How Collaboration Can be a Winning Strategy:
A Conversation with Artslandia’s Misty Tompoles
When Misty Tompoles took over what was to become Artslandia, she quickly had to learn a lesson familiar to all PR pros: think collaboratively to creatively find and engage with your key audiences.
For Tompoles that meant developing a new model for how performing arts playbills — the program you receive when attending an opera, ballet, theater or other arts event — were published. She worked with Portland’s arts community, convincing them to advertise in the playbills of each other’s events. So the audience attending an opera would see a promotion for an upcoming theater show, and vice versa.
In this week’s podcast, we chat with Misty, who is the publisher and founder of Artslandia. She is an amazing entrepreneur who started her company when she was 24. In our interview she talks about the events that led to her taking the entrepreneurial plunge and what has resulted over the last 20 years.
Artslandia is a diverse family of media, including a variety of Artslandia titles, performing arts playbills, custom publishing services, new media options, and sponsorships. Its print publications boast a circulation of more than 800,000 annually with a readership of 1.5 million.
They are a Portland institution, but are now expanding to other cities with the first being Vancouver, BC.
Misty also talks about the Artslandia App they created, as well as the Artslandia Box subscription, which delivers culture to you each month.
It’s a fascinating conversation with Misty because she’s an entrepreneur, publisher, and mom. I hope you enjoy it.
About the guest: Misty Topoles
Misty Tompoles is the founder and publisher of Artslandia Publishing. She graduated Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 1995 with a degree in English Literature. She took over PlaybillsNW in 1995, later relaunching the business as Artslandia Publishing in 2006.
Connect and follow Misty on social media:
This episode of PR Talk is brought to you by PRSA Oregon
Throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, PRSA provides members with networking, mentorship, skill building and professional development opportunities – whether you are a new professional fresh out of college or a skilled expert with 20 years in the industry. Check out PRSAoregon.org for more information on how membership can help you grow and connect.
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