What is Through the Line (TTL)?
Through the Line (TTL) explained clearly with real-world examples and practical significance for marketers.
Through the Line (TTL) is an integrated marketing approach that combines above the line (ATL) mass media advertising with below the line (BTL) targeted promotional activities to create cohesive campaigns that reach audiences across multiple touchpoints.
What is Through the Line (TTL)?
Through the Line marketing represents the evolution from traditional advertising silos to integrated campaigns that blend mass media reach with targeted engagement. This approach recognizes that modern consumers interact with brands across various channels and requires consistent messaging throughout their journey.
TTL campaigns typically combine traditional advertising channels like television, radio, and print with direct marketing, digital advertising, events, and promotional activities. The strategy creates a unified brand experience while allowing marketers to maximize both broad awareness and specific conversion objectives.
The effectiveness of TTL campaigns can be measured using integrated metrics that track both reach and engagement:
TTL Campaign ROI = (ATL Brand Lift × Reach) + (BTL Conversion Rate × Engagement) – Total Campaign Cost
For example, a consumer electronics brand launching a new smartphone might allocate 60% of their budget to ATL activities (TV commercials, digital display ads) to build awareness. Meanwhile, they dedicate 40% to BTL tactics like in-store demonstrations, influencer partnerships, and targeted email campaigns.
If the ATL component reaches 10 million people with a 15% brand lift and the BTL activities generate 50,000 direct interactions with a 5% conversion rate, the integrated approach delivers both mass awareness and measurable sales impact.
TTL campaigns require careful coordination across teams, consistent creative messaging, and unified tracking systems to measure performance across all channels. The approach allows brands to maintain broad market presence while creating personalized experiences for specific audience segments.
Through the Line (TTL) in Practice
Nike’s Colin Kaepernick Campaign: Controversy That Converted
Nike’s “Just Do It” 30th anniversary campaign in 2018 exemplified TTL marketing by combining controversial television advertising featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick with targeted social media engagement, retail experiences, and athlete partnerships. The campaign generated over 6 billion media impressions through traditional and digital channels while driving a 31% increase in online sales within days of launch.
Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke”: Personal at Scale
Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign integrated mass media advertising with personalized packaging and digital engagement. Television and outdoor advertising built awareness of the personalized bottles concept. In-store displays, social media campaigns, and mobile apps encouraged consumers to find and share their names.
The campaign increased consumption by young adults by 7% and generated over 500,000 photos shared on social media platforms.
McDonald’s Celebrity Partnerships: From TV to App
McDonald’s frequently employs TTL strategies for product launches, combining television commercials and digital advertising with location-based mobile promotions, in-store experiences, and delivery platform partnerships. Their Travis Scott meal promotion in 2020 integrated celebrity endorsement across traditional media with exclusive merchandise, mobile app promotions, and social media content, generating $5 million in additional sales within the first week.
Spotify Wrapped: Data-Driven Brand Love
Spotify’s annual “Wrapped” campaign demonstrates TTL integration by combining user data visualization with outdoor advertising, social media sharing, and personalized digital experiences. The campaign generates millions of organic social shares while reinforcing brand loyalty through both mass media presence and individual user engagement across multiple touchpoints.
Why Through the Line (TTL) Matters for Marketers
TTL marketing addresses the fragmented media consumption habits of modern audiences who encounter brands across numerous channels throughout their decision-making process. Rather than relying solely on mass reach or targeted engagement, integrated campaigns create multiple opportunities for brand interaction while maintaining message consistency.
The approach enables marketers to optimize budget allocation based on campaign objectives. They use broad-reach channels for awareness building while deploying targeted tactics for conversion and retention. TTL campaigns often achieve better cost efficiency than single-channel approaches by creating synergies between different marketing activities.
Data integration across TTL campaigns provides comprehensive insights into customer behavior and campaign performance. Marketers can track how mass media exposure influences targeted channel engagement and vice versa, enabling more sophisticated attribution modeling and budget optimization.
TTL strategies also support omnichannel customer experiences by ensuring consistent brand messaging across all touchpoints. This consistency builds stronger brand recognition and trust while providing multiple pathways for customer engagement based on individual preferences and behaviors.
Related Terms
- Above the Line (ATL) – Mass media advertising through traditional channels like TV, radio, and print
- Below the Line (BTL) – Targeted marketing activities including direct mail, events, and promotional campaigns
- Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) – Coordinated promotional strategy that unifies all marketing channels and messages
- Omnichannel Marketing – Seamless customer experience across all brand touchpoints and channels
- Cross-Channel Marketing – Marketing strategy that uses multiple channels to reach and engage customers
- Media Mix Modeling – Statistical analysis technique used to measure the effectiveness of different marketing channels
FAQ
What is the difference between TTL and IMC marketing?
TTL focuses on combining ATL and BTL tactics within specific campaigns, while Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) encompasses broader organizational alignment of all communication efforts. IMC includes public relations, corporate communications, and internal messaging across longer time periods, making it a more comprehensive approach than TTL’s campaign-specific integration.
How do you measure TTL campaign success?
TTL campaign measurement requires tracking both reach metrics (impressions, brand awareness) and engagement metrics (conversions, interactions) across all channels. Marketers use attribution modeling to understand how different touchpoints contribute to overall campaign objectives and customer journey progression, creating a complete picture of campaign performance.
What budget split works best for TTL campaigns?
TTL budget allocation varies by industry and objectives, but many successful campaigns allocate 50-70% to ATL activities for awareness building and 30-50% to BTL tactics for conversion and engagement. The split adjusts based on brand maturity, market conditions, and specific campaign goals.
When should brands choose TTL over single-channel approaches?
TTL approaches work best for brands with diverse target audiences, complex purchase journeys, or campaigns requiring both awareness and conversion objectives. Single-channel strategies may be more appropriate for niche products, limited budgets, or highly targeted campaigns with specific behavioral triggers.