For small businesses, we rely pretty heavily on great marketing. But another (less thought-of) strategy is the power of local branding and connections. It’s making those personal relationships that stand for something more than (and long after) a handshake. It’s what you stand for.
As I was writing this, I started thinking…what DO local people think of me? How have I branded myself in this community? I hope fun, professional, responsible, do-what-I-say-I’m-going-to-do, driven, on-task (sometimes too much), approachable, and friendly.
But it makes you think…how have you branded yourself?
To get this blog started, I’ll give you a little background on Hitch Studio.
Hitch Studio is a business in Brookings that does wedding planning, event design, venue management, custom stationery, officiating, and we sell a product called the Wedding Day Designer (a 158-page wedding planning guide that covers everything a Midwest couple should know when planning a wedding).
I (Renee Bauman, CEO) graduated from SDSU in 2005, when I started at SDN Communications. Then I started freelancing, and eventually started Hitch Studio with a business partner, Carrie Kuhl. We were both designers at the time, but found our specialties in wedding planning and invitation design (my role) and website design and graphic design (Carrie’s role) and together we owned a retail store. Through some coaching, we were able to see that it was time to divide our fully-sustaining divisions into their own businesses. So we did just that. She now owns UpFrame Creative and I own Hitch Studio!
When I started Hitch Studio, I didn’t have a huge marketing budget. I did a LOT of events for free. I figured it was better that my décor was out for people to see than still stored away in totes. I wanted the Hitch name out there – plus it felt good to give back.
Because of that (and doing about 80 weddings per year [50 with Hitch and 30 at Schade], my team and I have built a value in relationships — and that they really do make a difference.
Schade Vinyard and Winery is one of the biggest local connections that I can share (as we are venue managers there!)
6 tips to get you thinking about the power of local branding:
Tip #1: Hyper-Relevant Messaging
We serve Midwest couples who are neither DIY nor luxury—they’re in that sweet spot we call ‘premium.’ And everything we say and show reinforces that. From our website to our stationery, to our decor, and the styled shoots we do. It’s always ‘simple elegance’ as we call it.
We serve Brookings and Volga, Sioux Falls to Aberdeen, Mitchell to Marshall and everywhere in between like Madison and Watertown. We focus on rural because we are rural. Those are our people. It’s part of our branding.
At Hitch, we also identified our top seven values and revisit them every quarter to make sure we’re really living by them. And because I couldn’t stop at 7, our management team has their own four:
• Detail-oriented • Approachable • Eager • Reliable • Professional • Accommodating • Problem solver
*Management Team: Leader + dedicated + perseverance + hard worker
We currently have 54 employees on staff and we want each one to live up to these values. But they can’t just be words. We have to BE the positive, eager, reliable, fun, energetic, accommodating wedding planners and teammates we claim to be.
So, question for you: Are you confusing customers with your messaging? What kind of hyper-relevant marketing could you be doing?
Tip #2: Give back and mean it.
We have to prove ourselves. We LOVE our community, and we love to give back. I’ve served on many boards throughout the years — from the Brookings Chamber and Women In Leadership, to the Area Development Corporation and Downtown Brookings. Ever since I graduated from SDSU, I’ve been on one – if not two boards. Give of yourself, make some connections, and grow amazing organizations with your effort.
Another way we give back is through our donations to events. Again, we would rather we decorate and be part of a cause larger than ourselves than have our décor sit in storage, so, we have sponsored over $12,000 in free services in the past year alone. Those give-back opportunities really serve as relationship anchors.
They see a person and a smile. They see our high-touch service. They see our consistency doing a high quality job. They see someone they trust.
Question for you: How could you give back in a way that’s meaningful?
Tip #3. Build Trust Touchpoints — and Set Yourself Apart
We take pictures of decor on a wedding day or big event and send them before the photographer does.
We gift couples a welcome gift when they book Hitch, then a 30-day date night gift when stress gets high in that last stretch of the engagement, and we gift them something on their wedding day. And we don’t stop there! We also sent a 1-year anniversary card, baby card, graduation email, etc. when they keep hitting milestones in their lives!
You know who doesn’t get enough love on a wedding day? MOMS. Wedding planning is an interesting business because we don’t want repeat customers. But you know who we DO want repeat business from? MOMS. They may have multiple children getting married or a friend’s children, so we even gift the mom something on a wedding day to make her feel thanked and special.
