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<Video url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aPZcGJXXVCM?si=Dm3cBNLz1Mb32bH1" />

Modern marketing takes a comprehensive approach, as new promotion channels constantly emerge, and existing ones continue to evolve. Businesses use omnichannel strategies in both online and offline environments. When developing a marketing campaign, different touchpoints with the audience are considered, so the approach is not limited to just one channel or promotional tool.

Depending on business objectives and campaign goals, ATL, BTL, and TTL advertising approaches are chosen. In this article, we will explain what each of them means, examine their advantages and disadvantages, and help you determine which option is best suited for your marketing strategy.

## What is ATL in marketing

**Above the Line (ATL)** is a "above the line" marketing approach focused on promotion through high-reach channels such as television, radio, print media, and outdoor advertising. The key feature of ATL is that the offer is distributed to a broad audience without precise targeting.

The goal of ATL is to reach as many people as possible. This increases brand awareness, creating the impression that the product is being talked about everywhere.

**Types of ATL campaigns:**

- **Television advertising** — classic commercials or integrations into TV programs.

- **Radio advertising** — pre-recorded audio messages or brand mentions by hosts on air.

- **Outdoor advertising** — billboards on city streets and highways.

- **Publications in mass media** — banners or articles in newspapers and magazines (both online and offline).

- **Event sponsorship** — supporting events with visual brand advertising, printed materials, and special offers.

- [**Product placement**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-product-placement) — native brand integration into movies and TV series, seamlessly woven into the storyline.

<Img img="/uploads/ATL_in_marketing_d1a55ad37d.jpg" alt="Example of product placement in the TV series “Stranger things” by Netflix" src="Product placement in the TV series “Stranger things” by Netflix" />
 
### Advantages of ATL

- **Rapid brand awareness growth** due to broad audience reach.

- **Relative ease of implementation** — it is enough to create an advertising message and adapt it to the chosen channel format (video, banner, etc.).

- **High effectiveness for mass-market products** that are used regularly, such as household chemicals, cosmetics, pet food, and others.

### Disadvantages of ATL

- **High cost** — a marketing campaign on television and in the media can cost several million. This option is often inaccessible for small businesses, especially when it comes to advertising on national channels. 

- **Lack of precise targeting** — ATL advertising does not allow for accurate audience segmentation, increasing the risk of inefficient budget spending without guaranteed returns. 

- **Difficulty in measuring results** – it is hard to assess the campaign’s impact since conversions may occur with a delay. Additionally, tracking the full customer journey to purchase is not always possible.

## What is BTL in marketing

**Below the Line (BTL)** is a marketing approach that focuses on "below the line" promotion, meaning campaigns targeted at specific audiences. This approach involves personalization and adaptation to communication channels that are convenient for the user.

The goal of BTL is to establish an individual line of communication with each customer to lead them to a purchase, often using a data-driven approach. This includes email, push notifications, SMS, and messaging app campaigns. BTL also conducts promotions through other marketing channels, such as in-store events, product tastings, and more. Throughout the process, a customer database is built, or work is done with existing users to increase engagement.

**Types of BTL campaigns:**

- **Personalized email campaigns** — welcome and onboarding email series, individual offers, promotional notifications for different audience segments, and other communications.

- [**Omnichannel**](https://altcraft.com/blog/omnichannel-and-multichannel-marketing) **campaigns** that integrate multiple interconnected channels.

- **Promotional events** — educational, advertising, or other events where users are invited.
Interactive marketing elements on the brand’s website, such as [**pop-ups**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-popups-are), quizzes, and more.

- **Contests and giveaways** — both online and offline at events.

- **Collaborations** with other brands that have a relevant audience.

<Img img="/uploads/personalized_email_newsletter_and_BTL_campaign_e4269da892.png" alt="personalized-email-newsletter-and-BTL-campaign.png" src="An example of a personalized email newsletter and BTL campaign."/>

### Advantages of BTL

- **Personalization opportunities.** The BTL marketing strategy uses customer data, increasing the chances of conversion. 

- **Relatively lower budgets compared to ATL campaigns.** For example, email marketing can be easily implemented through specialized mailing services. More advanced solutions, such as a [**CDP**](https://altcraft.com/blog/differences-between-cdp-dmp-esp-crm-erp) platform, allow businesses to collect customer data in one place and use it for personalized advertising campaigns.

- **Native format.** With flexible and diverse tools, communication doesn’t have to look like direct selling, making it more appealing to the audience. This approach reduces intrusiveness, which often leads to negative reactions from customers.
### Disadvantages of BTL

- **Limited audience reach.** BTL campaigns don’t achieve the same scale as ATL advertising since they focus on narrower segments. 

- **Resource consumption.** Personalization requires data collection and analysis, while omnichannel marketing complicates the process, as content must be adapted for each channel and technical tools must be configured. 

- **Need for a creative approach.** In a highly competitive environment, standing out and capturing the audience’s attention is crucial. For example, when users receive dozens of emails daily, standard newsletters may go unnoticed.

## What is TTL in Marketing

**Through-the-Line (TTL)** is a marketing approach that combines elements of ATL and BTL. This method merges mass reach with personalized interaction, using the best practices of both approaches.

The main feature of TTL is the integration of marketing communications through interconnected channels. Offline contact seamlessly flows into online, and vice versa, creating a unified user experience.

**Examples of TTL campaigns:**

- **A billboard with a QR code** leading to an interactive element on the brand's website. 

- **Flyers at an offline event** directing to an online contest. 

- **TV ads** inviting people to attend an offline brand event.

Since TTL combines ATL and BTL, its advantages and disadvantages depend on the specific campaign format. However, it is the synergy of these approaches that enables the creation of the most creative marketing solutions.

It’s important to understand that TTL strategy is complex to implement. Its effective use requires significant resources and expertise, so this approach is suitable for ambitious brands ready for large-scale integrated campaigns.

## How to choose the campaign type: ATL, BTL, or TTL

To determine which approach is best for your business, there are three main steps:

1. **Properly define the goals of the campaign:** raise awareness, engage the audience in communication with the brand, increase sales, etc. 

2. **Analyze resources.** It’s important to assess the cost-effectiveness of the campaign and the business’s capabilities to execute it. For example, not every marketing budget can cover a video production and TV advertisement. 

3. **Define the target audience for the campaign.** This includes the customer base and user data already available. In combination with the goals, this helps decide the audience reach for the advertisement: mass reach with an ATL approach, niche targeting with a BTL approach, or a mix with TTL. It also helps identify the communication channels. For example, a younger audience is unlikely to see your ad on TV, while an older one may not check YouTube.

When implementing one of the methods, it’s essential to constantly analyze and optimize campaigns to improve results. Given the constant evolution of digital tools, it’s important not to stand still — adapt and utilize new opportunities.

## Trends in ATL, BTL, and TTL for 2025

**Artificial Intelligence continues to be integrated into marketing:** it is used for idea generation, content creation, and the collection and processing of user data. The implementation of AI in ATL, BTL, and TTL will enhance advertising campaigns and simplify their creation.

**Omnichannel marketing.** The introduction of seamless transitions between communication channels is gradually blurring the lines between ATL, BTL, and TTL, opening new opportunities for their integration and increasing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

**Enhanced personalization.** As competition grows, the ability to offer customers the most suitable solution is becoming not just an advantage but a necessity. Therefore, companies are actively implementing IT tools, and tasks such as data collection and processing, as well as newsletters, are increasingly being addressed through marketing automation. This not only simplifies processes but also improves personalization, making customer interactions more precise and effective.

**Expansion of virtual and augmented reality capabilities.** VR and AR are transforming ATL, BTL, and TTL campaigns by extending their reach through both online and offline channels. These technologies create a wow-effect and a unique customer experience that enhances brand perception and influences purchase decisions. For example, the virtual "try-on" feature for furniture allows customers to see how an item will look in their interior before making a purchase. This significantly increases the likelihood of a sale.

**The development of** [**voice search**](https://altcraft.com/blog/voice-search) **and smart speakers** is changing ATL, BTL, and TTL strategies, prompting marketers to adapt campaigns to this information-gathering channel. Communication is becoming simpler and more conversational in order to align with user queries.

## Summary

ATL — advertising aimed at a mass audience through TV, radio, and media without precise targeting.

BTL — campaigns targeting specific segments with the possibility of personalization. Implemented through email marketing, push notifications, SMS, messages in messengers, as well as offline events.

TTL — a combined approach that integrates ATL and BTL tools to create comprehensive marketing campaigns.

The appropriate method is chosen based on goals, audience reach, and advertising budget. AI, data-driven approaches for personalization, AR, VR, omnichannel strategies, and voice marketing are actively used in campaign creation. The [**CDP Altcraft**](https://altcraft.com/en) helps implement such strategies by enabling data collection and analysis, audience segmentation, and automated marketing communications.

ATL targets a mass audience, BTL focuses on personalization, and TTL combines both. AI, AR, VR, and data-driven marketing enhance campaigns.

atl-btl-ttl.png

About what each of them means, examine their advantages and disadvantages, and help you determine which option is best suited for your marketing strategy. 

ATL, BTL & TTL: What to Choose, Pros & Cons of Each Type

What Are ATL, BTL, and TTL: Everything about Advertising That Works

<Video
url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zCHfWrEPMuA?si=PFxU1iuA61877oaK"
/>

Marketing and advertising are integral parts of the digital world today. It's hard to imagine websites and social media pages without banners promoting products and services. Online advertising works, which is why investments in this area are growing. In 2023, spending on this type of promotion reached [**$415.5 billion**](https://www.statista.com/statistics/273717/global-internet-advertising-expenditure/), and by 2024, it grew to [**$442 billion**](https://www.statista.com/statistics/273717/global-internet-advertising-expenditure/). By 2026, it's predicted that [**60% of advertising expenses**](https://www.statista.com/statistics/273717/global-internet-advertising-expenditure/) will go to digital advertising.

