Strategic Master Plans

Destination Markham Tourism Strategic Master Plan

Executive Summary 2023

Established in 2020, Destination Markham is responsible for growing the city’s visitor economy and establishing an identity distinct from the City of Toronto. In its 2022 Business Plan, the DMO identified the need for a 3-Year Tourism Strategic Master Plan. Amplify Marketing and Communications, in support of its strategic affiliates, was commissioned to contribute to that plan.

The strategic process the agency team undertook for the plan’s development was both collaborative and comprehensive. With the ‘blue sky’ thinking afforded by a new organization, Amplify made bold and comprehensive marketing recommendations, which included that:

• the DMO’s new, recently developed ‘brand’ was not really a brand at all but a corporate identity,
• they needed to create a true visitor-facing brand that would personify Markham as both a memorable day-trip and overnight destination,
• they needed to create an arsenal of target-appropriate, dynamic visitor experiences,
• the DMO needed to hire a full-time Tourism Manager to develop the new brand and exploit its full marketing potential.

Go to visitmarkham.ca to learn more and view the document in full.

BWG EcDev Strategic Plan

2017 – 2019

In 2017, Amplify and its strategic affiliates was engaged by the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury to develop their Economic Development Strategic Marketing Plan, a comprehensive project which consisted of a Consultation Report, Findings & Issues Report, Priority Report, Industrial Commercial Institutional Realtors Survey, and a Marketing Strategy and Implementation Plan.

Through primary and secondary research application, Amplify developed key strategic findings that resulted in significant branding, targeting, and marketing recommendations. Notably, Amplify was able to identify five distinct target groups, and the unique value propositions that would engage each of them. Amplify also created the new BWG brand… one based on a clearly defined and humanized persona. Amplify continues to work with BWG, successfully executing the plan and assisting the client in meeting their goals. BWG won the 2022 EDAC award for Amplify’s ‘Meet the Owner’s’ video campaign, which was a plan initiative.

Some of the elements to come out of the marketing plan are shown here, and in our case study.

Visit gotobwg.ca to learn more and view the documents in full.

WOWC Workforce Strategy

2021 – 2023

In 2021, The Western Ontario Wardens Caucus (WOWC) engaged Amplify and its affiliates to develop a detailed strategic plan that would support their Workforce Strategy initiative to create a resilient labour force to meet employer demand for 15 participating municipalities in Southwestern Ontario. The completed plan outlined key goals to ensure the region can meet workforce demands in the years ahead, and includes specific actions with measurable outcomes for moving forward in positive collaboration with the region’s municipalities, post-secondary institutions, businesses, and government partners. Specific strategic recommendations also included: the identification of new target audiences, with fully developed psychographic profiles; the creation of a synergistic sub-brand (‘Planning for Prosperity’); and a new, easy-to-use online digital portal that enabled stakeholders to access market-ready toolkits.

The response from the municipalities to the final plan has been overwhelmingly positive, and usage of the digital portal and toolkits is high. The client has also been nominated for two EDCO awards in early 2024 for Planning & Strategic Development, and Workforce Development & Resident Attraction. Click here for our full WOWC case study.

Visit workforcestrategy.wowc.ca to learn more and view the documents in full.