At Bauerhaus Design, we believe a strong brand is built on a foundation of strategy and heart. When we began working with the Iowa Wine Association in 2023, our goal was to help them grow their audience and elevate their reputation as a premier wine region. This collaboration has led to some remarkable results, proving that a thoughtful and comprehensive approach to marketing and design can transform a brand.

From the beginning, our partnership was rooted in a strategic process. For two of our most recent projects—the complete revamp of the consumer-facing website, drinkiowawine.com, and the association website, iowawinegrowers.org—we started with the Bauerhaus Brand & Marketing Map. This process allowed us to define the specific target market and create a tailored strategy to increase brand awareness of Iowa wine and define on each website which features where important to the two different audiences.

The consumer site drinkiowawine.com it was essential to feature on the home page: Email sign up pop up for the monthly newsletter, blog posts, events, find a winery near you, the Iowa Wine Passport program, Iowa Wine shop, and education on Iowa wines.

While the Association website iowawinegrowers.org we focused the design on: Membership benefits, the Apprenticeship program, and Start-up Resources for new wineries.

For both websites we implemented the new color palette and brand standards we developed to increase the perceived value of Iowa Wine. We also did SEO research on the top search terms and add Meta Titles and descriptions to each page.

Our work with the Iowa Wine Association extends beyond just web design. Our monthly services focus on growing their fan list and promoting special events. One of our most successful campaigns was for Iowa Wine Month. We organized a giveaway that offered a wine country getaway as an incentive for new email subscribers. We promoted it on social, emails, the Iowa Wine website, and sent out printed table tents to all Iowa Wineries. The results were immediate and impactful: the Iowa Wine email list successfully doubled, significantly expanding their reach and engagement. Plus, wineries, wine visitors, and Travel Iowa loved this promotion!

This success is a testament to the power of combining creative strategy with a deep understanding of audience behavior. It’s an approach that resonated with our partners at the association.

“Working with Rebecca has been an absolute pleasure. She has an incredible ability to anticipate our needs—even before we realize them ourselves. Rebecca is consistently professional, timely, and brings fresh, creative marketing ideas that keep us up to date with current trends. Her expertise in social media is exceptional, and she always finds innovative ways to boost engagement and visibility.

Most recently, I worked with Rebecca to update our association’s two websites, and the process was seamless from start to finish. In addition to her one-on-one work, Rebecca has provided webinars and workshops for our members to help them strengthen their marketing skills, and she has shared her expertise as a speaker at our annual conference. Her attention to detail, proactive approach, and dedication make her an invaluable partner. I cannot recommend her highly enough.”

— Christie Jensen, Executive Director, Iowa Wine Association

Christie’s words capture the essence of what we strive to achieve at Bauerhaus Design: becoming an invaluable partner to our clients by providing unforgettable design and strategic guidance with heart.