We write reviews on social media for our favorite venues.
We even remember details like the name of our bride’s dog or that she loves Mountain Dew and chocolate (so we surprise her on a wedding day).
We follow up with lost leads (6 times!)
So, question for you: How could you build trust and do more than what’s expected?
Tip #4: Do What Makes Local Branding Actually Work
Let’s start with a big idea: trust is local. Especially in an industry like weddings and events, people want to work with someone they know, or someone their friend knows. That level of emotional investment means the stakes are high.
At Hitch Studio, more than half of our bookings come from personal referrals or family/personal connections and past brides. That’s not a coincidence—that’s brand equity speaking. For example, we’ve only gotten 1 lead from TheKnot (a national, generic, gigantic website) in the past 5 years. That tells me that people are relying on word of mouth.
We go to at least 2 bridal shows a year. People shake our hands, see our products, feel our warm personalities.
In fact, we took our local Brookings Bridal show and flipped it on it’s head this year. We are bringing the bridal show to the vendors – instead of the vendors to the bridal show. We’re hosting the Whole Lotta Lovely Wedding Tour (the very first of its kind) on June 1 and having over 30 local participating businesses in this 5-hour event downtown Brookings with experiences, giveaways, 4 stops, drinks, music, prizes, a 4-course meal by Craft. It was our way of building connections with the local vendors we love.
We also try to do four styled shoots a year in the communities we serve. We want to show our vendors in their best light.
We go on venue tours each year to thank them, hear what’s new, get a tour, give them gifts and treats, and let them know how much we appreciate them.
In addition to the Brookings Chamber, I even joined the Chambers and attend events in Marshall, Minnesota and Aberdeen, South Dakota. These aren’t just lead gen efforts—they’re reputation builders.
We post venue-specific blogs.
We give vendors shout-outs to our followers on social media.
So, the question for you is: What could you do to give it a local touch and deepen the connections in your market?
Tip #5: What’s Gone Right — and What’s Gone Wrong
Let me share a few personal lessons I’ve learned about branding from the ground up:
- You can’t fake consistency. If your Instagram and in-person energy don’t match, people feel it.
- You need clear positioning. Being the ‘middle’ between luxury and DIY isn’t vague—it’s intentional. It’s the void in the market we chose to own.
- Your team must live the brand. Detail-oriented. Approachable. Problem-solvers. If our team isn’t that, no marketing will fix it.
- I’ve been part of a local Mastermind group for 10 years and it keeps me grounded with local connections and viewpoints.
BUT. let me be honest—I’ve made mistakes.
- I had to fire someone because she wasn’t aligning with our values.
- I’m giving up on a pretty big opportunity tomorrow because I feel like my values don’t align with his.
- Last month, I was at a conference in Minneapolis and there was an entire presentation on automation. And I still haven’t launched an automation/CRM/workflow tool because I’m choosing authenticity over automation, but I’m probably wrong. I’m sure I’ll use a program like that someday.
- To be local, people need to recognize you and your personality. I need to get more familiar in the communities I’m trying to grow into (Marshall and Aberdeen, specifically). I’m doing okay…but not great at that. I need to carve out more time for networking.
Tip #6 – What Will You Do With All This?
Let me leave you with this challenge: What is one local connection you can nurture today that could meaningfully grow your business?
Maybe it’s writing a thank-you note.
Maybe it’s joining a board that’s meaningful to you.
Maybe it’s finally creating a formal referral program.
Maybe it’s writing an amazing review on social media.
Don’t overcomplicate it. Just ask: who already knows, likes, and trusts you—and how can you show up for them more consistently?Because in a world of paid clicks and fleeting followers, real connection is still the most powerful brand currency you can earn.Speaking of connections, Hitch is always hiring! So if you’re looking for a great part-time job on the weekends, comes seem me!
If you’d like to connect or collaborate, I’d love to hear your story too. Please share your tips in the comments below! I’d love to learn from YOU!
And because every blog needs some good images, here are some photos from an event we LOVE supporting — East Central CASA. We used a dramatic, black and white draped this year to take a concept I love and bring it to life: Creating a room within a room. (I blame my graphic design minor in college on teaching me the importance of creating space within a space.)
So here are photos from corporate non-profit fundraising event, CASA Fire & Ice Gala in May, 2025. We donated much of our time and resources for this event! I guess we’ll call it great local and branding and the power of our connections.
