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Sauk County officials hear pitch that branding, data-driven marketing boosted sales-tax receipts
Summary
An administration presentation credited a county branding effort and targeted digital outreach with boosting sales-tax revenue since 2021; presenters outlined planning, measurement and upcoming events tied to economic development work.
Mollie Plagg Gibson, presenting for Sauk County’s administration team, told the Board of Supervisors that a county-branded tourism and economic development effort launched in 2021 has contributed to rising sales-tax receipts and visitor activity.
"Since 2021 when we began our partnership ... we actually have increased sales tax revenue by almost 46%," Plagg Gibson said, adding the county uses a data stack and paid digital formats to measure and refine outreach.
The presentation explained the scope of tourism and hospitality in the county, asserting Sauk County’s total economic impact is about $1.9 billion and that roughly 12,000 people are employed locally in hospitality and travel. Plagg Gibson said the county ranked second in direct-to-consumer travel spending in Wisconsin, behind only Dane and Milwaukee counties.
Plagg Gibson described the program’s operating model: she said the work is not paid from the tax levy but from sales-tax-derived funds. "I am not funded with tax dollars, with tax levy. I'm funded solely through sales tax revenue," she said, and described a model of testing, measurement and iterative marketing choices designed to maximize return on investment.
She showcased digital and social metrics the county uses, saying paid social performance was "68% higher than the national benchmark" and that analytics guides investments in product areas such as outdoor recreation, ATV/UTV routes and arts-driven trail experiences.
Plagg Gibson said the county is aligning its existing LandMade brand with an "Investec County" initiative and will host a High Ground Summit on Sept. 10 in Wisconsin Dells to gather roundtables and distribute planning materials for businesses and organizations.
The presentation also noted the Economic Development Committee’s membership and emphasized that local collaboration across chambers, municipalities and businesses was central to the work.
The presentation closed with an invitation for supervisors to contact Plagg Gibson with questions or to review the slides.
Plagg Gibson's remarks were made during the scheduled appearances portion of the meeting and were informational only; no formal board action was taken on marketing programs at the meeting.
