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Y E A R I N R E V I E W AND LOOKING FORWARD

Much has been said about the importance of community over the years. An engaged, loyal community makes a great customer
base. As the chamber continues to grow, we’ve learned a lot – and are continuing to learn a lot – about how community builds,
and how we can provide services that assist and sustain our local businesses. As I reflect on 2018, I am reminded that any
business gets stronger when you gather metrics and pay attention to feedback. And rather than just selling the Sauk Prairie
community brand, we have tried to put things in front of community that provides real value and engagement. So let’s take a
look back at what we learned and how we programmed.

From our retail and millennial roundtables, we heard that people are wanting
experiences. So when marketing, don’t offer general branding of a place, but tell a story
about the products or services that you offer. Over the past year, many stories have been
told. First, we decided to spotlight the people of Sauk Prairie. If you want to encourage
great customer service, let’s recognize employees’ efforts. We spotlighted seven individuals
from the community who were nominated for going above and beyond with local customer
service. We highlighted sixteen up and coming millennials who are working in local business
and branding Sauk Prairie.

For our restaurants, we launched a social media campaign
where we share videos of local dishes and experiences.
Over forty videos have been filmed, edited and shared with
the community, highlighting employees, special events, live
music and amazing dishes that can be experienced locally.
For retailers, a day was spent filming local, unique holiday
gifts and places in Sauk Prairie, and we will be sharing those restaurant
experiences via our social media platforms throughout the of the WEEK
month of December. In addition, we shared more stories
about the Great Sauk State Trail, Camping Adventures, the
RESTAURANTHwy 12 Market and our June Tune Concert Series.
So why? Why all the filming? Why all the stories? of the week

Research indicates that 78% of marketing firms believe that content is the future of marketing, and 2/3 of those think that
branded content is superior to PR, direct mail and print advertising. That’s huge. Everyone likes a good story. Social media has
gotten us comfortable with having conversations. Personal stories make presentation better. Compelling stories make ideas
stick. Stories help persuade.

restauranthttp://discoverwisconsin.com/video/wisconsins-winter-wonderlands/
WEEKOur Discover Wisconsin episode, Wiscoonfsinth’seWinter Wonderlands can be

viewed below. It was compelling, crafted a story of our area, and persuaded
people to call and learn more, while hopefully visiting our community, a 2019
Choice Destination.

So how will you write your story in 2019? Chamber staff are here to help you think of ideas,
provide brainstorming & program development, graphic design and digital marketing support.
Inside this edition is a listing of all 2019 events that are scheduled. We would love to talk with
you about how to maximize your business.

Cheers to 2019. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together, as we
continue to learn and grow.
Tywana German
Sauk Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce