Our Story

Placing community at the heart of everything we do.

Letterpress Founder Ilsa Loeser sitting at a desk.

Where We Started

In March of 2015, Letterpress Communications began with one client and Ilsa Loeser’s venture to bring handcrafted marketing strategies to Southern Virginia. A former newspaper reporter, Ilsa frequently says that she “accidentally” started a marketing company. What she thought would be a one-woman show has evolved into a thriving boutique marketing agency headquartered in Farmville, Virginia.

Discovering the Power of Rural Communities

As Letterpress grew, we noticed something. Helping clients tell their own authentic stories strengthened their organizations, but it also expanded their communities. Collaboration accelerated. Connections multiplied. More importantly, this powerful growth led to powerful good and positive change. We quickly realized that this community-powered approach is something many rural areas already know how to do well — and something that the rest of the nation could learn from them.

Letterpress team of marketing specialists in front of the Farmville office - we value a coaching-based approach to marketing

Where We’re Growing

We are a mission-driven company, and we specialize in serving rural communities. With team members who live throughout Virginia and North Carolina, we provide local engagement, donating a portion of our profit and time to the regions we serve. We are actively seeking to support clients in Southern and Southwest Virginia, North Carolina and across Appalachia.

Our mission? We focus on the good. Our boutique marketing strategies assist with nonprofit and higher education marketing, tourism storytelling and small town rehabilitation, as well as supporting women-owned and minority businesses. We strive to bring community empowerment through marketing.