Maria Lazarova is one of those people who can always make you smile. But not only that. She is the Marketing Manager TV Projects at bTV Media Group and the person behind the biggest volunteer campaign in the country “Let’s clean Bulgaria together”, which launched the volunteer model in caring for nature in Bulgaria and imposed a new model for managing social projects through a national partner network.
We talk to her about positive change as an expression of our desire to make our dreams come true, about the role of the media in educating good taste and attitude towards art and many other interesting topics.
You are one of the leading specialists in Bulgaria, with vast experience in implementing socially responsible initiatives. Why is it important to make efforts to positively change the environment that surrounds us?
Recently it has become more and more fashionable to talk about social responsibility and community care, but this is not some new, modern discovery of our time. In the history of the world and human development, there is compelling evidence that positive change is part of our existence as human beings and is always sparked by our power and desire to make our dreams come true. Striving for the better is naturally embedded in us as humans and our role as professionals is only to unite that energy by channeling it towards specific causes. And having this in mind – it is my professional and personal belief that meaningful results are achieved not as an effort, but when we set high common goals that we believe in and put our hearts into.
Do you believe the media has a role to play in educating good taste and attitudes towards art?
Good taste and the beauty of art acquire a high value when they are shared, because this multiplies the emotion they provoke and bring. In our daily lives, the media are clearly the most significant sharing medium and this makes them a key factor in generating added value to art and to good taste. I believe that our mission, as a leader in the media market, commits us to making people in Bulgaria empathetic to the most valuable and significant events in the public life of the country.
In the first edition of LUNAR you participated with a very interesting light installation, sending messages about nature conservation. Tell us a bit more about the artwork you will support this year.
bTV Media Group, as part of the Central European Media Enterprises (CME) family, and international company PPF Group, continues to show commitment to important social causes and partnerships that seek to improve people’s lives. We support young talents, meaningful initiatives related to the responsible attitude towards nature, the renewal of Bulgaria’s towns and villages, as well as supporting people in need.
We are very happy that this year we have the opportunity to participate in the festival by supporting a young artist – Arch. Marin Markovski and his important message about the role of personal responsibility in using materials wisely every day. The RE:MODULES installation is a wonderful example of how light and talent transform ordinary unnecessary materials into perfect art that inspires everyone. The artwork is supported by the socially responsible brand “The Good Example” of bTV Media Group, which emphasizes personal responsibility and active participation in socially significant causes and volunteer actions for the preservation of Bulgaria’s nature.
In the air of bTV we often see the art of new technologies being applied – you work with some of the innovations in the field of animation, augmented reality, etc. Is it important for technology to enter the art itself?
As a market leader in shaping media trends in the country, we are always looking to the future – augmented reality, virtual reality, interactive tools for presenting information, synergy between social networks, consumer content and high-end journalism, online streaming and 360-degree views of interesting events are just some of the technological innovations that bTV was the first to introduce as a hallmark for the Bulgarian television standard.
We continue to look to the future of technological and television innovation to provide consumers in today’s multiscreen world – a charge of emotion and entertainment, exciting themes and characters, and quality content anytime, anywhere and in a variety of formats.
You are one of the first supporters of LUNAR. How do you imagine it in 5 years?
Light is a symbol of the miraculous, of progress, of new beginnings and always creates a strong emotion. I imagine that in 5 years the Festival of Lights will continue to bring this feeling of dreams come true and of a new and beautiful world of wonder. The speed at which the relationship between high technology, audio-visual art and ordinary people is evolving makes me think that the festival in 2028 will turn our city not just into a gallery of light, but into a stage where spectators and visitors will be the stars.
Maria Lazarova has been part of the bTV Media Group Marketing team for more than 12 years. She manages key projects related to the promotion and positioning of leading brands from the media group’s portfolio. She does not hide her satisfaction that she works for an industry and for initiatives that change people’s lives. Maria is the manager of the largest volunteer campaign in the country “Let’s Clean Bulgaria Together”, which marks the beginning of the volunteer model in caring for nature in the country and imposes a new model for managing social projects through a national network of partners. For 11 years the campaign has gained the trust of more than 2 800 000 volunteers. According to the Ministry of Environment, they have collected nearly 100 thousand tons of waste. Thus, the campaign has not only become one of the most recognizable and with a positive image in the Bulgarian society, but it has given Bulgaria a leading place among the countries with the best volunteer practices in caring for the environment in the world.
24 participants from 12 countries applied for the first International Projection Mapping competition, part of LUNAR, organised by MP-STUDIO and the European Parliament in Bulgaria. Today, five-member jury selected the [...]
