Prof. D.Sc. Simeon Zhelev Presented His Book 100% Loyalty, 100% Loyal

Prof. D.Sc. Simeon Zhelev, Dean of the Faculty of Management and Administration, presented his book 100% Loyalty, 100% Loyal in which he explores the market phenomenon and its bearers.

Prof. Zhelev reminded that the control over an author's book is only during the process of writing, then it starts to live its own life. He explained the title 100% Loyalty, 100% Loyal by the fact that for researchers and scientists the more important is the phenomenon, for the managing people – the more important are the bearers of the phenomenon.

He pointed out that the book examines six different consumer goods within four years, applying the MSoD /many sets of data/ approach. The thesis the author defends is that the 100% loyalty phenomenon stays stable over the years even by product categories but its bearers change over the years even by product categories. "It is like a river: the river remains constant or almost constant (the phenomenon) but in every second the water is different /the bearers of the phenomenon/."

"In this book, I try to answer mostly "What" questions, not "Why" questions. The first kind are questions about things as they happen, the second one are questions about their causes", says the author in the preface of the book. And he continues: "In science, it is often hurried to answer “Why”' before it has been properly, accurately, and thoroughly answered “What”. The “Why” question is thought to be of a higher order but it is not. We can't be accurate in answering why something is happening if we don't know exactly what is happening. Trying to explain things before they are well established and measured leads to disastrous consequences. One of them is to explain not the real things but the apparent ones, the ones that are easy to explain", writes also Prof. Zhelev.

In his book, he explores the market importance of 100% loyal households - who they are, their numbers and distribution, how much and how they buy and he draws conclusions about the market importance of these households. He shows and proves that as a rule the 100% loyal are the smaller and often the much smaller proportion of consumers in any given product category and for any given brand, and at the same time they are weak consumers /buying less frequently and in smaller quantities/. The author also pays attention to the phenomenon of 100% loyalty as well as the possible explanations and relations with other market variables. He also examines the phenomenon of 100% loyal and 100% loyalty not only at the level of product categories but at the level of brands by working on several hypotheses for different relations and regularities.

Prof. Dr. Galina Mladenova, Director of the Scientific Research Marketing Centre and one of the reviewers of the book, shared that the university community has several emotional reasons for pride. The first is when we send off the consecutive class of graduates. And the second is like this moment, when we present a book "written with awareness and meaning". She outlined that Prof. Simeon Zhelev shows a strong scientific character, putting on doubt some axiomatic statements, he also shows scientific correctness - he clearly and accurately sets out a text for consideration provoking many questions. "With this work Prof. Prof. Simeon Zhelev challenges himself, jumps into the deep and unexplored but he shows that he knows how to swim." Prof. Mladenova wished the book a long and fulfilling life.

The Rector Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov wished Prof. Simeon Zhelev lots of future success, contentment with the achievements and inspiration for new endeavors.

The event was also attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mihail Musov, Vice-Rector for Research and International Affairs, Prof. Dr. Tsvetana Stoyanova, Vice-Rector for Institutional and Business Cooperation and Student Policies, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rosen Kirilov, Vice-Rector for Digitalization and Cyber Security, lecturers, students.

Prof. D.Sc. Simeon Zhelev gave his colleagues books with dedication and autograph.

Assoc. Prof. Rosen Kirilov, Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov, Prof. Simeon Zhelev, Prof. Tsvetana Stoyanova, Assoc. Prof. Mihail Musov