Marketing, done well, is expensive. Advertisers know this, CEO’s know this, and even the mail boy knows that the marketing department has the largest budget. What is slightly less predictable is the amount of return a business will get on their investment in marketing. For the people at the top, that uncertainty is enough to cause receding hairlines and sleepless nights. Of course there are tools for increasing that return, and they don’t even involve the accounting department.
What a DAM system can do for you business!
Digital Asset Management or DAM, is a system that works in conjunction with cloud computing. All digital assets, images, video and audio files, branding tools, logos, graphic design files, are moved to the cloud and accessible via a LAN connection and a specialized software package. The DAM system alleviates the costly need for on site technical equipment and personnel to maintain and run it. All those digital assets stored on the cloud are accessible from virtually anywhere on the planet. Telecommuters can access the same data office-based workers can and all with the same high level of security.
Imagine being at a remote job site and a call comes in. Your marketing head needs approval on the latest changes to the company logo, and needs it now. She emails the link to the working copy that is sitting on the cloud and after one minor change, it looks great. But, wait, you want to include images you just took of the breaking-ground ceremony for the latest project the company is involved in. They would make a great addition to the latest industry newsletter, which just happens to be going out the next morning. Not a problem; simply log on to the cloud, upload your images to the appropriate folder, and send instructions to your team. That’s it, done!
In the above scenario, the brand of the business was saved from potential embarrassment. By having the ability to log on to the cloud and alter exactly the same working copy your marketing head was referring too, it ensures consistency in the brand. There are no multiple copies of differing logos floating around in boxes and desktop folders. The final copy of the business logo is in one place, available in multiple sizes, resolutions and formats for every team member to utilize. By creating transparency in the digital assets that are so important to the face of a business, the reputation and trust of the company is bolstered.
In the case of the breaking-ground ceremony, the DAM system and the cloud were key tools in making sure buzz-worthy images were published at just the right time. Sure, without the cloud those pictures could have been published in the next newsletter, but by then the ceremony would have been old news. Contractors looking for bidding opportunities wouldn’t have known to contact your company. Investors looking for new projects to invest in wouldn’t see yours, and may move on to other ventures before seeing the next newsletter. It’s all about timing. With a good solid DAM system and a secure cloud, timing can be managed with far more efficiency.
Net profit divided by the cost of investment (resources used) will provide a review on the period in question – or so says the Marketing Accountability Standards Board. So, all those readers (contractors, buyers, investors) who saw the pictures of the breaking-ground ceremony and followed through with a proposal, purchase, or investment – they have generated the net profit. The money spent on access to the DAM via the cloud is the investment. The return? Well it would be far more than hosting digital assets on site and having personnel around to maintain it. The point is, a good digital asset management system hosted off site and accessible via cloud computing can and will generate increasing returns on the initial investment. The returns never end, because the use of the DAM will never end.
Jake Athey is a representative of Widen. By choosing Widen you’ll take the pain out of getting organized. We provide you with web based digital asset management software, scalable cloud service, guided implementation and training, security, and much, much more. Visit us online today for more infomation.
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