I remember the first time someone explained the "line" in above-the-line and below-the-line marketing to me. It comes from accounting, specifically from how Procter & Gamble separated its advertising budget in the 1950s. Above the line was mass media (TV, radio, print). Below the line was everything else. The "line" was literally a line on the budget sheet.
That origin story is worth knowing because it explains why the terminology feels dated. The line between mass media and targeted media barely exists anymore. But the concept behind below-the-line (BTL) communications remains one of the most useful frameworks for understanding how marketing dollars flow, and it is more relevant now than ever.
Below-the-line (BTL) marketing refers to targeted, direct, and measurable promotional activities aimed at specific audience segments rather than the general public. If above-the-line (ATL) communication is a megaphone pointed at a stadium, BTL is a conversation at a coffee shop.
BTL tactics include direct mail, email marketing, experiential events, in-store promotions, trade shows, product sampling, sponsorships, loyalty programs, point-of-sale displays, and increasingly, targeted digital advertising. The defining characteristic is precision: you know who you are reaching and you can measure the result.
HubSpot's State of Marketing Report consistently shows that the most effective marketing teams blend ATL brand-building with BTL conversion tactics. The companies that over-index on one at the expense of the other tend to either build awareness without sales or drive short-term sales without brand equity.
| BTL Channel | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Direct mail | Physical mail (postcards, catalogs, letters) sent to targeted lists | Local businesses, luxury brands, high-value B2B |
| Email marketing | Targeted email campaigns to segmented lists | Nurturing, retention, e-commerce |
| Experiential marketing | Live events, pop-ups, immersive brand experiences | Brand activation, product launches |
| In-store promotions | POS displays, product sampling, shelf talkers | CPG, retail, FMCG |
| Trade shows | Industry events and exhibitions | B2B lead generation |
| Loyalty programs | Rewards systems for repeat purchases | Retention, increasing customer equity |
| Sponsorships | Brand association with events, teams, or causes | Brand image, local market penetration |
| Guerrilla marketing | Unconventional, surprise-based marketing in public spaces | Buzz generation, social media amplification |
What I find fascinating is how digital marketing has blurred these categories. Is a targeted Instagram ad ATL or BTL? Technically, social media is a mass channel (ATL), but a retargeting ad served to someone who visited your product page is about as BTL as it gets. This is why the industry increasingly uses the term "through-the-line" (TTL) for integrated campaigns.
BTL marketing tends to deliver higher ROI per dollar spent because it targets people who are already closer to a purchase decision. According to Marketing Dive, global experiential marketing spending hit $128.35 billion in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time.
The investment trend is accelerating. 74% of Fortune 1000 marketers plan to increase their experiential marketing budgets in 2025 and into 2026. B2C companies spent an estimated $90.3 billion on experiential marketing in 2024, a 10.3% increase from 2023, while B2B companies allocated $38 billion, marking 11% growth.
| BTL Spending Category | 2024 Spend | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|
| B2C experiential marketing | $90.3 billion | +10.3% |
| B2B experiential marketing | $38 billion | +11% |
| Global experiential total | $128.35 billion | Above pre-pandemic levels |
| North America share | ~40% of global | Stable |
| U.S. experiential spend | $52.8 billion | 45.5% of global |
These numbers tell a clear story: companies are putting more money into direct, measurable, targeted activities. The post-pandemic consumer craves real experience, and marketers are responding.
The most significant shift in BTL marketing over the past five years has been the integration of technology into traditionally offline tactics.
50% of marketers plan to use AI to create tailored, personalized experiences for attendees by 2025-2026. Gamification elements now appear in 60% of experiential campaigns. QR codes have made a full comeback, connecting physical BTL experiences to digital measurement.
This matters for the marketing mix. BTL was historically the harder-to-measure side of marketing. You could count how many samples you gave away, but attributing a sale to a street team interaction was guesswork. Digital integration has changed that. Every interaction can be tracked, every touchpoint measured, every conversion rate calculated.
The choice between ATL and BTL is not binary; it is a strategic targeting decision based on business objectives, budget, and where the customer sits in the funnel.