agencies and dam connecting creative content for good

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Agencies and DAM: Connecting Creative Content for Good

Contents

Misconceptions about DAM solutions

True DAM solutions vs. raw, cloud-based storage or project management solutions

Understanding ownership and administration of a DAM solution

Sidebar: Primary areas of focus when looking for a DAM solution

Summary



ALL THE ASSETS FROM A JOB OR CAMPAIGN CAN BE STORED ALONGSIDE ONE ANOTHER, ALLOWING THE TEAMS INVOLVED TO SEE AND ACCESS RELEVANT ASSETS AND SUPPORTING FILES TOGETHER.

Digital asset management (DAM) solutions are not new to the creative world, but roadblocks to the adoption of these solutions are common, even in cases where DAM can be of great benefit. This whitepaper identifies the roadblocks unique to creative agencies and outlines the situations where deploying a DAM solution would most benefit an agency and its clients.

Common roadblocks to DAM include:

• Misconceptions about what DAM solutions are, what they do and how they can help

• Confusion about the differences between true DAM solutions, raw, cloud-based storage and project or time management solutions

• Understanding ownership and administration of a DAM solution

Let’s now discuss how to overcome these roadblocks.

Misconceptions About DAM Solutions

A primary hindrance to adoption of a DAM solution in creative agencies is the lingering misconception about what DAM is and what exactly it can do. In basic terms, DAM helps organizations create, manage, distribute and preserve their marketing and brand assets. When DAM solutions were first introduced, the goal was relatively simple – to store large volumes of image files for viewing and retrieval. To be honest, in the beginning they weren’t much more than glorified lightboxes. Unfortunately, this is how many agencies still perceive DAM solutions today. Early on, much like websites at the time, DAM solutions were plagued by poor user interface (UI) and, as a result, the organization and retrieval of files could be tedious. But over time, businesses have come to realize that

successful adoption of a product or service should hinge on user experience (UX). As a whole, the UI and UX of DAM solutions have made great strides, but it’s worth noting that not every DAM provider is equal. When researching and selecting a DAM solution, agencies should include UI/UX in the primary areas of focus. Adoption can be difficult or an outright failure if users are unable to understand how to properly and efficiently use the system.

In addition to UI improvements, DAM solutions have become more adept at handling various files types across all disciplines within an agency (creatives, account managers and production managers). Native desktop publishing files (Adobe CC) and supporting files, like fonts, PDFs, spreadsheets and text documents, as well as video and audio files from TV and radio spots, are all welcome. Now all of the assets from a job or campaign can be stored alongside one another, allowing the teams involved to see and access relevant assets and supporting files together. This allows completed projects and final content to be migrated from local servers to the DAM solution and easily shared with the agency and their vendors and clients.

An important thing to note is that migrating assets to the DAM solution serves as a secure backup of creative work off site. This mitigates the risk of permanently losing assets if files corrupt, servers go down or versions get misplaced in multiple locations.

When it comes to storing files in a DAM solution, there are no limitations on filetype. Additional filetypes simply require additional attention in terms of organization and accessibility. This can be accomplished through the use of metadata – the language of a DAM solution. Tagging individual files or groups of files with job specific information (e.g., P.O. numbers, job numbers, client name)



allows those files to be organized in flexible ways and, in turn, searched for and retrieved in a more “non-linear” fashion. For example, instead of searching for files solely by job number, a user could search for the data from a variety of different paths – P.O. number, an image name or even a certain filetype can all lead the user to a specific project buried under a mountain of similar data.

In larger agencies or workgroups, it’s important that files accessed are the most current version and used according to licensing agreements. Having a DAM solution as the central hub for creative workgroups gives users the ability to control rights-managed files by automatically removing them from use or expiring them when agreements are no longer valid. These types of features provide users with more control by carving a path to the correct images and legally-approved files. While useful internally, this functionality is also invaluable when sharing files with outside vendors and clients. In this respect, a DAM solution is a strong competitive differentiator for agencies. It positions them as experts who are vested in protecting their client’s brand assets and helping them deliver a consistent experience to the marketplace. While many of these traits have been available in DAM solutions for years, some are more recent additions, and the changes that they bring are worth investigating when determining how the more current DAM solutions available can benefit your creative agency.