The variety of platforms and ad formats offers opportunities for brands to expand their audience, increase brand recognition, and boost sales. However, it’s crucial to choose the right platforms that fit your business.

In this article, we'll explore the different types of online advertising and discuss their features.

## What is online advertising

Online advertising involves promoting a product or service on various digital platforms such as websites, video hosting platforms, social media, and messaging apps to boost sales.

Online promotion also increases brand awareness, informs the audience about products, shapes a company's image, and can even create artificial hype.

The placement of ads on the internet began with the advent of websites. The first online ad is considered to be a banner by AT&T, which was placed on October 27, 1994. At that time, ads did not cater to user interests but simply appeared on a platform without targeting a specific audience. A more “intelligent” display method was conceived in 1997 when GoTo introduced the idea of showing ads based on people's search queries.

Today, this is a common practice. Advertising has become more targeted, with personalized offers made possible through the collection of customer data (for example, via a [**CDP platform**](https://altcraft.com/en/)) and tracking their behavior on websites and purchase history.

Despite its advantages, online promotion has its drawbacks. The main concern is the cost of online advertising. There is significant competition, especially in popular niches. A single lead can cost a few cents or several thousand rubles, leading to varying advertising budgets. Large brands spend millions on online promotion.


**Types of advertising by content format:**

- Text ads with a link to the advertiser's website. 

- Banners with design and text. These can be static, animated, or even interactive. 

- Video ads, usually inserted into other videos such as those by bloggers or movie trailers.


## Types of online advertising

### Contextual advertising

Text and graphic ads in the browser that appear in response to search queries and sometimes "follow" the user on search engine resources. Such product or service ads are always marked with a special label and appear at the top of search results, increasing the chances of clicks and purchases.

Contextual advertising is configured based on parameters like keywords and phrases that people search for. It can also take into account previous user actions, such as targeting ads to users who visited certain websites but didn’t convert. Additionally, factors like gender, age, location, and other parameters are considered.

<Img
img="/uploads/example_of_contextual_advertising_84187d12ab.jpg"
alt="Example of contextual advertising"
src="Example of contextual advertising"
/>


**Advantages of contextual advertising**

- **Quick results.** Contextual advertising for products and services works effectively because it targets people who are already planning to buy. It speeds up the customer journey by immediately presenting potential stores and companies that can solve their problem. 

- **Audience expansion.** This type of online advertising reaches a large number of people. Millions of users search for information on social networks.


- **Result control.** Services for setting up contextual ads provide detailed analytics that show the success or failure of the advertising campaign. You know exactly how your budgets are being spent.

**Disadvantages of Contextual Advertising**

- **Cost.** To keep your ad in the top positions, you'll have to pay more. The setup of contextual advertising itself also incurs costs. 

- **Competition.** In certain areas, you need to "fight" for the top spots in the ad block. This requires both financial and technical efforts, as proper ad setup is crucial. 

- **Complexity.** Contextual advertising is not a campaign that can be launched with a single click. It requires expertise or a specialist to manage it, which isn’t always budget-friendly. Moreover, it’s not a set-it-and-forget-it solution; the process needs to be continuously maintained and adjusted.

### Targeted advertising

Ads aimed at a specific audience on social networks and other platforms. This type of advertising is customized based on demographic and geographic criteria, interests, community memberships, and user actions. Additionally, similar audiences can be targeted.

Targeted ads not only drive sales but also increase brand awareness and expand the audience. For example, they can attract new subscribers.

Available formats include text ads and ads with media files. These can be supplemented with call-to-action buttons if needed. The setup is done through the ad managers of social networks or third-party services.

<Img
img="/uploads/targeted_advertising_4b06e8d065.jpg"
alt="Examples of targeted advertising"
src="Examples of targeted advertising"
/>
<Img
img="/uploads/targeting_c54cd7d1c4.jpg"
alt="Examples of targeted advertising"
src="Examples of targeted advertising"
/>

**Advantages of Targeted Advertising**

- **Cost.** You can start advertising with a small budget, especially if you know how to set up the ads yourself. This way, you won't need to pay for a targeting specialist. 

- **High Reach.** Social media platforms have a diverse and vast audience, making targeted ads a great way to reach potential customers. 

- **Personalization.** Proper ad settings ensure that the advertisement directly addresses the needs of the individual, increasing the likelihood of a purchase.


<Note>
To learn how to maximize the effectiveness of personalized marketing, check out our article "[**Personalization: What It Is and Why Personalized Marketing Matters**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/personalization-what-it-is-and-why-personalized-marketing-matters)."
</Note>

**Disadvantages of targeted advertising**
- **Competition.** Many brands want to advertise on social media, so in some niches, you’ll need to invest more budget and differentiate yourself from other offers. 

- **Client Inaccessibility.** While people actively use social media and consume content, they often develop [**banner blindness**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/banner-blindness-its-causes-and-how-to-deal-with-it) towards ads, leading them to simply scroll past your advertisements. 

- **Constant Monitoring.** Targeted ads require ongoing adjustments based on audience reactions. Even if a campaign is successful, the audience can become "burned out," necessitating changes. Managing this process requires expertise or a dedicated specialist.
 
### Banner advertising 

Placement of media and text elements on online platforms. This includes static or animated banners, as well as interactive elements (e.g., quizzes) and videos. The ads are embedded into website content or placed in dedicated blocks, leading users to the advertiser's site.

They are configured in a search engine’s dedicated ad manager. For example, Yandex has its own advertising network (YAN) that covers all the company’s services. Additionally, there are independent advertising platforms that sell ad placements across various sites.

<Img
img="/uploads/banner_advertising_1ca515e6fa.jpg"
alt="Example of banner advertising"
src="Example of banner advertising"
/>

**Advantages of Banner Advertising**

- **Audience reach.** Ad blocks are added to almost all media sites and others that millions of people visit daily. 

- **Simplicity.** Banners are a familiar and user-friendly advertising tool that’s easy to interact with. Users know what to expect, making them more likely to click. 

- **Versatility.** Banner advertising is suitable for almost any business in both B2C and B2B sectors.

**Disadvantages of banner advertising**

- **Ad blockers.** Some users will never see your ads because they use ad-blocking features, preventing the ads from displaying. 

- **Banner blindness.** Due to the large number of ads, people often stop noticing them. To stand out, you need to come up with new, creative solutions. 

- **Cost.** There is also high competition in certain sectors, which can drive up ad placement costs.

### Retargeting

Showing ads to users who have already taken some action on the site, such as viewing a product, adding it to their cart but not completing the purchase, and so on. Typically, banner and text ads "follow" the user on other sites. This type of advertising brings users back to purchase or reignites their interest, increasing the chances of a sale.

<Img
img="/uploads/retargeting_42a6ea8127.jpg"
alt="Example of retargeting"
src="Example of retargeting"
/>

**Advantages of** [**retargeting**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-retargeting)

- **Precision.** This type of advertising doesn’t guess the user’s interests but shows exactly what they’ve already shown interest in. It’s a personalized and more accurate approach. 

- **Increased sales.** Reminding users of forgotten or viewed products is an excellent way to encourage a purchase. 

- **Loyalty.** A "follow-up" ad can be perceived as a form of customer care. The ad reminds the person of what they wanted to buy but didn’t for some reason.

**Disadvantages of retargeting**

- **Intrusiveness.** People don’t always react positively to retargeting. For some, it’s a helpful reminder; for others, it’s just unwanted noise. 

- **Lack of universality.** This type of promotion is only suitable for certain niches (often product-based) and segments with a fast buying cycle. One-time or urgent services are unlikely to be effectively advertised through retargeting. 

- **Ad blockers.** Like other types of ads, there are tools online that prevent them from being shown.

### Advertising with bloggers and other influencers

Placing information about your products and services in influencers' accounts. This can include a promotional ad, a contest, or a more native format, such as a casual mention of the product within the content, a joint project, or a review.

For YouTube bloggers, this often involves inserting your video into theirs. With the halt of ad displays for Russian users in 2022, this format has become especially popular.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/influencers_advertising_5bd55c85ee.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/influencers_advertising_5bd55c85ee.jpg"
description="Advertising from influencers on social networks"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/advertising_from_influencers_18d98bb50d.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/advertising_from_influencers_18d98bb50d.jpg"
description="Advertising from influencers on social networks"
/>
</Gallery>

**Advantages of** [**advertising with influencers**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-influencer-marketing-how-to-build-strategy)

- **Creative presentation.** Bloggers have learned to approach their advertising in unconventional ways, often not just talking about a product or service, but integrating them into their content and making entertaining videos. 

- **Audience trust.** Followers listen to bloggers' opinions and sometimes imitate their lifestyle. Therefore, the audience trusts the influencer's recommendations. 

- **Brand recognition.** Collaborating with a blogger (especially a well-known one) can significantly increase brand awareness.

**Disadvantages of advertising with bloggers**

- **Low-quality audience.** It's not always clear whether the influencer's followers are the right fit for your advertising. If the blogger gained their audience through contests, these might be people who are not genuinely interested in their content. In such cases, there may be no trust or connection: just a "dead weight" that won’t make purchases. 

- **Unpredictability.** It's impossible to accurately predict the return on investment from influencer advertising. This makes it much less reliable compared to targeted ads and contextual advertising. 

- **Unreasonable cost.** The influencer market has only loose guidelines for pricing. Without clear outcomes, bloggers may charge inflated prices.

### Native advertising

This involves placing information about a product or service within the context of other content. It typically appears in articles in media outlets or blogs where the advertisement seamlessly integrates with the topic. For example, a publication about seaside tourist spots might include a recommendation for swimwear. Or an article on urban planning principles could feature examples of projects by a specific construction company.

Native advertising also appears in video interviews, podcasts, and blogger content. This format is only limited by mandatory labeling requirements in certain countries.

