DAM Knowledge The Top 10 Digital Asset Management Features Digital asset management features have evolved beyond asset management: But what are the core features you need from a DAM? July 30, 2024 Carlie Mason Director of Growth Marketing 7 min read As digital asset management software (DAM) evolves, so too does its functionality. Beyond the basic organization and storage – what are the functions that a DAM has to offer? In this post, we’re explaining the digital asset management features that make up the core of the DAM system. DAM functionality has significantly evolved, and for good reason. Companies are producing more content than ever, and creative teams need a comprehensive platform that can manage the entire content lifecycle, from creation to distribution. This demand has driven digital asset management vendors to innovate and add new features, transforming DAM software from a niche media solution into an essential component of the marketing tech stack. Rather see DAM features in action? Take the self-guided tour of MediaValet here. Take a tour of MediaValet With that in mind, a digital asset management system has 10 crucial features: Organizing Searching Downloading Version Control and History Sharing Access Control Video Management Reporting and Analytics Templating Artificial Intelligence What are the 10 Key Digital Asset Management Features? Digital asset management platforms can differ greatly in their abilities, but there are several key features they should offer. If you’re interested in comparing solutions, check out our free resource to understand which DAM vendor is right for you. 1. Organizing At its core, a digital asset management platform is used to centralize and organize your digital assets in a single, easy-to-access library where they can be easily found by everyone. But digital asset management is about more than just collecting your assets in one place. It’s about taking advantage of the DAM’s advanced searching, downloading and sharing capabilities to ensure your assets aren’t just stored – they’re properly leveraged by employees, agencies and partners to maximize each asset’s potential. 2. Searching Without digital asset management, finding the right asset can take time – even if you know exactly what you’re looking for. But with a DAM system in place, your assets are more easily discoverable. First and foremost are your keywords: words and phrases used to describe the assets you’re uploading. Similarly, attributes are used to describe other important information about your assets, such as the date created, photographer name and file name. Attributes can be automatically generated or manually added to your asset to make it easier for users to discover your assets. Another key feature that makes searching stress-free is a clear and concise category structure. This feature makes the library more “browseable”, as it allows you to click through multi-level folders to find the assets you’re looking for. The best DAM systems offer unlimited categories with their subscription and will help you with your initial set up. MediaValet enables artificial audio and video intelligence to reduce manual effort and automatically populate your asset with metadata spanning common objects, text and color recognition. 3. Downloading Any assets stored in the DAM are only valuable, of course, if your team can actually use them. A digital asset management system makes it easy and simple to download your digital assets, in the exact file format and resolution you need. Any user with downloading permission is able to change the format or size of your assets (ie. a rendition – learn the value of these here) on-the-fly (for example, turning a JPG into a PNG). This feature is a lifesaver for companies that have a busy design team that’s often backlogged with requests. 4. Version Control and History As soon as a change is made to any images or marketing material, you need to make sure that the correct version of the asset is used going forward. Alternatively, when the wrong changes are made, you need to go back to a previous version. DAMS can also save and track the history of previous versions and revert to an earlier asset at any time. A DAM system also offers admins the ability to track who is using, sharing and editing content within the system. Additionally, they provide extensive histories for each asset, from viewing to commenting, ensuring you’ll always know who has been interacting with an asset at any given time. 5. Sharing When collaborating with coworkers, partners or agencies, sharing a couple of low-res photos is not a problem. However, when you’re working on a large PPT deck or a video, sending files over email can becomes an issue. A DAM system allows you to easily share your large files in a variety of ways: Over Email: The most common form of sharing assets is by sending a link to an online gallery or a downloadable zip file within the DAM system. Some DAM vendors offer integrations that allow you to share assets directly from your email system (such as Outlook). Collections: For longer-term projects, many companies turn to the collections function, which allows you to aggregate assets from different categories, into specific project-based folders. Thereafter, it’s easy to share your lightboxes with whoever needs them. Brand Portals: Common use cases we typically see for brand portals include sharing brand guidelines and supporting various campaigns. Brand portals allow users to curate and share collections of assets with internal and external users as a custom-branded online library. 6. Access Control Even though your assets are all in a central location, you don’t necessarily want everyone to have the same viewing and downloading permissions. A key feature that separates a digital asset management system from other storage systems is its access control structure. To ensure your assets are only used by the right people at the right time, digital asset management systems allow you to create user groups. These groups have different viewing, uploading, downloading and sharing abilities. This means that your contributors are able to easily upload their content into your system and your users will also have confidence that any assets they are able to access are approved for their use. That includes both internal and external users. MediaValet allows you to set custom user permissions and restrictions that suit your organization. This ensures that external stakeholders can access, and share, all the assets they need with Branded Portals. 7. Video Management DAM platforms have been consistently evolving to manage rich media files like video and audio content. Rather than relying on multiple platforms like video CMS and traditional file sharing solutions, a DAM system can manage everything in one place. MediaValet’s video asset management capabilities enable users to translate, preview, and share video files seamlessly. With support for various video formats, users can easily handle large video assets and ensure they are accessible to the right teams. The platform also offers automated transcoding to different resolutions, making it simpler to distribute videos across different channels without manual intervention. 8. Reporting and Analytics Understanding how digital assets are used and which ones are impactful is critical for optimizing your content strategy. MediaValet’s DAM reporting and analytics feature provide insights into asset usage, download patterns, and user activity. This data helps organizations understand which assets are most valuable, identify content gaps, and make data-driven decisions to improve asset utilization. With comprehensive reporting tools, users can generate detailed reports that track asset performance and user engagement, ensuring that your digital asset strategy is aligned with business objectives. 9. Templating Connecting a digital asset management system with a templating solution can significantly streamline content creation and ensure brand consistency by enabling easy access to approved assets and the ability for departments across the organization to customize content, quickly. MediaValet Templating, powered by Marq allows users to create and customize templates for various types of content, such as social media posts, brochures, and presentations. By using templates, teams can quickly generate on-brand content without needing extensive design skills. This feature is particularly useful for organizations that need to maintain a consistent brand image across multiple channels and touchpoints. 10. Artificial Intelligence DAM systems have been incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered capabilities to transform the way digital assets are managed. MediaValet leverages AI to automate metadata generation, content tagging, and image recognition. These AI capabilities reduce the manual effort required to organize and categorize assets, making it easier for users to find what they need quickly. Additionally, AI-powered features such as Face Recognition, object detection, and color analysis enhance the accuracy of asset searches and improve overall efficiency in managing large libraries of digital content. With these key digital asset management features alone, companies worldwide are experiencing cost savings and team efficiency improvements. When an organization integrates their processes and existing platforms with a DAM system amazing things can happen. As a DAM vendor, MediaValet aims to consistently improve and evolve our offering; we’re always adding new features to better your business. We help businesses worldwide to accomplish objectives, find out how we can help you – book a demo here. MediaValet is a leader in cloud-based digital asset management that helps organizations manage, organize and share their digital assets, improving productivity and increasing ROI. Related Articles DAM Knowledge DAM vs CMS: How Are They Different? Read more DAM Knowledge The Essential Guide to Digital Asset Management Workflows Read more DAM Knowledge The Beginners Guide to Building a DAM Taxonomy Read more DAM Knowledge Understanding DAM User Roles Read more Ready to see what the DAM hype’s about? Meet with one of our product experts Book a demo
