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From the Desk of Wisco Branding
Welcome to the Wisco Branding blog - home of real marketing results, local business spotlights, and tips that actually work for local businesses.
This is where our newsletter, the Cheddar Letter, comes to life. At the end of each month our newsletter goes out first - packed with marketing wins (Rooted in Results), community spotlights (Cheesehead Champion), and brand tips you can use the same day you read them - that's your Brand Bites.
We also share Press Releases from businesses and organizations across Central Wisconsin - straight from the source, so you hear the news as it happens.
Want the Cheddar Letter in your inbox before it hits the blog, or have news of your own to share? Subscribe below, or send us your press release.
The Apple Harvest Rule: Why Your Fall Marketing Starts Now
Don't wait until the apples are falling to figure out what you're going to do with them - plan ahead, gather, get ready. Here's the thing about fall - it doesn't ease you in. One day it's summer and the next your calendar is full, the kids are back in school, the events are stacking up, and somehow Halloween decorations are already going up. And if you haven't thought about your end of year marketing plan yet? You're falling behind. I know that sounds harsh. But I also know i
Steph Schmid
Sep 34 min read
Stevens Point Downtown BID Launches New $10,000 Downtown Vitality Grant Program
New matching grant will support business growth, property improvements, entrepreneurship and private investment in Stevens Point Downtown STEVENS POINT, Wis. — September 2026 — The Stevens Point Downtown Business Improvement District (DBID) is launching a new 2026 Downtown Vitality Grant, dedicating $10,000 to help businesses, property owners and entrepreneurs turn ideas into investments that strengthen Stevens Point Downtown. Applications for the competitive matching grant p
Steph Schmid
Sep 32 min read
How to Turn Your Customers Into a Referral Stream: A Social Media Marketing Hack That Costs Nothing
July's Marketing Lesson Came From a Fishing Captain in Maine For my birthday this year, I went out of Wisconsin, to Kennebunk, Maine and spent 8 hours on the Atlantic Ocean deep sea fishing on the F/V Nor'easter with Captain Mike. Turns out Wisconsin girls do just fine on the open ocean. And somewhere between reeling in my first fish and losing track of time on the open water, Captain Mike accidentally showed me the best marketing hack I've seen all year. Here's what ha
Steph Schmid
Aug 172 min read
Cheesehead Champion July 2026: Mid-State Technical College Foundation
Investing in the Future of Central Wisconsin: The Mid-State Technical College Foundation Last month I introduced you to the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters and their Free Tuition Thursday partnership with Mid-State Technical College - where a night at Witter Field could literally change a student's educational future. This month I want to go a little deeper. Because behind that partnership, and behind so much of what makes Mid-State such a powerful force in Central Wisconsin, is
Steph Schmid
Aug 53 min read
Cheesehead Champion June 2026: Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
More Than Baseball: How the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters Are Showing Up for Our Community Summertime in Wisconsin Rapids means a night (or two) at Witter Field, hot dog in hand, watching the Rafters play. ⚾ In a previous role as a marketing professional, I had the chance to work alongside the Rafters organization. And even back then, one thing was clear, this team has always been about more than what happens on the field. This season proves it more than ever. On June 15th,
Steph Schmid
Jun 303 min read
The Most Underrated Marketing Strategy in Wisconsin? Just Show Up.
Something instantly clicks when you run into someone in person and they say "I saw your video." Not "How have you been?" Not "how was the Packers Tailgate party?" Just, “I saw your video." And you have to stop and think... which one? 🤔 The Feltz Fun Farm video that posted this week or the DNL Recreation reel from last Wednesday? Or the one I posted from my car a few weeks ago? The one that hit 142k views? That moment, that "which video was it?" pause, is what happens whe
Steph Schmid
Jun 303 min read
What's Your Brand's Walk Up Song? A New Way to Think About Brand Identity
What's Your Walk Up Song? 🎵 I attended the Mid-State Technical College LEAD Conference on May 19th and walked away with a lot of great takeaways. But one concept from the opening keynote has been living rent free in my head ever since. The speaker, Ted Melby, asked the room a simple question: What's your walk up song? If you're not familiar with the concept - think baseball. When a player walks up to the plate, their song plays. It's the song that says I am HERE. I am
Steph Schmid
Jun 302 min read
Why Your Content Doesn't Need to Be Polished - It Needs to Be Human
Your content doesn't need to be polished. It needs to be more HUMAN. It's probably no surprise that I've been listening to a handful of podcasts lately. House of Maher, On Purpose, The Diary of a CEO, Good Content with Shannon McKinstrie - just to name a few. And one episode stopped me mid-listen and made me hit rewind. The podcast? Good Content. The episode? Human Connection Sells And the message? Something I say all the time: The people growing the fastest online aren't the
Steph Schmid
May 292 min read
From 60,000 to 142,000 Views - Without Spending a Single Dollar on Ads
In October 2024, I started working with Hoozels at the Lakes, a restaurant and bar in Central Wisconsin. No big launch. No ad budget. Just a commitment to show up consistently on Facebook and actually work the platform. One year later, big shifts started happening. A reel posted on September 3rd, 2025 hit 60,000 organic views in two weeks. At the time, that was their record. We celebrated, kept going, and didn't stop. Then on March 31st, 2026, a new reel blew past that number
Steph Schmid
May 292 min read
Cheesehead Champion May 2026: The Cheesecake Slice
Wisconsin Rapids' Sweetest New Obsession: The Cheesecake Slice 🍰 I have a confession to make… Cheesecake is my absolute favorite dessert. Has been for as long as I can remember. So when I heard a cheesecake shop was opening right here in Wisconsin Rapids, I cleared my calendar for the ribbon cutting on May 4th. No shame. 😅 What I didn't expect was to walk into one of the most heartwarming local business stories I've seen in a long time. The Cheesecake Slice is owned
Steph Schmid
May 293 min read
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