<Img
img="/uploads/examples_of_native_ads_db75406a5c.jpg"
alt="Examples of native ads"
/>

<Img
img="/uploads/native_ads_59f29d6cea.jpg"
alt="Examples of native ads"
src="Examples of native ads"
/>

**Advantages of Native Advertising**

- **Subtlety.** It offers an almost advertisement-free experience, as the user doesn’t receive a pushy sales message. Instead, it’s a gentle recommendation that doesn’t overwhelm the audience. 

- **Discreet format.** Many users don’t recognize native ads, which are often skipped over. This feature increases a brand’s chances of reaching the audience in a soft, unobtrusive way. 

- **Positive reception.** Native advertising is often creative and typically light-hearted, so it doesn’t irritate people and can boost [**audience loyalty**](https://altcraft.com/blog/customer-loyalty).

**Disadvantages of native advertising**

- **Cost of placement.** Creative native ads, especially on media outlets, blogs, or influencer platforms, often come with a high price tag. 

- **Implementation complexity.** To truly advertise your products and services in a native manner, you need to develop an unconventional scenario, and sometimes an entire project (like producing a web series), which requires significant investment. 

- **One-off nature.** It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to reuse the idea from one campaign for another, as native projects are created uniquely.

### Mailings

Sending promotional messages from your brand to users through various communication channels: SMS, Push notifications, email, and messaging apps. Companies use mailings to inform customers about new products, discounts, and promotions, hold contests and interactive activities, and invite clients to events.

First, [**a customer database**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/everything-about-the-customer-database) of email addresses or phone numbers is collected, and then a marketing campaign is launched.

<Img
img="/uploads/advertising_messages_017e1af0f5.jpg"
alt="Advertising messages"
/>

**Advantages of mailings**

- **Personalized approach.** By gathering information about the customer, it’s possible to offer exactly what they need, reducing the risk of wasting the advertising budget. 

- **Targeted reach.** Ads are sent to specific individuals rather than being shown to an unknown audience, giving companies more predictability and certainty in results. 

- **Clear analytics.** Mailing services provide statistics on delivery rates, open rates, and conversions. This data helps optimize campaigns for better outcomes.

**Disadvantages of mailings**

- **Database collection.** Mailings require collecting customer contact details, which takes time and resources. Purchasing third-party databases is not advisable, as they may contain irrelevant audiences. 

- **Restrictions.** Mailings can only be sent to users who have given consent, or else there’s a high risk of being marked as spam or facing fines. There are also [**rules for mass mailings**](https://altcraft.com/blog/mass-mailing) set by email clients and messaging apps that need to be followed and constantly adapted to. 

- **Competition for attention.** People receive dozens of notifications daily, and your message may get lost unless it stands out among the others.

## Summary

Online advertising remains one of the most popular methods for promoting products and services in the digital space. Placing ads on web resources enhances brand awareness and sales.

There are various types of online advertising: search engine advertising (contextual), targeted advertising for specific audiences on social media, banner advertising (placement of graphic, video, and animated elements) on websites, and retargeting (ads shown based on user actions). Additionally, there is native advertising, which promotes products subtly within the context of other content. Advertising can also be placed on the pages of bloggers and other influencers. A separate form of online promotion is mailings through email, SMS, Push notifications, and messaging apps.

Online ads boost brand awareness and sales via search, social media, banners, retargeting, native ads, influencer content, and email campaigns.

types-of-advertising.png

About what types of online advertising there are, we will tell you about their features, advantages and disadvantages.

Online Advertising: Types, Advantages & Disadvantages

Types of Online Advertising: Pros and Cons

<Video
url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o85-BdJ6V9Y?si=Uxt_Vh4IPqbQ5rRh"
/>

Promoting your business among the target audience is the foundation of any business's success. However, many companies overlook the most powerful and cost-effective marketing force—satisfied customers.

Loyal users, delighted with your products and services, recommend your brand to others and praise it on social media—this is called **organic brand promotion.** Let's explore why such promotion is an essential marketing strategy and learn how to create customer incentive programs that motivate people to share your brand with others.

<Img
img="/uploads/a_group_of_apple_users_on_reddit_0fca276609.jpg"
alt="A group of Apple users on Reddit"
src="A group of Apple users on Reddit. This brand has perhaps the largest community of supporters in the world"
/>

## What is organic promotion? 

Brand advocates are users who are so satisfied with your company that they are willing to advertise for you on their own. They can be anyone: your employees, customers, partners, suppliers, and even social media influencers.

Advocates share their positive experiences through reviews on your website and other platforms. They also promote you via word of mouth, mentions on social media, and blogs. All these reviews, photos, and comments are called user-generated content (UGC).

<Img
img="/uploads/ugc_mentioning_brand_name_0aaadb6558.jpg"
alt="UGC mentioning brand name"
src="UGC mentioning brand name"
/>

Organic brand promotion is more valuable than anything money can buy. User-generated content has substantial reach and exerts more influence than any ad campaign, SMM promotion, or even the efforts of your most experienced marketer. This way, you not only reduce advertising costs but also build strong and trustworthy relationships with customers through their content.

<Note>
**Interesting fact:** Buyers increasingly trust visual content created by other users. [**Recent studies**](https://www.powerreviews.com/research/ugc-visual-content-shopper-behavior-survey/) show that 60% of users look for photo and video reviews (visual UGC) before making a purchase.
</Note>

## How to gain advocates
Sometimes, people naturally become fans of a company. However, there are steps you can take to create a truly effective marketing strategy.

### 1. Understand what people value about you

To create a good marketing program, you need to understand what people like about your company. Most often, this is related to the quality of products or services, but excellent customer service and a personalized approach also play a big role.

Don’t guess what your customers want—just read the reviews. Look at what people are saying, both good and bad. Analyze the feedback and use the information to make your brand more visible on social media.

<Img
img="/uploads/an_example_of_a_positive_review_of_a_beauty_studio_8c8e1da162.jpg"
alt="An example of a positive review of a beauty studio"
src="An example of a positive review of a beauty studio that positively impacts the brand's reputation"
/>

### 2. Build relationships with customers

Developing strong, personalized connections with users is key to gaining brand support and boosting sales. According to the SaaSquatch report [**"The State of Referral Marketing,"**](https://info.saasquatch.com/rs/162-BJJ-156/images/StateOfReferralMarketing-SaaSquatch-V1.pdf) customers who come through referrals are 18% more loyal, have a 16% higher lifetime value, and spend 13.2% more than others.

In today's digital world, users identify with their favorite brands and want to be part of their story. To nurture these feelings, offer value and build trust through social media.

Building relationships between a brand and its customers is a two-way process that requires attention and thoughtful approach. This is the only way to maintain long-term interest. Be open with your users, but avoid aggressive selling.

The key here is to give more to your customers and ask less from them. Then, they will want to interact with you on their own initiative. Of course, building such relationships requires time and resources. Maintain constant contact with current and potential customers. It’s important to ensure that the necessary resources are available for relationship development and social media monitoring.

<Note>
**Tip:** To increase loyalty through SMM, create valuable content, respond to followers, and help them solve problems related to your product.
</Note>

<Img
img="/uploads/brand_responded_to_a_positive_customer_review_5323b4fb10.jpg"
alt="The brand responded to a positive customer review"
src="The brand responded to a positive customer review"
/>

### 3. Delight and surprise your clients, as well as those who are not yet familiar with your brand

Go beyond standard service. Provide unforgettable experiences that customers will want to share. Excellent service and pleasant surprises will strengthen customer loyalty, leading them to tell their friends about you. For example, reach out to some users and invite them to a special event. Identify influencers among your followers or turn loyal customers into true brand advocates.

<Note>
We discussed customer loyalty in detail in the article "[**Customer Loyalty: What Is It and How to Calculate It**](https://altcraft.com/blog/customer-loyalty)."
</Note>

Start by monitoring online reviews to find your company’s fans. Reward the most active fans by mentioning them, offering exclusive discounts, and bonuses. This will greatly strengthen the user’s connection to your brand. Remember, loyalty to a company is contagious, and quality relationships drive sales.


<Note>
**Tip:** Strengthen your presence on social media by sharing your company’s values, charitable projects, and ethical business practices. This shows people that you aim for more than just commercial goals.
</Note>

Support and encourage brand advocates. Increase their reach. Add "share" buttons to your content to make it easier for users to talk about your company.

### 4. Track the effectiveness of your brand promotion strategy

To understand the value of your campaigns, analyze the following:

- Who is talking about your brand?
- What are they telling their followers?
- Where are they most frequently sharing content?
- When are users most active?
- Why are they sharing your content and talking about your brand?

Monitor web traffic and conversion rates to identify which brand promotion campaigns yield the highest returns. Use this knowledge to refine your strategy and boost sales.

### 5. Don’t forget to thank brand advocates

Many companies have loyalty programs that reward customers for their spending. This is a good practice, but it doesn’t account for those who promote the brand. Consider a point system for specific actions: reviews, photos, event attendance, or referrals. Create a name for your promotion program that shows brand advocates they are part of an exclusive club. Give them the opportunity to accumulate points and advance to different levels with interesting privileges: mentions in the company blog, receiving [**branded merchandise**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/merch-what-it-is-and-how-brands-use-it), invitations to exclusive brand events, and discounts.

## Why your brand needs advocates

Organic brand promotion is valuable for its authenticity. While advertisements and marketing messages are often ignored, enthusiastic recommendations are usually taken seriously.

Such promotion benefits your business by:

- **Reaching audiences that you wouldn't be able to reach** through conventional methods due to budget or logistical constraints. For example, Adobe asked 900 of its employees to create and share content online, which helped them reach an additional 3 million people. 

- **Creating buzz around your brand.** Positive customer reviews generate interest and a desire to learn more about your company. The more people visit your website or store, the more potential customers you attract. Increased website traffic also positively impacts [**search engine rankings**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/seo-optimization-what-it-is-and-how-it-works), which in turn attracts new visitors. 

