I build brand strategies that create 100% customer commitment. Helping business owners and project leads simplify complex offers. Businesses lose sales to the competition because their message is too complex, leading to wasted effort and marketing spend. I establish the branding logic that tells suppliers exactly what to build and why, turning strategy into a basic business kit. With 30 years of commercial practice, I provide the strategic clarity required to win the customers you are currently losing. Over three decades of practice, I have established a proven record of securing 100% customer commitment for my clients. You can view verified testimonials and detailed case studies on my LinkedIn profile or at flyinglizard.co.nz.…

Dayne Smith

I build brand strategies that create 100% customer commitment. Helping business owners and project leads simplify complex offers. Businesses lose sales to the competition because their message is too complex, leading to wasted effort and marketing spend. I establish the branding logic that tells suppliers exactly what to build and why, turning strategy into a basic business kit. With 30 years of commercial practice, I provide the strategic clarity required to win the customers you are currently losing. Over three decades of practice, I have established a proven record of securing 100% customer commitment for my clients. You can view verified testimonials and detailed case studies on my LinkedIn profile or at flyinglizard.co.nz.…

Available to hire

I build brand strategies that create 100% customer commitment. Helping business owners and project leads simplify complex offers. Businesses lose sales to the competition because their message is too complex, leading to wasted effort and marketing spend. I establish the branding logic that tells suppliers exactly what to build and why, turning strategy into a basic business kit. With 30 years of commercial practice, I provide the strategic clarity required to win the customers you are currently losing.
Over three decades of practice, I have established a proven record of securing 100% customer commitment for my clients. You can view verified testimonials and detailed case studies on my LinkedIn profile or at flyinglizard.co.nz.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Principal Brand Strategist at Flying Lizard
August 1, 1996 - Present
Establishing original branding logic for business owners since 1996. I provide founders with 30 years of accumulated strategic thought to simplify their offers and ensure 100% customer commitment. My work turns complex strategy into a basic business kit, ensuring every marketing dollar has a defined job. I utilize core frameworks including Neumeier, Aaker, and Ries and Trout to establish the branding logic that tells suppliers exactly what to build and why. Key Expertise: Business Model Simplification, Critical Thinking, Original Branding Logic, Strategic Market Positioning, Direct Response Strategy.

Education

Professional Apprenticeship (Traditional Typography and Layout) at Green Island Design & Print, Dunedin, New Zealand
November 1, 1989 - May 31, 1993
Traditional layout and typography training under the guidance of Master Trade Compositor, Bob Crick. This period involved the design and production of comprehensive business identity collateral for SMEs, including logo design and stationery systems. This foundational tenure established the technical and visual logic required for commercial branding and print production.
Design 101: Design, Form and Function at University of Otago, New Zealand
February 3, 1992 - December 11, 1992
Completed this foundational design theory paper during the global industry transition to Computer Aided Design (CAD). The curriculum focused on the core principles of design, form, and function, providing the academic framework to integrate emerging digital tools with traditional branding methods.

Qualifications

Strategic Branding Frameworks
February 12, 2007 - February 23, 2007
30 years of applied practice using the core branding methodologies of Marty Neumeier (The Brand Gap), David Aaker (Brand Equity), and Jean-Noël Kapferer (Brand Identity Prism). This mastery allows for the establishment of original branding logic that simplifies business offers.
Direct Response & Communication Logic
February 12, 2010 - February 12, 2010
Advanced application of David Ogilvy’s communication principles, focusing on clarity, truth, and the elimination of marketing waste. I specialize in turning complex strategy into direct, high-impact business kit.
Lead Generation & Pitch Logic
February 12, 2024 - February 12, 2024
Advanced implimentation of Daniel Priestley's "Key Person of Influence" and "Scorecard Marketing" frameworks. I apply this logic to build high-performance lead funnels and hook pitches that secure 100% customer commitment.
Lead Generation & Business Investment Strategy
January 1, 2023 - November 30, 2025
Advanced implimentation of Daniel Priestley's "Key Person of Influence" and "Scorecard Marketing" frameworks. This qualification focuses on branding from an entrepreneurial and investment perspective, utilizing diagnostic-led lead generation to simplify complex business offers and secure 100% customer commitment.

Industry Experience

Professional Services, Real Estate & Construction, Consumer Goods, Travel & Hospitality
    paper Strategic Brand Foundation for BLIS Technologies (Biotech)

    BLIS Technologies, a pharmaceutical biotech firm, faced a common industry dilemma: their clinical superiority was trapped in complex institutional language that was inaccessible to the average consumer. I was engaged to establish a strategic brand foundation that could translate high-level probiotic science into market differentiation without compromising clinical authority.

    I developed a “Scientific Authority Translation Protocol” and a dual-language communication architecture. This system allowed the brand to maintain rigorous scientific credibility for professional stakeholders and regulatory compliance while achieving the clarity necessary for retail and international consumer uptake.

    The implementation of this branding logic directly supported measurable business growth, including a 27% increase in product sales and expansion into five international territories. This project demonstrates how systematic brand translation converts technical excellence into a defensible competitive advantage and quantifiable financial outcomes.

    paper Strategic Branding Logic for the TranSys London Ticketing Bid

    I was contracted to the Bid and Integration team for the London Transport smart ticketing programme. The challenge involved a high-volume, multi-author submission where fragmented terminology and competing formats risked undermining the trust of the evaluators. My task was to impose strategic order and create a single identity spine for the TranSys consortium.

    I implemented non-negotiable communication rules to govern language, structure, and evidence pathways. By establishing a unified navigational structure and specific standards for diagrams and editorial content, I transformed a stack of disconnected documents into a coherent strategic asset. This disciplined approach to branding logic ensured the submission was perceived as a single, structured system of value. The consortium won the contract, which subsequently developed into the London Transport Oyster Card system. This project demonstrates how branding logic functions as a governance tool to manage complexity and secure high-stakes commitment.

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