United Partners has been operating on the Bulgarian market for 20 years now. In 2017 the agency takes 1st place in the ranking with over 30% growth in revenues. Managing Director Maria Gergova-Bengtsson shares that the increase in revenue is nearly 2.8 million BGN. It is due to larger share of the company’s work in projects for internal communications and employer branding, growth in the field of digital communications and the expanding UP clients’ portfolio.
Continuous transformation of the PR Sector
In 2017 the PR industry in Bulgaria continued to transform, because of the integration of different communication services. In order to be competitive, agencies are expanding their portfolio of services. In addition to traditional PR services, now agencies include strategic planning, digital campaigns and internal communications as a separate service. Also, employer branding is already among the mandatory services offered.
New opportunities
Most of the country’s largest PR agencies describe 2017 as a good year for the industry, mainly due to new companies entering the market and the increased budgets for services.
Because of the growing competition in the sector, PR agencies are constantly expanding their service spectrum. According to Maria Gergova-Bengtsson, to survive and grow, the agencies should implement centralized programs with focus on ongoing development of people.
Because of the restructuring of the business and the shifting of large customers, many companies go double-digit declines or increases in their turnover. The first places are occupied mainly by Bulgarian independent agencies with long-term activity on the market. TOP 20 also includes Public Relations One, All Channels Communication, BBDO Group, Havas Group and Ogilvy Group Bulgaria.
The dynamic year for the communications industry can also be seen in the reports of the largest PR agencies in Bulgaria. The total revenue is a little over 22 million BGN in 2016, or about 2% less than the previous ones.
The predictions for 2018
Managers of the largest PR companies agree on that the market will expand towards online communications, crisis PR and strong KOL relationship. Some of them predict that the upcoming Presidency of the Council of EU of Bulgaria will boost PR activities and event management.
“More and more new services such as artificial intelligence and chat bots will become a lasting part of our portfolio,” says Gergova.
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