- **Drawing media attention.** When there is buzz around a brand, journalists take notice. Articles about your company, products, and services get published, boosting trust and significantly increasing brand recognition. 

- **Humanizing your brand.** When a potential customer hears about you from another user, a faceless company becomes something more relatable. This effect is amplified when brand advocates share stories about their experiences with you and how you solved their problems. It's even better if they mention specific employees they interacted with (if you have customer meetings) or post video reviews. 

- **Saving time and money.** The cost of organic promotion is relatively low. Yes, some initial time and financial investment is required to set up the program, but this is minimal compared to the benefits you'll gain. When your advocates take on a significant portion of your marketing, you can allocate resources to other areas.

## How to handle customer reviews


Publishing customer reviews is legal, but with some caveats. The format matters. Incorrect publication can lead to violations of several laws.

Below, we’ll discuss how to properly post customer feedback on social media or your website.

### How to post reviews correctly? 


To post customer reviews without legal issues, follow these guidelines:

- **Obtain the customer's consent to publish the review and use their full name** (or other information). If you want to post a review that includes a name and text, simply ask the user if they agree. You can also add consent for posting reviews in your terms of service. In this case, anyone who accepts the terms automatically gives permission to publish their feedback.

<Img
img="/uploads/brand_is_asking_permission_47dd15d8e6.jpg"
alt="Brand is asking permission in the comments"
src="Brand is asking permission in the comments to post this photo at his place"
/>

- **Before attaching a photo to a review, determine who owns it.** If the customer took the photo themselves, there are no issues. However, if the photo belongs to someone else, you must get permission from the original owner. This is important because a photo from a customer's personal account might be a professional shot. The owner of the photo would be someone else, and the person's consent in the photo is useless. You need to find the true rights holder and negotiate with them. The simplest and safest option is to take the customer’s photo yourself. 

- **Avoid posting fake reviews about your competitors.** Such actions often lead to lawsuits. Even if you know of poor service cases at competitors but are not their customer, it’s better to refrain from negative reviews. Posting fake positive reviews about your own brand is legal. However, such reviews are usually not very convincing. It’s better to rely on real feedback from actual users.

## Conclusion

A strategy for organic marketing involves building and maintaining relationships with users. Through two-way communication, they feel closer to the brand and are more willing to recommend you to their friends. Encouraging the most active supporters creates a snowball effect, bringing in even more loyal customers.

Organic marketing builds strong user relationships, encouraging active supporters to recommend your brand, creating a snowball effect of loyalty.

customer-motivation.png

About why natural promotion is an important marketing strategy, and we will also learn how to create customer incentive programs.

Customers Advertising Your Brand: How to Motivate Them

How to Motivate Customers to Advertise for You

<Video
url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a6zMy3wL7ZM?si=h2RdGj6_FIDkiQSY"
/>

Advertising has long penetrated into movies, computer games, and other content, often in a native form, where the product is integrated into the plot instead of being directly advertised with a call to action. Such seemingly casual mentions constitute product placement, which has become a whole industry and entered popular promotion channels. The market for this direction is growing every year: if in 2023 [**the investment amounted**](https://www.statista.com/statistics/915174/product-placement-revenue-worldwide/) to nearly $30 billion, then by 2026 it is forecasted to grow to $41 billion.

Integration of advertising into content is costly, but businesses are willing to pay because this format can increase brand recognition and boost sales. In this article, we'll delve into what product placement is, its types, and the benefits it brings to companies.

## What is product placement and why is it needed


**Product placement** is the most [**native advertising**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/native-advertising-its-pros-and-cons-its-types-and-benefits) of a product or company in content: movies, cartoons, computer games, music videos, and even books. The mention or demonstration of the brand is seamlessly integrated into the narrative and becomes a part of it. This format is not even perceived as advertising, unlike placements on social media, websites, and other resources.

Interestingly, the first product placement appeared in painting. In Eduard Manet's painting "A Bar at the Folies-Bergère" (1882), a bottle of "Bass" ale was placed on the counter alongside other bottles. It featured the recognizable logo of the product produced by a well-known brewery company of that time. It is unknown whether the artist added such an image for payment or simply depicted the spirit of the time.

Product placement is an opportunity to:

- **Expand the audience and increase recognition** because millions of people watch movies, play computer games, which are not always accessible through other channels. 

- **Shape the right image of a product or company.** With skillful product placement, brand products are showcased in a positive context, shaping the desired business associations with the product. For example, a certain brand of sunglasses becomes the attribute of a strong hero who evokes admiration. And negative characters are prohibited from using Apple products on screen. Mercedes-Benz forced filmmakers to blur all their logos in the movie "Slumdog Millionaire." Such brand advertising created negative associations with poverty depicted on screen when cars of this brand drove by. 

- **Boost sales of brand products.** For example, after the release of the "Barbie" movie, purchases of Mattel dolls [**increased by 25%**](https://www.marketingweek.com/mattels-marketing-barbie-uplift/) compared to the previous year. The company prepared for such growth and even released a new collection.

## Types of product placement

Product placement is divided into several types:

<Table>
| **Type** | **Description** |
| ------ | ------ |
| Visual demonstration| The product itself, a logo or other elements that clearly hint at a certain brand appear in the frame. This type is direct product placement, which is often used in movies. |
| Verbal reference| The brand is not shown on the screen, but it is talked about in the context of a conversation. Such product placement in films is prescribed at the script level. For example, the hero of the movie "Call" says in one of the scenes: "Only Megafon has a connection here". And the brand mention can also be textual, when the product placement is embedded in the book. |
|Interaction with the product | The brand's goods are actively used in movies or even become an important part of the story. Such an example is the yellow Chevrolet Camaro car into which the autobot Bumblebee from the movie "Transformers" turns. |
</Table>

Product placement in games, movies, books, music videos uses such formats depending on the story and the wishes of the brands. 
## Advantages and disadvantages of product placement

Native advertising in audiovisual content is a powerful but ambiguous promotional tool with its own set of pros and cons.
### Product placement: advantages 

**Wide audience reach:** Content is consumed by millions of people, giving the brand a higher chance of attracting attention. Moreover, these people come from different parts of the world.

**Subtle product promotion:** Product placement does not include the usual product description and call to action, thus avoiding pressure on the viewer. Instead, it demonstrates the product's capabilities, allowing potential customers to evaluate its features on their own. This format is less likely to be as irritating as traditional advertising.

**Unlimited lifespan:** The content where the advertisement appears is created to last for many years and essentially becomes timeless. We still rewatch old movies and read books written many years ago. Therefore, advertising in such content products becomes infinite in terms of duration.

### Product placement: disadvantages

**Cost of placement:** It is difficult to know exactly how much brands pay for placement in, for example, movies. However, it is known that these amounts are in the millions. The more potentially successful the project, the higher the price for advertising. Only brands with large promotion budgets can afford this.

**Reputational risks:** Native advertising in films is also linked to the personality of the actor interacting with the product. If this person gets into a situation that tarnishes their reputation, it reflects on the brand as well.

**Opaque assessment of advertising results:** If you decide to showcase your product through a frame in a movie, a fragment of a game, or a TV show, you must accept the fact that it is impossible to track the exact effect of such integration. The effectiveness of a product placement campaign is measured by indirect indicators, such as an increase in product sales after the release of a movie featuring the advertisement.

## Examples of product placement in movies

### "Back to the Future"

The film "Back to the Future" is a classic example of product placement and possibly the first thing that comes to mind when talking about advertising in movies. The legendary Nike sneakers from the second part of the trilogy have become iconic.

<Img
img="/uploads/back_to_the_future_cbcf29d2b7.png"
alt="The Nike sneakers in Back to the future"
/>

However, in the first film, the protagonist also wears shoes from this brand. The advertisement appears right in the opening credits. 

<Img
img="/uploads/nike_sneakers_in_back_to_the_future_890967ddb3.png"
alt="The protagonist in Back to the future also wears shoes from Nike"
/>

Additionally, in one of the shots in the second part, one of the characters is dressed in a competing brand, Adidas.

<Img
img="/uploads/adidas_brand_back_to_the_future_9f1c526fc5.png"
alt="The Adidas in Back to the future"
/>

In both films, the characters drink Pepsi with designs from different eras. 

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/pepsi_in_back_to_the_future_380036ad66.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/pepsi_in_back_to_the_future_380036ad66.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/pepsi_in_different_eras_3d970694b3.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/pepsi_in_different_eras_3d970694b3.png"
/>
</Gallery>

A comical scene involves the brand Calvin Klein. Marty McFly's mother from the past thinks that his name is Calvin Klein because she sees the brand name on his underwear and assumes it's his name. 

<Img
img="/uploads/marty_mcfly_underwear_c2da5dc62d.png"
alt="The brand Calvin Klein in Back to the future"
/>

### "Home Alone"

The famous comedy also features quite a bit of advertising. In the first film, the characters only drink Pepsi.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/home_alone_pepsi_ebc16dc331.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/home_alone_pepsi_ebc16dc331.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/pepsi_in_home_alone_c5ec51c238.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/pepsi_in_home_alone_c5ec51c238.png"
/>
</Gallery>

However, in the second part, "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," they switch to Coca-Cola.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/home_alone_part_two_coca_cola_957d09e78e.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/home_alone_part_two_coca_cola_957d09e78e.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/coca_cola_home_alone_lost_in_new_york_cfc605a364.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/coca_cola_home_alone_lost_in_new_york_cfc605a364.png"
/>
</Gallery>

The plot includes advertising for the airline American Airlines.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/airline_american_airlines_49f393a465.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/airline_american_airlines_49f393a465.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/airplane_in_american_airlines_2b913abe1b.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/airplane_in_american_airlines_2b913abe1b.png"
/>
</Gallery>

Santa Claus gives Kevin Tic Tacs instead of candy, which he has run out of.

