Television is the most familiar, fast and accessible form of entertainment for people. The TV is in our home, at arm's length and very often, it is part of the overall comfort of watching your favorite movie or series. The COVID-19 pandemic, which made us more connected to our homes and kept us inside for longer hours, even days at home, also increased the minutes of watching TV per day.

COVID-19 has made people thirsty for more quality information and entertainment, and they are usually available through proven strong media brands such as bTV, which invest in content - locally and globally - and build trust.

• In 2019, television attracted the largest share of net advertising investments - BGN 260 million, which is an 8% increase compared to 2018.
• The time spent in front of the TVs from Jan 2020 to Sep 2020 increased by 8% compared to the same period last year.
• The impact of television on sales surpasses Facebook and YouTube

Everyone in front of the TV

All Bulgarians spend an average of 29.8 million hours in front of TV screens every day (data – by GARB - is for the period January 1 – September 30, 2020). This means that each person sits in front of the small screen for an average of 4.44 hours a day. The balance is that the time spent in front of the TVs has increased by 8% compared to the same period last year. This is good news not only for channels, but also for advertisers, for whom efficiency during a pandemic is key to their business results.

INTERESTING FACT: 93% OF HOUSEHOLDS IN BULGARIA PAID A FEE TO WATCH TV IN 2019

The forecasts are that in the next two years, 2021-2022, the television screen will remain the most preferred outlet by the audience, and television as a medium will continue to be the most successful advertising channel in terms of return on investment and security for brands.

This trend, which is also valid for Bulgaria, is easily proved in the report of the Bulgarian Association of Communication Agencies (BACA), which predicts that advertising investment in television in 2021 - 2022 will increase by 6 and 8%, respectively. And even though investments in Internet advertising also have the potential to grow, online advertising will continue to catch up with television and be half as big as it is when it comes to Bulgaria.

Trends

Watching video content on any type of platform has grown tremendously in recent years. Whether we are talking about traditional linear TV, digital platforms, social media or mobile devices, people watch more videos than ever before.

Of course, watching video content, mainly through mobile devices, has seen the most serious growth in the past year. However, using a second screen is more of a parallel option for a complementary purpose, rather than a replacement for the type of entertainment that traditionally comes from the TV screen. A number of studies in recent years have shown us that while watching television, viewers most often send emails, check social networks or browse for additional information. The most used device is the smartphone, followed by a laptop and a PC.

Televisions are increasingly following these trends and offer interactive entertainment to their viewers, and develop their content not only for the traditional channel, but also in the digital environment. This, in addition to new opportunities for the audience, provides interesting supplementary options for advertisers to reach people. In other words, with an advertising investment in one channel - television, in practice brands reach much more, because the channels now work not only for viewers in front of the screen, but also for those who prefer to reach their favorite TV content via phone or laptop, through a local television platform or through the media profile on social networks. With one budget and several platforms in the advertising mix, it is a formula that can work well and effectively for advertisers and major media groups and the major TV channels already know this.

That is why television continues to be the most preferred communication channel of brands.

Television & Advertisers

• Retailers have never had higher hopes for pre-Christmas shopping.
• Brands face a triple challenge: a significant percentage of people are concerned about their finances, many believe they are at a disadvantage due to COVID-19, and many are postponing large purchases.
• Current surveys point to television as the most trusted partner that will restore normalcy in shopping

Staying at home may keep people in front of the TV, but it also makes them more reserved and frugal and transforms their shopping style. They are increasingly filling online baskets and entering the mall less often.

However, the Fall and the coming Winter have gradually reversed this trend. Consumers got used to the peculiarities of the pandemic, accepted the new as normal and regained their desire to shop. They began to wait and prepare for the Christmas holidays, which traditionally bring hope. This gradually restored the interest of advertisers in planning media campaigns. Because in a brand-laden market and an abundance of goods, they understand that brand discovery is key to encouraging people to buy their product.

The good news is that especially during this time, watching TV is expected to reach its peak with more and more people engaged in premium TV content. That is why bTV Media Group has already planned attractive content for all platforms. In the last few years, the media has developed its portfolio in a way that brands can build maximum coverage - by being present not only on the air of the traditional channels in the group - radio and television, but also on all online platforms. Because in a changing media economy, the audience is becoming more fluid.

The Attention Economy

In a world of fake news, quick facts and exhausted attention span, the book by Australian professor Karen Nelson-Field - "The Attention Economy and How Media Works" comes to the rescue. Her book offers basic truths for marketers to consider, offers a sensitive voice to help them in the advertising chaos, a voice that colors our rapidly changing media environment. Nelson-Field begins an intelligent conversation about what it will take to win a business through the economy of attention. Her book makes an in-depth analysis of the relationship between attention and sales. Nelson-Field urges us to pay attention to the disrupted advertising future, but not to panic – rather examine with a watchful eye the things that brand owners can learn to control.

To be even more useful to its partners, bTV Media Group invites Prof. Karen Nelson-Field to a special event early next year to introduce them to the latest trends in consumer research.

A study led by Prof. Karen Nelson-Field found that the impact of television on sales exceeds Facebook and YouTube

1. Karen Nelson-Field is the Founder and CEO of Amplified Intelligence and Professor of Media Innovation at the University of Adelaide. Karen's work combines technological and innovative methodological design to look closely at the metrics of attention in a digital economy that creates conditions of division. She is a world-renowned researcher in media science and a regular speaker in major chains, including AudiencexScience, NY Adweek, Festival of Media Global, Screenforce, Cannes, ISBA and SXSW.

Karen has secured research funding from some of the world's largest advertisers, media agencies and publishers. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Bloomberg Business, CNBC, Forbes, Wall Street National, Huffington Post, Contagio, The Drum and the Australian Financial Review.

Conclusion

New research on TV commercials has found that the impact of television on sales surpasses Facebook and YouTube, making television most effective for advertisers. The study was conducted under the guidance of Australian Professor Karen Nelson-Field. And with the help of bTV Media Group you will find out why this is so.

By Konstantina Bandutova

Image owned by Screenforce.