How Does It Work?
Enterprise DAM software is typically a custom-tailored solution for the specific use-cases of the company deploying the system. A discovery phase before implementing the system helps the software to be developed to fully meet the needs of the company through dynamic metadata and search categories, workflows, and strategic integrations.
- Metadata. Metadata is information about the asset that makes it searchable based on the specific metadata fields attached to the asset, such as date, time, location, keywords, or other relevant fields.
- Search Categories. Other categorizations can be specified to make assets searchable, including color, folder structure, controlled vocabulary, thesaurus definitions, and more.
- Workflows. Many companies have a repeatable process for assets within their system that can be turned into an automatic workflow triggered by specific events, such as asset approval or rights management.
- Integrations. A DAM will often need to integrate with other programs for it to be most effective for an organization. We make sure to understand our customers’ needs before implementation so that we can plan the appropriate integrations for the best DAM system based on specific requirements.
What Is A Digital Asset?
A digital asset is a digital file that typically holds some type of value for a company, whether it’s an image that has been purchased, a video that has been created, a packaging design, or a mockup for a printed brochure. A digital asset can be any digital file, so it can be a wide range of materials for a company and there can be hundreds to billions of digital assets that need to be managed for a single business.
Who Should Use DAM Software?
There are many professionals within an organization who can use and benefit from DAM software. Within each role, there are tasks that can be completed through the DAM, including photo uploads, image downloads, asset editing, rights management, task management, annotation, approvals, and more. Departments that tend to use DAM software the most are creative, marketing, brand, omnichannel, legal/compliance, and information technology (IT).
Additionally, there are many industries that actively use DAM software to help meet their business objectives.
- Media and Entertainment. Companies in media and entertainment need a secure, searchable solution to store files like movie poster designs, promotional video clips, and other assets that are distributed through many different platforms.
- Retail and Apparel. Apparel designs, lifestyle images, and product shots are just a few of the many assets that are essential for retail and apparel companies. With cloud DAM, these assets can be shared to internal marketing teams and external dealers.
- Hospitality. This industry relies on imagery in lobbies, restaurants, hotel rooms, on their electronic devices, menus, websites, and a vast array of other marketing materials and distribution channels. Having a DAM provides a single source to ensure that the right asset is used for the appropriate marketing campaign.
- Financial. Financial companies must adhere to strict governance rules so they need a secure DAM to help them keep their assets safe and ensure proper image and collateral usage.
- Government. Deadlines regularly need to be met with short turnaround times in government facilities. With a single source for digital assets, marketing projects are highly likely to realize a quicker turnaround time when using a DAM.
- Higher Education. Responsiveness is key in marketing, and this is especially true within higher education organizations. Marketing materials can be designed and re-designed based on performance and feedback from students and alumni at a quicker pace when MediaBeacon is at the heart of asset management for universities.
- Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG). Packaging plays a huge role in the success of CPG companies. MediaBeacon has unique partnerships with packaging companies like Esko to help provide a comprehensive packaging process for enterprises.
What Are The Benefits Of DAM Software?
As content continues to erupt as a force of consumer persuasion, the value of digital assets and their usage continues to rise. There are many benefits that brands experience from using DAM software to help get the most profitability from their assets.
- Increase Asset Efficiency. When your assets are stored using DAM software, they become tools for your brand that you can search for and use again. When your teams are working on campaigns, they can search relevant search terms, product ID numbers, color, or other search categories to find the perfect asset for their campaign without having to purchase any additional assets. A DAM also helps to eliminate redundancy by identifying duplicate images so that you can remove assets that are taking up excess storage space without reason.
- Lower Operating Costs. Without an asset management system, images and content can get lost in different storage programs, as email attachments, and on personal computers. When everything is consolidated into one central location, your employees save time so they can focus on applying their talent to their role.
- Boost Productivity. Since your employees can save time and focus on their responsibilities instead of searching through files, they can focus on development and productivity. By using a DAM as a single source for assets, your employees have the tools they need to be productive and the time to focus on activities that motivate and inspire them.
- Strengthen Brand Consistency. The ability to store all of your assets in a central location allows your teams to break down siloes and work from the same pool of approved assets in order to stay true to the brand and consistent across campaigns. With multilingual capabilities, you can be sure that MediaBeacon will help your teams achieve consistency across locations worldwide.
- Increase Speed to Market. With DAM software, you can greatly reduce the time it takes your product packaging to go to market and your marketing campaigns to be launched. When a manager can find the assets, assign a project, and annotate and approve assets in the same single location, it reduces the time needed to complete a project. MediaBeacon also allows designers to open assigned assets from the DAM into their favorite Adobe program using enterprise file sync and share.
- Automate Processes. MediaBeacon has powerful workflows that can easily be configured by using a drag-and-drop feature to place nodes into the best order for your workflow. Through your workflows, you can make sure that your assets and projects are properly reviewed and approved by stakeholders in your company.
- Control Digital Rights & Licensing. DAM software allows you to control who has access to assets and when. With configuration options for permissions, you can assure compliance by requiring users to check a box agreeing to terms and conditions before downloading an asset.
- Increase ROI. When you can efficiently use your assets, save time for your employees, increase speed to market, automate processes, and reduce legal risks, you can easily see a ROI for your investment into DAM software.
When Should I Start Using DAM Software?
Any company that has digital assets to manage should be using a DAM. The sooner you start using one, the better you will understand how to organize and store your assets in order to use and manage them in the most efficient way.
Some signs that you need to start using DAM software are:
- You or your team have trouble locating assets and are sometimes unsure where to even look to find them.
- You are spending excessive money on design costs and photo shoots, when there are assets that could be reused in order to reduce costs.
- The content that you’re distributing is not consistent with your brand and your brand is not recognizable based on the way your content looks.
- You are unsure of how many or what type of assets you have, or where they have been stored in the last few years.
- Assets get used in error sometimes, causing potential legal issues based on image rights.
- Your speed to market for packaging and marketing is slow and needs improvement.
- Your teams have a difficult time working together and are siloed, causing campaigns to be slow and disconnected.
- You have duplicate content, or multiple versions of a single asset that are scattered and taking up extra storage space.
These are just a few of the signs that you need to start considering DAM software. If you are experiencing any operational issues related to storing and using your assets, consult with a DAM professional to understand how improvements can be made through using a DAM.
Where Is DAM Software Hosted?
The best hosting option will be different from company to company based on current infrastructure and future goals. It’s important to consider your capabilities and goals carefully before selecting the specific way you will deploy your DAM software. DAM software can be hosted on premise, in the cloud, or a hybrid of both.
- In the Cloud. DAM that is hosted in the cloud is typically offered as Software as a service (SaaS) and can be quicker to deploy, require less storage space, and require less internal IT staff.
- On Premise. On-Premise DAM is hosted internally and typically requires a more robust IT team. It can be beneficial for companies with specific IT and security restrictions and users that are internally connected to the system.
- Hybrid. Sometimes, brands need a combination of DAM software hosted in the cloud and on premise. This is called a hybrid option and can be specified based on the needs of the enterprise.
DAM software can be the difference between you and your competitors. It can give you the advantage through responsiveness with the ability to act quickly to consumer trends, industry developments, and the demand of the business landscape. To learn more about DAM software and how MediaBeacon can help you store, manage, and distribute your assets from concept to consumer, contact us.
