Marketing Vox reports:
..the shift from ATL(above-the-line) to BTL(below-the-line) spending is in part the result of changing consumer attitudes; more sophisticated consumers demand relevant messaging that engages them in a dialog, and which allows them to interact with the marketer through their preferred communication channels. At the same time, technology allows marketers to better target consumers, and to better track results and measure ROI of BTL campaigns, so agency clients and marketers' bosses are demanding such accountability.
More channels and more diverse consumers make it harder for marketers to reach a truly mass audience, Biegel said. "There's no such thing as a consumer. Every consumer has a different attitude, a different way to reach them. Marketing messages need to be more focused, because the consumer is in control."
From 2003 through 2007 ATL advertising is expected to grow by an average of 5.5 percent per year, with BTL spending growing at 7.8 percent annually.