<Img
img="/uploads/santa_claus_gives_kevin_tic_tacs_e624f14bfd.png"
alt="Santa Claus gives Kevin tic tacs in Home alone"
/>

In a store, the young protagonist buys Tropicana juice and Tide detergent along with other items. 

<Img
img="/uploads/tropicana_juice_and_tide_2f3bf86329.png"
alt="The young protagonist buys Tropicana juice and Tide"
/>

The burglars track Kevin in a Dodge vehicle.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/burglars_track_kevin_in_a_dodge_vehicle_41cd08f6a4.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/burglars_track_kevin_in_a_dodge_vehicle_41cd08f6a4.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/burglars_track_home_alone_394c0ef4c8.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/burglars_track_home_alone_394c0ef4c8.png"
/>
</Gallery>

In the second film, some scenes were shot in the legendary Plaza Hotel in New York.

<Img
img="/uploads/plaza_hotel_home_alone_83689c5bf4.png"
alt="The legendary Plaza Hotel in New York"
/>

In one scene, even the hotel's owner, Donald Trump, appears, with Kevin asking him for directions.

<Img
img="/uploads/legendary_plaza_hotel_545b75756e.png"
alt="The hotel's owner, Donald Trump with Kevin in Home Alone"
/>

### "Forrest Gump"

In the story, several well-known magazines are visible multiple times: People, Life, Playboy, and Fortune. Some are read by the characters, and in one, Forrest Gump himself appears on the cover.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/forrest_gump_3c518d3cf1.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/forrest_gump_3c518d3cf1.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/forrest_gump_playboy_31b08406a5.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/forrest_gump_playboy_31b08406a5.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/forrest_gump_life_d0656c7679.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/forrest_gump_life_d0656c7679.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/forrest_gump_fortune_6ec12cef1a.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/forrest_gump_fortune_6ec12cef1a.png"
/>
</Gallery>

The film features advertisements for Dr. Pepper and 7up sodas, as well as Budweiser beer.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/forrest_gump_drpepper_58171388e1.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/forrest_gump_drpepper_58171388e1.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/forrest_gump_sevenup_366d88e688.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/forrest_gump_sevenup_366d88e688.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/forrest_gump_beer_404fe12af8.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/forrest_gump_beer_404fe12af8.png"
/>
</Gallery>

Forrest runs in Nike sneakers and gear, seamlessly integrated into the plot. 

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/forrest_gump_nike_47c92fac88.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/forrest_gump_nike_47c92fac88.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/forrest_gump_gear_19e35999ae.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/forrest_gump_gear_19e35999ae.png"
/>
</Gallery>

The character receives a letter from Apple.

<Img
img="/uploads/letter_from_apple_forrest_gump_61ebb6f8df.png"
alt="Letter from Apple as product placement"
/>

### "The Devil Wears Prada"

This film lived up to its name and became a showcase for luxury brands.

In the opening scenes, the fashion magazine editor-in-chief, Miranda Priestly, enters with a Prada handbag. 

<Img
img="/uploads/the_devil_wears_prada_e2e8872346.png"
alt="Prada handbag as product placement"
/>

The mention of this brand also appears on a poster in the office.

<Img
img="/uploads/poster_in_the_office_aded804849.png"
alt="Prada poster as product placement"
/>

Miranda arrives at work in a Mercedes.

<Img
img="/uploads/devil_wears_prada_mercedes_354a988cc1.png"
alt="Mercedes as product placement"
/>

She gets coffee from Starbucks.

<Img
img="/uploads/devil_wears_prada_starbucks_994bd5a945.png"
alt="Coffee from Starbucks as product placement"
/>

In the magazine office, employees use Apple equipment.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/apple_equipment_devil_wears_prada_b4ea584062.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/apple_equipment_devil_wears_prada_b4ea584062.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/apple_equipment_1d1f52cbc4.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/apple_equipment_1d1f52cbc4.png"
/>
</Gallery>

Of course, in a film about the fashion world, one of the most famous luxury brands appears. Anne Hathaway's character undergoes a transformation and wears Chanel jewelry, while Miranda receives a gift from the fashion house, seen behind her in a bag. 

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/shanel_jewelry_devil_weras_prada_f1efd649ad.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/shanel_jewelry_devil_weras_prada_f1efd649ad.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/devil_wears_prada_chanel_02d2fbf1c0.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/devil_wears_prada_chanel_02d2fbf1c0.png"
/>
</Gallery>


### "Twilight"

In the first part of the saga, vampires drive Volvo and Mercedes cars.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/volvo_twilight_ead623064e.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/volvo_twilight_ead623064e.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/twilight_mercedes_3d763688f8.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/twilight_mercedes_3d763688f8.png"
/>
</Gallery>

### "Avengers: Endgame"

Only a few brands could afford advertising in the highest-grossing film in the world as of 2019. In one scene, the Citi bank logo appears.

<Img
img="/uploads/citibank_commercial_in_the_movie_avengers_74f8a43454.png"
alt="Citibank commercial in the movie Avengers"
/>

And Robert Downey Jr.'s character drives a stylish Audi.

<Img
img="/uploads/robert_downey_audi_84663266b0.png"
alt="Robert Downey Jr.'s Audi"
/>

### "Transformers"

In the film, the yellow-and-black Chevrolet Camaro becomes a story hero — the Autobot robot Bumblebee.

<Img
img="/uploads/transformers_the_bumblebee_vehicle_9eedcb2a61.png"
alt="Product placement in Transformers, the Bumblebee vehicle"
/>

## Summary

Product placement is the promotion of brands through visual demonstration or mention in audiovisual content such as movies, music videos, games, and more. This type of advertising subtly forms a positive image of the product or company, expands the audience, and works indefinitely. The brand is shown visually, mentioned, or even integrated into the plot so that the characters interact with its products.

Despite its advantages, product placement is expensive, so it is usually used by high-end brands. It's also challenging to track the actual effect and depends on the reputation of the celebrities who advertise the product on screen.

Today, brand integration into multimedia content remains relevant, and investments in this direction continue to grow.

Product placement integrates brands into content, boosting recognition and sales subtly, though it's costly and hard to measure impact.

product-placement-what-it-is.png

About what product placement is, what it is like and what benefits it brings to companies.

Product Placement: Types & Examples of Advertising

What Is Product Placement: Types and Examples of Advertising

<Img
img="/uploads/new_year_marketing_bebbc2804c.png"
alt="New Year's Marketing"
/>

Every year, already at the beginning of December, cities are captured by New Year’s euphoria – shops are decorated with trees and themed decor, and brands launch holiday advertising campaigns both online and offline.

This time is called the “hot” season, especially in retail which traditionally remains the most important supplier of gifts. Before the New Year, receipts and sales amounts increase, and correct and timely marketing can multiply them.

Therefore, every year marketers choose which promotions to launch in December to finish the year effectively. In the article, we have collected examples of new brand campaigns that are worth paying attention to. Save ideas for your New Year’s marketing.


### Why New Year’s marketing is profitable

Consumers tend to make purchases faster before the New Year because they often have to choose gifts at the last moment. A profitable promotion can encourage them to make a purchase.

People are accustomed to New Year’s marketing and are already anticipating special offers from brands. Customers begin to look more carefully at the messages they receive through different marketing channels so as not to miss out the benefits.

Holiday marketing before the New Year provides an opportunity to simplify the choice of gifts for customers, specifically by suggesting ready-made solutions in email newsletters, via push notifications, or [**messengers**](https://altcraft.com/features/messengers). This can increase sales and customer loyalty, as customers will be grateful to the brand for saving their time.

New Year’s promotions and sales can attract new customers and bring back old ones. Therefore, developing a marketing strategy before the New Year is a crucial stage in business.


## The rules for a successful New Year’s marketing campaign

**1. Effective advertising is timely advertising.** Plan [**New Year’s promotions**](https://altcraft.com/blog/email-campaigns-about-promotions) in advance and take into account past results: identify peak sales periods, top-selling products, and the most successful promotions and content. This way you will find the best time to launch New Year’s advertising and avoid repeating mistakes.

**2. Evoke emotions and holiday atmosphere across all marketing channels.** Let the client feel the New Year’s mood. Use creative designs, heartwarming pictures, and videos associated with the holiday. Don’t be afraid to stand out.

**3. Keep New Year’s content light-hearted.** Avoid discussing serious topics. Share holiday life hacks, jokes, and offer games and interactives.

**4. Make personalized offers.** While customers often switch into buying mode during this season, [**personalisation**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/personalization-what-it-is-and-why-personalized-marketing-matters) remains crucial. Your competitors are also running New Year’s advertising campaigns, competing for the same clients. And the automation of internet marketing will help you win. Plan promotions in advance based on the data that [**the CDP Altcraft Platform**](https://altcraft.com/) will collect for you, and conduct mailings in a single-window mode.

## Examples of New Year’s advertising campaigns from brands

### Promotions and discounts

The simplest but still relevant solution for the New Year’s campaign is to reduce the price of your products. It’s important that the discounts are significant for the client.
For example – the New Year’s discount calendar from SberMarket.

<Img
img="/uploads/discount_calendar_from_sbermarket_6535555d2d.png"
alt="Discount calendar from SberMarket"
/>

SberMarket also offers ready-made product selections for the New Year.

<Img
img="/uploads/ready_made_product_selections_96e1eac956.png"
alt=" Ready-made product selections by SberMarket"
/>

### Selections of images and gifts

Online stores place special holiday selections on the front pages of the site to simplify the choice of a gift or New Year’s image. For example, the Street Beat store put up a special selection of gifts for various interests.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/holiday_selections_539d778d2c.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/holiday_selections_539d778d2c.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/streetbeat_holiday_selections_1aa1431a9e.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/streetbeat_holiday_selections_1aa1431a9e.png"
/>
</Gallery>

### Countdown

Waiting for New Year’s Eve is a tradition, and for marketers it’s another technique to remind customers to buy gifts. The brand’s website launches a countdown to the days until the New Year. For example, Yves Rocher company.

