Lakeside Foods acquires Oregon-based Smith Frozen Foods
Farm-fresh meats raised responsibly at Huhta Homestead
January 5, 2026
WAUPACA – For the first time, the Waupaca Area Chamber & Visitor Bureau has received the Trailblazer Award – recognizing its “Visit Waupaca Chain O’ Lakes” tourism social media platform.
Jeff Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the chamber, said the recognition highlighted the success of the chamber’s social media efforts in promoting tourism in the area.
Presented with the honor at the Destinations Wisconsin Fall Tourism Conference, Anderson said the award recognizes outstanding creativity, innovation and collaboration in tourism marketing.
“It really is an honor to be recognized by our industry peers,” he said.
Per destinationswisconsin.com, each year, the Trailblazer Awards shine a spotlight on the creativity, collaboration and impact of Wisconsin’s tourism professionals.
In Waupaca’s case, the award highlighted the chamber’s innovative digital marketing strategy targeting Millennial and Gen Z travelers.
Targeted efforts recognized
Anderson said two key indicators led to the chamber’s decision to enhance its social media efforts.
“First, our social presence was fragmented,” he said. “We had Facebook but lacked consistency and authentic content. Our Instagram account was dormant, TikTok didn’t exist for us and as audience trends shifted, we were not effectively reaching the younger adults who are a key segment of our target audience. We felt that to remain competitive and relevant, we needed a professional, multi-platform strategy that spoke to our audience authentically.”
With the target audience being adults ages 25 to 54, Anderson said selecting an agency meant finding a group with a deep understanding of that demographic.
“We were really looking for a partner who understood both the art and science of digital storytelling and had experience reaching a younger audience,” he said. “727 Media Agency brought that experience and created authentic and engaging content.”
Furthermore, Anderson said their fresh perspective as newcomers to the area provided the chamber with new ideas and approaches.
“Their small local team brought their experience with destination marketing organizations, which was very attractive,” he said.
Anderson said it was an ideal match.
“We found that their approach aligned perfectly with our vision of sharing authentic, compelling and relatable content,” he said.
With experience in destination marketing and a strong understanding of social platforms like Instagram and TikTok, Anderson said 727 Media Agency was well positioned to help the chamber connect with the younger demographic they had been missing.
“Ultimately, it was a combination of the experience and the knowledge in those areas in those platforms which led us to them,” he said.
The results speak for themselves
Anderson said the campaign’s results tell a compelling story and likely contributed to the chamber receiving the Trailblazer Award.
“Total impressions in the first three quarters of the year were 2.2 million, and it continues to grow,” he said. “This represents a more than 300% increase.”
Furthermore, Anderson said the campaign’s social media reach totaled more than 660,000 – far exceeding targets and expanded engagement through blogs and newsletters.
Anderson said the campaign’s significant impact offers several key takeaways, beginning with the high level of audience engagement it generated.
“The number of comments, shares and user-generated content that we were driving in response to the content that was being created, really shows that emotional connection – confirming that we were connecting with our audience, both visitors and residents alike, in addition to local businesses,” he said.
Anderson said the campaign opened doors to new audiences and highlighted how the chamber’s tourism messaging is designed to attract both transient visitors and first-time guests to the community.
“However, we also see how that moves beyond just visitor messaging and really enhances the perception of our community as a place to live, work and invest,” he said.
Anderson said the new messaging is also creating a stronger connection to local businesses.
He said some businesses reported that seeing the content helped them – in some cases, for the first time – to fully appreciate what the community has to offer and sparked conversations about ways they could invest more and support local initiatives.
“Our campaign helped them better understand what a vibrant community we are,” he said. “They therefore are now getting more involved and seeing that we have more to offer than they had previously realized.”
Authenticity wins
Anderson said his three-and-a-half-person team is energized by the meaningful connections their work – including the social media campaign – has created, all driven by a shared mission.
“For me, it’s all about authenticity, and authenticity wins,” he said. “[We know that] by the way that our audience responds to real stories, not polished ads, but user-generated content, and how quickly that is shared and engaged with, while building trust with our audience.”
Consistency, Anderson said, is also key, ensuring the website and events remain fresh and engaging.
“The structured content calendar that keeps our destination top of mind year-round and not just in what has traditionally been our peak summer season, as the Chain O’ Lakes has always been the lure to our areas as their destination,” he said.
Anderson said the area is home to numerous standout businesses that visitors can explore throughout the year.
“We have an amazing downtown, which previously won the Wisconsin Main Street award for our downtown revitalization,” he said. “We have a vibrant business district out in King, near the Lakes with pubs like Doc Kelly’s Public House, spirits at Empty Barrel Distillery and family-owned spots like Simpsons, which dates back to 1932.”
To keep the momentum moving forward, Anderson said the chamber has implemented a three-year plan.
“We want to continue to reach a new, younger demographic – especially focusing on those shoulder season experiences that may be a little less known for our community and accomplishing this through authentic storytelling,” he said.
Anderson said the chamber is also exploring more immersive, behind-the-scenes content that highlights local businesses and shares community-driven stories, giving visitors a deeper look at the experiences available.
“We want to talk about the community behind it, and how our local business owners and leaders in organizations are the ones creating those experiences for visitors and residents,” he said. “We’re proud of them.”
Like many nonprofits, Anderson said the chamber must carefully balance its resources, as pursuing innovation comes with investment needs.
“Fortunately, we really hit the mark this year with our social media strategy,” he said. “Things continue to evolve with technology and digital trends, so just staying on top of those creative and digital trends and continuing to collaborate and being innovative are probably our greatest challenges.”
Amplifying local
Measuring success in the visitor tourism industry, Anderson said, is crucial.
“We are always looking at how we measure success through partner engagement,” he said. “Whether it is through events, networking programs or other initiatives.”
Anderson said the social media campaign serves as a prime example, where the chamber worked to amplify local stories and engage the audience.
“[This is supported by the Visitor Bureau] side of our organization, through the reach that we have and the impact we have on visitation, which we can measure through state annual visitor research,” he said. “Increasing our membership is a matrix that we follow.”Anderson said he has built his career around telling the stories of thriving communities, and Waupaca is no different.
“Waupaca is a vibrant destination, and we have a story worth telling,” he said. “Ours is a city that is not only a great place to visit, but a great place to live, work and invest.”