Shopping For a DAM Is it Time for a DAM System Migration? Here are 7 Steps to Make it Easier Sometimes, organizations outgrow their tech stacks. For many, the time has come for a DAM system migration, but what are the steps to do so? July 24, 2024 Nuala Cronin Content Manager 4 min read Effectively managing digital assets is crucial for businesses of all sizes. A Digital Asset Management (DAM) system plays a pivotal role in organizing, storing, and distributing digital assets. But some organizations are already working with a DAM vendor and aren’t necessarily happy with their service. That’s why we’re building out the steps organizations need to take for a DAM system migration. As businesses grow and DAM technology evolves, organizations may find that their current solution just isn’t doing what they need it to anymore. The need to migrate to a new DAM platform may arise, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. This blog post will outline the essential steps to successfully migrate DAM platform, ensuring a seamless transition with minimal disruption to the organization’s workflows. We break down how to: Assess your current system Define your migration goals and requirements Prepare your data for migration Select your new DAM vendor Plan and execute the DAM vendor migration process Train your users Evaluate your new DAM solution If you’d rather listen to a webinar on this topic, check out A Strategic Approach to Planning your DAM Migration here! 7 Steps to a Successful DAM System Migration If you’re here, you probably already know that your current DAM vendor isn’t working out. Maybe it’s not evolving fast enough, maybe it hasn’t scaled as your organization has, or maybe you’re just not happy with your existing service. Whatever your reasoning, you need to evaluate how to move forward, and how to find a better solution. These 7 steps will make a DAM system migration a little bit easier! 1. Assess your Current DAM System It’s time to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the existing DAM system. Interested in learning more about DAM Vendors? Check out the G2 DAM Vendor Comparison Report here! Can you add all the new users and employees in your organization? Is there ongoing training to ensure new features are adopted? Is the DAM able to not only store new asset formats? How do your existing users feel about the platform? Would a migration to a new DAM vendor alleviate your problems? 2. Define Migration Goals and Requirements If you’ve decided it’s time to migrate DAM vendors and you need to find a new, more long-term DAM solution, you need to define what the goals of a migration look like. Remember, getting stakeholders on board to switch isn’t always the easiest thing. You should clearly outline the goals and expected outcomes of the migration process. Identify the features and functionalities required in the new DAM system. Does the new DAM vendor need to be scalable? Will the new vendor meet security requirements? What integration capabilities are non-negotiables? 3. Prepare Data for Migration Once you’ve decided on the necessaries for your new DAM vendor, you need to put some time into preparing the data that needs to be migrated. Like when you initially prepared to move your assets to a digital asset management solution, you need to conduct a comprehensive audit of existing digital assets. Take the time to clean up and organize your digital assets library. Conduct a thorough asset audit and eliminate duplicates or irrelevant content. Ensure metadata is accurate, consistent, and standardized to facilitate easy migration. Review your category structure and be sure it’s clean and relevant. 4. Select a New DAM Vendor You’ve done it before, but now the industry has grown, and your options have expanded massively. Digital asset management vendors have evolved way beyond simple asset management. Vendors like MediaValet have expanded AI capabilities and technology to truly serve customers. Don’t take our word for it though, check out the G2 Crowd DAM Vendor Comparison Report here. Carry out some thorough research on DAM vendors to ensure your choice aligns with your requirements. Check out third party review sites like G2. Evaluate case studies and success stories. Request demos and trials to test the usability and functionality of the platform. 5. Plan and Execute the Migration Process Once you’ve chosen the right vendor, you need to thoroughly plan how to migrate your library over to the new DAM platform. You should work with your DAM vendor and internal teams to detail each step. Create a detailed process with clear stakeholder involvement, deadlines, and responsibilities. Assign a dedicated team to oversee the migration process. Define backup and data recovery strategies to prevent data loss during migration. Schedule the migration during off-peak hours to minimize disruptions. 6. Train Users and Provide Support When you undertake a DAM system migration, it’s crucial that you get stakeholders on board ASAP to ensure widespread adoption and use. Your new vendor should offer comprehensive training to users on the new DAM system to ensure fast time-to-value, and prolonged success on their platform. Provide stakeholders with access to documentation and resources for future reference. Ensure your stakeholders have access to continuous support during and after implementation. Involve key stakeholders to provide feedback and identify any issues or shortcomings they find on the new DAM platform. 7. Post-Migration Evaluation Congratulations! You’ve come to the last phase of a successful DAM system migration. Your work isn’t done though, now, you need to conduct a post DAM migration evaluation to measure the success of the process, and ensure continued success going forward. Seek feedback from users and address any lingering concerns with your vendor. Request any features you feel are crucial to your success. Migrating DAM systems can be a complex endeavor, but with proper preparation, goal-setting, and vendor selection, it becomes a manageable task. By following these 7 steps, businesses can ensure a smooth and successful DAM migration, empowering them to optimize their digital asset management, enhance productivity, and drive better results in the long run. Related Articles Shopping For a DAM Why DAM is Crucial During Mergers and Acquisitions Read more Shopping For a DAM PIM vs DAM: Are They Better Together? Read more Shopping For a DAM Building a Business Case for DAM: The 6 Step Guide Read more Shopping For a DAM The Best Digital Asset Management Platform for your Organization Read more Ready to see what the DAM hype’s about? Meet with one of our product experts Book a demo
Design 3 Requests That Are Slowing Down Your Creative Team (and Easy Fixes) Here are three requests slowing down your creative team, and quick & easy fixes you can use to address them. July 17, 2024 Jeffrey Bates Creative Director 4 min read The world is becoming increasingly visual – across industries, geographic locations, and platforms. To this end, it’s no surprise that marketing, sales, and other departments have turned to high-quality, visual content to attract attention and achieve business goals. In fact, visuals can increase someone’s desire to read a piece of content by 80%.While it’s undeniable that original, visual content can contribute to tangible business results, the creation of this content can put a considerable burden on the creative department. With increased pressure to continuously release creative, well-designed visuals, it’s more important than ever to ensure this team can put its hours towards initiatives that move the needle. This means reducing any unnecessary administrative and tedious tasks.While easier said than done, there are a few kinds of requests that are slowing down your creative team considerably – that are quick and easy to fix! Here are three we frequently hear about, and how they can be addressed with a digital asset management system (DAM).Assets RequestsWhere’s our most recent logo? Do you mind resending me the social images for our spring campaign? Which sales brochure is the most up-to-date? These are the kinds of questions your creative teams get almost daily.When other teams don’t have access to your company’s most up-to-date campaign and brand assets, your creatives get bogged down with requests for logos, images, videos, and more. While this usually only takes a quick 5 minutes, the minutes can quickly add up – not to mention the break in their creative flow.The fix: Aggregating your assets into a single, centralized library is the first step to reducing these kinds of requests. Small organizations, working with only a few assets, often get by using a file-sharing system, like Dropbox. Larger organizations, however, require a more advanced solution, like a digital asset management system, which can provide additional search and permission capabilities.Some DAMs, like MediaValet, also offer the ability to make Branded Portals for frequently requested content. Using portals, creative teams can make branded, well-organized “micro-sites” for logos, campaign-specific assets, and more. They can then share the portals with departments or partners, using a public or password-protected link.Reformatting & ResizingEven when people do have access to assets, all too often they’re in the wrong format. Collaborative departments, like marketing, often need to send logos, print materials, digital ads, etc. to partners, tradeshow organizers, and other stakeholders – each in a specific size and format. While there are online converters and workarounds, many don’t work well or adhere to the organization’s security policies.When this is the case, creatives are often the ones that take the brunt of these requests. In addition to slowing down your team, this can also risk the relationship between your marketing and creative teams. The creative team will be frustrated that they constantly need to make these small updates, while the marketing team will be frustrated that their project is bottlenecked by the request.The fix: Teams outside of the creative department need to be enabled to reformat the organization’s brand assets, quickly and on-the-fly. With a digital asset management system, users can convert JPGs to PNGs, word documents to PDFs, Mp4s to MOVs, and more – all in any resolution they need! Never again will creatives need to waste their time on these small changes.For certain use cases, cropping capabilities can also help reduce requests considerably. With an easy-to-use cropping solution, teams are able to make quick dimension and size changes without needing to ask a designer for help. For example, social media teams can quickly crop a single image to meet the optimal dimensions for each social channel.Small UpdatesAll too often, the creative team is relied on to make insignificant updates to pieces of content. Whether it’s updating the contact information on a business card or changing a logo on a brochure, a significant amount of a creative’s time can be spent on activities that don’t drive much business value.More often than not, these requests come because the other individual lacks the technology that’s needed to make the changes themselves. And with good reason – creative software can run anywhere from $10 – $30 per month. Multiply that by every person in the office, and it becomes very pricey. This challenge also increases tenfold for people that don’t have a high level of design expertise and education. While it’s not a perfect solution, it makes more financial and efficient sense to keep this software for the creative team.The fix: Teams need the ability to make simple changes to branded content, without relying on the creative team. Templating software, enables creative teams to provide other teams with customizable templates – all without putting a significant dent in your budget. These templates don’t require any design expertise and are incredibly easy to use.What’s more, templating software can connect directly to your DAM, making creative asset management so much simpler. Your users can make quick edits to approved digital assets without needing to leave the platforms they use already. For example, a salesperson can access a brochure in your DAM, and quickly edit the contact information to their own – all without leaving their DAM!Get Started with MediaValet TemplatingMediaValet Templating, powered by Marq allows teams to create customizable and easy-to-use templates for their team. Users can easily access templates on-demand, within MediaValet, and make changes without asking for designer support. Learn more about the new integration here. Related Articles Design What is a Rendition? Read more Design The Best Creative Conferences to Attend in 2025 Read more Design The Benefits of Digital Asset Management for Video Read more Design Building a House: UX and UI Explained Read more What a DAM good read! Fuel your DAM knowledge by browsing our Resource library Build My DAM Knowledge
