Sisters from Kārsava build marketing firm "Sistering" to help Latgale brands grow
Sisters Marta Vuorkale and Katrīna Bartkeviča run the marketing company "Sistering", based in Kārsava, Ludza municipality, and speak about their return to Latgale, the role of the Latgalian language in communication, and plans to expand into international markets. The company's mission is to help Latgale businesses improve their communication and visibility.
The marketing company "Sistering", based in Kārsava in the Ludza municipality, is run by sisters Marta Vuorkale and Katrīna Bartkeviča, both originally from Saļņova in the Ludza area. After studying and working in Riga — Marta worked as a media planner at "MTG Baltic", while Katrīna studied public relations — both sisters decided to return to their home region.
The company name was chosen with support from the business incubator of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency. The sisters deliberately picked the English word "Sistering" to signal ambitions of working with clients abroad as well as domestically. The company offers a full range of services, from video content production to social media management and long-term strategic planning. Clients regularly receive reports on completed work so they can track communication results.
The Latgalian language in communication
The sisters stress that maintaining quality written Latgalian is important in a professional setting, so materials are carefully checked before publication. At the same time, they note that the choice of communication language depends on the target audience — if a company wants to reach an international audience, communicating solely in Latgalian is not practical.
Assessment of a hundred Latgale brands
In cooperation with the Rēzekne Academy of Riga Technical University, "Sistering" is preparing a study on a hundred Latgale brands, based on expert evaluations and survey results. The findings will be presented on October 28 at Preiļi Castle. The project has also produced episodes of the podcast "Latgale Brand Conversations", available on Spotify and YouTube.
The sisters believe the label "Made in Latgale" still carries a mark of quality, but stress that a company's personal approach and accountability often matter more than its geographic origin. Going forward, "Sistering" plans to expand beyond Latvia's borders while keeping its mission of supporting Latgale entrepreneurs.
