Unleash the brand

Gradually limitations of the lockdown begin to unfold. The parks are open, and other places for recreation begin activity. At the same time, the fear of the virus and the scars from social distancing stay and will continue to have an impact on our everyday lives and our consumption habits.

However, “man is by nature a social animal” and the urge to lead a normal life will prevail, one way or another. It is only a matter of time and as an integral part of everyday life, brands also have a vital role in how long it will take to get to the new normal.

Consumers want ads?!

The pandemic has led to a global economic recession and this puts advertisers in a very tight spot trying to figure out how to plan their marketing activities. Global Kantar research reveals that “just 8% of consumers think brands should stop advertising due to coronavirus.”

When others are quiet, the voice is louder

It is now largely discussed in the industry that, if able, companies should now draw their attention to nurturing brand value, which will drive them to a positive lead-in in the long run when the economy reaches recovery phase.

According to marketing expert Peter Field “There is a value in being seen to be an advertiser. Going dark would only add to the sense of crisis and panic, as well as undermining their brand in the long-term.”

Be bold to unfold

Research by consulting companies already shows what consumer segments have formed during COVID-19 pandemic and give insights about their attitudes and sentiments.

Segments are dynamic

The research suggests also how these segments will transform and what are their spending intentions post-COVID-19.

The segments where attitudes toward spending post-COVID-19 is stable or optimistically skewed toward spending, form a consumer base of 65% worth communicating to and convincing in the product’s brand value.

Overall, 42% of respondents believe that the way they shop will fundamentally change as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

When it comes to brands and products, 34% of consumers indicate that they would pay more for local products, 25% for trusted brands and 23% for ethical products.

Springback, goLIVE!

The lockdown strongly affected the way we inform and entertain. In “A global view of how consumer behaviour is changing amid COVID-19” McKinsey & Company find that “globally, consumers are shifting their time away from work and toward digital and video entertainment”. The highest increase in time allocation is focused on live and online news, on live TV and video content, interactivity in social networks, and home cooking.

Similar patterns are also witnessed on a local level, here in Bulgaria – we recently shared our  impressive results of how interactions with bTV Media Group’s channels increased iduring the lockdown weeks.

During the recent weeks of isolation, bTV Media Group has followed its mission to enable brands in reaching the consumers in line with the latter's changing viewing habits by offering to the market a variety of multi-platform opportunities on a regular, weekly basis. It is our belief that this is the best way to support the brand value communication of advertisers.

Now that measures are alleviated, we are preparing to goLIVE and goLOCAL from June – starting with a special TV show for the 20th anniversary of bTV and the emotional LIVE concerts of “The Voice of Bulgaria”. Next, we will go into production of new, exciting, and up-to-date seasons of The Farm and Food Hunters. All of which provide quality context for brand building activities corresponding to consumer attitudes.

In the meantime, you can look into the current special #Springback proposals valid for May 2020.

Sources:

https://www.marketingweek.com/brands-advertising-coronavirus-crisis/

https://www.ey.com/en_gl/consumer-products-retail/how-covid-19-could-change-consumer-behavior

http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/a-global-view-of-how-consumer-behavior-is-changing-amid-covid-19?cid=eml-web

IPA: When others get quiet, your voice is louder

Contacts:

bTV Media Group
Sales department
Sofia 1463
Bulgaria sq. No. 1
National Palace of Culture, 11th floor
Тel. (+359) 2 9176 800
Тel. (+359) 2 9156 564
Fax: (+359) 2 9176 886
e-mail: [email protected]