One of the most popular novels of the 20^th century begins with the following sentence “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” If we take the advertising as one family, all brands and media inevitably experience the various effects of the market economy. If the latter grows, everyone is happy. If turbulence occurs, everyone carries on the weight of the consequences from the brand development remedial steps individually. Here comes the “BUT” that we all feel it is coming – because there are exceptions when the wrong decisions would lead to ubiquitous losses. The current moment is exactly of that kind.

At the backdrop of a growing inflation rate, a need for price increase for the end consumer and mentions of an upcoming recession, many brands will respond relatively predictable – by shrinking their marketing budgets and going dark on advertising. While the decision might limit their expenditure in the present, it is certainly not the best strategy in response to the ongoing circumstances and people’s need for positive emotions and the decreasing unemployment rates.

Fortunately, we have enough historical data and proven analyses from previous times of economic hardship, and they all come in support of the conclusion that the economy will recover sooner or later. And so will brands. But the brands that have remained visible and close to consumers will also be the ones to justify a higher price and sustain their market share. For them the recovery period will quickly gain additional potential. And with the right partners in the right environment – much more successfully.

Visibility in action

If a brand stops advertising, it stops being visible. In parallel, many other competitive brands coexist, which will gladly take over during times of hardship with more active communication and promotional offers, which in turn will bring them forward in the mind of consumers. When a brand goes dark, it loses its market share and another fills it through due to the customer’s temporary compromise. The way to regain it is through visibility and presence where advertising has an incomparable advantage. Now is the exact moments when brands should continue emphasizing on themselves through a memorable, entertaining and creative ad messages, which add emotional value to the choice of a product.

It is precisely during times of consumer volatility that successful marketers will seek to conquer territories by making their brands more attractive and visible, and by leveraging better and more stable value media to make their voices heard louder when others are silent.

Now two years after the initial shock of the pandemic, it continues to be clearly seen that it is through advertising that business sustainability is ensured, and the main drivers of the pace of the market are concentrated where the focus of bTV Media Group is - in providing exclusive local video content and building a strong, emotional connection with people.

In its upcoming Fall season as well, the media group continues to focus its efforts on creating relevant communication solutions for clients and partners, along with providing high-quality media products and an impressive user experience.

Just as a consumer chooses a brand they trust, so this same consumer chooses content as a viewer. Entertainment, quality journalism, laughter, competition, culture - if there is one place he or she can find it, it is in the media brand they trust and is part of their daily life.

This year, bTV Media Group celebrated 22 years since its establishment as the most watched national television channel in Bulgaria*. Looking at what lies ahead, attention is focused on the approaching Fall 2022 season, where once again there is a charge of emotions and a lot of fun related to the balance between the new and the familiar; between moderate drama and quality comedy; between digital expansion and live coverage, with a bridge to the future and a connection to the past, with talented faces and incomparable emotions.

The eighth season of the most constructive and positive reality show "The Farm" returned on September 3 on bTV with an uncompromising selection of participants. Under the motto "The Bridge of Time", the show brings together winners from previous editions and showcase new, interesting characters with the potential of future favorites.

The start of the ninth season of the phenomenal music show on bTV - "The Voice of Bulgaria" is exactly the day after, on September 4. The show is the first television production in our country, which is realized in accordance with the so-called "green practices" (Green Filming) with care for the environment in its efforts to improve the carbon footprint and certificate from ALBERT - the organization that supports environmental sustainability in the industry for more than 10 years in cooperation with BAFTA. The legendary television game and global brand with millions of fans – "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" started with a new season on bTV from September 5. The combination of personal stories and comedic situations returned with the new episodes of "I'll Be Fine", which will engage the viewer in prime time in Fall 2022 as well.

The increased interest in topical discussions created the right context for digital expansion, and bWEB added two completely new sites to its portfolio. Businessnovinite.bg and btvsport.bg quickly became the primary source of thematic information from the world of business and sports, and podcast formats with leading figures from the media group's broadcasts organically found a place in each of them. Dynamic social reality and extraordinary events are a prerequisite for the constant upgrading of journalistic coverage, where with the help of modern technologies for augmented reality, the broadcast creates а complete and wholesome image of the events of the day in favor of the highest information value for the viewer. Multi-discipline sports content delivers fresh choice for those in any industry with added value – a constant presence in the viewer's mind.

The ever-increasing demand for local content reflecting the people's way of life and culture also inspires bTV Media Group's new culinary show - "The Taste of Bulgaria", with host the winner of the last season of MasterChef - Maria Zhekova, who traces the path to building the culinary map of Bulgaria. In response to the interest in personal health and the balance in personal and professional life, bTV Media Group will present a completely new show about health culture with the charming Dr. Nedelya Stonova.

Maintaining quality and diverse content is among the priorities of the media group, which continues to invest in projects with proven viewer interest and a mission to advertisers to position their messages in a reliable environment with a concentration of available viewer attention, with the aim of achieving maximum results in their communication frame.

So while the consumer regains their financial confidence without having to adjust their choices, brands have a trusted partner and an environment built to meet whatever lies ahead. The screen shines brightly, and it attracts attention. So choose light, not darkness.

By Konstantina Bandutova

*Source: GARB, Season Spring 2022, All 4+ (14.02. – 24.05.2022)