Where is your client? Above or below the line?

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If, like me, you have wondered what the “line” that is spoken of when creating strategies refers to. This article will give you an alternative to start orienting all your actions towards the real reason for being of your business: the customer.

The different actions that companies implement in order to attract the attention of potential customers represent a priority for the marketing and sales areas of most organizations. In terms of marketing, the strategies have been grouped as follows:

• ATL (“Above the Line”): these are those advertising, communication and promotional actions whose dissemination is carried out through mass media, with high investment budgets and low segmentation.
• BTL (“Below the Line”): These are actions close to the brand's target segment with low costs. The communication channels are direct and do not use such massive dissemination as in the previous case.

In the midst of these definitions, it is that “line” that has not received a clear name focusing on ATL and BTL strategies. However, considering the continuous evolution of the customer and the fact that so far both marketing and experience strategies seem to work in a deferred format, there is a clear need to take customer-centric actions that contribute to business management indicators.

Don't let your strategy crush the customer

Under this scheme, it is possible to associate the “line” with a representation of the client seen as a transversal, priority and fundamental agent who is neither above nor below the strategy but constitutes the common thread of the strategy.

We started from a practice in which companies dedicated their efforts to developing campaigns and strategies to then launch them on the air, trying to make it the customers and prospects who adapted to their style and communication channels. The marketing actions had an approach aimed at exhibiting and disseminating the characteristics of the product or service without tying them to a truly memorable experience.

It is the responsibility of marketing leaders in different companies to transform their area into “the eyes of the customer” within the organization. The old concept that defined marketing as a set of actions aimed at creating needs was left behind and today we are talking about a set of actions aimed at generating surprising experiences.

What does the customer really want?

When creating memorable experiences based on BTL and ATL strategies, it is essential to consider what the customer wants, summarized in the following aspects:

1. To be heard: establish strategies and campaigns that consider customer feedback. If you don't have your own information, it's important to look for it in existing quality sources. An angry customer is the best source of information we can have, as it exposes you first-hand all the fields in which you have the opportunity to improve as a company.

2. Have access to the product or service being communicated to: avoid applying actions, especially BTL at points where the customer will not be able to access the product or service.

3. Feeling rewarded and valued: The fact that the customer is the king of the business implies that they actively demonstrate themselves. You have to make them see that it's important and that it matters what they think. Identify your customers and take actions to recognize their loyalty.

4. Be properly informed: make sure that the information contained in the various communications you issue is true and reliable. Each message sent represents a promise that the customer considers true.

Considering the customer as that “line” that sets trends, brands need to establish innovative strategies that respond immediately in order to differentiate themselves from their competitors and position themselves as references in the market.

At IZO we have been surprising for more than 20 years and Thrilling to our customers. They are our best guarantee and they continue to trust our services to help them achieve better results both outside and inside their companies. We are the leaders in Customer Experience both in Spain and in Latin America. We work every day following the latest market trends to keep growing and offer the best service our client can imagine.

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