Niagara Falls’ Secret to a Picture-Perfect Brand

Destination Niagara USA inspires travelers to visit its iconic falls and the surrounding communities. As the region’s official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), its mission is to drive economic prosperity by boosting tourism. But behind the scenes, a growing, unorganized digital archive was making it hard to tell that story consistently. The team was struggling with an outdated system for their photos and brand assets, and they needed a way to get everyone on the same page.

The challenge: Slow, frustrating file hunts

As the Vice President of Marketing, Libby Tonellato’s daily workflow was constantly interrupted by requests for assets. The team’s reliance on a messy shared drive created widespread issues with brand consistency and collaboration. These obstacles made it difficult to effectively market the destination.

• Outdated assets created brand confusion. With a shared drive where “people liked to grab things and run with it,” it was impossible to control which assets were being used. This frequently led to team members and partners using “outdated assets and sharing images from places that weren’t even open anymore.”
• Locating the right files took forever. The volume of unorganized content on the shared drive meant only those who were constantly in it knew where to find things.
• Collaboration suffered due to a lack of organization. The difficulty in finding assets made it tough for different departments and external partners to work together effectively. 

“We have so much stuff on our shared drive that you really need to be in there at all times to know where things are. People were constantly popping in my office asking, ‘Where is this document?’ or ‘Where is this photo?’… It was just kind of a cluster.”

Libby Tonellato, VP of Marketing, Destination Niagara USA

The solution: A centralized hub for collaboration

Now, with a single source of truth for all their visual assets, the marketing team at Destination Niagara USA can ensure consistency and collaborate effortlessly. 

• Collaboration with partners became simple and efficient. PhotoShelter provides an easy way to share assets with travel writers, influencers, and agency partners. The team can grant specific access to external users, noting it’s “nice that we can pick and choose what they can or can’t touch.”

• Brand consistency is now guaranteed. The platform serves as a “one-stop shop” that protects the destination’s brand identity. By encouraging partners to use the approved, high-quality photos, PhotoShelter ensures “that everyone’s talking the same talk, that everything looks and feels the same, and that we’re all representing the destination as this really fun, energetic brand.”
• Data drives their content strategy. The team uses PhotoShelter’s built-in analytics to see which assets are most popular and who is downloading them. This allows them to communicate with partners about usage and identify which locations or activities might need a visual refresh.

“PhotoShelter makes things really easy, even with our creative agency and our digital agency, too. They all have full access to everything they need, whereas with travel writers or some media partners, we only give them access to specific files. So it’s really nice that we can pick and choose what they can or can’t touch.”

Libby Tonellato, VP of Marketing, Destination Niagara USA

A path forward for a thriving destination

For Destination Niagara USA, fixing the daily frustration of asset management was a top priority. With an organized, central hub, they’ve empowered their team and partners to tell a single, compelling story about their vibrant region. The new workflow gives them the confidence and the tools to focus on what truly matters: inspiring the world to visit.

“PhotoShelter allowed us to get everything organized. The search tool makes it so easy to find what we need. Our marketing department uses it constantly, and when other departments jump in, the experience is seamless for everyone.”

Libby Tonellato, VP of Marketing, Destination Niagara USA