Are you expecting too much from a DAM?

In helping hundreds of companies implement tech to build their brand, including Digital Asset Management systems, we’ve learned what makes some solutions more effective than others. Most of the time, it’s not the DAM itself, nor a specific technology platform, that determines the success. Instead, how and why a company puts their brand technology to use has more of a positive impact, and the DAM component itself is usually one part of the solution that ultimately does more than just manage assets.

If you’re getting started with brand management technology, or looking to improve what tools you already have, how can you set yourself up for success? Start with expectations. We’ve learned companies sometimes go into a project believing a DAM will fix every marketing problem or challenge they face. While these systems certainly can deliver a lot of great benefits and value, they aren’t a magic wand. They fix a foundational problem for many marketing departments of storing and accessing asserts, but that’s only one part of the ecosystem that supports building and promoting a brand.

Companies typically need a lot more, and we know several who learned the hard way that DAM alone isn’t enough. Providing access to the right assets doesn’t guarantee people will use them correctly, or that they’ll use them at all. For a brand to thrive, the marketing ecosystem needs a range of things including training, engagement, feedback, processes, and communication. These are all critical to help your marketing community know the right and wrong ways to implement everything, whether the resources are in a DAM or not. These tools and resources need to be approachable and easy to use, because people’s tendency is to just grab something from a DAM and assume they already know how to use it. 

Ideally, the links to training and processes are integrated with the DAM, so any asset library leads people directly to how to correctly use what they download. The integration should also work both ways, so anyone who starts at the training and guidelines can easily start an asset search without having to switch tools or platforms.

Are you expecting your DAM to fix problems it’s not designed to fix? We can share what we’ve learned so you can get more from your investment.