Putting your best foot forward
Public relations and marketing are distinct, but related. Marketing is the act of promoting and selling products or services to an audience; public relations is the active maintenance of the public image for a company. While they are different, you often can’t have one without the other: You need a positive public image to sell a product, and you need your brand’s personality to match the amazing product you’re selling to build trust and credibility. It’s often public relations—alongside a brand awareness campaign—that builds a lifetime relationship with your ideal customer.
Unlike marketing, the best part about public relations is that you don’t need to spend a lot to make a big impact; in many cases, you may not need to spend at all! To make a lasting, positive impression, you should seek out outlets, events, and people that mean the most to your audience, and always be honest and transparent with who you are and what you offer. Oftentimes, a little can go a long way!
With my experience in public relations, I’ve taken advantage of earned media opportunities to reach thousands of people, not just in Wisconsin, but around the world.
WHLA 2024 Lodging Directory Cover Contest
In 2023, I submitted this photo for the Landmark Resort in WHLA’s (Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association) 2024 Lodging Directory Cover Contest. The cost to enter the contest was less than $600, and the resort and photo were broadcast throughout the entire state of Wisconsin via social media, email newsletters and drip campaigns, and press releases over a 3-month period, at no extra cost.
The resort came in 2nd place in the contest, prolonging exposure and building awareness with travelers in Wisconsin. This opportunity saved the Landmark Resort hundreds, if not thousands, of advertising dollars in exposure to a wider traveling audience.
As Seen on TV
The TODAY Show & Landmark Resort
Destination Door County connected with the TODAY Show to be featured as an affordable summer getaway destination. Because the Landmark Resort had B-roll footage from putting together our own brand videos, I was able to submit the video to be featured on the segment—at NO extra cost! This allowed us the opportunity to share the resort with hundreds of thousands of people across the United States!
MNF Countdown & Renard’s Cheese
Before the Green Bay Packers faced the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, Jason Kelce—a former Eagles center and current broadcaster for Monday Night Countdown on ESPN—sampled Renard’s Door County Cherry Cheddar with Eagles and Packers fans. ESPN reached out to Renard’s Cheese for this incredible opportunity at NO cost! MNF Countdown reaches an approximated average viewership of 15.2 million per game, and this episode reached 20.6 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes in the United States.
Renard’s Cheese in “A Cherry Pie Christmas”/“A Wisconsin Christmas Pie”
Renard’s Cheese participated in the filming of “A Cherry Pie Christmas”/“A Wisconsin Christmas Pie,” a holiday movie filmed entirely in Door County—at no charge. The Door County Cherry Cheddar is a key ingredient in the cherry pie that the main character creates for the cherry pie contest. The film aired on Great American Family and Great American Pure Flix on October 10, 2025, before going on streaming for Xumo, Tubi, Pluto, Roku, FRNDLY, Philo, and Amazon Prime.
That holiday season, the Door County Cherry Cheddar sold out at Renard’s Cheese due to high demand, and store sales and website sales increased.
Maximizing Your Potential
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Sponsorships
Being part of your community and supporting other local businesses is integral to expanding your brand’s influence. At the Landmark Resort, I spearheaded support for the arts, sponsoring shows by purchasing playbill ads for local theaters and concert venues. The resort was also Gold Sponsors for Egg Harbor’s Independence Day Celebration and Pumpkin Patch Festival, two of the largest events of the year that promote tourism and community in the village.
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Publicity
Since 2009, Destination Door County has worked with Geiger & Associates to bring travel writers to Door County to experience best-in-class hospitality. These travel writers create content for both national and international blogs, magazines, and websites. The Landmark Resort has participated in this program since its inception, at no extra cost. In 2023, the Landmark was mentioned in eight articles written by these travel journalists, the most since the program’s beginning.