DAM Knowledge Video Asset Management: Definition, Benefits & More. Find out what video asset management is and how leading organizations are using it to make the most of their video content. July 16, 2024 Carlie Mason Director of Growth Marketing 4 min read As the demand for online video content continues to increase so too does the need for video asset management. Marketing professionals in every sector are investing in strategized video production. In fact, reports show that 54% of consumers want to see more video content from brands or businesses they already support. Further to that, 87% of marketing professionals already use video as a marketing tool. Over the past few years, creative teams have been busy producing engaging video content that tells their brand stories—and putting them where they best reach their target audiences. But, how are they keeping track of all of these expensive content pieces? And how are they making sure they get the most from their investment in producing them? The solution many marketing teams are using is to employ a video asset management system. In this blog post we cover: What is video asset management? The benefits of video asset management, Who needs video asset management, and Using DAM as a video asset management system. What is Video Asset Management? Video asset management helps organizations manage, organize and share large amounts of video content. It helps improve the discoverability of videos significantly, enriching them with additional metadata, such as categories, keywords, auto-tags and automatic transcripts. Video asset management drastically improves the productivity of marketing and creative teams working with video content, as they can more easily find and use the videos they need. Video asset management is often supported by a cloud-based digital asset management (DAM) system, which manages all digital assets in a single library. A cloud-based solution ensures that videos easily accessible by team members at any time, from anywhere (with permissions). This is especially important for organizations working with distributed teams, such as marketing agencies or global offices. Cloud-based systems also enable organizations to scale quickly, without the storage restrictions caused by using internal servers or on-premises solutions. Benefits of Video Asset Management Today’s cloud-based digital asset management systems offer a number of benefits for video content creators, but here we’ll touch on the top five: 1. Centralized Location Store all of your high-quality videos, including b-roll, final footage and archived video, are in one, cloud-based location, where anyone in the company (with the right permissions) can access them. No more time spent looking through various shared folders, personal computers, or servers. Learn about Microsoft’s Azure cloud. 2. Enhanced Discoverability Tag videos with additional metadata, like categories, keywords and embedded metadata to increase the discoverability of your video assets, reducing search time. Artificial intelligence also enhances videos with timestamped auto-tags for objects, text, people, topics and more, ensuring you can find a specific moment within large videos. Learn about Advanced Search. 3. Seamless Sharing Capabilities Instantly share collections of videos with internal or external team members without getting an email bounce notification or using WeTransfer. From ZIP files to Branded Portals, you can choose how to share your video files – and in what format. Learn about Branded Portals. 4. Automated Transcription and Translation Quickly navigate to a specific scene, line of script and more, with automatic transcripts. Transcripts can also be translated and downloaded into a variety of file formats, to help your organization reach global markets with multi-language previews. Learn about Video Intelligence. 5. Enhanced Security Ensure your videos are protected from deletion, corruption or hacking with advanced security features. Many video asset management solutions are committed to the highest security levels and compliant with the top geographic and industry-specific certifications. Custom permission levels also ensure employees are only accessing videos approved for their specific use. Learn about security and compliance. Who Needs Video Asset Management? Any organization dealing with large amounts of video content can benefit greatly from employing a video asset management system. Assets could be as simple as iPhone videos for social media channels, or as complex as professionally produced b-roll footage. Whatever kind of video assets you’re dealing with, a video asset management solution is a step in the right direction. The demand for video will only continue to grow – now is the time to better manage your video content. While any industry can benefit from video asset management, for the following industries, it’s often a must-have: Sports: Sports teams need to manage a variety of videos, including game footage, content from sponsors, social media content, player interviews and more. Agencies: Marketing and creative agencies manage a huge amount of b-roll and final ad footage for a number of clients at any given time. Tourism: Tourism organizations often manage raw location footage plus the final, produced promotional videos used for TV, web and display campaigns. See how Miles Partnership uses MediaValet to deliver over 6000 hours of video footage to its nationwide tourism clients. Using a DAM for Video Asset Management Digital asset management systems like MediaValet offer comprehensive and sophisticated video and creative asset management solutions. With features like Audio/Visual Intelligence (AVI), organizations can use their DAM system to truly manage video content. MediaValet’s AVI can: Recognize people, objects, text, spoken word, topics and locations Automate AI tagging for easy sorting and organization Share videos using links, galleries, Branded Portals, and CDN links Deliver video in the optimal size and format for each device and bandwidth Create subtitles in 60+ languages for global accessibility Auto-generate transcripts that can be downloaded and translated Interested in learning more about video asset management with DAM? Three organizations share their success with DAM and video asset management to achieve higher ROI from their video content in this on-demand webinar. Watch it now! Related Articles DAM Knowledge DAM vs CMS: How Are They Different? Read more DAM Knowledge The Essential Guide to Digital Asset Management Workflows Read more DAM Knowledge The Beginners Guide to Building a DAM Taxonomy Read more DAM Knowledge Understanding DAM User Roles Read more Ready to see what the DAM hype’s about? 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Product 8 DAM Integrations to Enhance Team Adoption Learn why DAM integrations are important and review 6 valuable examples of digital asset management system integrations that enhance team adoption. July 9, 2024 Carlie Mason Director of Growth Marketing 8 min read A digital asset management system (DAM) is an important investment for any company and an excellent way to increase productivity within your organization. But, like any technology investment, it’s only valuable if it gets used.How can you guarantee better DAM adoption rates? Implementing the right DAM integrations for your teams. Whether it’s a brand-new implementation or taking the next step in your DAM maturity, DAM integrations can enhance adoption and help your team to get the most out of their investment. Why DAM Integrations Matter Implementing the right DAM integrations allows companies to connect directly into the tech stack that their team already uses and loves. Not only does this help improve the adoption of the platform, but it also helps remove bottlenecks and ensures digital assets are properly used across all initiatives. Here are some of the main ways that DAM integrations can help your team work better: Increased adoption: First and foremost, DAM integrations increase the adoption of the DAM itself, by allowing users to use it within the tools they already use and love. Improved workflow: The right integrations will achieve a seamless workflow for your team, cutting out additional steps and eliminating the need to log in and out of other systems. Shortened time-to-market: When systems are connected, it saves everyone time and allows for shorter time-to-market for your projects and products. Streamlined communication: Integrations also help get rid of pesky communication silos, as communication is streamlined across all platforms. Improved data quality: Integrations help ensure better data sharing and, ultimately, improve data quality, which makes for better decision-making across the organization. Top 8 DAM Integrations While there are a ton of available DAM integrations (and even more custom options with our open API), the top six(eight?) integrations that customers explore include: Open API, Customer Relationship Management Systems, Design Software, Project Management Systems, Product Information Management Systems, Identity Management Platforms, Forensic Watermarking, and Templating Solutions. Let’s get into more detail about how a DAM integrates with each of these systems below. 1. Open API An open API enables in-house developers to select and utilize specific functionalities when building platforms or applications. Example: MediaValet’s Open API Why use an Open API? Using an open API for a DAM system allows seamless integration with other software, enabling customization, scalability, and enhanced collaboration across teams. It fosters innovation by supporting third-party development and future-proofing capabilities, while also ensuring compliance and security through tailored authentication and authorization measures. This flexibility makes it easier to adopt and integrate DAM functionalities into existing workflows, ultimately improving efficiency and utilization of digital assets within organizations. How does an Open API work? MediaValet’s Open API offers a comprehensive set of API Endpoints, Webhooks, and Powershell for seamless access, management, and utilization of digital assets. From uploading, downloading, searching, to organizing, it equips you to craft engaging experiences. By programmatically mapping metadata from third-party applications, ingestion policies, and custom data applications, your assets become easily discoverable. Everything you need to know about MediaValet’sOpen API. 2. