We’re DS. A team of destination specialists setting new standards for destination branding, marketing and management. We’re all about transforming places, destinations and experiences so they thrive.
DS has three arms, seamlessly working together to deliver the best outcomes for our clients.
Strategy & Impact
DS Strategy & Impact leads the way with our strategy-first approach. We set the strategy and provide the roadmap to success through realistic and practical action plans that make places, experiences and events the destination of choice.
Brand, Marketing & Campaigns
DS Brand, Marketing & Campaigns creates award-winning brand and marketing strategies. We also design and implement destination campaigns that hit the spot with your target markets and bring your brand and positioning to life; backed by the power of performance reporting. We also offer a hyper local, community-based campaign, ComeVisit! to encourage residents and businesses to invite their friends and relatives to visit their destination. It is an off-the-shelf VFR campaign; ready to implement today.
Digital
DS Digital provides crucial insights to navigate today’s competitive, always-on digital landscape. We manage social media and website content for clients, adapting to their unique voice, tone, and audience. This rare skillset informs our marketing strategies, ensuring they are effective and fit for purpose in the digitally-driven marketplace.
We’ve transformed countless places, destinations and experiences — here’s a select few now humming with success.
Port Macquarie
31.4349° S, 152.9002° E
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Port Macquarie
Birpai Country
- Deliverables
- Branding + Positioning
- Marketing + Campaigns
- Social Media Management
- Recognition
- Mumbrella Travel Marketing Awards: Gold – Breakthrough Destination of the Year, & Gold – Ad Campaign of the Year – 2024
- City Nation Place Awards (London): Finalist – International Best Communication Strategy – 2024
Challenge
Port Macquarie did not have a brand that positioned it and its experience offering as being different to any other destination on the East Coast of Australia.
Solution
Develop a brand idea to differentiate Port Macquarie. The brand strategy tapped into the market’s desire to have a better balance between work and leisure. How people spend their time matters. Time is one of the most precious human commodities. Port Macquarie promises a Gift of Time. The brand breakthrough was to position Port Macquarie as a lifestyle brand not just a holiday destination.
The new brand has changed the look and feel of the website, creative, tone and manner. The target market are those who blur the lines between work and leisure. DMS were contracted to bring the brand to life through Port Macquarie-Hastings destination social media channels in 2023.
Outcomes
A destination marketing campaign and media strategy was developed and campaign launched in April 2024. The campaign targeted the work from anywhere segment to attract those who can extend their length of stay, visit mid week and spend more.
Botanic Gardens of Sydney
33.8666° S, 151.2180° E
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Botanic Gardens of Sydney
Gadigal, Dharawal & Dharug Country
- Deliverables
- Branding + Positioning
- Recognition
- Australian Good Design Award: Gold – Excellence in Communication and Design – 2024
- Partners
- Swell Design Group
Challenge
There were multiple existing logos and identities utilised by the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust (RBGDT). It created confusion about the organisation, including an unclear and often ad-hoc use of the hierarchy of identities. It contributed to a lack of clarity in the organisation’s narrative, which was disparate and inconsistent regarding who the organisation is and its purpose.
Solution
A purpose-driven brand strategy was created and endorsed by RBGDT. It is a unifying brand that is motivated by their core mission or purpose, which has informed the brand’s vision, mission, story, visual identity, and ultimately decision-making.
The new name is Botanic Gardens of Sydney. Its positioning is to create a movement focused on the power of plants.
Outcomes
Delivered a comprehensive brand strategy, positioning and identity. A comprehensive brand guideline was provided along with a simple, prioritised roadmap to implement the brand. This included the development of a new website, familiarisation of the new brand with key stakeholder groups, marketing strategies and core messaging to inform marketing activities.
Key messaging, creative executions and brand assets have also been provided to take the new brand to market.
