INTERPARTNERS GROUP: 33 AMAZING… YEARS

Interpartners is a Bulgarian independent communications group that includes Interpartners (creative, media and advertising agency), InterImage (PR, corporate communications and employer branding) and The Digitarians, a digital strategy brand. The company ranks among the top three independent communications groups in Bulgaria and under the SEEnthesis brand has its own partner network across nine markets in Southeast Europe.

Katya Dimitrova is co-founder and managing partner of the group. A communicator by profession and by heart, she is a guest lecturer at two universities, chairs the Bulgarian Association of Communication Agencies (BACA) and served as chair of the Bulgarian Association of PR Agencies (BAPRA) from 2018 to 2020. She is a board member of the Blagotvoritel Foundation and the Bulgarian-Belgian Business Club, and a member of the National Council for Self-Regulation.

Turning 33 is considered an age when one begins to get wiser. After 33 years on the market, what does getting wiser look like for Interpartners?

In a place like Bulgaria, wisdom comes by experience but also from by the dynamics, growth and maturity of the market. We started at the very dawn of the country's market economy, so we went through major transformations, gaining invaluable experience. By learning through trial and error in turbulent times, we developed two key qualities that still help us today – the fearlessness to overcome multiple crises and the vision to think several steps ahead.

We shifted from advertising to corporate communications, pioneered campaigns for employer branding and development, corporate social responsibility and ESG practices, and built a strong digital unit. All with the goal to provide businesses with a solution, no matter what term defines it – advertising, PR, or digital.

Today, communications are a holistic process; its individual elements do not work effectively alone.

We also became wiser as people. We can work on projects that we enjoy and that align with our philosophy and ethics. We work with team members whose principles resonate with ours. We pick our battles and do not aim for projects at any cost!

Which were the key managerial decisions that made Interpartners the longest-standing communication agency on the market?

Over 33 years, both my colleagues and I in management positions have made many decisions, both right and wrong. A few are truly key: to invest in people through our own internship programme; to grow our team members by giving them greater freedom – leading to greater responsibility; to commit long-term to our team rather than pursuing short-term wins or new projects.

We continue to stay true to our principles of honest and ethical communication, and keep away from partnerships with political parties or business projects that conflict with our corporate values.

We also work hand in hand with education and support different pro-bono causes and NGOs.

Which campaign or client defines the Interpartners experience over these 33 years?

There are many! For our 25th anniversary, we had an exhibition with students from the National Academy of Arts, featuring posters that depicted Interpartners as part of our clients – as a cake, a pill, a car, cosmetics…

We are defined by our distinctiveness and dynamism, by the fact that every day we create something different and our working process is far from routine.

Campaigns with a cause motivate us the most. We have worked on prevention of oncological diseases and men's health awareness; have tackled taboo topics such as hot flashes and menopause; how to live fully with diabetes; the role of women in business and society, and how they can break the "glass ceiling."

Our team is particularly motivated to partner with education. A landmark for us was our partnership with a leading private university. In it, everything was different from ordinary business projects – the academic community's attitude and communication style, the topics, the projects, the energy of working with students and researching their opinions before each campaign. The project lasted 6 years, leaving lasting friendships.

We actively seek connections with universities; colleagues from our team often give guest lectures, and I personally still have an (as yet unrealised) dream to devote myself to teaching.

Interpartners is yet again among the largest communication agencies in Bulgaria. What does the team behind this success look like?

Three colleagues helped shape the company from the very beginning: Creative Director Daniela Konstantinova, PR Director Stella Errera, and Vladi Zahariev, who manages production and branding processes.

Our team has a strong, stable core of experienced experts. Each of them is a recognised name in the market with their distinctive individuality and qualities.

We also develop young talent through our year-round internship programme, Creative Brain Games. In 2025, we started a summer internship. Igniting young people's interest in the communications business is a mission for us.

It is a common trend in your field – the bigger the company, the more "clichéd" its approach to clients becomes. How does Interpartners manage to avoid this?

Interpartners is among the top 3 independent communication groups in Bulgaria. We are here because of our freedom to approach every client individually, providing high added value.

We always go the "extra mile" for our clients. We offer not just a creative product, but a solution and genuine care for the clients' business and results.

We also give them trust, reassurance, and the confidence that their challenges will be addressed in the best possible way.

Recently, a partner said, "We choose you because you radiate confidence that you know what you are doing." This is exactly how we feel. When a client calls us, they should hear that there is a possible solution. Of course, we do not always know it from day one! But we know the path and the tools needed to reach it.

Everyone is talking about AI and its application in public communications. What is your take?

AI optimises a range of processes and we use it extensively for technical tasks such as monitoring, reporting, basic idea generation, text processing, and voice recording. Yet, AI's output is undifferentiated and uncharacteristic. So we always use it in combination with human input.

The strength of communicators lies in our creativity. AI assists us, but it cannot replace us.

But we are also innovators; our profession requires it from us. The sector already has ethical guidelines for AI use. At this stage, it is important to master and utilise the appropriate tools – what will happen in the near future is hard to predict.

What is your latest brand, The Digitarians?

We started The Digitarians 5 years ago as an in-house digital unit, but it is now its own independent brand. It is not merely a digital agency offering mechanics and tools. Its key value lies in strategy, the right content and precise targeting of messages to small, specific audiences, which delivers a strong sales effect.

We created The Digitarians as a separate brand because we see that it is increasingly recognised by companies who approach us solely for this service, without requiring the full portfolio of our offerings at the moment. In the past year alone, The Digitarians' business has grown by 30%.

For me, it was also an emotional decision – my daughter chose to join our team and develop the brand.

What is more important today for a successful communications company – mastering technologies or remembering the good old principles of communication?

Neither of these works in isolation. As communicators, we operate on values, and human values are timeless. They form the foundation of our business – both from the perspective of companies and from that of consumers.

As someone once said, you cannot move forward if you do not know history. We look back with respect and work with determination to move forward. Experience gives vision, and we look boldly ahead to the next 33 years!

Is there a recipe for a successful communications strategy in 2026?

For every company and brand, the strategy is different. Here is the answer through our own lens – we are excited about how we will mark our anniversary. We decided to pay tribute to our main tool – words and language. Together with Musagena Publishing, we are announcing a competition for 33 authors under 33. They will write on the theme "33 amazing..." The best 33 stories will be published in a book and an audiobook.

Prominent figures in contemporary Bulgarian literature, art, media and academia will be in the jury.

I am "opening the door" to what lies ahead, and we are looking forward to it. We believe that everyone will complete the phrase "33 amazing…" in their own unique way! We are already looking toward the next 33…

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