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) A CRM is a system that helps companies manage their contacts and stay up to date on interactions with customers via email, phone, website, and more. It tracks customer data from these interactions and stores it in one central place. Example: Salesforce Sales Cloud Why integrate with CRM? Integrating a CRM with a DAM significantly reduces the time it takes for teams to share content with customers and prospects. This integration helps to optimize workflow as your digital assets, like product brochures, presentations, videos, etc., are more easily found and shared. It also gives your team secure access to up-to-date assets without ever leaving the CRM which provides a single-source-of-truth for your team, eliminating the risk of using outdated or unapproved material by mistake. How does the integration work? The Salesforce Sales Cloud and MediaValet integration gives your team instant access to digital assets by syncing assets to the CRM library upon upload to a specific category in the DAM. The most recent versions of assets will also be pushed to the CRM, making sure that teams are always using up-to-date materials. The integration allows you to track and manage all your customer-facing assets used in the CRM without leaving the DAM. Everything you need to know about MediaValet’s integration with Salesforce Sales Cloud. 3. Design Software Design software helps your creative teams secure and manage their creative files while accelerating the creative process. Files for web design, creative content, vector graphics, and more are securely managed on this platform. Example: Adobe Creative Cloud, powered by CI HUB Why integrate with design software? Integrating DAM with creative operations software ensures your creative team’s project files are always backed up and available. It accelerates and secures your creative process without adding extra steps or changing anyone’s workflow. Creative assets are available at all times, so when someone is out of the office, there are no project disruptions. How does the integration work? Integrating Adobe Creative Cloud with your DAM syncs assets from the DAM to a desktop application, allowing designers to use cloud-based files without any lag time. Designers can work from their desktop in the same way they’re used to, while their design and source files automatically sync back to the DAM. Asset links are maintained in the design file, so other designers can quickly pick up projects without needing to re-link assets.Once a project is complete, designers can export the final PDF directly to the DAM, ensuring quick access and distribution. “Using the Adobe Connector, I save those tedious steps of downloading and uploading again to make for a really seamless experience – it’s true efficiency”. UCSF Everything you need to know about integrating Adobe Cloud Connector, powered by CI Hub andMediaValet. 4. Project Management System A project management solution helps keep everyone on your team up to date on current projects and responsibilities surrounding those projects. They act as an organized space where all content is managed and assigned through tasks for each individual member of your team. Example: Wrike Why integrate with a project management solution? A DAM and project management integration streamlines the creative process, saving your team time and improving creative output. This integration ensures campaigns are always on-brand with access to the latest, relevant, pre-approved assets and improves collaboration of geographically dispersed teams by keeping project details centralized and accessible. How does the integration work? This type of integration enables users to pull and push assets between your DAM and project management solution. Using advanced search and AI capabilities, you can find assets from within the DAM and add them to various tasks, without leaving your project management platform. Once your task is complete, you’re able to publish final, approved assets back to the DAM, mapping metadata, and categories from within the project management solution. “We haven’t been able to put a dollar amount on it, but implementing MediaValet and Wrike together has most certainly saved us time and money.” Monumental Sports and Entertainment Everything you need to know about MediaValet’s integration with Wrike. 5. Product Information Management (PIM) A PIM solution provides a central hub, where you can distribute accurate product data across eCommerce channels, like your website, Amazon marketplace, social media channels, and more. It allows you to manage and enrich your product information to better market and sell your products without disruption. Example: Akeneo Why integrate with PIM? An integration between PIM and DAM allows you to seamlessly sync product information between the two systems. It establishesa single source of truth for all your product data and digital assets. This means you can quickly deliver product and branded content across all marketing channels, boosting e-commerce sales. How does the integration work? The three main functions of this integration are: sync, approve and share. The syncing capabilities mean you can automatically transfer product data and digital assets between the PIM and DAM. The approval process means you can systematically organize, manage, and enrich digital assets with relevant product data, creating pre-approved assets. This brings us to sharing, ensuring that compelling content is always presented to your customer base, across relevant channels, elevating your customers’ overall experience. Everything you need to know about MediaValet’s integration with Akeneo. 6. Identity Management Platform (IMP) An identity management platform (IMP) manages all licenses, passwords, and user access for accounts across an entire organization. It provides a single sign-on to every platform within an organization. This reduces any issues your team may have with digital accessibility. IMP simplifies user management, enabling organizations to allow or remove platform access from within a single solution. Example: Azure Active Directory Why integrate with an IMP? Integrating an identity management tool with DAM ensures an additional layer of security for your digital assets. It makes everyone’s lives easier by simplifying user access and password management for all accounts. In turn, it reduces IT support costs by centralizing user management to a solution they are already comfortable using. How does the integration work? This integration enables users to sign into the DAM using their IMP credentials and multi-factor authentication. You can automatically manage DAM users from within your IMP, plus configure user and group permissions. Other capabilities include resetting and deleting passwords; updating user info; and enabling permissions for DAM users. Additionally, it notifies the IT team about suspicious activity or access to the DAM, adding another layer of security. “As a massive organization, we have very strict procurement guidelines and security requirements for vendors… MediaValet stood out immediately as a front runner.” Experian Everything you need to know about MediaValet’s integration with Azure Active Directory. 7. Forensic Watermarking Forensic watermarking technology protects organizations from the improper or unauthorized use and distribution of digital assets like images or videos and ensures compliance and legal protections. Example: Forensic Watermarking, powered by Steg.AI Why integrate with a forensic watermarking solution? Forensic watermarking provides valuable support for compliance requirements and legal disputes by enabling evidence of asset ownership. By integrating forensic watermarking, organizations can track and identify the source of any leaked or unauthorized asset usage. How does the integration work? MediaValet’s Forensic Watermarking, powered by Steg.AI’s embedded watermarks contain unique and hidden identifiers that can be used to trace back to the origin of an asset, helping you identify potential leaks and take appropriate actions to protect your intellectual property. Everything you need to know about MediaValet’s Forensic Watermarking, powered by Steg.AI 8. Templating Solutions Templating solutions make it easy for teams to harness their creativity by enabling instant access to all approved, on-brand assets and seamlessly use them within any approved template. It is a transformative tool for sales enablement and accelerating the time-to-market of marketing campaigns all while maintaining consistent branding. Example: MediaValet Templating, powered by Marq Why integrate with a templating solution? Integrating a templating solution with your DAM helps to simplify the creation of diverse materials for every department across your organization. Your creative team can build a repository (in the DAM) of adaptable, brand consistent materials and enable other teams to easily access and customize them, integrating effortlessly into different projects, enhancing creativity across your organization, a shortening production time on campaigns and improving efficiencies on sales processes. How does the integration work? Teams can quickly and easily navigate to the templates library within a separate tab embedded in the DAM platform.You can directly access approved assets already in the DAM, customize text and tailor copy to add personalization, create templates for each team’s specific needs, and share and distribute templates directly from the DAM library! Everything you need to know about MediaValet Templating, powered by Marq. What are you waiting for? DAM integrations give the people what they want: improved usability, convenience, better security, and consistency. Improved workflows make for improved productivity while helping leaders and executives maintain control. Make your user experience seamless and easy. Teams can do their best work with integrations. You’ve already invested in a DAM—so why not take advantage of integrations that will help your team work smarter? Check out the MediaValet integrations. 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Security Prioritizing DAM Security from the Start: Addressing this Common Oversight in Vendor Selection Learn how to prioritize DAM security with MediaValet. We help organizations safeguard brand reputation & prevent costly data breach incidents. June 26, 2024 Jean Lozano Chief Technology Officer 4 min read I’m Jean Lozano, CTO at MediaValet.Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with hundreds of our customers. What often emerges from these conversations is a pattern: DAM security tends to be initially overlooked in the vendor selection process, only to surface as a critical factor later in the sales cycle.With this piece, I aim to highlight why a secure digital asset management system isn’t just important—it’s essential. Your business deserves top-notch protection, and I want to make sure you’re equipped with the knowledge to make informed decisions. This guide will delve into why security should be a central consideration right from the start of your DAM buying journey.In this blog post we’ll cover:The state of data security,The importance of DAM security, andIntegrating DAM security into the buying process.The State of Data Security in the Digital LandscapeOur digital world is full of opportunities, but it also comes with significant challenges. With the surge in digital data due to cloud computing, IoT, and remote work, the need for robust security has never been greater.Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated and frequent. Just look at these recent breaches:Pegasus Airlines breach: In May 2022, the airline had a significant breach due to an unprotected AWS S3 bucket, exposing 6.5 terabytes of sensitive data, including flight information and personal data of employeesMOVEit Transfer breach: In May 2023, the cybercrime group Clop exploited a vulnerability in MOVEit Transfer, affecting over 600 companies and exposing sensitive data of 40 million peopleDropbox breach: In January 2024, 26 billion leaked records, including Dropbox data were found. Considered one of the biggest data breaches ever, it highlights the vulnerabilities and potential risks for growing organizations considering an option that cannot provide true security.T-Mobile API breach: In January 2023, T-Mobile faced a breach due to an API vulnerability, impacting 37 million customer accountsThese incidents highlight the devastating consequences of inadequate security, from financial losses to reputational damage. For instance, the global average cost of a data breach in 2023 was USD 4.45 million, marking a 15% increase over the past three years. Furthermore, cybercrime is projected to cost the world $23.84 trillion by 2027, up from $8.44 trillion in 2022.As regulations tighten, businesses must prioritize security and compliance. There’s no excuse for anyone operating in the cloud to not take this seriously and make the necessary investments.The Importance of DAM Security in the DAM Buying ProcessDespite the critical need for DAM security, it often takes a backseat during the buying process. Many organizations focus on usability and scalability, forgetting to thoroughly assess security measures. This oversight can lead to significant vulnerabilities, as usability and scalability are important, but they do not protect against cyber threats.Additionally, security is often not top of mind for marketers until a vendor selection process reaches the IT team. This delay in considering security can leave gaps in the evaluation process, as IT teams may uncover significant security deficiencies that were previously overlooked. Smaller organizations are especially susceptible to this risk because they often lack dedicated software oversight, increasing their vulnerability to cyber threats. These businesses frequently do not have the resources to invest in comprehensive security evaluations or the personnel to manage ongoing security needs.For example, small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) often fall prey to cyberattacks due to inadequate security measures. Studies have shown that over half of small businesses go out of business within six months of a cyberattack. Moreover, 70% of SMBs do not enforce multi-factor authentication, a critical security measure, and 43% of cyberattacks target SMBs specifically due to their weaker security postures.These statistics highlight the critical need for integrating robust security evaluations early in the DAM selection process, ensuring that all potential vulnerabilities are addressed before they can be exploited. By prioritizing security from the outset, organizations can protect their data, reputation, and bottom line from the ever-growing threat of cybercrime.Common Oversights when Buying a DAMFocus on functionality: Buyers often become distracted by features over security.Perception of low risk: There’s a misconception that DAM systems are low-risk targets.Vendor assurances: Companies may take vendors’ security claims at face value without due diligence.Consequences of Ignoring DAM SecurityData breaches: Breaches like Dropbox and MOVEit show the severe impacts of neglecting security.Compliance issues: Non-compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and other regulations can lead to hefty fines.Operational disruptions: Cyberattacks can halt operations, delaying critical projects or worse flat lining the business.Integrating DAM Security into Buying ProcessEnsuring robust security in your DAM system is essential to protect your organization’s valuable data from cyber threats. Here’s how to make security a central focus in the DAM procurement process.Security certifications: Look for vendors with certifications like SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. These certifications demonstrate that the vendor has met stringent security standards. SOC 2 Type II focuses on the operational effectiveness of security controls over a period, ensuring that your data remains protected. ISO 27001 is an internationally recognized standard for managing information security, highlighting a vendor’s commitment to maintaining robust security practices across their organization.Comprehensive security features: Ensure the DAM system includes encryption, access controls, audit logs, and secure data centers. These features protect data integrity, limit access to authorized users, track user activities, and safeguard data in well-protected physical locations.Vendor assessments: Thoroughly review vendors’ security policies and incident response plans. Understanding their approach to security and their preparedness for handling breaches will help ensure they can effectively protect your data.Ongoing security management: Choose vendors that offer regular updates and continuous monitoring. This ensures that the system is protected against evolving threats and that any unusual activities are promptly detected and addressed.Secure Your Digital Future with MediaValetSecurity isn’t just an option—it’s a necessity. Prioritizing DAM security in your buying process protects your digital assets, ensures compliance, and maintains operational integrity. By integrating robust security measures, you can confidently navigate the digital landscape and safeguard your business’s future.MediaValet is the #1 in DAM security, making security a priority from the outset will help safeguard your organization’s reputation and prevent costly incidents in the future. Book a demo today to learn more about how MediaValetcan secure your digital assets. 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DAM Knowledge Leveraging the DAM Capability Model for Organizational Growth and Innovation In this detailed blog post, we explore the DAM Capability Model, its origins, practical applications, and the importance of community in fostering continuous improvement. June 11, 2024 Carlie Mason Director of Growth Marketing 6 min read Digital Asset Management (DAM) is essential for the efficient handling, organization, and retrieval of digital assets. At the forefront of advancing these capabilities is the DAM Capability Model, conceptualized by industry pioneer David Lipsey.Since the inception of digital asset management in 1998, David Lipsey has been at the forefront. Working with organizations on a global level, David is considered the leading expert in the field.This model has been instrumental in driving DAM adoption, growth, and innovation across organizations worldwide. The DAM Capability Model is the foundation of any DAM journey; whether you’re at beginner level or expert, the DAM Capability Model will enable you to elevate and future-ready your DAM skills.In this detailed blog post, we explore the DAM Capability Model, its origins, practical applications, and the importance of community in fostering continuous improvement.What is the DAM Capability Model?The Centrality of DAMThe Importance of Community in DAMHow to Apply the DAM Capability ModelThe DAM Capability Model Workshop (Video)This post is supplementary to the complimentary DAM Capability Model (available for download)! Read on to learn:What is the DAM Capability Model?The DAM Capability Model is a comprehensive framework designed to help organizations assess their current DAM practices and identify areas for enhancement. It serves as a roadmap for organizations at any stage of their DAM journey, from beginners to seasoned experts.Categories of the DAM Capability ModelOrganization: The “people” roles, responsibilities, technical know-how, strategic alignment and talent in an organization’s use and management of DAMInformation: The core material and related descriptors (such as metadata) that enable using an assetSystems: The related components that work together to facilitate asset lifecycleProcesses: The repeatable set of procedures and operations designed to realize each stage of an asset’s lifecycleKey Components of the DAM Capability Model:Benchmarking: The model allows organizations to evaluate their current DAM capabilities, providing a clear picture of where they stand.Structured Growth: It offers a structured approach to implementing changes, ensuring that DAM practices evolve in line with organizational goals.Future-Readiness: By following the model, organizations can prepare for future challenges and technological advancements in the DAM space.The Centrality of DAMOver the past 25 years, DAM has evolved from a niche solution to a central pillar of modern organizational operations. The exponentially growing need for digital content across myriad platforms and channels has led to the crucial need for a robust system to manage these assets.DAM systems serve as the central repository for all digital assets, ensuring that they are easily accessible, organized, and secure.But, according to David Lipsey, a DAM is a crucial component of the digital landscape and critical to an organization, not just as a central repository. He has long emphasized the importance of placing DAM at the heart of an organization’s digital strategy.“DAM does not sit in isolation.”DAM plays a larger role in the broader ecosystem of digital operations. By centralizing DAM, organizations can:ensure digital assets are leveraged to their fullest potential,drive innovation and support strategic goals,streamline workflows, reduce redundancy, andenhance collaboration across departments.This centralization not only improves efficiency but also ensures that brand consistency is maintained across all digital touchpoints, providing a cohesive and professional image to the audience.Watch the DAM Capability Model Workshop with David Lipsey here.Centralizing DAM Enables Continuous ImprovementThe centrality of DAM fosters a culture of continuous improvement, as it provides the foundation upon which advanced analytics, personalized marketing, and dynamic content strategies are built.In essence, DAM is not just a tool; it is the backbone of digital transformation, enabling organizations to thrive in an increasingly digital world.Lipsey advocates for an ongoing commitment to refining DAM practices, ensuring they meet evolving business needs and technological advancements.