In addition to being a popular destination for more than three million visitors each year, Sedona is also a place that a close-knit community of 10,000 residents call home. As one of the Southwest’s most scenic and beloved destinations, Sedona was experiencing the growing pains that often accompany special places that have gained popularity among travelers.

Amid growing pressures, including overcrowding and resource strain, and with the relationship between tourism and resident quality of life becoming less consensual and increasingly contentious, the City of Sedona chose to assume direct control of destination marketing in 2023 after decades of contracting the DMO work to the Chamber of Commerce. It was clear that Sedona needed a reset – a brand built from the ground up to restore community trust while continuing to deliver economic impact – and after a competitive nationwide search, DVA was selected to build it.

To answer the question of how you reframe Sedona as a destination defined not only by its landscape but also by its values, DVA concepted the resulting “Redefine Desert” campaign and platform. The campaign asks visitors to Redefine Desert through five core pillars: Adventure, Mindfulness, Discovery, Responsibility, and Family Time. Stewardship messaging embedded into every campaign touchpoint reinforces responsible recreation and Leave No Trace principles, while seasonal geo-targeted campaigns promote off-peak travel and redirect visitation to underutilized assets. National co-op efforts with the Arizona Office of Tourism extend the message further, while voluntourism-focused initiatives such as a content creator FAM in conjunction with TravelCon leverage third-party content to highlight stewardship in action.

It’s all tied together through Datafy as the geolocation data partner and programmatic advertising platform, which ties media exposure directly to real-world outcomes using post-impression visitation. The resulting numbers speak for themselves: $26 million in tourism-related value, 40,000+ room nights, 75,000+ visitor days, and a 46:1 return on ad spend in the first few campaigns.

More than a campaign, “Redefine Desert” gave Sedona a unified brand system that supports responsible visitation, prioritizes residents, and reflects the values of the people who are proud to call it home.