Finch Hatton MTB
21.1405° S, 148.6320° E
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Finch Hatton MTB
Yuwibara Country
- Deliverables
- Branding + Positioning
- Marketing
- Social Media Management
- Recognition
- Queensland Tourism Awards: Finalist – Destination Marketing & Campaign – 2024
- Partners
- Swell Design Group
Challenge
Mackay Regional Council has invested in a world class, purpose-built mountain bike trail network. However, this market is increasingly competitive with many destinations making similar investments.
Solution
Develop a world class experience brand that focused on the mountain bike enthusiast segment. The brand essence harnessed the target audience’s key motivation, Spirited Adventure. The brand strategy also recognises the importance of the region’s complementary experience offering to inspire the target audience to travel to the region.
The brand breakthrough was to foster a culture of collaboration between Council, industry and riders. This includes showcasing how businesses and Council can enhance the appeal of the region through ancillary services and bike-friendly experiences and accommodation. The new brand provides a mix between open-source creative elements for use by the industry as well as those for commercial use under a licensing arrangement to contribute to revenue to maintain and evolve the trail network.
Outcomes
Delivered brand strategy and creative, comprehensive brand guidelines, three-year marketing plan (integrates a staged approach); media launch and industry & community workshops to showcase the new brand.
Have also delivered the consumer-facing website and continue to manage social media accounts.
Mudgee Region
32.5993° S, 149.5871° E
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Mudgee Region
Wiradjuri country
- Deliverables
- Branding + Positioning
- Destination Strategy
- Marketing + Campaigns
- Recognition
- Australian Tourism Awards: Gold – Destination Marketing & Campaign – 2018
- NSW Tourism Awards: Gold – Destination Marketing & Campaign – 2017 & 2018
Challenge
Nobody knew much about Mudgee, or that it was a wine region or why you would visit. Those who did know Mudgee thought that it was at least 6 hours from Sydney – too far for a weekend visit.
Solution
Develop a brand that offered Mudgee as a place to Reset your Senses. The research showed that there was a significant and growing interest in escaping to the country, including to wine regions, to take time out to reset.
The brand breakthrough was all other wine regions were focused on their grape varietals, terroir or quality of their wine to underpin their brand. The Mudgee brand tapped into the target market’s motivation and desire to escape their busy lives to reset.
Outcomes
Developed and delivered the brand strategy and creative. Subsequently, we developed a multi-year campaign that showcased how to Reset your Senses and addressed the target market’s pain point that Mudgee is too far – the campaign idea was based on reinforcing that Mudgee was only a ‘hop, skip and jump’ from Sydney with a campaign tagline of Let’s Skip Town Together. It also focused on creating reasons for couples or small groups of besties to escape for a long weekend.
Year 1 of the campaign delivered 14,000 additional visitor nights, smashing Mudgee’s objective by 183%; average visitor spend increased by 85%. Tourism spend for the region over the period of the campaign grew from the target $800,000 to over $2.3 million.
Supported by a team who revel in pushing boundaries and delivering results.
Charlotte Prouse
Director
Charlotte is a leading destination specialist who has worked with destinations and places to set them apart from the competition. Her passion lies in understanding consumer trends and delving into target market insights to develop human-centred strategies for destinations, places, and experiences. With or without wine, Charlotte simply loves to find the magic of destinations.
Carl Solomon
Director
Carl has created and executed award-winning destination brand and marketing strategies and practical visitor economy roadmaps. He has worked across the community, business and government sectors and with the United Nations. When not snorkelling, his happy place is working with destinations to achieve their ambition and deliver benefits for their communities.
Ben Andrews
Head of Digital Experience
DS’ go-to for everything digital. With a keen eye for digital trends, Ben’s focus is to strengthen destinations and businesses owned channel ecosystem, ensuring that digital best practice meets consistency across all digital touch points. Ben takes immense personal pride in the success of the accounts he manages, setting ambitious goals to elevate their digital presence beyond industry standards and destination competitors.
