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How is the advertising industry developing in Velingrad, have the local businessmen mastered the rules of good and timely advertising, what are the difficulties for the survival of an advertising agency in a small town with a stagnating market? With similar questions we are visiting Vanya Slavova, owner of one of the few advertising agencies in Velingrad - "Art style-Vanya Slavova". And here are the answers of Mrs. Slavova, who has been professionally engaged in advertising since 1995:

"In this business, as in any other, there are a number of difficulties. When I started advertising, in the city units of companies knew what they had to do in this area. It took a lot of effort, experience and explanations to teach peoplewhy and how to advertise, which was difficult. But today there are already established traditions, and most customers are looking for the agency themselves. Now, in the conditions of a relatively developed advertising market, the main difficulties stem from the stagnation that has affected everyone and is especially strongly felt in smaller cities such as Velingrad. Advertising agency "Art-style" has for its customers both small and large companies. Each of them according to opportunities is invested funds to advertise in different ways. Unfortunately, there are still big businessmen in our city who claim that only the losing companies need advertising. By this logic, all major advertisers whose ads are on all media should be losers. At the same time, I have a client who says that a firm should put 99% of its revenue into advertising and keep a 1% profit for it. In general, the advertising market in Velingrad is small, but we have customers from the municipality of Rakitovo and from Sarnitsa, where there are already solid companies. In connection with the tourist season, our main customers are hotels, restaurants, pubs. But in the last 1-2 years it seems as if everyone is preparing for the season with means at hand as the goal is to invest minimally to attract tourists. Of course, there are those who, impressed by what they saw in the big cities, come up with ideas to do something similar. Here I want to dispel a delusion: there are solvent Veligrad citizens who think that they can make advertising materials at the level only in the big cities and that in Velingrad such nothing can be done. Yes, it can! The opinion of local advertising agencies is wrong. At the same time, they rely on their shops, gas stations or restaurants to shop and refuel the residents of Veligrad. Thus losing the city, funds are flowing out of Velingrad, where there is no fresh money anyway (except for the short tourist season). Velingrad itself as a resort is not advertised enough. We have a Tourism Council that exists only fictitiously. The other municipalities quietly self-promote and achieve real results - the last example is Batak with the new ski runs. There is a lack of closer interaction between the Municipality and local advertising agencies in Velingrad. For the 50th anniversary of the city, the municipality threw thousands of levs for advertising and left not a single lev in Velingrad, everything went to Plovdiv. Wasn't there anyone here to entrust the ad campaign to? Now, too, there is something to be desired in terms of a print advertising edition for the city, which by no means should be at a high price - that is, it should be sponsored at the municipal level in order to be generally available. It is also very important how such an edition is distributed in the country and abroad. Because what is the point of a leaflet for Velingrad to be found only in the Center for Business and Information or on local reps? Let's also take a look at the advertising signs at the entrance to the resort. The municipality took care to introduce fees for the use of advertising areas, but also had to consider the arrangement and aesthetics. In such a situation, how will tourists orient themselves? There is still much to be done in relation to the imposition of modern advertising concepts. For this, understanding and desire on the part of all institutions and owners of private companies is needed. In these difficult times, long-term plans cannot be made, but I look with optimism at the future development of the advertising business!". Recorded by: Elena Baeva