Lubomir Angelov, Director of Research and Development of Strategies, and Alexander Boychev, Director of Digital Platforms, explained to the media sector in Bulgaria how bTV Media Group creates effective forms of communication between advertisers and consumers through multi-platform solutions.

At the beginning of the century the global industry was shaken by rapidly evolving consumer electronics. The screens became larger, new types of media appeared, types of consumer-oriented content multiplied, and consequently people's choices have multiplied enormously.

The technological contest provoked various progressive changes in the media world. They also affected the Bulgarian market.

bTV Media Group has always been a driving force in the modern media world in our country:

• Following the emergence of HD broadcasting, bTV first introduced its viewers to HD quality, and so far it is the only private national television to offer advertisers and their brands the opportunity to use the powerful impact of HD technologies.
• 8 years ago the world started talking about video platforms for online viewing of favorite shows and series - bTV Media Group created Voyo.
• The development of content required the introduction of a strategy for a portfolio of thematic sites that do not duplicate but complement the TV offerings - bTV created websites such as ladyzone.bg, bistro.bg, dalivali.bg, zodia.bg, to meet the expectations of the users.
• When smartphone applications became the new way to boost audience loyalty, bTV Media Group developed a news app and bTV Radio Group introduced several streaming applications.
• With the increase of consumption of long video forms in the Internet environment, we created our AVOD platform btvplus.bg.
• Technology also entered bTV's newsroom. As the hi-tech innovator on the Bulgarian TV market we launched 3D mapping, the extraordinary technology and impact of augmented reality in newscasts, as well as 360-degree videos.

In addition to various progressive changes in the media world, the technological upgrade of everything familiar also led to the fragmentation of the user attention from one screen (TV) to multiple screens (laptop, tablet, smartphone). These changes have shifted the focus of both the media and advertisers' efforts.

Now at the center of media consumption is the earned consumer attention or so-called earned experience.

The first prerequisite for gaining attention is the excellent knowledge of the user's interaction with the brands - the so-called consumer journey. For the media this cycle of consumption means creating a multi-platform world.

bTV Media Group applies technology differently so as to respond to the changing consumer habits. For example, the bTV News team builds a presence outside the television space, using technology to create a product tailored to the specifics of the different environments - be it online or radio. Through live feeds from ongoing events on the website btvnovinite.bg, short teasers and livestreaming on the bTV News Facebook page, the viewer gets the opportunity to be informed according to the moment of consumption, per the chosen device.

A successful example in entertainment is the creation of a second screen experience. During the seasons of The Voice of Bulgaria our team made exclusive online real-time feeds from the backstage of the show.

The second prerequisite for winning the user attention is to create high-quality content and develop it into a strong and independent brand with the means of communication. When this is achieved, users follow all platforms, and advertiser performance grows tremendously.

One example is related to the key bTV format "The Farm", where an exclusive web spin-off was created for a standalone character - Goran from the forest. Goran was a candidate for the reality format but was rejected during the casting. In 30 episodes he tried to prove to the producers that their decision was wrong. The result was a 15% additional audience to the online viewings of "The Farm" episodes in btvplus.bg.

Another illustrative example is Orlin Pavlov's song A Little Longer for the series Dear Heirs, which played over 1000 times on all radio stations in Bulgaria in January, becoming the most broadcast song in the whole radio air.

All this indicates that if progress has so far been driven by technological innovation, now it depends on content. And of all forms of content, the leading part is played by video. More than 74% of the global online traffic is generated from video.

In the race to create video content television is ahead the rest of the media - it has more than 80 years of know-how and the resources needed to create the best video content.

Nowadays all media players who start their development from the technology sector declare their intention to invest in quality content, long video formats and local productions. This is also the strategy of bTV Media Group, which offers the best to its viewers. For the current year only in the genre of Bulgarian series the media group has increased drastically compared to 2010, when the new wave of high quality Bulgarian productions started with the series Glass Home.

This investment is part of the multi-platform development strategy of bTV Media Group and is one of the reasons why the series Dear Heirs was innovatively launched on the air at 6 pm. With this move the media group achieved impressive results not only on air but also online where just the first episode had more than 42,000 unique video views.

As a result of this strategy btvplus marked a growth of over 270% compared to its strong results in the autumn of 2017.

Last but not least, the top acquired products of bTV Media Group, such as the UEFA Champions League, present new opportunities for consumers and advertisers exclusively for the web environment.

The Champions TV project is a 90-minute live broadcast of all games in one Champions League round during the group stage, combining the most important moments of the games. The added value of this product is the live commentary from bTV's well-known sports commentators, as well as the ability to see what happens in all games real time.

The multi-platform strategy of bTV Media Group is based on the understanding that television, online and radio platforms must establish a perfect synergy and close the cycle between each other. Thus, the content used in a way appropriate for the respective platform adds users from TV to online, from radio to TV, and so on. And the benefits to advertisers, in addition to accessing more and more of their users, is the building of an environment dictated by content regardless of which platforms it is accessed on. This is an environment that retains consumer attention through quality and diverse content, with which advertisers are not concerned about associating with regard to reputation and emotion.

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]