Wisconsin's Dairy Badge of Pride

Wisconsin’s Dairy Badge of Pride

Building a trusted, respected brand like Wisconsin Cheese is no accident. Of course, beginning with high-quality milk produced by hard-working Wisconsin dairy farmers gets everything off on the right foot.

But it requires a well-planned, deliberate and dedicated strategy to reach the point where:

A whopping 99% of U.S. grocers sell Wisconsin Cheese
Wisconsin leads the nation producing a quarter of all cheese in the U.S. and accounts for 50% of specialty cheese production
Wisconsin Cheese is an integral part of U.S. restaurant menu items

Success also requires constant communication and strong relationships to cultivate this well-earned reputation and continue to build the Wisconsin Cheese and Wisconsin Dairy brands. Careful stewardship and quality products mean Wisconsin is recognized far and wide as a dairy powerhouse. In turn, these efforts grow demand and increase the value of Wisconsin milk.

Kirk Scott

Senior Vice President Dairy Companies Communications

Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin

Behind the Badge

Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin is dedicated to deepening and strengthening partnerships with the state’s processors to elevate products and drive sales. The quantity and quality of Wisconsin’s dairy processors is an invaluable strategic advantage. The more processors sell, the more Wisconsin milk is required. This means engaging partners with promotions and events while providing a broad range of support to increase awareness, visibility, distribution and ultimately sales of Wisconsin cheeses.

We work with dairy companies to use the Proudly Wisconsin® Cheese and Dairy badges, alongside other Wisconsin identifiers to increase awareness and sales. Consumers crave the background of their food – Wisconsin dairy farmers and dairy products have amazing stories to tell.

For example, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin assists with advertising and promotions to help put Wisconsin-labeled products in front of consumers and cheese buyers, using virtual tasting connections over the past year to achieve impressive results. Product demonstrations are effective because they work. Research shows a consumer is nine times more likely to buy a product if they can sample it first.

The Proudly Wisconsin badges and products earning the right to display them, embody everything Wisconsin is known for: nearly two centuries of quality, tradition, innovation, passion and award-winning dairy. The badges, driven by Wisconsin dairy farmer checkoff dollars, serve as visible reminders, making it easy for consumers to recognize and trust our outstanding cheeses when making purchase decisions.

Value of DFW and Dairy Companies Partnerships

Consumers recognize and associate Wisconsin Cheese and dairy products with taste, quality, innovation and integrity – and ask for them by name.

Over the past five years, total Wisconsin-identified cheese sales have increased 4.4% compared to 1.4% at retail for cheese made elsewhere. Wisconsin cheese is selling faster and more frequently at retail grocers than cheese made anywhere else.

Dave Christoff, national sales manager for Carr Valley Cheese, provides comments as a testament to this valued partnership:

"Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin support has been an incredible asset during these challenging times. We needed to quickly pivot our 2020 marketing and sales approach due to COVID-19. We relied on Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin to help us navigate the new landscape and ensure everyone stayed safe.

The quick adaptation to virtual buyer missions enabled us to continue sharing information about our products to potential buyers that we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.

Because of the support from Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and the programs they offer, we were able to grow our sales and, in turn, our need for more milk. Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin has been an excellent partner and we look forward to our continued partnership."