When consumers wonder what brand to buy, Bulgarian consumers are mainly guided by the opinions of friends, not the famous people who use a particular brand. This shows the results of a GfK study in Bulgaria as part of the global Superbrands program for 2019.

Participants were 2095 men and women using the Internet.

A total of 71% of respondents said they asked friends about the brand before buying, for 61% was an important competitive price, good advertising campaigns, and positive ratings in the media were affecting 45%. For only 30% of respondents, it's important whether the brand has loyalty programs, only 9% are guided by their choice of the opinion of celebrities. Participants in the poll gave more than one answer.

55% of online voters would pay up to 25% extra for their favorite brand, with 31% willing to pay up to 10% extra. 6% would pay even double, while a quarter (23%) of the participants would not pay extra. People over the age of 45 are predominant among those unwilling to pay, while participants aged 18-35 are more likely to pay an extra 25% of the arch compared to the older ones.

Branded product is a guarantee for a high quality product for 86% of respondents. Even when looking for the best price, it is important for the brand to be liked by the shopper (according to 79% of the online rating). Thirdly, the characteristics determining the purchase of branded products are the security that the brand gives when the consumer is unfamiliar with the good or service.

Among the criteria for the assessment of a trademark, the most valuable one is whether the brand takes care of its consumers - 63% and the country of origin of the brand - 61%. Between 30 and 40 per cent are interested in whether the brand owner is ethical and cares about environmental protection. For every fourth, the policy of the company towards employees is important, for every fifth - the social engagements.

Here are the strongest brands on the Bulgarian market according to Superbrands:

GOOGLE 1 Internet (search engine)

COCA-COLA 2 Beverages - soft drinks

ADIDAS 3 Clothing and footwear

FACEBOOK 4 Social Network

OMV 5 Trade in fuels

ARIEL 6 Household goods

BOSCH 7 Domestic Appliances

BTV 8 Media - television and radio

LAVAZZA 9 Drinks - coffee and tea

DEVIN 10 Beverages - soft drinks

LIDL 11 Retail chains and centers

HEINEKEN 12 Drinks - Beer

SAMSUNG 13 Technology

BMW 14 Cars

NIKE 15 Clothing and footwear

NESCAFE 16 Drinks - coffee and tea

APPLE 17 Technology

KAUFLAND 18 Trade chains and centers

VIBER 19 Internet (communication)

SHELL 20 Fuel trading.