Dusit Thani Beachfront - Sri Lanka

We were summoned to serve as a brand steward for Balapitiya’s new 12-acre beachfront property by one the world’s largest hotelier Dusit Thani International, and by the Indola Group. To catalyse a breakthrough growth and attract capital for investments, we leveraged on the equity of Dusit International, Nikki Beach and Intercontinental Hotel. Our roadmap included a staged approach to address the pivotal insights to generate an immediate outsized impact

The most significant driving lever was that the development allowed foreigners to invest in Sri Lanka for the first time, and this offering demanded immediate awareness amongst the investors. Implementing a strategic move to influence the value perceptions of the audience was required. The critical challenges involved a distinct brand development to house the global names of ‘Dusit International’, ‘Nikki Beach Club’, ‘Devarana Spa’, ‘Taj Group of Hotels’, and ‘Intercontinental Hotel’. Moreover, brand alignment with the parent firms without disrupting their legacy was mandated.

Our go-to-market model revolved around enhancing and uplifting Sri Lanka as a nation to international investors via articulating the benefits in the communication campaigns, events and PR, touchpoints and collaterals, and valuable interactions for the customer journey experience. The cultural diversity, indigenous people and the pristine beauty of the island in the Indian Ocean served as the inspiration towards branding, marketing and strategic goals.

The newfound emphasis on the attractive investment package caught unprecedented attention amongst government officials and investors, which optimised the profitability trajectory and enabled new land acquisitions for future ventures. 70% of the leads were generated from the campaigns and the first tower was sold within the first month of launch..