“Maturity in this field is never done. It’s always continual improvement in DAM.”Continuous improvement is a cornerstone of effective DAM practices. Organizations must focus on maintaining and enhancing their DAM capabilities to ensure long-term success.Strategies for Continuous Improvement:Persistent ROI: Focus on achieving a persistent return on investment by regularly evaluating and optimizing DAM practices.Documentation: Record opportunities and challenges to track progress and identify areas for enhancement. This practice helps maintain a record of what works and what needs adjustment.Regular Reviews: Periodically review and update DAM practices to ensure they align with organizational goals and industry trends. This approach keeps DAM practices relevant and effective.All of this brings us to one of Lipsey’s most valuable perspectives: working with and learning from the DAM community.The Value of Community in DAMBuilding and engaging with the DAM community is crucial for achieving sustained success. The collective knowledge and experience within the community provide invaluable resources for learning and improvement.By fostering a sense of community, organizations can tap into a wealth of expertise, staying ahead of industry trends and implementing best practices. The DAM community is not just a network of professionals; it is a dynamic ecosystem where ideas are exchanged, challenges are discussed, and solutions are crafted collaboratively.Community Benefits:Collaboration: Engaging with other DAM practitioners fosters collaboration, allowing for the exchange of ideas and best practices. Through forums, webinars, and conferences, DAM professionals can connect with peers, sharing insights on successful strategies and innovative solutions.This collaborative environment encourages creative problem-solving and helps organizations to implement more effective DAM practices. The shared goal of optimizing digital asset management brings together diverse perspectives, leading to the development of new methodologies and tools that benefit the entire community.Support: The community offers support and guidance, helping organizations navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities. Whether dealing with technical issues, policy changes, or strategic decisions, members of the DAM community can rely on each other for advice and assistance.This support network is especially valuable for those new to DAM, providing mentorship and resources that accelerate learning and adoption. Experienced practitioners can offer practical solutions and reassurance, making the journey smoother and more manageable.Learning: Shared experiences and insights contribute to a richer understanding of DAM, driving innovation and efficiency. By learning from the successes and failures of others, organizations can avoid common pitfalls and adopt proven practices.The DAM community is a continuous learning environment where professionals can stay updated with the latest advancements and trends. Workshops, training sessions, and knowledge-sharing platforms provide opportunities for ongoing education, ensuring that DAM practitioners are always equipped with the latest skills and knowledge.Moreover, the community plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of DAM. Active participation in discussions and collaborative projects can influence the development of new standards, tools, and technologies. By contributing to the collective knowledge base, organizations not only benefit themselves but also help to advance the entire field of digital asset management.Practical Applications of the DAM Capability ModelThe DAM Capability Model is a powerful tool for driving adoption and growth within organizations. Here are some practical applications on how to use it to your advantage:Onboarding New Departments: Integrate DAM into new departments’ workflows, ensuring consistency and efficiency across the organization. This process involves educating teams on DAM best practices and demonstrating the value of centralized asset management.Mapping DAM Usage: Conduct a comprehensive mapping of current DAM usage to identify strengths and areas for improvement. This exercise helps uncover gaps and opportunities for expanding DAM capabilities.Engaging with Legal and Risk Management: Collaborate with legal and risk management teams to ensure compliance with regulations and prepare for disaster recovery scenarios. This integration helps safeguard digital assets and mitigate risks.Engaging with the DAM Capability ModelTo effectively leverage the DAM Capability Model, organizations should follow these steps:Cross-Functional Involvement: Involve teams from various departments in the assessment and implementation process. This holistic approach ensures that all perspectives are considered and that DAM practices are integrated seamlessly across the organization.Resource Utilization: Take advantage of resources such as the Center for Advanced Studies in Digital Asset Management and Henry Stewart conferences for further learning and community engagement. These resources offer valuable insights and opportunities for professional development.Steps to Get Started:Download the DAM Capability Model: Access the complimentary model to begin your journey.Conduct an Assessment: Evaluate your current DAM practices using the model as a benchmark.Develop an Action Plan: Create a roadmap for implementing necessary changes and improvements.Engage with the Community: Participate in DAM forums, webinars, and conferences to stay informed and connected.Watch the DAM Capability Model WebinarAre you interested in hearing from David Lipsey himself? To learn more about the DAM Capability Model you can watch our on-demand webinar right here.This session offers in-depth insights, practical examples and best practices for you to follow! Watch it here. Related Articles DAM Knowledge DAM vs CMS: How Are They Different? 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Marketing How to Create and Amplify Brand Guidelines in Your Organization Brand guidelines are an essential part of effective brand management. Discover the steps and tools needed to amplify your brand guidelines in 2024. May 30, 2024 Jeffrey Bates Creative Director 6 min read Maintaining a consistent and recognizable brand identity becomes increasingly challenging as organizations expand their reach across numerous online channels. These days, every website update, tweet, and ad can impact your brand’s perception, making it more crucial than ever to keep your brand guidelines tight and well-defined. Effective brand guidelines are the backbone of your brand’s identity, ensuring that every piece of content, from marketing materials to customer interactions, reflects your core values and visual aesthetics. However, as your organization grows and diversifies its online presence, these guidelines must be meticulously managed and amplified to maintain consistency and coherence. But how do you lasso every employee, and every department to ensure that each instance of your brand is on point and in line? With an easy-to-use, central, and accessible library for all assets. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s first cover some of the more foundational aspects of amplifying brand guidelines. In this post we’ll cover: What are brand guidelines Brand guidelines essentials How to create & amplify brand guidelines Leveraging dam for brand guideline management How ACAMS harnesses DAM to amplify global brand guidelines What are Brand Guidelines? Brand guidelines are one of the most crucial aspects of any brand. Everybody should apply the rules to maintain consistency and recognition, including those regarding the use and placement of logos, colour palettes, typography, and voice. In its simplest form, brand guidelines can be a downloadable folder with a curated set of brand assets and rules. However, when taken one step further, they can act as the single source of truth for your entire brand and connect your stakeholders directly with the up-to-date logos, fonts, photos, and more needed to represent your organization successfully. Brand Guideline Essentials Effective guidelines ensure a brand is consistently represented across all platforms and communications. These guidelines serve as a comprehensive manual that directs everyone involved in creating, promoting, and maintaining the brand. When done right, brand guidelines help protect the brand’s integrity, making it instantly recognizable and trustworthy. The following are the key components that make up robust brand guidelines: There are 3 essential asset types to include in your brand guidelines: Logos: Your logo is the most critical component of your brand. Using an outdated one adds confusion, reduced trust, and lost sales in the worst circumstances. It’s essential to ensure your brand guidelines share your various logos and communicate which to use in any given circumstance, as well as proper placement. For most organizations, it’s common to have dozens of logos with different colour schemes, sizes, and formats, depending on: Placement, Background colour, Channel, Medium (printed or online), And more. Colour Palettes: Another necessary asset type to include in your brand is colours – the primary, secondary, and accent colours that represent your organization and spark brand recognition. These are especially helpful to share with those who create public-facing collateral, such as sales presentations, brochures, and advertisements. When adding colours to your brand guidelines, include the HEX, RGB, and CMYK values for each colour to ensure your stakeholders are on-brand across the website, print, online, and other initiatives. Also, make it clear which colours can be matched together and where they can be used to prevent any off-brand colour placements. Fonts: The final element that’s critical to your brand is your fonts. While sometimes not instantly identifiable to the naked eye, it can be jarring for customers to see a font that’s “off.” Like the other two components, in addition to providing each font, it’s important to provide context when using the fonts and, when relevant, what sizes to use. If using an entire font family, separate them (into Light, Regular, Bold, Italics, etc.) to create a clear distinction in their use cases and prevent unnecessary access to off-brand font types. Practical Steps to Create and Amplify Brand Guidelines Creating comprehensive and accessible brand guidelines is a collaborative and strategic endeavor that involves multiple stakeholders. This process requires careful planning, inclusive input from various departments, and a structured approach to ensure the guidelines are practical, widely accepted, and effectively implemented across the organization. Stakeholder Engagement Inclusive Input Gathering: Engage representatives from various departments, such as marketing, sales, customer service, and product development. Each department interacts with the brand differently and can provide unique insights into how the brand is perceived and implemented. This ensures that the guidelines are well-rounded and cater to the needs of all parts of the organization. Workshops and Brainstorming Sessions: Conduct workshops and brainstorming sessions with these stakeholders to gather diverse perspectives and foster a sense of ownership and commitment to the brand guidelines. Documentation Comprehensive Brand Elements: Document all branding elements, including logo usage, color palettes, typography, imagery, tone of voice, and messaging. Each element should have specific instructions on proper and improper usage. User-Friendly Format: Ensure that the guidelines are accessible and easy to understand. Use visuals, examples, and concise explanations to illustrate key points. A well-organized digital document or interactive online portal can make navigation and updates easier. Consistency in Communication: Include guidelines for maintaining consistency across different communication channels. Specify how the brand is represented in social media posts, advertisements, email campaigns, and customer service interactions. Training and Onboarding Comprehensive Training Programs: Develop training programs to educate employees about the brand guidelines. These programs should be