MADISON, Wis. — Suzanne Fanning is the lead marketer behind the nation’s most awarded cheese brand and her efforts are being recognized by Deli Business Magazine as “the best of the best in the industry.” Fanning’s achievements earned her a People’s Award, reserved for professionals who have raised the bar in the food industry.
With over twenty-five years of marketing experience, Fanning brings a unique approach to her work that has revolutionized how consumers think about Wisconsin Cheese. Since taking her role in 2017, Fanning has built a fierce team of skilled marketers and leads efforts to elevate perceptions of Wisconsin Cheese. As Senior Vice President and CMO, Fanning focuses on branding, digital, advertising, public relations and consumer events, in addition to consumer confidence, farmer outreach and channel/retail marketing.
Fanning credits much of the success to her team, including their achievement in setting a Guinness World Record last year and taking home a Gold REGGIE Award from the Association of National Advertisers this spring. Their strategies are quickly catching nationwide attention while racking up over $50 million in earned media coverage in major features on The Today Show and in publications such as the New York Times, Food & Wine and more.
“We are so honored to have one of our own recognized with this award,” said Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin CEO Chad Vincent. “There is no goal too small or too far out of reach for Suzanne. She really is a visionary for Wisconsin’s dairy farmers and Wisconsin Cheese and we are so proud to have her on our team.”
Forbes, PRWeek and The Chicago Tribune have all praised Fanning’s work throughout her successful career. Fanning continues to speak around the country to help professionals and students learn how to drive big results with small budgets and creative ideas.
On her approach to marketing, Fanning says, “If you know who your fans are and why they love you, you can design programs to touch their souls. That’s what marketing is all about.” Her team’s most recent project, Cheeselandia, focuses on those fans – by bringing together the nation’s most passionate cheese lovers through education, community and connection.
Past recipients of the People’s Award include the CEO and Co-founder of Gourmet Garage in New York City, the CEO of Gourmet Foods International, the Vice President of the Culinary Institute of America, the owner of DiBruno Brothers in Philadelphia, and the Academie Opus Caseus, Saint-Haon-le-Chatel, France.
To learn more, visit WisconsinCheese.com or connect on Facebook.
About Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin: Funded by Wisconsin dairy farmers, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin is a non-profit organization that focuses on marketing and promoting Wisconsin’s world-class dairy products. For more information, visit our website at WisconsinDairy.org.
About Wisconsin Cheese: The tradition of cheesemaking excellence began more than 150 years ago, beforeWisconsin was recognized as a state. Wisconsin’s 1,200 cheesemakers, many of whom are third- and fourth-generation, continue to pass on old-world traditions while adopting modern innovations in cheesemaking craftsmanship. For more information, visit WisconsinCheese.com or connect on Facebook.