True DAM Solutions vs. Raw, Cloud-based Storage or Project Management Solutions

While DAM solutions have developed and evolved their feature sets in ways that continually help agency workflows, agencies have been inundated with similar and sometimes overlapping software solutions that compete for their attention and budget. Let’s try to draw some differentiation between DAM solutions, project management solutions and raw, cloud-based storage.

We’ll start with the easiest option to describe – raw, cloud-based file storage. This is an attractive option to agencies because it’s cheaper than a full-blown DAM solution and, often times, free. Examples of these storage

services are Box, Dropbox and Google Drive. The old adage about getting what you pay for certainly applies here. These services cost so little because they have a limited or non-existent back end, meaning they offer the most basic provisions for sharing content. And the ability to organize and easily search for files – based on metadata or other pertinent variables – is lost. An additional feature that raw, cloud-based storage lacks is the ability to maintain brand consistency. DAM solutions allow for a consistently branded experience both inside the creative agency as well the outside world by allowing you to customize your DAM solution with your company’s or client’s logo.

Next up is project management and job/time tracking solutions. Some of these solutions can support storage of various filetypes, but their primary function is helping users to assign roles, track tasks and responsibilities and the hours/deadlines associated with each. There are excellent project management solutions available, like AtTask, Workzone and Workamajig. While you may already have a solution like these in place, don’t be tempted to use the file sharing and storage capabilities built in to these solutions for DAM. Their asset management capabilities are nominal and typically involve a simple image library to house files, so the most powerful benefits of a true DAM solution are simply not there. Just like tools in the garage, there’s a “right” tool for each job, and the smart builder will know where and when to deploy each for the best result.

A good DAM solution can compliment and work alongside project management and job tracking solutions seamlessly. In fact, there are DAM solutions that currently have tight integrations with project management solutions to offer a more seamless management of the work lifecycle and encourage collaboration and productivity. Widen has already taken this step by partnering with AtTask, a

leading SaaS project management software provider.

Understanding Ownership and Administration of a DAM Solution

So, all of this sounds great right? You had no idea that DAM solutions had come so far and had so much to offer



the creative world. But how do you get the ball rolling and start the process of successfully deploying a DAM solution at your agency?

1. Needs analysis

First, you need to decide what specific needs are going to be fulfilled by the DAM solution. This is best accomplished by enlisting parties from each of the disciplines within your agency. You should enlist creatives, account managers, production managers and IT staff. Think about what you want a DAM solution to do for your agency, if you want a solution that’s cloud-based or on premise and how much money you’re willing to invest. Then, make a list of these requirements and use that as the compass to guide your decision-making process for a DAM solution. Once the needs and benefits have been established, the next step is chose someone to be the primary owner/administrator (admin) of the DAM solution.

2. Choose a DAM champion

While your DAM provider will help with the initial setup and training, as well as ongoing support, it’s critical to establish a primary DAM admin. The admin will be the liaison between your agency and the DAM provider, and the person responsible for the training and education to ensure a seamless deployment and user engagement. If this position is overlooked, adoption of the solution and utilization will suffer as a result. Ideally, the champion should be a person at the agency who is familiar with your workflows and culture, but creatives tend not to be as tech savvy as the IT staff, and the IT staff rarely understands the intricacies of the creative workflow. So, finding a person that straddles both worlds can be a challenge. If such a person does not exist within your agency, there are options for freelance admins – professionals who are experienced in deploying a DAM solution within a creative agency environment as well as having an understanding of the workflow and problems intrinsic to the creative world. Whether or not your DAM admin comes from within or outside your agency, the position is critical to successful adoption of your solution.

3. Do a culture check

Finally, after you select someone as the DAM champion for your solution, take an honest look at your people and culture. What do you need to change or modify internally in order for your DAM solution to be accepted and used? What kind of a solution can your agency really support? Ideally, you will look for a solution that will allow you to start small and grow over time as your creative and business needs evolve.

Some agencies make the mistake of thinking that they have to become DAM experts. Instead, the focus should be finding a DAM solution partner that is more than just a software reseller. Let them be the expert. They’ve dedicated the resources and have the knowledge and support needed to remain competitive in the space. And they can continually add functionality and features that help you and your clients. Your focus should be on how to ensure the DAM solution becomes a vital part of your agency’s workflow.