tailored to different organizational roles, ensuring everyone understands their responsibilities in maintaining brand consistency. Accessible Resources: Create a centralized repository where employees can easily access the brand guidelines and related resources, such as templates, logo files, and approved imagery. Organizations can apply these steps to create and amplify brand guidelines that maintain consistency and adapt to the dynamic nature of a growing digital landscape. The next step is to implement the right technology to amplify brand guidelines. Leveraging DAM to Amplify Brand Guidelines Implementing a robust DAM system to store and manage all brand assets. This ensures that everyone has access to the most up-to-date and approved versions of brand elements. Organizations can utilize DAM features that streamline the enforcement of brand guidelines. These tools can help monitor and manage brand usage across various platforms, reducing the risk of inconsistencies. Leveraging a DAM system like MediaValet can significantly streamline the creation, management, and distribution of brand guidelines. MediaValet, for example, offers tools that facilitate the organization and sharing of digital assets that adhere to these guidelines, enhancing both accessibility and consistency. Brand Portals: MediaValet’s Branded Portals enable you to take your brand guidelines to the next level, sharing your brand essentials with stakeholders at scale. With Branded Portals, users can easily preview and download logos, brand colours, approved photos, corporate headshots and more – even fonts can be previewed directly in the portal! Branded Portals can also be updated on the spot, which means if a new logo needs to be shared or an outdated headshot needs to be removed, your organization can continue to access your brand kit using the same link every time. CDN Linking, Expiry Dates, and Custom Permissions: These features can help manage how and where content is distributed, ensuring that only current and approved versions are in use. CDN Links simplify asset sharing, enable quicker load times, and reduce bandwidth costs. Expiry dates enable administrators of the DAM to apply end dates to asset usage ensuring outdated or unlicensed assets are not used. Custom permissions allow DAM administrators to curate access allowances across user groups ensuring that only correct brand assets are visible. DAM Templates: Implementing DAM templates can drastically enhance your team’s efficiency without compromising on brand consistency. By providing a repository (in the DAM) of customizable, pre-approved, on-brand templates (with the templating solution) your creative teams can produce adaptable, brand consistent materials swiftly, addressing each department’s unique needs. By integrating a DAM, companies can maintain a strong and consistent brand presence, both internally and in their external communications. How ACAMS Manages Global Brand Guidelines with MediaValet ACAMS (Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists), turned toMediaValet to overhaul its brand management processes. Using the DAM to centralize their digital assets ACAMS achieved more consistent brand guidelines and improved their global brand coherence. With MediaValet, we’re able to have a single source of truth for our assets and have accountability and responsibility from our team members to go in and update assets.” Interested in how ACAMS have achieved a cohesive, global brand with their MediaValet DAM? Check out the ACAMS case study here! The significance of brand guidelines cannot be overstated. They are not just a set of rules but a foundation for building a recognizable and respected brand. As shown through various examples and technological supports, effectively implemented and managed brand guidelines are key to maintaining brand integrity. If you’re interested in improving your organization’s access to and use of your brand guidelines, reach out to our expert reps at MediaValet and find out how we can enhance your branding efforts. Related Articles Marketing The Ultimate Guide to Content Proofing (Tools & Process) Read more Marketing Project Management and DAM: 4 Reasons Why They’re Better Together Read more Marketing Leveraging DAM for Marketing Asset Management Read more Marketing Top Challenges in Marketing Operations & How to Overcome Them Read more Ready to see what the DAM hype’s about? Meet with one of our product experts Book a demo
Glossary What is Media Asset Management? What is media asset management? Discover how a MAM system works, how media asset management solutions are used, and the future of MAM. May 21, 2024 Nuala Cronin Content Manager 4 min read Efficient media asset management is paramount for organizations across various industries. Media Asset Management (MAM) systems play a crucial role in streamlining workflows, enhancing collaboration, and ensuring the seamless delivery of content.The surge in and growing need for digital content, especially video content, has lead to an urgent need for effective storage options; traditional file management systems simply don’t cut it anymore.A media asset management system can step in to help organizations trying to manage large libraries of files.In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into:Definition of Media Asset ManagementAt its core, media asset management involves the organization, storage, and retrieval of digital media files. These assets can range from images and videos to audio clips and documents.MAM systems provide a centralized repository for storing, cataloging, and managing these assets, along with robust metadata capabilities to facilitate easy search and retrieval.Key Features and Functions of MAM SystemsA robust MAM solution offers a plethora of features designed to streamline content management workflows. These include:Cataloging and metadata management: MAM systems are able to tag assets with relevant metadata, specific criteria like keywords, creation date, project, or any other relevant information to improve searchability.Search and retrieval functionalities: MAM systems are equipped with advanced search capabilities to quickly locate specific assets.Workflow automation: MAM systems can help to automate the more repetitive tasks to improve efficiency and reduce the likelihood of human error.Collaboration tools: Media asset management systems facilitate seamless collaboration among teams, and with external users, even those that are dispersed.Integration capabilities: A MAM system can integrate into existing tech stacks and other relevant systems such as content management platforms.Media Asset Management Examples and Use CasesIndustries such as entertainment, marketing, and education rely heavily on MAM systems to manage their vast libraries of media assets. Organizations can streamline content creation processes by implementing a cloud-based MAM solution, resulting in significant time and cost savings.Media Asset Management (MAM) systems are powerful tools designed to streamline the storage, organization, and retrieval of media files. Here are some core use cases for such systems:Centralized storage: MAM systems provide a centralized repository for all media assets, including videos, images, audio files, and documents. This centralization helps organizations manage their assets efficiently, ensuring that all files are stored in a single, accessible location.Access control: MAM systems enable detailed access control, ensuring that only authorized users can access certain assets. This is crucial for maintaining security, especially when dealing with sensitive or proprietary content.Version control: They help in managing different versions of a file, allowing users to access and revert to previous versions when needed. This is particularly useful in collaborative environments where multiple revisions are common.Integration with other tools: MAM systems often integrate with other software tools used in content creation, marketing, and publishing workflows. This integration enhances efficiency by allowing seamless transitions between different stages of content management.Archiving and backup: Ensuring that media assets are not only stored but also backed up and archived according to organizational policies. This protects against data loss and ensures compliance with data retention policies.Distribution and sharing: MAM systems facilitate the distribution and sharing of media assets across different platforms and with various stakeholders. This can include automated publishing to social media, embedding in websites, or simply sharing files with external partners.Analytics and reporting: Advanced MAM solutions offer analytics features that help track asset usage, performance, and user activity. This data can inform strategic decisions about content creation and management.Benefits of Media Asset ManagementMedia Asset Management (MAM) systems offer numerous benefits that can greatly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of managing digital media assets in various organizational contexts. Here are some key advantages:Enhanced organization and searchability: MAM systems provide sophisticated tools for organizing digital assets through categorization, tagging, and metadata. This structure makes it easier to search for and retrieve assets quickly, reducing the time spent hunting for specific files.Improved collaboration: By centralizing media assets, MAM systems facilitate collaboration among teams, regardless of geographical location. Users can access and work on files simultaneously, streamlining the creative asset management process and ensuring everyone is working with the most up-to-date versions.Cost savings: By improving the retrieval and reuse of existing assets, MAM systems help organizations avoid unnecessary expenses related to recreating or repurchasing media assets. Additionally, the time saved in managing assets can significantly reduce labor costs.Effective asset distribution: MAM systems enable organizations to distribute their media assets easily across multiple channels. Whether it’s publishing videos directly to social media or providing press with access to high-resolution images, MAM systems simplify the distribution process.Challenges and Considerations of MAMWhile the benefits of MAM are undeniable, organizations may face certain challenges if they choose to implement one.High initial costs: The cost of purchasing and implementing a MAM system can be substantial, especially for large organizations that need extensive customization or integration with existing systems. The infrastructure, software licenses, and professional services for setup and training contribute to the upfront expenses.Complexity in implementation: Setting up a MAM system can be complex, particularly in organizations with diverse and extensive media assets. The need to import and tag large volumes of existing assets with appropriate metadata can be time-consuming and requires detailed planning.User adoption: Resistance to change is a common challenge. Training users and encouraging them to adopt new workflows can be difficult. The success of a MAM system heavily depends on whether users fully adopt and utilize all its features.Integration challenges: While MAM systems are designed to integrate with other software, the actual process of integration can be complex and may