<Img
img="/uploads/yves_rochers_website_countdown_872c72aacf.png"
alt="Yves Rocher company"
/>

### New Year’s decoration

The easiest thing to do for New Year’s marketing is to add thematic design to the site, application and banners. Let’s consider an example of how the Gold Apple store created a game with thematic design in the application and on the website.

<Img
img="/uploads/the_gold_apple_game_with_thematic_design_81ddd3acd5.png"
alt="The Gold Apple store created a game with thematic design"
/>

### Interactive

Games, predictions, and other entertainment content with which you can interact. It attracts attention and engages users. The “Myth” publishing house invites you to go on a trip and follow the path of a hero. Open windows with gifts and pick up promotional codes.

<Img
img="/uploads/the_myth_publishing_house_path_of_a_hero_9f18d3f76f.png"
alt="The path of a hero by the “Myth” publishing house "
/>

### Raffles and gifts

On New Year’s Eve, we always hope for a miracle, such as winning a prize or receiving a gift from a brand. Big companies with their ecosystems reach a large audience at once and take into account different interests. For example, the Reiss store organized a 12-day drawing of their brand’s gifts.

<Img
img="/uploads/the_reiss_brands_gifts_f98845c720.png"
alt="The Reiss store organized a 12-day drawing of their brand’s gifts"
/>

<Img
img="/uploads/reiss_store_organized_gifts_31590da61d.png"
alt="The Reiss store organized a 12-day drawing of their brand’s gifts"
/>

### Nostalgia

New Year is the time to sum up and immerse yourself in memories. That’s why nostalgia is involved in holiday marketing here. Spotify has a cool feature to sum up your listening history.

<Img
img="/uploads/sum_up_your_listening_history_by_spotify_cfafef5d7c.png"
alt="Spotify has a cool feature to sum up your listening history"
/>

### Useful content

Before the New Year, it’s not necessary to share recipes and films for the holidays. Educational content is also suitable for the New Year’s campaign, the main thing is to keep it light. The Higher School of Economics invites you to watch interactive videos about artificial intelligence.
 
<Img
img="/uploads/interactive_videos_about_artificial_intelligence_5a95fdb059.png"
alt="Interactive videos about Artificial Intelligence by HSE"
/>


### Offline advertising

Every year, city streets, malls, and company offices are decorated for the holiday to create a New Year’s mood. This decor attracts attention and increases brand awareness because people like to take pictures with bright installations.
Chanel has beautifully decorated the facade of building in Paris this year.

<Img
img="/uploads/decorated_the_facade_of_building_chanel_261d0d11cc.png"
alt="Chanel has beautifully decorated the facade of building"
/>

Also, consider an incredible installation on the facade from the Dior brand.

<Img
img="/uploads/facade_from_the_dior_brand_1849622031.png"
alt="Installation on the facade from the Dior brand"
/>

## Summary

New Year is not only a time of miracles but also creative marketing campaigns and increased sales. People start to buy more actively and become more loyal to brands. Therefore, businesses should consider promotions, discounts, and other ways to attract customers and encourage gift purchases.
Effective marketing for the New Year is the one that is thought out in advance. It’s important to create emotions and a holiday atmosphere, provide light-hearted content, and personalize offers.
The main formats of holiday advertising campaigns include sales with significant discounts, selections, interactives and prize draws. It’s also important to decorate both offline and online brand resources for the New Year to capture attention.

In this article, we talk about examples of new brand campaigns that are worth paying attention to and saving ideas for your New Year's marketing

new-year-marketing.png

About which brand New Year's campaigns are worth paying attention to.

Holiday marketing before the New Year, bright brand campaigns

The New Year’s Marketing: Bright Examples of Brand Advertising Campaigns

<Img
img="/uploads/ad_labeling_2857e33518.png"
alt="Advertising Labeling: Promotion Under New Rules"
/>

On September 1, 2022, the advertising market underwent significant changes due to amendments in the [**advertising law**](https://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_58968/) that came into effect on that date. What changed is that all online advertisements promoting goods and services must now be labeled in a specific way. The aim of these changes is to make the advertising market more transparent and reliable for all its participants.

For a whole year, everyone prepared for the new rules, and as of September 1, 2023, penalties for the absence of proper labeling on advertisements have been activated.

According to a [**survey**](https://www.retail.ru/vote/78/) conducted by the Retail.ru portal in August of this year, 49% of respondents had just heard about this innovation and were planning to start understanding it. Now, the law on advertising labeling is fully in effect, and ignoring its requirements is no longer an option.

This article provides up-to-date information on the new rules, penalties, and where advertisements are automatically labeled.

## Advertising labeling and its meaning 

Advertising labeling is the process of registering all advertising campaigns in a unified resource, which includes obtaining a special identifier (token). Each marked post must contain information about the company promoting itself online.

All the information is submitted to the Unified Registry of Internet Advertising, which is monitored by the following authorities:

- Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation; 

- Federal Tax Service of Russia; 

- The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media.

Information about the advertising is only visible to these organizations and the creators and ordering customers. It is submitted online through a specified form in a personal account.


### Which ads are accurately labeled

In 2023, advertising labeling applies to all advertisements promoting something.

The law defines advertising as information:

- distributed through any communication channels, formats, and means; 

- targeting a certain (precisely unknown) audience; 

- intended to draw attention to products or services, create and maintain a high level of attention to them, and promote them.

However, informing customers about a company's operations or product variety is not considered advertising.

The following types of content fall under labeling: contextual ads, social media targeted ads, [**product-related videos**](https://altcraft.com/blog/video-marketing-for-brand-promotion), broadcasts, promotional posts, stories, podcasts, and other content with integrations, link and QR code placements, and collaboration with bloggers.

Reviews initiated by individuals are not considered advertising; they are classified as information.

**Example:**

*A female blogger went to a beauty salon for a hair coloring session that she paid for herself. Afterward, she wanted to share her impressions of the service and overall experience. During her storytelling, she mentioned the salon without encouraging others to go there or providing additional incentives (promocodes). Such a review is not considered an advertising announcement.*

It is permissible to publish information about your product or service range without labels if you don't highlight anything specific in terms of style. It's also essential to integrate them seamlessly into your content. Therefore, advertising labeling on the internet is not required in such cases. Links to your events, subscription-based resources, and similar content can be published without a token.

However, if a banner with a promotional offer is in a separate section on the website and includes a call to action for making a purchase, then it qualifies as advertising.

**Forget about labeling if you're publishing:**

- Product listings on an aggregator;
- Email newsletters;
- Descriptions of a company's activities and its products;
- Push notifications;
- Advertising inserts in TV broadcasts and radio;
- Social media videos and posts;
- Native integrations without a clear emphasis on the product.

**Example:**

*On a clothing brand's website, they have products listed with descriptions and prices; essentially it’s a product showcase where the store informs customers about its range. There's no need to mark these listings. However, if there's a banner on the website's front page that says "Up to 50% off the autumn collection," such an announcement cannot be published without marking.*

<Img
img="/uploads/markirovka_ne_nuzhna_5147a83b69.png"
alt="Product showcase needs no labeling according to new rules"
src="Product showcase needs no labeling according to new rules"
/>

## Proper marking advertising

Marking advertising according to the rules typically follows this process:

**Advertiser (or intermediary) → Advertising Data Operator (ADO) → Unified Register of Internet Advertising (URIA).**

<Note>
It's essential to decide in advance who (the clients, distributors, intermediaries) will go through this process; otherwise, everyone may be held legally responsible. Special agencies can submit documents on behalf of all participants, but only if there is a contract.
</Note>

Participants in an advertising campaign who may be penalized if something is done against the rules include:


<Table>
| Participants of ad campaigns | Description |
| ------ | ------ |
| **Offering customer (aka advertiser)** | It can be a business or an individual that is promoted through advertising. |
| **Advertisers (publishers)** | These are owners of online resources (website, blog, group in social networks), where they publish ads from customers for money or barter. |
| **Advertising platforms** | Platforms for publishing targeted and contextual advertising: Yandex services (Direct and others), VK, myTarget, etc. |
| **Mediators** | Special agencies, private individuals (freelancers), services to whom the rest of the campaign trusts the right to transmit information to the ADO. |
</Table>



## Rules for marking advertising: breaking it down step by step

What you need to do to launch advertising and sleep soundly:

1. Gather all the information about the advertising campaign, including the creative materials and texts, to send to the Advertising Data Operator (ADO). There are several official organizations that have received permission from the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media for this activity. The client of the advertising or other participants in the campaign do this themselves (depending on the agreements).

The ADOs currently accredited by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media include: "Yandex," "MediaScout," "Ozon ADO," "First ADO," "VKontakte," "ADO-A," "ADO Development Laboratory."

**What to send to the ADO before publishing advertising:**

- description of the advertised product; 

- advertising format; 

- platforms for publication; 

- ad types (text, creative, video, audio); 

- data about the audience that will see the advertisement; 

- campaign duration or the date of the ad post; 

- contracts with all participants in the advertising campaign.

However, it's essential to first establish a contract with the ADO. Include details such as taxpayer identification number, participant company details, the contract itself, platforms where the ads will be placed, and costs.

Companies can delegate the task of providing information to a third-party organization or freelancer. In this case, a separate contract will need to be signed or amendments made to an existing one.

Some platforms have simplified this process by becoming ADOs themselves (such as "VKontakte" and "Yandex"). This makes it easier for companies to mark advertising on social media (specifically VK) and when launching context ads through Yandex.Direct. The client typically accepts the platform's offer and launches their ad promotions.

2. Obtain the advertising marking token (instantly generated by the ADO) and insert it into the advertising content (post, banner, etc.). This token is a label that includes the word "erid:" followed by a set of alphanumeric characters in Latin. Additionally, the advertisement should include the label "Advertising" and specify the company's information (the advertiser). Typically, this includes the legal entity name and the taxpayer identification number.

