The Power of Promotion - June 2020
National retail and foodservice efforts by the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW) stretch dairy farmer’s checkoff investment.

One of DFW’s ongoing, primary efforts is to work with processors to clearly identify their products as being from Wisconsin. The redesigned “Proudly Wisconsin” badges represent just one of our many creative changes in the past two years. The badges proclaim the words “Proudly Wisconsin Cheese” and “Proudly Wisconsin Dairy.”

By identifying products with an easily identifiable logo and a strong Wisconsin message, we enable consumers to readily find and purchase great Wisconsin dairy products, and the more cheese sold, the greater the demand and use of our farmers’ milk.

Processors are currently placing the “Proudly Wisconsin Cheese” or “Proudly Wisconsin Dairy” badge on more than 200 different brands. This symbol embodies everything America’s Dairyland is known for: quality, tradition, passion, innovation, and award-winning products.

Carrying the badge on our Wisconsin brands is important because 90% of the milk produced in our state goes into cheesemaking and 90% of that cheese is sold outside of Wisconsin. We work hard to make sure consumers across the nation not only know their cheese is from Wisconsin, but it's some of the best cheese in the world.

Kirk Scott
VP, Dairy Company Communications
Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin
Wisconsin Cheese is a Nationwide Brand
A whopping 98% of U.S. grocers sell Wisconsin cheese, and Wisconsin cheese is an integral part of restaurant menu items across the U.S. The DFW Channel Management team partners with processors to include the badge on products and with grocers and restaurant chains to promote Wisconsin products and drive sales with consumers.

For example, we assist with advertising and promotions to help get Wisconsin-labeled products in front of consumers. We support promotions such as retail demos because research shows a consumer is nine times more likely to buy a product if they can sample it first.

Product branding works!
  • Wisconsin specialty cheese accounts for over 45% of the country’s specialty cheese sales.
  • Over the past five years total Wisconsin-identified cheese has increased retail sales 4.4% compared to 1.4% for cheese made elsewhere.

Our state and national efforts are part of DFW’s continuing commitment to drive distribution and sales growth for Wisconsin-made cheese, increasing awareness and usage of total cheese, which in turn drives demand for our farmers’ milk.
Private Labels Drive Wisconsin Cheese Sales 
As more grocery stores turn to private labels, Wisconsin dairy farmers have an opportunity to drive volume and sales higher. “Private labels are about differentiation and specialization, as well as value,” says Rick Findley, Foodservice and International Vice President for Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW). “They continue to outpace total store growth, because they are often a higher quality product, such as Wisconsin Cheese.” By partnering with retail to promote private label cheese, DFW builds Wisconsin Cheese distribution and leverages the strength of the Wisconsin Cheese brand.
2020 Virtual Dairy Experience Forum
Have you ever wondered what a consumer's take on dairy is? Join us for the third annual Dairy Experience Forum to find out!

Attendees will receive firsthand insight into consumer dairy purchasing decisions during a live consumer panel. After the live panel, break out sessions will allow participants to dive deeper into the trends uncovered during the panel and discuss how they will affect their role within the dairy supply chain moving forward.
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Checkoff / Promotions: WisconsinDairy.org
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