National Cheese Lover's Day (NCLD) provides Wisconsin Cheese a unique opportunity to elevate this lesser-known holiday and engage a niche but influential group of food enthusiasts, known as Food Fanatics, who comprise just 3% of the U.S. population. These individuals are trendsetters in food culture, seeking and sharing the latest culinary experiences with others. The campaign aimed to tap into this passion through cheese with the cultural legacy of Wisconsin cheese-making.
The primary objective was to generate authentic, high-quality engagement by encouraging participants to submit videos describing their ultimate cheese dreams. This approach prioritized genuine interaction over volume, ensuring only the most passionate and engaged participants were involved. The campaign aimed to generate 5 million+ impressions across PR and social media platforms, focusing on Instagram and the campaign website.
Additionally, the campaign was used to build broader brand awareness among those deeply connected to food culture. By leveraging organic and paid social efforts and national press, the goal was to engage Food Fanatics and turn them into lifelong fans, encouraging further interaction and advocacy. Ultimately, success would be measured by the joy it brought to participants, turning their cheese dreams into reality and positioning the brand as a source of happiness for cheese lovers nationwide.
Through research, we identified that our target audience thrives on food-based experiences, eagerly seeking the latest culinary trends and sharing their discoveries with others. Understanding this, we focused on crafting a campaign that would resonate emotionally and feel personal rather than just transactional.
We also recognized National Cheese Lover’s Day as an underutilized opportunity to celebrate cheese culture. To tap into this potential, we identified that a contest and sweepstakes marketing tactic would best drive excitement and participation for the holiday.
In the past, we’ve run sweepstakes to gain followers and were not selective in our targeting. A challenge we faced in the planning stage was how to ensure this did not happen again, to be certain we were targeting only Food Fanatics. After much deliberation, we raised the bar for entry. To attract only the most dedicated participants, we required video submissions to two specific prompts: "What is a Wisconsin cheese experience you've always wanted to have but never thought would be possible?” and “How can Wisconsin Cheese plus up your happiest moment of 2024?” This helped verify that we would receive quality submissions over a high quantity.
The campaign was promoted through organic and paid stories, reels, and in-feed posts on Instagram and Facebook, using #WisconsinCheeseDream to emphasize user-generated content. We also issued a press release, launched a webpage, and pitched the campaign to top food publications.
We pivoted our marketing for the campaign several times to reach the right audience. Being dynamic in our efforts by creating new assets allowed our content to hit Food Fanatics with content they were excited by and ultimately receive hundreds of submissions.
Initially set to grant two cheese dreams, the overwhelming response led us to the decision to grant over 100 dreams. From January 20 to September 29, 2024, we brought joy to individuals nationwide by turning their cheese dreams into reality. We didn’t just give away products—we gave away experiences that sparked real emotion and connection. This personalized, aspirational approach set the campaign apart positioning the brand as one that brings happiness to all who share in their love for cheese, no matter where they are in the U.S.
Custom experiences included a Wisco Disco Cheese bachelorette party bus tour of a Wisconsin cheesemaker and a dairy farm and a scholarship for a lifelong learner to attend The World of Cheese course held at the world-renowned Center for Dairy Research. Additional dream activations involved sending cheese-themed gifts and specially crafted materials for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and community events like a 5K race, International Hall of Fame Santa Claus convention, and community garden potluck. The campaign culminated with eight dreamers visiting Wisconsin for a tour that included our Cheese Fair Off the Square event.
Throughout the campaign, we captured the magic of cheese dreams coming true, sharing the milestones through a dynamic video series on social media. This allowed us to share joyful moments of cheese with our community, further bolstering the image of a brand that provides authentic experiences.
Over 14,000 people engaged with the campaign on social media, sharing their cheese dreams and amplifying the brand's presence.
People in our comments were genuinely excited to see others have their wishes come true.
“Just over here dreaming in cheese 🧀️💭❤️ Thank you to Wisconsin Cheese” because 🧀 dreams really do come true 😊 Now, which cheese should I try first?”
“Dairy Godmother was my fave and totally stealing this phrase!! Literally making dreams come true!! Love you all for all of this!! Don’t know why I am all teary-eyed over it.... must be some good stinky cheese nearby! Keep making this cheesy dreams come true!”
“Wow. These dreams are wonderful!!!! So happy you were able to make so many dreams come true!!!”
“Congrats everyone! What grate dreams!!”
Additionally, the campaign was picked up in major news outlets throughout the course of the campaign. Publications such as USA Today, Associated Press, Madison Magazine and Country Living, furthered the reach through their coverage. As a result, the campaign generated over 500 million impressions across PR and social channels.
We calculated over 1,100 smiles were shared over a wedge of Wisconsin cheese, highlighting the genuine emotional connections forged through the campaign. Ultimately, our approach successfully positioned the brand as a joyful, celebratory source of unique experiences through brand products, strengthening its connection with the target audience and creating long-term advocates.
Our campaign was designed to bring joy to turophiles’ lives, and we did that, one piece of Wisconsin Cheese at a time.