When the time is taken to truly integrate a DAM solution into your overall process, it’s much easier for employees to incorporate into their individual workflows. Then, the resistance to a “one more system” attitude is diminished. One way to achieve this is to lead an agency-wide session to share the vision for DAM, the impact it will have on productivity, and the role everyone will play in making it come to life.



Summary

Hopefully, the information shared in this whitepaper has dispelled some common misconceptions about DAM and shed light on the benefits agencies can enjoy as a result of leveraging a DAM solution that fits their business needs and workflows.

Key benefits for creative agencies include:

• Store and control digital assets in a central location

• Search and share your digital assets on demand

• Repurpose digital assets across multiple channels

• Ensure brand guidelines are followed with controls over rights and access levels

• House and track final projects in a central repository

• Control access to rights-managed assets and avoid licensing issues

• Flexibility to use all mediums appropriately – print, digital, broadcast, online, social, mobile, etc.

DAM solutions have come a long way since the early days and offer a flexible feature set that brings much more value than a simple image catalog. By allowing an entire creative team or agency to rapidly focus on and retrieve digital assets, work accuracy, productivity and morale is positively affected. Knowing the differences between the seemingly similar DAM offerings will help you identify the needs you have for a DAM solution. Designating a DAM champion and allocating or finding the resources for your DAM solution are critical to the successful

implementation and adoption of your solution. Last, but certainly not least, be sure to find a DAM solution partner you can trust as an industry expert.

There is much, much more to learn and explore in the DAM space and how it relates to your creative agency. For more resources please visit the following:

digitalassetmanagement.com damfoundation.org widen.com/blog widen.com/resource-library

About the Author

Abe Thomas is a digital imaging professional with nearly two decades of experience bridging the gap between technology and creativity. Abe worked in the creative industry while at the same time earning a BFA in Design Communication from Texas A&M University–Commerce. In his career, he’s had the opportunity to work for some of the largest and most respected creative agencies in Dallas, as well as a handful of award-winning, small creative studios.

Seeing how both large and small creative agencies work has given Abe a unique perspective on the ways creative organizations succeed and fail at managing their workflow processes. Abe’s passion for both digital imaging and technology has drawn him to a natural marriage of both, digital asset management. Abe’s experience allows him to help agencies determine their specific needs and how to best utilize a DAM solution.

SOME AGENCIES MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING THEY HAVE TO BECOME DAM EXPERTS. INSTEAD, THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON FINDING A DAM PARTNER THAT IS THE EXPERT.



Primary areas of focus when looking for a DAM solution

On the side...

The user interface (UI) How is the software designed and how is the interaction?

The user experience (UX) Is the software easy to use, flexible, scalable? Does it require a lot of clicking around or is the use of the solution more intuitive? Can multiple users access the software simply?

Filetypes supported Is the solution agile enough to handle different filetypes? Which filetypes does it support? Are they ones you need?

Users, licenses and storage Do you have flexibility in the number and type of users? Can you utilize as much storage as you need and only pay for what you use?

Use of metadata How does the solution treat metadata? Can you customize your metadata and, if so, how? Can you import existing metadata and get your metadata back if you discontinue use of the solution?

Recent changes and future roadmap What new features and functionality has the solution released? Are they timely or timeless? Do they have a product roadmap they can share with you?

Contact UsWiden Enterprises6911 Mangrove LaneMadison, WI 53713P: 608-222-1296E: [email protected]

About Widen

Widen is a marketing technology company that powers the content that builds your brand. Leveraging cloud-based resources, Widen delivers configurable, scalable software services that help marketing and creative teams easily capture, organize, share, and analyze marketing content. Organizations of all sizes use the Widen Media Collective to streamline their workflows and make their content work harder. Widen is trusted across various industries by hundreds of thousands of users worldwide like LG, Roche, Trek, Cornell University, New Orleans Tourism Marketing, The Atlanta Falcons, Red Gold Tomatoes, Electrolux, and Yankee Candle. To learn more about Widen, go to www.widen.com.

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