Example of the token:

<Img
img="/uploads/primer_tokena_v_markirovke_0a1208a0a8.jpg"
alt="Example of the token for ad labeling"
/>

If it's possible to add a link to a post, then this code is embedded within it. It would look something like this: **https://site.ru/?erid=NNN**

Another option is the AdChoice menu, which typically consists of three dots in the corner of the advertisement.

**NNN** represents a code made up of numbers and letters.


3. Generate a report for ADO about the campaign results, including impressions and the budget spent. Provide service reports and information about the platforms used within thirty days from the end of the month in which the advertising was displayed. The ADO will forward all this information to the Unified Register of Internet Advertising (URIA).

Example of advertising marking from VKontakte:

<Img
img="/uploads/markirovka_reklamy_v_vk_eabbaca1d3.jpg"
alt="Example of advertising marking from VKontakte"
/>

The identifier is placed within the AdChoice block, and at the bottom, the brand that launched the advertisement is indicated.

Here's another example where a marketing campaign is published with marking from a Telegram channel. In this case, the token is placed directly on the banner, and the company's name along with the taxpayer identification number is placed at the end of the post for compliance purposes.

<Img
img="/uploads/markirovka_v_telegram_kanale_80da55f653.jpg"
alt="Ad labeling, example of token on the banner"
src="Marketing campaign with token in the Telegram channel"
/>

<Img
img="/uploads/markirovka_inn_kompanii_748b3c9071.png"
alt="Ad labeling, example of taxpayer identification number at the end of post"
src="Taxpayer identification number at the end of post"
/>

This is what an advertisement in an advertising block on a media website might look like:

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/2_markirovka_v_reklamnom_bloke_6dac75a348.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/2_markirovka_v_reklamnom_bloke_6dac75a348.png"
src="labeled ads advertising block on a media website"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/1_markirovka_v_reklamnom_bloke_5dac324d80.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/1_markirovka_v_reklamnom_bloke_5dac324d80.png"
src="labeled ads advertising block on a media website"
/>
</Gallery>

## Ad labeling on the most popular platforms 

### Yandex.Direct


Yandex [**has the right to issue tokens**](https://yandex.ru/support/direct/technologies-and-services/ad-labelingl.html) through its Advertising Data Operator. The service automatically adds the word "Advertisement" to ads and includes company information (such as the taxpayer identification number or other details). To allow the platform to do this, you only need to accept [**the offer**](https://yandex.ru/legal/oferta_direct/).

Yandex itself creates descriptions for advertising cards (including brand, product, and content) based on specified parameters. However, it's advisable to manually edit them if needed.

### VKontakte

VK Advertising [**automatically sends**](https://ads.vk.com/en/insights/marking-law) data to the Unified Registry of Internet Advertising because the social network has registered its Advertising Data Operator. If you launch advertisements independently through your personal account, no additional information is required. However, when using an agency account, you will need to accept the offer and fill in the necessary fields. Agencies should also add reports on their work with clients to the platform.

### myTarget

This platform uses the ADO of the company "VKontakte," so sending information to the Unified Registry of Internet Advertising is also automated here. Advertisers will need to accept the offer and create ads.

### Telegram Ads

Telegram's advertising platform does not provide automatic marking, so you'll need to follow these steps manually:

- Fill in your brand information in Telegram Ads; 

- Generate a token (any ADO will work); 

- Add the label to your ads; 

- When the campaign is completed, create reports for the operator on your own.

## How much you will be fined for not labeling an advertisement

The fines for the absence of advertising labeling will now be enforced. Starting from the beginning of autumn, you can be penalized if your advertisements do not contain marks indicating registration in the operator's database.

Fines can also be imposed for incorrect data. Previously, no fines were applied during the transitional period.

The amount you will have to pay depends on your status: companies, individual entrepreneurs, and officials will face different penalties.

<Table>
| Who pays | Penalty in rubles |
| ------ | ------ |
| Individual person | 30000–100000 |
| Legal entity | 200000–500000 |
| Public official | 30000–100000 |
</Table>


If the advertisement is unlabeled, then:

<Table>
| Who pays | Penalty in rubles |
| ------ | ------ |
| Individual person | 30000–100000 |
| Legal entity | 200000–500000 |
| Public official | 100000–200000 |
</Table>


Operators can also be fined if they fail to provide information or if the information they provide is incorrect.

<Table>
| Who pays | Penalty in rubles |
| ------ | ------ |
| Public official | 100000–200000 |
| Legal entity | 300000–700000 |
</Table>


**What if the advertisement was launched before September 2023?** There will be no fines for such ads. For articles with advertising, there must be a publication date, otherwise, it will be impossible to justify the absence of marking.

### How businesses should adapt to the new marking system

The 2023 law on advertising marking cannot be repealed, so businesses have no choice but to adapt and get used to the new way of working.

**What's important for companies:**

- Register within the Unified Registry of Internet Advertising through "Gosuslugi" (a government services portal). 

- Study the changes in the rules of advertising platforms and provide the necessary information according to their requirements. 

- Modify contracts with intermediaries if you work with them.


## Some features in the rules for marking advertising announcements

- Only advertising that circulates in Russia is marked. Moreover, even foreign companies must register their ads if they are promoting themselves within our country's territory. However, if a Russian business is advertising on a foreign market, no marking is required. In this case, it is also permissible to promote through Russian services without registration. 

- For online broadcasts, tokens can be obtained after their publication. Then, the identifier will appear in the description. 

- Each creative is assigned a separate unique label. It is not allowed to copy the same ID for all at once. 

- Barter transactions are also marked according to the general rules.

## Conclusion

Advertising that circulates within the territory of the Russian Federation is now registered in a single resource – the Unified Register of Internet Advertising.

This information is sent there by advertising data operators. Starting from September of this year, marking of advertising is inevitable for any business that is promoting itself in Russia.

Any advertising is marked with special symbols (the ADO generates a token), the mandatory word "Advertisement," and customer data. When the campaign period ends, the ODA must provide a report on the ad impressions, budget, and work performed (via acts).

Mandatory advertising marking is a new headache, as it is likely to be closely monitored. Ignoring reporting deadlines and improperly documenting advertising information carries the risk of fines ranging from ₽10,000 to ₽700,000.

Advertising labeling involves registering all ad campaigns in a centralized resource using a unique identifier, or a token.

markirovka-reklamy.png

In this post, you will find up-to-date information on the new rules, penalties, and where advertisements are automatically labeled

Advertising Labeling: How to Promote Under New Rules

Advertising Labeling: Promotion Under New Rules

<Img 
img="/uploads/Blog_1_cd297e1f7d.png"
alt="What is Retargeting and Why Does Business Need It"
/> 

When users first visit your site, they don't always take the desired action. Someone is looking for more information, and someone needs to be pushed to a decision. For others, it’s enough just to remind them about the product that they browsed on the site earlier.

There is retargeting for this. It is a marketing method that does not allow users to «go far» and motivates them to return to the website and take some action. Retargeting campaigns are banner ads that catch up with users on other sites, social networks and apps. According to statistics, [**three out of four**](https://www.invespcro.com/blog/ad-retargeting-2/) users notice such ads, so this method works great. [**70% of people**](https://www.invespcro.com/blog/ad-retargeting-2/) who see a retargeting banner are more likely to return to your site and buy.

Let's take a closer look at what retargeting is, what benefits it gives your business and how it works.

## What is retargeting

Retargeting is an ad that a user sees after their actions on a company's website, app, or social media. Retargeting campaigns can show users:

- pages they have visited;
- products that were browsed in the online store, but did not place an order.

The purpose of such an advertising campaign is to lead a person to conversion through [**a call to action**](what-is-cta). However, this call is not placed on the brand site, but on other platforms on the Internet. Retargeting is set up for a «cold» audience that is not familiar with the brand, and for «warmed up» customers who have visited the company’s website more than once, but still have not bought.

Retargeting reaches the user through banners on other sites, social networks and mobile applications where advertising is possible.

## Retargeting and remarketing are not the same

These concepts are often confused, but there are differences:

- Retargeting is a campaign for new users who have not yet made a purchase. Such advertising reminds of the brand and increases its awareness.
- Remarketing is a way to retain existing or interested customers and encourage them to buy. In this case, marketers use not only advertising, but also email campaigns.

## Why your business needs retargeting

Advertising usually works for new users. They are not yet in the sales funnel, and it is not necessary that they ever get there. Retargeting audiences are users who are already in the funnel, because they have interacted with the brand. Building communication with them is easier, and retargeting is cheaper.

**What are the benefits of retargeting for businesses?**

- Increasing awareness. For this purpose, retargeting is used by 70% of marketers. Here's how it works. The user starts to come across your brand, products and offers more often. When a person finally has a need for a product or service, your brand will be the first thing that comes to their mind.
- Increasing LTV (Сustomer Lifetime Value). As a result of this, you will get more revenue from users who buy again and again.
- Promotion of the client through the sales funnel and prevention of abandoned carts. Retargeting reminds about left and viewed products, pushes the user to return to the order. This is how the number of purchases grows — according to statistics, the conversion rate increases to 150%.

## How retargeting work

The user views the content or product on the site or in the mobile app, and later when he visits another digital platform, he sees an advertisement for that object. Retargeting can be set up using Google Ads, social networks, and other services. How it works:

1. A pixel is installed on the site. It is a piece of code that [**tracks the actions**](ak-pixel) of visitors on web pages.
2. Advertising is configured for the audience that the pixel has collected. If you use Google Ads, ads are shown on Google search results and its advertising network (YouTube, Gmail, etc).
3. When the user performs an action on the site (for example, he adds a product to the cart, but does not complete the purchase), the ad finds him and reminds him of an incomplete order.

In most cases, retargeting ads are banners with text and a caption.

