Mariela Tzvetanova

Mariela Tzvetanova stands at the forefront of mobile gaming innovation as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Business Development Officer (BDO) of Imperia Online, one of Southeast Europe's leading game development studios and a key member of the Stillfront Group. With over a decade of experience in marketing, publishing, and studio operations, Mariela has carved a remarkable path through the competitive gaming landscape—transforming Imperia Online from a rising Eastern European developer into a globally recognized powerhouse for strategy games.

Driving Strategic Marketing in Gaming

As CMO, Mariela leads the end-to-end marketing strategy for Imperia Online’s growing portfolio of games. Her expertise spans user acquisition, player retention, live-ops marketing, and creative campaign management. She has overseen the promotion of flagship titles like Imperia Online, Siege: World War II, and other successful real-time strategy games. Under her leadership, marketing efforts have become data-driven, agile, and tailored for a global gaming audience.

Mariela’s approach combines a keen understanding of player psychology with advanced digital advertising strategies. She has helped the company refine its marketing mix across platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Google Ads, YouTube, and influencer networks. Her focus on customer segmentation, localization, and A/B testing has yielded high user acquisition efficiency, lifetime value improvements, and increased return on ad spend.

Business Development Visionary

Wearing a second hat as Business Development Officer, Mariela has played a central role in expanding Imperia Online’s business horizons. She spearheads the evaluation and acquisition of underperforming or under-marketed games with high potential, helping integrate them into the studio’s operations and breathe new life into their commercial success. Her sharp analytical instincts, combined with her marketing acumen, make her a key strategist in expanding Stillfront Group’s portfolio through acquisitions and publishing deals.

Mariela is particularly skilled at recognizing undervalued IPs, onboarding new teams, and implementing monetization models that balance player satisfaction with financial sustainability. Her role often involves due diligence, contract negotiation, post-acquisition marketing, and aligning new products with the Imperia Online brand and quality standards.

Pioneering Live-Ops and Engagement Strategies

A hallmark of Mariela’s leadership is her commitment to live-ops excellence. She believes that a game’s longevity depends not just on launch metrics, but on long-term player engagement and community involvement. She has led the development of dynamic event calendars, in-game content strategies, and seasonal campaigns that keep players engaged months and even years after release.

These efforts have helped Imperia Online titles maintain strong DAUs (daily active users) and revenue per user long after their initial launch period. By synchronizing marketing campaigns with live-ops calendars, she ensures that promotions and events are not only impactful but also strategically timed for maximum effect.

Brand Building and Community Engagement

Mariela’s marketing philosophy goes beyond user acquisition—it’s about building enduring brands. She has helped cultivate the identities of Imperia Online’s major titles through thoughtful design, storytelling, and consistent messaging. Her campaigns often leverage both in-game lore and real-world user stories, showcasing how strategy games foster loyalty, competition, and camaraderie.

She also believes in cultivating a two-way dialogue with the gaming community. Under her leadership, Imperia Online has strengthened its presence on Discord, Reddit, Twitch, and other community platforms. Mariela’s team frequently hosts AMAs, tournaments, and influencer collaborations that foster deeper engagement and advocacy among players.

Leadership in a Global Gaming Group

Since Imperia Online became part of the Stillfront Group—a global network of independent gaming studios—Mariela has played a key role in cross-studio collaboration. She brings valuable insights to group-wide initiatives such as user acquisition optimization, performance benchmarking, and shared technology platforms. Her knowledge of mobile gaming trends, app store dynamics, and performance marketing channels adds tremendous value to strategic planning at the group level.

She has also contributed to integrating data infrastructure and BI systems across studios, ensuring that marketing KPIs are transparent and actionable. Her efforts have helped build a knowledge-sharing culture that benefits both emerging studios and seasoned developers within Stillfront.

Mentorship, Inclusion, and Industry Advocacy

As a female executive in a historically male-dominated industry, Mariela champions diversity, equity, and inclusion within the gaming world. She mentors aspiring marketing professionals, regularly speaks at conferences and panels, and contributes to thought leadership in game development and publishing.

She actively supports initiatives to bring more women into the gaming industry—especially into leadership, technical, and creative roles. Her visibility and success serve as an inspiration to many professionals navigating their way through tech, entertainment, and digital media industries.

Achievements and Recognition

Mariela’s achievements have earned her recognition as one of Bulgaria’s most influential tech leaders. She has been profiled in industry media, invited to judge startup competitions, and featured as a keynote speaker at gaming summits. Her innovative approaches to UA, retention marketing, and cross-functional studio leadership continue to influence best practices in mobile and web-based gaming.

She has also played a key role in Imperia Online being named one of the top tech employers in the region, contributing to a strong company culture that values creativity, ownership, and continuous learning.

Vision for the Future

Looking ahead, Mariela’s focus is on scaling Imperia Online’s publishing arm, deepening community-based marketing, and exploring new channels such as streaming integration, NFT-based game assets, and AI-powered personalization. She envisions a world where games adapt in real-time to players’ preferences, and marketing becomes a seamless part of the in-game experience.

She also plans to foster more global partnerships with influencers, esports organizers, and regional distribution networks. As games become more culturally attuned and localized, she aims to create marketing experiences that resonate with players from different regions and backgrounds.

Conclusion

Mariela Tzvetanova is not just a marketing leader—she is a catalyst for innovation in the mobile gaming industry. Through her dual roles as CMO and BDO, she has helped shape the growth trajectory of Imperia Online and contributed significantly to the strategic evolution of the Stillfront Group. Her combination of strategic thinking, creative flair, and people-centered leadership continues to set a new standard for success in gaming marketing and business development.

In every campaign she leads and every acquisition she guides, Mariela demonstrates that the future of gaming is not just about technology—it’s about building lasting connections, empowering players, and inspiring teams to reach beyond the expected.