IRONBULL HITS THE BULLSEYE
INITIATIVE 1.1
THE WAUSAU BRAND
What is the Wausau region’s brand? The Wisconsin Central Time brand represents an attempt to create a brand for economic development. It may have resonated with internal stakeholders, but it falls flat in marketing to attract outsiders. The Wausau region needs a new brand. One that captures the unique strengths of the region, inspires community members, and generates excitement from people outside the region. Our recommendation is to develop a brand strategy that positions the Wausau region as the “Xtreme Sports Capital” to capitalize on the area’s multitude of outdoor recreation and extreme sports assets. The new brand already has grass-roots momentum and will be developed to achieve specific goals around talent attraction and economic development.
INITIATIVE 1.2
TARGETED TALENT RECRUITMENT
Promote the Wausau region as a hub for extreme sports and outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
The year-round recreational options of the region represent a unique value proposition. The Outdoor Recreation roundtable held in December 2018 revealed specific opportunities that advance this goal. The roundtable identified three specific opportunities that warrant further examination:
Events (IronBull and Xtreme sports generally), mountain bike racing and cross-country riding, downhill ski competitions, whitewater kayaking, cross-country skiing expansion.