchasing a bottle of whiskey, the buyer was entitled to two free drinks at the bar and could participate in the drawing of prizes, the main of which was a trip to Scotland. The response to the stock was over 4.5% (usually a good figure for products with this level of consumption is 3%). Market share increased by 2 percentage points during the promotion period.
The recorded growth in market share was the result of synergy from activations in various channels, which once again confirms that the future in BTL and TTL lies with non-standard and creative approaches.
Video review of a successful BTL promotion from Pepsi
Information about the author and company
Oksana Glagoleva- Head of Sales Activation. He has been working in the industry for more than six years, has experience in implementing all types of sales activation programs aimed at the end consumer (b2c; TTL campaigns, trade promotions, CRM), and experience in implementing b2b programs. Collaborates with Kimberly-Clark, Henkel, Nokia, Nestle, Mercedes-Benz, Alfa-bank, ICICI bank, etc.
brand new is a marketing communications agency founded in 2001. Provides all kinds marketing services— sales-promotion, digital, CRM, event-marketing, PR — paying special attention to the development of integrated solutions. Included in the top 10 most creative marketing agencies in Russia. Official website - www.brandnew.ru
"Five stars"- organizer of business and entertainment events. On the market for over 15 years. The portfolio of "Five Stars" consists of projects implemented for large Russian and international client companies - conferences, exhibitions, forums, launches of new products. Official website - www.5-zvezd.ru
