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December 8, 2025
NEKOOSA – Steph Schmid said her career in business and marketing began early, taking shape while she was studying business management and marketing at Mid-State Technical College.
Her hands-on experience with local businesses, Schmid said, started almost immediately, and it quickly became clear that helping organizations grow would become her professional focus.
Schmid said her early work included promoting the Renaissance Race Against Cancer during her 2016 and 2018 Renaissance Learning internships and managing Food Recommendation Fridays, the Small Business Saturday Passport program (2015-19) and various event marketing materials at the Heart of Wisconsin Chamber.
After years of working with business owners daily, Schmid said she realized she could serve them even better by going out on her own.
The turning point, she said, came when she recognized a demand for more personalized, flexible solutions that put the business owner first.
“I decided to go into business for myself after working with local small-to-medium businesses every single day and seeing exactly what I could provide them that they might not be getting elsewhere,” she said. “That included giving them a black-and-white breakdown of where their dollars are being spent and what the ROI actually was.”
So, Schmid said she launched Wisco Branding in September 2024, with nothing more than two iPhones and a MacBook Pro.
Having spent much of her career in the social media space, she said, has given her valuable experience in marketing.
“The average American spends about six hours a day on their phone,” she said. “That’s what I really like about the social media space. If they’re spending that much time on their phones, we’ll be getting in front of them at some point.”
As she prepared to launch her business, Schmid said choosing a name became a key first step.
And, even though many businesses already used the word “Wisco,” Schmid said she was drawn to it.
“I was really attached to ‘Wisco,’ because I’m a proud Wisconsin girl with a love for everything local – cheese, cranberries, the Green Bay Packers,” she said. “And then I wanted the word ‘branding’ because that’s what I do. We help businesses amplify their voices and connect with their audience.”
A multitude of services
Schmid said Wisco Branding provides digital marketing services with a specialization in social media and video marketing.
Offerings, she said, include social media management, brand identity and website development – helping clients strengthen their visibility, clarify their messaging and present a cohesive, compelling brand.
Though not every business these days has a website, Schmid said nearly all maintain a social media presence – on platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn or TikTok.
The most effective platform, she said, largely depends on the audience a business aims to reach.
Wisco Branding, Schmid said, helps business owners identify their target audience and develop the most effective campaigns, starting by reviewing recent social media posts to assess how they reflect the brand and engage that audience.
“Staying current on social media isn’t just important – it’s essential,” she said. “We develop tailored social media strategies using the right visuals and captions that reflect a client’s unique voice.”
Schmid described Wisco Branding’s approach as “done-for-you social media marketing,” where her team tracks performance, engages with audiences and optimizes posting times to keep the brand top-of-mind and deliver real results.
Schmid said she specializes in video content creation because of its impact on business reach.
Unlike a static photo, which may only reach a business’s existing followers, a video – such as a reel highlighting a pizza restaurant – Schmid said, can engage thousands beyond the current audience, attracting potential new customers and helping clients expand their customer base.
“The more we can attract new customers, the better for the client,” she said. “They just keep building upon the customer base the client already has.”
Though she sees video as one of the most effective ways for businesses to connect with their audience, Schmid said many aren’t sure where to start – so Wisco Branding helps make the entire video process seamless.
“From pre-planning and on-site filming to expert editing, we create engaging video content that highlights [a business’s] brand, products and services,” she said. “Whether it’s high-energy reels or behind-the-scenes glimpses, we craft content that captures attention and drives engagement.”
Brand identity, Schmid said, sets a business apart and helps connect it with its audience.
Wisco Branding, she said, helps clients define their vision, values and personality, translating them into cohesive visual and verbal identities – including logos, typography and brand guidelines – that resonate across all touchpoints.
“It’s one thing to have a logo, but as part of their brand, a business needs to know what their colors are that help identify them,” she said. “I help them determine what makes their brand unique and recognizable, and if there’s a personality behind their brand.”
When a business has only a name and no clear brand, Schmid said she helps owners define it.
“We’ll also have conversations about different colors,” she said. “Before our meeting, I can send them a link to a site where they can play around with different color pallets, so they can see what they like and don’t like. It’s allowing them to think freely for themselves while also helping guide them along the way.”
Schmid said a business’s website serves as its digital foundation, and through a strategic partnership with Divine Flow Digital, Wisco Branding delivers comprehensive website solutions that can help drive meaningful results.
“We specialize in creating modern, responsive websites that reflect [a business’s] brand identity, while functioning flawlessly across all devices,” she said. “Each site balances visual appeal with intuitive navigation and strategic calls-to-action that convert visitors into customers.”
Schmid said Wisco Branding prides itself on being able to bring a company’s visual identity to life.
That’s accomplished, she said, by crafting a wide range of marketing materials – including flyers, menus, logos and other promotional assets that maintain the company’s brand’s visual consistency.
Near and far
Schmid said she is very proud of the fact that while her roots run deep in Wisconsin, Wisco Branding’s reach extends far beyond state lines.
In fact, she said after only a little more than a year in business, about 50% of her clients are from out of state.
Schmid said she applies the same personalized, community-focused approach with her out-of-state clients that has driven her success in Wisconsin.
“My history of being deeply integrated with my local community has given me unique insight into how to build authentic followings for out-of-state clients within their own communities,” she said. “I understand that effective local marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all – it requires knowing the pulse of each community, understanding regional nuances and connecting businesses with their neighbors in meaningful ways.”
Whether serving clients in Wisconsin or across the country, Schmid said Wisco Branding focuses on capturing each client’s authentic story, understanding their local market and helping them build genuine connections with customers.
Beyond Wisconsin, she said, currently, she manages social media campaigns for clients in Arizona, Louisiana, Georgia, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Kentucky and Nebraska.
Schmid said she’s also proud that the majority of her business is referral-based – coming from a wide variety of businesses across different industries.
Though she hasn’t encountered a type of business she would shy away from, she said she most often works with construction, home improvement and food service clients.
“I’ve had a long 10 years of working with everyone from real estate people to people in the cranberry industry, in retail and in food service,” she said. “You name it, I’ve probably run into it. I’m also involved with a handful of different nonprofits and sit on the board for one of them, as well as assisting another nonprofit foundation.”
Schmid said what sets Wisco Branding apart is its “boots-on-the-ground” approach.
“I show up in person, and I’m able to capture those authentic moments that make each business special,” she said. “I’m very Wisconsin proud and Wisconsin strong. But whether a customer is in Wisconsin or out of state, I’m going to have a lot of heart in what I do. I don’t believe I’m successful until my customers are successful.”
Check out wiscobranding.com for more on Wisco Branding.