require custom development work. This can involve compatibility issues with other enterprise tools, leading to additional costs and delays.Scalability: As organizations grow, their needs change, and the MAM system may need to scale accordingly. Some systems might not be as scalable as needed, leading to performance issues or necessitating a costly upgrade or system change.Metadata management: Effective search and retrieval of media assets depend on the quality and consistency of metadata tagging. Inconsistent or poor metadata practices can reduce the system’s effectiveness, making it hard to locate specific assets.Security and compliance: Ensuring that the MAM system is secure and complies with industry regulations (such as GDPR or HIPAA) can be challenging. The system must protect sensitive data and manage user permissions accurately, which requires ongoing management and auditing.Addressing these challenges requires careful planning, sufficient budget allocation, thorough training programs, and choosing a MAM system that aligns well with the organization’s specific needs and future growth plans.Media Asset Management TrendsAs technology continues to evolve, so do MAM systems. Emerging trends such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are reshaping the MAM landscape, offering new opportunities for efficiency and innovation. The future of MAM holds exciting possibilities, with advancements in AI-driven metadata tagging and intelligent content analytics.Interested in how media asset management differs from digital asset management? We detail it all here. Related Articles Glossary Digital Brand Management Explained Read more What a DAM good read! Fuel your DAM knowledge by browsing our Resource library Build My DAM Knowledge
Templates Unleash Creativity Across your Organization with Digital Asset Management Templating Learn how DAM templating can empower teams across organizations to accelerate marketing, improve sales enablement and improve brand consistency. May 1, 2024 Clare McVeigh Product Marketing Specialist 5 min read Is your creative team overwhelmed? Are your marketing campaigns delayed? Are your sales teams compromising brand integrity to meet targets? With DAM templating, these challenges will be a thing of the past. Let me explain. Implementing digital asset management templates drastically enhances your team’s efficiency by providing a repository (in the DAM) of customizable, pre-approved, on-brand templates (with the templating solution). These templates allow creative teams to produce adaptable, brand consistent materials swiftly, addressing each department’s unique needs. Departments across your organization can access and modify necessary assets directly through the DAM, integrating them effortlessly into their projects. This not only streamlines workflows but also promotes a culture of innovation and collective creativity. By ensuring organization-wide access to on-brand assets and customizable templates, you can maximize the creativity of your entire organization without compromising brand integrity. This blog post will explain: How DAM templating works How DAM templating can impact organizations DAM templating use cases The functionality of MediaValet Templating, Powered by Marq How Does DAM Templating Work? Embedded within the DAM platform, DAM Templating puts adaptable templates in a separate tab within your DAM so you don’t need to navigate to another platform. Teams can quickly and easily navigate to the templates library and utilize them for their specific needs. Templates can be created for pitch decks, business cards, brochures, social posts, and more. Access templates conveniently through a dedicated tab within your DAM, Effortlessly utilize assets stored within your DAM directly in your templates, Quickly customize templates with approved assets for specific needs, Easily customize text and tailor the copy to personalize templates, and Share and distribute templates directly from the DAM library! In-house creative teams can easily design adaptable templates from scratch or utilize existing collateral as a foundation. These templates are readily accessible to other departments, allowing them to customize content to their specific needs with ease. How DAM Templating Benefits Organizations Digital asset management templating makes it easy for teams to harness their creativity by enabling instant access to all approved, on-brand assets and seamlessly use them within any approved template. Streamlining Material Creation Creative teams are stretched across multiple team needs, making it challenging to prioritize tasks and projects. DAM Templating enables teams with standardized templates for commonly requested assets, such as business cards and pamphlets allowing them to self serve simple design requests. Not only does this improve delivery of requested digital assets and branding materials, it saves your creative teams time, and enables them to focus on more strategic work. Ensuring Uniformity and Compliance Most customers will meet a brand on multiple different platforms which means uniformity and brand compliance are key. In fact, brands that follow through on consistent brand identity can increase revenue by 33%. DAM templating can ensure uniformity and secure sensitive content. Specific elements within these templates can be locked, maintaining a standardized layout throughout all materials. An established approval workflow ensures that all materials are thoroughly reviewed for accuracy before being disseminated, making it seamless to manage and distribute information effectively. Accelerating and Enhancing Marketing Reach According to DemandSage, 43% of marketers struggle to create high quality visual content. Yet, visual content can increase website traffic by up to 12%. DAM templating can enable staff across departments and locations to effortlessly find and customize these templates to suit specific campaign objectives. This not only enhances the relevance and appeal of the campaigns but also ensures consistent and efficient distribution across multiple marketing channels. Organizations looking to accelerate and extend the reach and impact of their marketing campaigns can do so by enabling seamless access to on-brand templates. This integrated approach amplifies campaign reach while maintaining brand integrity throughout all promotional activities. Optimizing Marketing and Sales Collateral Creation The HubSpot State of Sales Report, 2023 found that more than 50% of sales leaders use sales enablement content, and 79% say these materials are essential for making a sale. Yet, creating on-brand sales enablement content can be a slow process, impacting the sales process and its success. By centralizing essential branding assets, templating capabilities enable marketing teams to develop consistent, on-brand templates for a wide range of materials, including brochures and sales presentations. Sales representatives can easily customize these templates to suit specific customer and prospect needs, inserting relevant assets directly from the DAM. This customization helps tailor messaging and content to specific customer segments, boosting engagement and allowing for the tracking of asset performance to refine future strategies. And that’s why we are so excited to announce the launch of MediaValet Templating, powered by Marq – a tool that is guaranteed to unleash the creativity of, and empower teams across organizations to save time and resources, and maintain brand consistency. MediaValet Templating Use Cases MediaValet Templating, powered by Marq is a transformative tool for sales enablement and accelerating the time-to-market of marketing campaigns all while maintaining consistent branding. This new tool can: Enhance Sales Enablement Sales teams that need to respond quickly to market opportunities and customer inquiries with tailored, up-to-date information are in for a treat with MediaValet Templating. By providing a centralized platform where all sales and marketing assets are readily available, MediaValet ensures that teams have immediate access to the most current and relevant materials that align with the brand’s messaging and visual standards. Accelerate Marketing Campaign Creation and Deployment For marketing teams that need to swiftly create and deploy campaigns and achieve faster time to market without compromising on brand integrity, MediaValet Templating is a key tool. With pre-approved templates and easy access to a comprehensive digital asset library, marketers can rapidly assemble and customize campaign materials without the usual delays associated with asset creation and approval. This results in a dramatically shorter campaign time-to-market, allowing organizations to capitalize on trends and respond to competitive pressures more effectively. Improve Brand Consistency Teams that struggle to maintain brand integrity or consistency can rely on MediaValet Templating to ensure materials and content are up-to-date and approved. The automation of content updates ensures that all materials reflect the latest product information and branding elements, which is critical for maintaining consistency across all touchpoints. This seamless integration of updated content reduces the risk of brand inconsistencies, fostering a cohesive brand experience that can drive better customer engagement and conversion rates. By enhancing the efficiency of both sales and marketing processes, MediaValet Templating, powered by Marq not only improves the speed and agility of teams but also contributes directly to improved sales performance and market responsiveness, giving organizations a significant competitive advantage. Introducing MediaValet Templating, Powered by Marq MediaValet Templating, powered by Marq simplifies the creation of diverse materials—from sales proposals to social media posts—by connecting directly to the central DAM library. Here’s how it enhances your processes: Access assets with ease Employees can directly access the centralized MediaValet library from within the templating tab powered by Marq, eliminating the need to search for assets in separate platforms. Unleash creativity in every employee Even non-creative users can customize templates to their specific objectives, without relying on the design team, or compromising on brand consistency. Automate documentation for real-time updates Update specific asset information to automatically reflect in real-time, eliminating the risk of brand inconsistencies, and ensuring all information is accurate. Instantly publish to social channels Eliminate the need to switch between platforms, ensuring seamless content sharing and consistent branding across social channels. Protect your content Administrators can secure content by applying “locks” adding an extra layer of security, protecting critical information from unauthorized modifications. Interested in learning more about MediaValet Templating, Powered by Marq? Reach out to a rep today to find out how it can help your organization. In the meantime, watch our video on MediaValet Templating to learn about some of the top features and how it can impact your organization! Related Articles Brand Management How to Maintain Brand Through M&A: A Guide to Brand Management in Times of Change Read more Ready to see what the DAM hype’s about? Meet with one of our product experts Book a demo