## Types of retargeting

There are two types of retargeting depending on the source of information for the campaign. Possible options:

- **Using an existing contact list**. Email addresses or phone numbers are uploaded to social networks like Facebook or Twitter. If there are matches with the data of registered users, the platform serves retargeting ads just to them.

- **Using pixel data**. Ads are displayed to anonymous users after they visit your site. It is a popular and fast way.

*For example, the man went to the pet store website and was browsing the parrot food section. After a while, he sees an advertisement for bird food from this site.*

Retargeting also differs depending on the type of activity:

- **User behavior** on the site or in social networks: clicks, views, incomplete applications, likes, reposts.
- **Search queries**. Retargeting ads will be displayed to a user who has searched for specific products. Such a campaign is set up by keywords.

For example, a person used a search on the website and entered “tourist tent”. In advertising, he sees different models of the tent offered by that site.

There are also static and dynamic retargeting:

- **Static retargeting** shows general brand information. Campaign segments are known in advance. These are all visitors to the site or a particular page, and so on. The advantage of this type of ad is reaching more users, but the disadvantage is the lack of personalization.
- **Dynamic retargeting** takes into account the interests of the user, and shows the specific products or services that this person viewed. Such retargeting is personalized and useful for online stores. 

*For example, a person viewed the page of the N brand smartphone on the website, read the description and reviews, but did not place an order. In this case, advertising of this gadget begins to haunt him.*

## How to set up retargeting

On each platform, retargeting is technically configured in its own way, but the general principles are similar. Let's look at the sequence of actions.

1. **Define a goal**. What do you want to get from the campaign? It can be a decrease in the number of abandoned carts, content virality, an increase in conversions, and so on.
2. **Choose which users to show ads to**. Any website visitors or those who have entered a certain section, or those who are interested in some product?
3. **Come up with a call to action for the ad**. What to offer in advertising: return to the website or place an order.
4. **Set the timing of the marketing campaign**. How long will the banner ads be shown to the customer? You can’t follow the user forever in the hope that he will someday give up and buy.
5. **Select the ad sequence if they are different**. For example, you can show general information first, then promotions, a video, and so on.
6. **Make settings in the selected service** (advertising account of the social network, Google Ads or another). The retargeting campaign is launched for the audience collected through the pixel or for contacts whose data is stored in your database. You can also use the look alike model — the system selects suitable users to display an ad according to existing criteria.

## Retargeting examples

An online clothing store shows similar products that customers have recently searched or viewed.

<Img 
img="/uploads/1_6e3e3fa8da.jpg"
alt=""
/> 

Here is an example from ModCloth. The company follows users and informs them of new arrivals:

<Img 
img="/uploads/2_770da4d2f0.png"
alt=""
/> 

Digital Marketer shows a specific topic that was of interest to the user. This way, if someone visits an article about advertising, they will see an ad for "ad templates" that they can get for free:

<Img 
img="/uploads/3_1345645a92.jpg"
alt=""
/> 

When you search for a phone in online stores, the search engine may show you related products, such as a phone case:

<Img 
img="/uploads/4_eeee6ee146.png"
alt=""
/> 

Users searched for graphic editors. And this is the ads they can see later:

<Img 
img="/uploads/5_505d790759.png"
alt=""
/> 

Another example of retargeting after viewing travel tours:

<Img 
img="/uploads/6_024c7168da.png"
alt=""
/>

## Conclusion

A retargeting campaign is a re-display of information about a company or specific products to a user after visiting a website, social media, or brand app.

Retargeting will increase brand awareness and conversions. It is often used to remind customers of abandoned carts on a website. Do not confuse this method with remarketing, which works to retain existing customers. Retargeting is set up for new users who have already interacted with the brand.

There are dynamic and static retargeting. The first is more personalized and shows the specific products that a user has viewed on the site. The second is just general information. Campaigns can also be set up according to the behavior of users on the website or for specific search queries. For retargeting, the audience collects a pixel (the code that works with cookies on the site), or the company uses its contact database.

In this post, we'll talk about what retargeting is, how it works, and how businesses use retargeting campaigns to increase conversions.

Блог (1).png

Retargeting is an opportunity to recapture potential leads if they left your site without converting or meeting a marketing goal.

What is Retargeting and Why Does Your Business Need It

Retargeting: Definition, Types, Steps

<Img 
img="/uploads/Blog_9d32e26a52.png"
alt="5 Techniques Marketers Use to Push Customers to Buy"
/> 

You buy a lot of everything you really need at an online sale, and after a while you realize that you spent all your money, but you have no idea on what. Do you know that feeling? I do.

My name is Daria Rodionova, and I am a content marketer at [**CRM-group**](https://emailsoldiers.com/?utm_source=mediaaltcraft&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=emailsoldierscom), where we help brands build customer relationships. In this article, I have collected popular tricks that brands use to encourage customers to buy.

## You will receive a reward! But first, do something.

On the website of the Israeli cosmetics company Zielinski & Rozen, there is a banner that promises free shipping. To get it, you need to place an order of $100 or more and immediately pay for it. If you buy for $400 or more till June 6th, you will receive a limited edition gift. 

<Img
img="/uploads/image4_a750fc2f54.png"
alt="Banner on website"
src="Banner on Zielinski & Rozen website"
/>

This helps the brand to increase revenue and purchase conversion. The limited-edition product on the site cost $97, but consumers can get them "for free".

## Last item left!

The exclusivity of the product motivates the customer to make a purchase. According to the FoMo principle (Fear of Missing Out), users will buy a product much faster if they feel a shortage of it.

Some companies convince buyers in plain text. For example, ‘Call within ten minutes and get a discount and a second necklace as a gift!’. Others — come up with more subtle versions. For example, when customers are buying plane tickets, they see: ‘There are 2 tickets left at this price’.

<Img
img="/uploads/image3_7d19decf99.png"
alt="Product card"
src="Product card in Shiekh. It is highlighted that the last pair left."
/>

**Life hack: How to use your abandoned cart to get a discount**

<Note>
Most brands have a [**trigger workflow**](https://emailsoldiers.com/blog/vichy-triggers-dynamic-content?utm_source=mediaaltcraft&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=vichy-triggers-dynamic-content) set up for a specific action. For example, if you add something to the cart and leave the site, the trigger will fire. So do not rush to place an order. Wait 2-3 days. There is a high chance that the company will want to get back the client, so it will send you a promotional code for an additional discount.
</Note>

## Do like me

A favorite blogger wrote a good review about a Mexican restaurant. An artist posted a story about a cool car sharing service. Do not underestimate [**influencers**](what-is-influencer-marketing-how-to-build-strategy) and the power of native advertising.

Here is Khloe Kardashian's review of vitamins for hair:

<Img
img="/uploads/image2_9e179bdeaf.png"
alt="Positive feedback"
src="A positive brand review expands your audience reach. You can alse use promo codes to track traffic and conversion."
/>

Take a critical look at information and remember that a nice bonus can be behind any native advertising.

## Easy to Lose and Impossible to Forget

The effect of trial periods for online products is similar to how offline retail works. You are offered samplers as a gift, only virtual ones.

In an ideal world, the client cancels the subscription a few hours before the end of the trial period, or keeps it, because he is ready to use the service for a whole year.

In reality, if the user has agreed to a free trial period, he has two options:

- The user forgets to cancel the subscription and is charged for the annual subscription. It takes a long time to return the money.
- The user bails on money and keeps the subscription, because he does not have time to cancel it.

<Img
img="/uploads/netflix_sub_1a1002eafd.jpg"
alt="Netflix trial period"
/>

To avoid this, don't be too lazy to turn off auto-renewal after the subscription. Sometimes it's hidden deep in the app, but this can save you a couple thousand.

## Everything is relative

Here is a classic trick of retailers. If you put a discount on a more expensive product, it will look more advantageous than a [**similar product**](https://emailsoldiers.com/blog/cross-selling?utm_source=mediaaltcraft&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=cross-selling) with the same price without a discount.

<Img
img="/uploads/image5_2b70d95b4a.png"
alt="Two products of the same category"
src="Two products of the same category side by side - the first one is a little more expensive, but the discount captivates."
/>

It's a similar story when brands sell a larger product for a little more than a similarly small one. The savings may be false. For example, you may not have time to use up a liter of sesame oil by the expiration date. Or can a large cappuccino please you more than a medium one?

## Conclusion 

In the post, I have listed popular techniques in online marketing. Whatever new tricks marketers come up with, users need to be alert and make conscious decisions. Businesses, on the other hand, need to remain ethical, not use crude tricks, and prioritize solving customer problems.

In this article, we talk about popular online marketing techniques that companies use to get the user to make a purchase decision.

Блог.png

Here is a list of popular tricks marketers use to get a user to make a purchase decision.

5 Techniques Marketers Use to Push Customers to Buy

5 Marketing Techniques to Push Customers to Buy

uzum-case.png

Reduced push notification opt-out rates, increased OR, saved working hours

bnb-bank-kejs-v-menyu.png

The open rate for automatic Viber messages is around 60%, and MAU growth for the year is +19%

All user information is systematically collected in a unified customer data platform

Distributing messages across various communication channels: email, SMS, push notifications, messengers

Promo codes, bonuses, and points for building long-term customer relationships

You can create and edit any HTML template, as well as save your own custom blocks

Personalized distribution of messages to clients through communication channels

Conducting experiments and optimizing marketing strategies

Tracking the effectiveness of marketing campaigns to make informed decisions

Connecting external systems to the platform and synchronizing data with company databases

Creating questionnaires, surveys, and feedback forms of any level of complexity

The ability to communicate with your clients anytime and anywhere

Increasing user awareness of your company's offers

Customer Data Platform

Omnichannel Marketing

Loyalty programs

HTML Email Builder

Personalized mailings

A/B/n Testing

Real-time analytics

Integration and WebHooks

Forms and Surveys

Messenger Communication

Pop-Up Windows

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