The digital asset management (DAM) industry has been continually developing over the last three decades. It started within niche publication, print and media industries who needed to manage large media files and, over the last few years, steadily climbed to become the foundation of digital transformation across all industries.
Gartner calls the level of change in the DAM industry a “renaissance,” which is driven by a growth in the volume, velocity and complexity of content that organizations are producing today. And, as more and more marketers start to understand digital asset management technology, new vendors are entering the market, providing different kinds of solutions to different business problems.
The DAM space is lucky to have a number of organizations and groups that are committed to both ensuring excellence in digital asset management, and improving the information that’s out there about using a DAM for unique business solutions. They’re the experts that started sharing their expertise way before the word “DAM” became cool in the MarTech space. These sources are leading the way in helping DAM buyers understand their options and make sense of the process that will unfold with DAM adoption.
DAM News
Digital Asset Management News (DAM News)Â is a web site that contains the latest news, reviews, trends and opinions about the DAM industry. This site is run by Ralph Windsor, an experienced editor and independent consultant with over 20 years of experience in digital asset management. The site offers blog posts, feature articles and reports that Windsor takes great care to pre-screen for real, authentic value that can be provided to potential DAM customers and current users.
Ralph Windsor and guest authors pay incredible attention to the intricacies of the industry and the technology itself. The value you’re going to get from reading this resource is an incredibly well-informed and customer-centered view of what DAM technology is, and how it can be adopted & applied to return value. This source becomes especially useful when you take advantage of the search function to narrow-in on the keywords and topics that interest you the most.
Planet DAM
Planet DAM hosts a comprehensive list of current articles, blogs and thought pieces on DAM, written by a wide variety of stakeholders, including journalists ,DAM vendors, and other DAM experts. The list is curated and updated daily by Tim Strehle, a senior developer at a DAM company. On the right side of Planet DAM’s landing page, you’ll also find a Twitter feed that showcases the latest DAM-related tweets and will help keep you informed of leading-edge events, conversations and opinions.
Gartner Marketing Guide for DAM
The Gartner Marketing Guide for Digital Asset Management was published by Gartner, the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company, in November 2016. The Market Guide provides an easy-to-understand framework for understanding the pool of DAM vendors offering solutions to prospective customers. The report breaks vendors down into type - for instance, “on-premise” versus “cloud-based” - and then provides a brief overview of each vendor that they evaluate and the unique product that they offer. Gartner offers advice to potential DAM buyers as to which solution is appropriate for different kinds of companies and teams with a wide variety of needs.
Note that the descriptive information in the report was provided by the vendors themselves and is not part of Gartner’s independent analysis. The report provides a clear and concise snapshot of the DAM industry, but vendor products should also be validated with other sources.
Jersey DAM Meetup
Jersey DAM Meetup is an online community meant for anyone (at any level) interested in networking, collaborating and learning about the principles and practices of DAM, no matter the industry. Jersey DAM Meetup organizes networking and educational events geared towards sharing knowledge and experiences on all layers of digital asset management, including: taxonomy, metadata, search, workflow, project management, security, preservation, user experiences, DAM solutions, the process of adoption and so much more.
Another DAM Podcast
Another DAM Podcast is an excellent resource for customer stories. The podcast host, industry veteran and consultant, Herik de Gyor, interviews people who have acted as DAM initiative leaders within their organizations. These interviews provide hands-on access to the people out there who have gone through the process of realizing their organization needed a DAM, implementing a solution, training their users, and seeing the actual benefits that are possible with DAM. If you want to hear from people across many industries who work with DAM every day, have a listen to this podcast. Every episode is also transcribed and easily searchable if you prefer to read or search for specific terms.
Real Story Group
Real Story Group is an independent, vendor-neutral research and consulting firm. They offer a wide variety of services for organizations seeking to research and implement a DAM initiative. What’s unique about Real Story Group is that they have the resources and talent to create extensive educational materials that cover many aspects of the DAM industry and product offerings. They also take their name to heart, and many of the materials you will experience with Real Story Group are based on the idea that to educate, you need to tell stories. One of our favourite DAM experts from Real Story Group is Theresa Regli, who offers many useful tips and insights on what DAM is, how it can be used, and what are some of the technology’s limitations.
Vendor Publications
Vendor Publications themselves also have a lot of knowledge to offer on industry trends and the products they offer. If you’re interested in a particular set of vendors, have a look through their blog, but also look for other materials, such as case studies or eBooks. Getting Started with Digital Asset Management is one of the customer resources we release at MediaValet, that helps companies assess their DAM needs, and get started with their DAM journey. We hope you enjoy the read!
These experts are all great sources for everything digital asset management - but if you're looking for true DAM basics, make sure you check out Digital Asset Management 101.
