“Below the Line” Marketing
Engaging The Senses
July 2007

Questions
• What is BTL marketing?
• How does it effect consumers?
• How does it impact company’s
marketing plans?

What is “IT”?
• BTL is about engaging consumers and not
just talking to them
• We need to incent them to act and establish
an emotional bond with the brand
• Ensure relevant messaging that engages in
dialog through a preferred medium
• Multiple media, on many levels at different
times (their time)
• The end goal is to “touch” them and offer a
“taste” of the brand

Examples

Nissan

Nissan
• “Larger Than Life Road Trip” to support new
vehicle – www.liveversa.ca
• Mall Tour and online applications
• Ten participants for 21-day trip from Halifax
to Vancouver
• Competing for points in various challenges –
most win Nissan Versa
• Website carries daily videos and blog entries
from travelers
• Visitors who register on site enter draw for car

beer.com

beer.com
• Virtual Bartender interactive game
• 10 emails sent to friends of beer.com – 9:00 p.m.
and Midnight (July 4)
• No other form of marketing was used
• 75 sessions later that night
• 15,000 the following day
• 10,000,000 user sessions in 28 days – 7 minutes
per session on average
• Beer.com became the most popular website in
the world for the month of November 2004

Lost

Lost
• ABC partnered with Apple Computer
• Ad-free downloads of "Lost" and other shows
on Apple iTunes for $1.99
• Available day after initial broadcast
• Second stage was ad-supported online versions
• Show had been viewed three million times in
the first two weeks

TD Canada Trust

TD Canada Trust
• Bank sponsored Facebook group called “Money
Lounge”
• Youth targeted in very relevant space
• Offers audience another banking channel
• Users can interact with bank through valued
tools or through Facebook (The Wall or
Discussion Boards)
• While “sponsored” by TD Canada Trust,
ownership of group now placed on members

Not Always Online
• Molson – Steak in a case (M&M Meats)
• Sears – Scratch & Save
• Kelloggs – Pedometer gift with purchase
• Milk – “moo” campaign
• Old Navy – Hourly give-away in-store
• Irving – Cruise in 2 win
• Dell – Design your own notebook cover
• Jones Soda – Design your own label

Reaching Peoples Senses
• Sampling/trial • Games (traditional and
• Incentives interactive)
• Contests • Registration
• Loyalty programs • Text messages
• Give-aways • Microsites/branded sites
• Instant wins • Email blasts
• Rebates/coupons • e-newsletters
• Sweepstakes • DRTV
• Surveys/tracking • Product placement
• Unfinished advertising • Merchandise
• Owned content • 3rd party endorsement
• Prizing/promotional • Media co-owned
partnerships • Word-of-mouth

Consumer Control
• They are turning off, speeding up, erasing, not
listening, or in another world
• Computers/Internet are the TV, product brochure,
support group, check-out counter, 3rd party
endorsement, destination, etc.
• Wireless, hand-held and mobile device explosion
• Web 2.0 – consumers are creating the content
• Social media – new meaning to human interaction
• e-Commerce – buying what you want when you want
• PVRs – watch what you want when you want
• iPODs – download personally chosen content
• Blogs/Vlogs/Podcasts – the consumer is the message

Realizing Business Realities
• Spending in traditional marketing vehicles is
decreasing
• Dollars and demands are directed to more
results driven and trackable activity
• ROI – need to see and justify spending
• Competitive pressures and technical shifts are
happening quickly and are to be reckoned with
• Consumers are demanding more
• Marketing efforts now need to present (see),
explain (hear), incent (smell), engage (touch),
and link (taste) consumers to the brand/product

Contact:
Sean Williams – Principal
(902)425-5519
williamsmarketing@ns.sympatico.ca