Smart Marketing -
Article Five

Digital Asset Management keeps all the bits in order

So far in this Smart Marketing series on Customer-Centric Intelligence, we’ve focused on the Customer-Centric Intelligence philosophy and how to go about consolidating insights and information in order to shift “up a level” into the Business Intelligence approach. In particular, we’ve examined how all aspects of a business’s operations, consumers and marketplace can be analysed in order to identify opportunities for increasing efficiencies, business opportunities, and so forth.

But the Customer-Centric Intelligence approach recognizes that some efficiencies and savings (read: more profits) can also be achieved without any in-depth consumer and operational analyses, valuable though such analysis can be.  The smallest, most seemingly mundane aspects of daily business operations should also be examined, especially if these aspects have the potential to damage your brand.  With this in mind, it becomes clear how a marketing manager can have much to gain from improving business processes.

Specifically, we’re referring to digital asset management.  The evolution of the Web and the shift to digital print production has given rise to a widespread increase in the amount of electronic files that companies need to maintain.  With all of the different logos, photos, illustrations, audio clips, video clips, and other media, most readers will know that it becomes quite challenging for companies to keep track of these digital assets, be they for use in publications, product catalogues, marketing collateral, Web sites, broadcasts, or other output.

This area is one where marketing managers often have to play at being the Brand Police – ensuring that a company’s brands, attributes, and values are all protected.  Consider the following example of how a company’s image can be tarnished through poor management of something as simple, yet important, as the logo…

• The agency has just updated the company’s logo in line with the latest advertising campaign. Senior management and staff love the new logo, the brand manual – everyone likes it and is enthusiastic.
• Last week however the finance department ran low on invoices and put in an order to the printers (who are using the old logo).
• The sales team had just hired new staff, so they ordered new business cards – with the old logo.
• Then there are the old business cards, the old letterheads, the compliments slips that are still at reception from a year ago.
• And those who do wish to use the new logo have problems accessing the correct version or using it correctly, developing their own personal files for easy reference as they go.

In this not uncommon scenario, people all over the company keep on using the old logo for some period of time!

Customers in situations like this one do of course get to see the new logo and related marketing materials, especially as these aspects are more likely to be personally vetted by the marketing people who are most involved in the new ad campaign and logo. These consumers will get to see the DM piece telling me how the company has got a fresh new look – and then get to see the old logo on the next invoice, and on the business cards of their new account managers, and so on – undermining all the gains intended to arise from the image re-vamp.

A DAM (Digital Asset Management system) helps solves these problems, increasing internal efficiencies at the same time.   A DAM system takes all a company’s digital images, copy, text, video, catalogues and so on, and holds it in one central location for all to use.  Staff can search for what they need by key word, phonetically and by visual or thumbnail images, speeding things up for everyone.  Good DAM systems will also interact correctly with different file formats, printing needs, formats and sizes, ensuring the best materials are used for the situation, correctly and quickly, as well as being correctly updated, archived, and re-versioned as and when required.  In keeping with the Business Intelligence ethos, it means doing a better job, faster, and cheaper (when ‘lost’ hours of file-chasing are eliminated).

Of course, return on investment can only be achieved if the DAM system has been successfully implemented. Getting a definition of your company’s requirements and then getting buy-in is the greatest challenge, but definitely worth the effort.  The financial returns to the organization and the reduction in stress and wasted time from staff being unable to place their hands on what they need when they need it, are great incentives for moving forward.

Next week we’ll examine how to integrate marketing strategies in the Customer-Centric Intelligence way.