The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association has named Suzanne Fanning, EVP and chief marketing officer of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW), as chair of its board of directors.
Fanning has served on IDDBA’s board since 2017, most recently as executive vice chair. She was named chair during the association’s annual business meeting in Chicago. She also will continue in her role at DFW.
“Suzanne brings an uncommon combination of strategic vision, creativity and a deep understanding of both consumers and our industry,” said Paul Ziemnisky, president and CEO of IDDBA in Madison, Wisconsin. “She knows how to turn consumer insights into breakthrough marketing programs, build communities around food, and bring people together around shared opportunities. I’m excited to partner with Suzanne and our board as we build on IDDBA’s momentum, create even greater value for our members and identify new opportunities for growth across dairy, deli and bakery.”
Since joining DFW in 2017, Fanning has led a multiyear transformation of the Wisconsin Cheese brand. She and her team have delivered more than $100 million in earned media value in a single year, a 4,000 percent increase in social media engagement and a rise from page 96 to page one in Google search results, according to the association, with those efforts helping Wisconsin Cheese outpace the overall cheese category’s sales growth by 15 times.
Fanning also founded Cheeselandia – Wisconsin Cheese’s consumer advocacy community – which Adweek named the nation’s top influencer marketing program, and recently led the launch of Born to Dairy, a campaign celebrating Wisconsin dairy farmers.
“Dairy, deli and bakery have something marketers spend their careers trying to create: genuine love,” Fanning said. “These are foods people crave, celebrate, share and build traditions around. Our opportunity is to take all of that passion and turn it into growth, by staying curious about what consumers want, embracing new ideas and making sure the incredible people and products behind our industry continue to matter to the next generation.”
“Suzanne has an extraordinary ability to see opportunity where others see a commodity,” said Chad Vincent, CEO of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. “Her selection as chair of IDDBA is a tremendous recognition of that leadership, and we’re proud to see her bring that same energy, creativity and focus on growth to the broader industry.”
Fanning brings more than 25 years of marketing and brand-building experience to the role, with recognition including PRNews’ PR Woman of the Year in the Changemaker category and top honors from the Association of National Advertisers.
Related: New IDDBA President And CEO To Be Installed Sept. 8