Independent brand strategist, 30+ years experience
Dayne Smith is an independent brand strategist based in Wellington, New Zealand. Often searched as Dane Smith, his work focuses on helping business owners establish clear brand strategy before marketing or execution begins. This page outlines how his thinking was formed, how he works today, and the experience that informs his point of view.
How Dayne Smith Works Today
Independent brand strategy.
As Dayne Smith, my work today centres on independent brand strategy delivered directly to business owners.
I work exclusively in brand strategy. I do not provide design, advertising, or media services, and I do not operate within an agency model. This allows me to work directly with business owners, without conflicting interests, and to focus on decision-making rather than execution.
Strategy before spend.
Across decades of commercial work, a consistent pattern has appeared. Marketing often starts too early, and strategy arrives too late. My work corrects that sequence. Position, message, and intent are decided first, so creative and marketing suppliers can be briefed once and work can compound rather than reset.
My approach is grounded in master-level brand frameworks developed by Marty Neumeier, David Aaker, Jean-Noël Kapferer, and Ries and Trout.
Mentoring and advisory work.
Alongside client work, I am recognised as a Brand Strategy Mentor with Business Mentors New Zealand. In this role, I support owners at points of change, growth, or uncertainty, applying the same strategy-first discipline used in my private practice.
Foundations and Formation
Early design and typographic discipline.
My early career was grounded in traditional design and typography. Working at Green Island Design and Print, I learned layout discipline, print production, and typographic structure under experienced trade compositors. This foundation shaped how I think about clarity, hierarchy, and communication.
Formal study and early commercial grounding.
Alongside practice, I completed formal study at the University of Otago, focusing on branding, graphic design, and marketing communication. This period connected academic thinking with commercial application and set the base for later strategic work.
International and Complex Work
United Kingdom experience.
In my twenties, I worked in the United Kingdom, trading as Flying Lizard and contracting to design agencies across London. This period exposed me to international standards, fast-paced commercial environments, and the demands of working across sectors and cultures.
Agency and large-system environments.
During this time, I worked with agencies such as OgilvyOne and on complex corporate engagements, including bid teams and infrastructure-scale communication projects at EDS. These environments sharpened my understanding of brand as a business asset, not a creative exercise.
Building and Refocusing Flying Lizard
Building a multi-disciplinary practice.
After returning to New Zealand, I established Flying Lizard in Dunedin. Over the following years, the business grew into a multi-disciplinary studio offering branding, marketing, and production services, employing up to ten staff.
Refocusing on strategy and craft.
Following the global financial crisis, I made a deliberate decision to step away from scale and management and return to core strategic and creative work. This shift led to a focused practice centred on brand strategy, advisory work, and one-to-one engagement with owners.
Selected Work and Contribution
Representative organisations and sectors.
My work has spanned private enterprise, public organisations, and civic projects in New Zealand and overseas. Engagements have included work for councils, museums, tourism bodies, infrastructure projects, professional services firms, and consumer brands.
Selected sectors include:
- Public and civic organisations
- Professional services
- Tourism and place-based branding
- Consumer goods and retail
- Infrastructure and technology
People, teams, and stewardship.
A consistent thread through my work has been the development of people. I have mentored staff, supported career progression, and served in advisory roles where clarity, judgement, and experience were required rather than scale or spectacle.
Perspective
Ongoing learning and adaptation.
Brand strategy sits at the intersection of business, culture, and communication. As tools and technologies change, the need for clear thinking remains constant. I continue to study, adapt, and refine my work, grounding new methods in established strategic principles.
Personal context.
I am New Zealand-born and live in Wellington with my family. Outside of work, my interests include calligraphy, drawing, Tai Chi, bonsai, and time with family. These disciplines reinforce patience, attention, and respect for craft, qualities that carry through my professional work.
This page documents the professional biography of Dayne Smith, an independent brand strategist based in Wellington, New Zealand, with over thirty years of experience in brand strategy, strategic brand architecture, and advisory work for business owners in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.