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Class 12 Entrepreneurship Notes · CBSE

Promotion Strategy and the Promotion Mix

Promotion Strategy and the Promotion Mix — Understand ATL, BTL and TTL promotion approaches and the four promotion mix components: advertising, personal selling, sales promotion and public relations. CBSE Class 12 Entrepreneurship notes with the AIDA model and advertising media.

Last updated: 31 Jul 2026

Notes

Promotion Strategy and the Promotion Mix

Class 12 Entrepreneurship — ATL, BTL, TTL, Advertising, AIDA, Personal Selling, Sales Promotion and PR

Promotion and the Three Approaches (ATL, BTL, TTL)

Promotion
The method to spread the word about the product or service to customers, stakeholders and the broader public.

Above-the-line (ATL) — mass audience

PressTVBillboards
Through-the-line (TTL) — crosses the line

Below-the-line (BTL) — targeted groups

SponsorshipSales promotionPRPersonal sellingDirect marketing

ATL uses mass media methods; focuses on advertising to a large audience — print, online, television and cinema advertising, press advertisements, online banner advertisements, billboards, and the company website. Drawbacks: difficult to tailor to a specific group (mass audience with different tastes and needs); very expensive.

BTL covers very specific, memorable activities focused on targeted groups of consumers, under the control of the organisation — developing the brand by creating awareness and building a brand profile (sponsorship, sales promotions, PR, personal selling, direct marketing).

TTLis an advertising strategy involving both above- and below-the-line communications in which one form of advertising points the target to another form of advertising, thereby crossing the “line”.

Reality check

Most businesses use a mix of advertising, personal selling, referrals, sales promotion and public relations to promote their products or services. (Refer to the Aldi case study to see ATL/BTL used in a real firm.)

ATL vs BTL — Comparison

Difference between Above-the-Line (ATL) and Below-the-Line (BTL)
AspectAbove the LineBelow the Line
TargetMass audienceIdentified small groups
PromotionsEstablishing brand identityCan lead to an actual sale
MeasurabilityDifficult to measureEasy to measure
ExamplesPrint, online, television and cinema advertisingSponsorship, sales promotions, public relations, personal selling, direct marketing

Advertising

Advertising
A paid form of communication designed to persuade potential customers to choose the product or service over that of a competitor. Successful advertising makes the products or services positively known by that section of the public most likely to purchase them. It should be a planned, consistent activity that keeps the name of the business and the benefits of its products or services uppermost in the mind of the consumer.

Objectives of advertising

1

Make business and product name familiar to the public.

⭐ The four rules for advertising

Aim

What is the primary purpose? To inform, sell, produce listings or improve the image of the business?

Target

Who is the target? Which sector of the public do we want a response from (male, female, adult, teenager, child, mother, father)?

Media

Bearing the aim and target in mind, which media is most suitable — TV, radio, press or Internet?

Competitors

What are the competitors doing? Which media channel do they use? Are they successful? Can you improve on their approach and beat them?

⭐ AIDA — developing effective advertising

1. Attention

It catches the eye or ear and stands out amid the clutter of competing advertisements.

Commonly used media in advertising

Stationery

Letterheads, envelopes, business cards; projects business image or "name identification".

Window display / office front

External presentation of the business office/shop for establishing business image.

Press advertising

Newspapers, magazines, journals; image building, information dissemination, sales campaigns; often affordable for small businesses.

Radio

Reaches specific target groups through spot adverts, promotions or talkback/RJ discussions.

Television

Powerful impact through sight, sound and movement; often prohibitive for small businesses due to cost.

Direct mail

Direct communication with consumers through email, post or fax (newsletters, catalogues, letters).

Outdoor

Any advertising outdoors: static (billboards, bus shelters) or mobile (on buses, taxis).

Ambient

Non-standard media where consumers are present: shopping receipts, toilet doors, branded coasters, projecting onto buildings, advertising inside lifts, branded cups.

Cinema

Advertising slots in individual cinemas or screens for a set number of screenings.

Point of sale

At the point of purchase decision: floor stickers, in-store digital advertising, shopping trolley signage, shelf or counter posters.

Online

Rapidly growing: website ads, links, blogs, online games, social networks and forums.

Directory listings

Yellow/white pages, trade directories, local business directories used by consumers to find suppliers.

Keep it consistent (media mix)

Which media we use depends on who we are trying to reach, what we want to say and the budget. Often a combination of media (the media mix) works best — but branding and message must stay consistent across all media: colours, logos, design elements and fonts.

Personal Selling

Personal Selling
Selling products personally. It involves the oral presentation of a message in the form of conversation with one or more prospective customers for the purpose of making sales. Companies appoint salespeople to contact prospective buyers and create awareness about the company's product.

A salesperson plays three different roles

Be persuasive

A service provider

Be informative

Sales Promotion

Sales Promotion
Short-term incentives or activities that encourage the purchase or sale of a product or service. Sales promotion initiatives are often referred to as 'below the line' activities.

Sales promotion activities can be targeted towards final buyers (consumer promotions), business customers (business promotions), retailers and wholesalers (trade promotions), and members of the sales force (sales force promotions).

1.

Point of purchase display material

2.

In-store demonstrations, samplings and celebrity appearances

3.

Competitions, coupons, sweepstakes and games

4.

On-pack offers, multi-packs and bonuses

5.

Loyalty reward programmes

Public Relations

Public Relations (PR)
The deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation (or individual) and its (or their) public. It is about building good relations with the stakeholders (public) of the business by obtaining favourable publicity, building a good corporate image, and handling or heading off unfavourable rumours, stories and events. By building good relationships with the stakeholders — particularly customers — we can generate positive word of mouth and referrals from satisfied customers.

Stakeholders of the business

Stakeholders are the various groups in a society which can influence or pressure your business decision making and have an impact on its marketing performance.

Clients/customersStaffShareholdersStrategic partnersMediaGovernmentLocal communityFinancial institutionsCommunity groups

Main PR tools

1

News creation and distribution (media releases)

2

Special events — news conferences, grand openings, product launches

3

Speeches and presentations

4

Educational programs

5

Annual reports, brochures, newsletters, magazines and audio-visual presentations

6

Community activities and sponsorships

Think about it: A free cricket tournament sponsored by a local chai brand, a launch event for a new Maggi flavour, a press release about a Tata factory — that is public relations building goodwill one relationship at a time.