Explore Rhinelander
CASE STUDY: Brand Development | Digital Marketing | Content Creation | Marketing Services
Project Overview
Rhinelander has something a little different than other northern Wisconsin vacation destinations: the Hodag. “Discovered” in 1893, this mythical creature is steeped in Northwoods lore and lives on to this day (keep your eyes peeled for Hodag statues and displays throughout town). This iconic entity is a boon to our tourism marketing—we use the Hodag in everything from newsletters to TikTok, raising awareness of Rhinelander and its assets, leading to increased website traffic and social media success (and a bunch of awards).
Recently, we took a closer look at Rhinelander’s brand strategy, looking for ways to incorporate Wisconsin’s most famous cryptid while also positioning the brand regionally while still maintaining its destination marketing identity.
01/ Brand Development
Telling the Hodag’s story
With more than a century of Hodag history to choose from, our first challenge was to figure out what parts of the story to keep and what to discard. Thankfully, there are no hard and fast rules to Northwoods tall tales, so we took the broad outline of the Hodag (a mischievous prankster), sanded down the rougher edges (he no longer eats white bulldogs but a Friday fish fry), and came up with a Hodag that fits a contemporary brand.
The Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce had just undergone a regional branding assessment completed by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, and we were able to use their findings as a starting point and supplement them with additional research on brand perception and travel trends. Additionally, we wanted to have a better understanding of what the Hodag meant to those outside of the local area and how to best incorporate this iconic mascot into a more regional campaign.
When your community is home to something as unique as the Hodag, it gives you a lot of opportunities to do fun, creative things. We've worked closely with P+B in the last few years to come up with some really unique ideas that have helped put the Hodag and Rhinelander top-of-mind for potential visitors.
Lauren Sackett
Executive Director, Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce
02/ Digital Marketing
A new look & feel
In late 2022, we launched a redesigned and revamped website for Rhinelander. Playing off the story of the Hodag—the homepage features a prominent “All Things Hodag” section—the new site encourages visitors to explore the legends of the Rhinelander Area and add a chapter to the story of their own Northwoods getaway. The site features extensive listings that allow potential visitors to search for lodging, restaurants, and more with a robust filter system. The site also offers easy-to-find information on recreational activities, events, and more.
03/ Content Creation
Hodag Finder
We piggybacked our marketing on existing elements, including a years-old community fundraising campaign where local businesses purchased and painted their own Hodag statues. Many of these statues are still in places open to the public, so we created the Hodag Finder—a website with photos as well as a physical map they could pick up at the Rhinelander chamber—to encourage visitors to explore the community.
Hodag Fan Club
We also gave the Hodag his very own fan club. The free Hodag Fan Club sends members an actual printed newsletter (only sent to subscribers, not available online) every quarter filled with fun Hodag facts, games, jokes, and more. Everyone who signs up gets a welcome kit that includes an official membership card and an autographed photo.
04/ Social Media Marketing
Meet @therealhodag
With the launch of the fan club, we also launched the @therealhodag Instagram account, which highlights the Hodag’s day-to-day activities in the Northwoods and chronicles the Hodag’s efforts to become a social media influencer. The Instagram account is targeted to a younger audience—women 25-34 and 35-44 make up about a third of the account’s fanbase. We also have created nearly 50 Hodag gifs that can be used in Instagram stories and on TikTok.
05/ Marketing Services
Getting the word out
During the launch of the rebrand, the Hodag won the Best Mascot in the Country contest, providing additional PR for the area. Additionally, Gov. Evers has recognized May 18th as Hodag Day in Wisconsin.
