MILWAUKEE, WI - (March 19, 2018) – Hanson Dodge, an integrated marketing communications agency based in Milwaukee, is reimagining how the city’s destination marketing organization, VISIT Milwaukee, presents the city to visitors with a new digital experience for www.visitmilwaukee.org.
“People who’ve visited Milwaukee consistently say they’ve been delighted by the wonderfully random and truly unforgettable experiences they’ve had in our city,” said Mike Stefaniak, chief strategy officer for Hanson Dodge. “As locals, we were proud and excited to hear this reaction. Our job was to capture the feeling visitors have when they come here and make it the heart of the new website, helping VISIT Milwaukee attract more people to the area.”
“We drew inspiration from classic city nicknames,” said Chris Buhrman, chief creative officer at Hanson Dodge. “Milwaukee itself has been called The Cream City and The City of Festivals. We thought ‘Why stop there?’ The team had fun expanding on the nickname idea to call attention to the many truly one-of-a-kind experiences Milwaukee has to offer, big and small.”
The new website playfully celebrates a seemingly endless stream of wonderfully random Milwaukee highlights. “Home of the Flying Art Museum on the Water” calls attention to the renowned Santiago Calatrava at the Milwaukee Art Museum, while “The Bloody Mary Metropolis” boasts about the city’s unique take on the brunch beverage staple. The website’s functionality embraces the spirit of the city, featuring a virtual slot machine that serves up random suggestions for unique things to do and discover when visiting. In total, the experience encourages visitors to explore and dive deeper into Milwaukee's unique charm.
“Hanson Dodge brought great strategic vision and creativity to the project,” said Megan Suardini, vice president of marketing & communications for VISIT Milwaukee. “The new website truly captures the essence of the city and allows VISIT Milwaukee to represent the region to meeting planners, visitors, and media, with the goal being to drive additional tourism dollars and increase economic impact within the region.”
In 2017, Milwaukee welcomed over 23 million visitors and the economic impact of tourism exceeded $5 billion.
About VISIT Milwaukee
VISIT Milwaukee is the Greater Milwaukee area’s convention & visitors bureau, marketing the destination as a top choice for business, convention, and leisure travel to national and international visitors to increase the economic impact of tourism in the region. Each year, tourism supports over 50,000 full-time jobs and brings in over $5 billion to the community. VISIT Milwaukee has over 680 members, including hotels/motels, restaurants, attractions, services and area businesses. The City of Wauwatosa, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino and the Wisconsin Center District are strategic partners with VISIT Milwaukee, providing funding support for conventions and tourism programs. For more information call 1-800-554-1448 or visit www.visitmilwaukee.org.