Oliver Batten
Lead – Destination Strategy & Impact
Let’s talk impact. Oly is driven by people and places and has worked across the government, not-for-profit and private sectors. Having worked as a Tourism and Events Manager in Local Government, he understands the nuances of developing destination strategies that champion community values. If Oly’s not hiking or surfing, he’s off finding solutions that deliver positive social and environmental impact.
Hayley Moody
Senior Destination Marketing CoordinatorHayley brings creative instinct and brand strategy together in one sharp package. With over 15 years in hospitality, surf and lifestyle marketing, she’s shaped everything from shoot styling to digital campaigns, always with an eye for story, style and substance.
At DS, she blends visual storytelling with real-world strategy, helping destinations and brands connect with audiences in meaningful, memorable ways.
Mikayla Watson
Digital Marketing Coordinator
Storytelling? Let’s go! Mikayla’s passion for travel fuels her creativity and strategic approach. Committed to sustainability, she drives impactful initiatives across digital channels, ensuring high-quality, consistent results. Seeing clients’ platforms thrive isn’t just about numbers – it’s about creating real benefits for local communities and small businesses, making a lasting impact through responsible and inspiring destination marketing.
Cooper Church
Marketing OfficerCooper brings a fresh perspective shaped by his upbringing in the tourism town of Pacific Palms. A passionate snowboarder and an avid traveller, Cooper thrives on exploring new destinations and experiences. At DS, he supports content creation and digital strategy across tourism clients: crafting blogs, newsletters, and social posts while managing social channels and reporting.
Corey Connelly
Strategic Support CoordinatorWith a background in media and marketing, Corey is driven by storytelling, creativity, and making an impact. He’s worked across small and large-scale businesses, executing seamless campaigns and managing complex projects. A committed runner and fitness enthusiast, Corey values movement, nature, and travel as sources of inspiration.
Ben Andrews
Head of Digital ExperienceDS’ go-to for everything digital. With a keen eye for digital trends, Ben’s focus is to strengthen destinations and businesses owned channel ecosystem, ensuring that digital best practice meets consistency across all digital touch points. Ben takes immense personal pride in the success of the accounts he manages, setting ambitious goals to elevate their digital presence beyond industry standards and destination competitors.
Oliver Batten
Lead – Destination Strategy & ImpactLet’s talk impact. Oly is driven by people and places and has worked across the government, not-for-profit and private sectors. Having worked as a Tourism and Events Manager in Local Government, he understands the nuances of developing destination strategies that champion community values. If Oly’s not hiking or surfing, he’s off finding solutions that deliver positive social and environmental impact.
Hayley Moody
Senior Destination Marketing CoordinatorHayley brings creative instinct and brand strategy together in one sharp package. With over 15 years in hospitality, surf and lifestyle marketing, she’s shaped everything from shoot styling to digital campaigns, always with an eye for story, style and substance.
At DS, she blends visual storytelling with real-world strategy, helping destinations and brands connect with audiences in meaningful, memorable ways.
Mikayla Watson
Digital Marketing CoordinatorStorytelling? Let’s go! Mikayla’s passion for travel fuels her creativity and strategic approach. Committed to sustainability, she drives impactful initiatives across digital channels, ensuring high-quality, consistent results. Seeing clients’ platforms thrive isn’t just about numbers – it’s about creating real benefits for local communities and small businesses, making a lasting impact through responsible and inspiring destination marketing.
Cooper Church
Marketing OfficerCooper brings a fresh perspective shaped by his upbringing in the tourism town of Pacific Palms. A passionate snowboarder and an avid traveller, Cooper thrives on exploring new destinations and experiences. At DS, he supports content creation and digital strategy across tourism clients: crafting blogs, newsletters, and social posts while managing social channels and reporting.
Corey Connelly
Strategic Support CoordinatorWith a background in media and marketing, Corey is driven by storytelling, creativity, and making an impact. He’s worked across small and large-scale businesses, executing seamless campaigns and managing complex projects. A committed runner and fitness enthusiast, Corey values movement, nature, and travel as sources of inspiration.