Pride. Our Secret Ingredient
by Bill Herr, WMMB District #7 Director

As Wisconsin dairy producers, we've always worked hard to provide high-quality milk. We know that the quality of our milk allows our cheesemakers to produce the best cheese in America. What we didn't know was whether consumers across the country felt the same way. Would they be more likely to buy a package of cheese if it was clearly identified as a Wisconsin-made product? Would a special identifier on every package of Wisconsin cheese make a difference?

Apparently it does.

During my first year on the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB), I witnessed extensive consumer research revealing that consumers are more likely to buy cheese if it is identified as being Wisconsin-made. This led us to rethink how Wisconsin cheese is identified in the dairy case. It was determined that a new logo, tagline and brand campaign featuring the pride, passion and heritage of Wisconsin's dairy producers and cheesemakers would differentiate Wisconsin cheese from competitors and drive sales.

The logo replaces the previous "Real Wisconsin Cheese" seal. Instead of just letting consumers know that the cheese is from Wisconsin, we are now telling consumers about the pride that goes into making that cheese. We are confident that the new logo will help reinstate WMMB's reputation for having authentic Wisconsin Cheese that is made with down-to-earth passion.

Consumer research has confirmed the strength of the new logo. Participants were shown several cheese packages, both private label and branded, with the new Wisconsin cheese logo vs. cheese packages without the logo.

The research revealed that 90 percent of the participants believed the cheese with the new logo tasted better, 90 percent thought the package with the logo was more eye-catching in the store than the package without the logo. And here's where it gets really good: 89 percent would be more likely to buy the cheese with the new logo on the package, and 82 percent thought the cheese with the new logo was a better value. The new logo sends an immediate message of quality that resonates strongly with consumers and directly impacts their intent to purchase.

The new initiative, known as the "Pride" campaign, was developed based on the strategy that Wisconsin can increase its demand for raw milk and create a preference for Wisconsin cheese by distinguishing it from the competition with the new logo-making Wisconsin cheese easy to identify and to buy nationwide. WMMB's retail and foodservice partners and Wisconsin cheesemakers and marketers have been impressed by the research and endorse the new logo and brand positioning. The initiative is targeted at moms aged 35 to 54 – the primary shoppers in most families.

Consumers will start to see components of the new Wisconsin Cheese branding campaign this month. To support the campaign, we are conducting a national retail promotion which includes point of purchase materials, in-store demos and Free Standing Inserts in newspapers. In addition, several Wisconsin cheese companies have already put the new logo on their packaging to help consumers recognize the national brand of choice – Wisconsin cheese.

Like our hard work on our dairies, this campaign is something in which we can all take pride. It reinforces what we knew all along: Wisconsin's long-standing dairy tradition, pride and expertise can't be beaten. Now consumers can distinguish that craftsmanship in the dairy case, too.

Bill Herr is a dairy producer from Greenwood, Wisconsin. Bill and his wife, Jane, and sons, Tom and Brandon, farm 750 acres and milk 82 Holsteins. Bill is the director for WMMB District 7, which covers Clark County. He has served on the board since July of 2002 and serves on the Cheese Business Committee.