Why you need to consider digital asset management

As businesses expand their marketing efforts across multiple channels and teams, keeping track of all your content while maintaining brand consistency becomes increasingly difficult. 

Tackling these brand management challenges requires proper processes. One of them being DAM. Here’s why:

• Centralizes and organizes all digital assets in one place
• Enhances brand consistency and compliance across channels
• Saves time by streamlining asset retrieval and usage
• Protects valuable assets with secure storage and access controls
• Facilitates collaboration and efficiency within teams

10 ways to solve brand management challenges with DAM

1. Inconsistent branding across channels

A big brand management challenge businesses face is inconsistent branding across channels, which can confuse customers and weaken brand identity. It happens when teams work with outdated or incorrect versions of marketing materials. 

With a DAM system, you can centralize all brand assets, ensuring every department or partner can access the latest, approved versions.

For example, imagine a brand that recently rolled out a revamped logo. Without a DAM system, different teams might unknowingly or absent-mindedly use old logo versions in their social media posts or print materials, leading to inconsistency. 

This is especially true when you make minuscule changes like American Express. Instead of a radial gradient, they opted for a flat icon, which may not be noticeable to all but can still make your brand look unprofessional.

With DAM, the updated logo is stored in a centralized location, clearly marked as the official version, and easily accessible by everyone who needs it. This ensures the same assets are used across all channels, which creates a cohesive brand image.

You can execute this by categorizing assets under brand guides, logos, and campaign materials. Setting clear permissions within the DAM can also prevent outdated files from being used.

2. Difficulty in asset retrieval

Locating the right asset quickly is frustrating and time-consuming, especially when files are scattered across various places and devices and you have urgent deadlines. This often leads to delays, miscommunication, and sometimes even using the wrong assets. Since DAM systems have a centralized and searchable library, you can tag, categorize, and easily retrieve the needed assets.

For example, a business is preparing for a product launch. They need access to various assets like product images, logos, and promotional videos. Without a DAM, they might spend hours searching their emails, cloud folders, or internal drives. 

However, with DAM, all assets are stored in one place and organized with relevant tags, making it easy to find exactly what teams need in seconds.

Remember to establish a standardized tagging and categorization system within the DAM. Why? Specific keywords or filters help find the right files quickly, reducing time spent on asset retrieval and allowing more focus on creative tasks.

3. Version control issues

Without a streamlined system, outdated files can be used mistakenly — and we’ve already discussed how it can make your brand look. A DAM software removes these issues by automating version control, ensuring everyone can access the most current assets.

DAM tools can do this by automatically updating files in the central repository whenever a new version is uploaded. So, if a design team updates a logo or an advertisement graphic, the tool replaces the older version or marks it as outdated while keeping the new version prominently accessible. 

It also provides version histories, so teams can track changes over time and revert to previous versions if needed. This means there’s no confusion over which file is the latest or the risk of accidentally using outdated campaign assets.

To take full advantage of this feature, teams should establish clear versioning guidelines within the DAM tool. This includes setting up notifications for when new versions are uploaded and using appropriate file naming conventions. 

Damian Grabarczyk, the co-founder and growth marketer of PetLab Co., says, “At PetLab Co., where our mission is to provide pet owners with reliable products and advice, ensuring brand consistency across all platforms was critical to maintaining trust. However, as our team grew and spread across different time zones, we started running into version control issues—teams were using outdated product images or old messaging that no longer reflected our current offers. This created confusion not only internally but also for our customers, who rely on up-to-date, accurate information to care for their pets. To overcome this, we implemented a DAM system, centralizing all our brand assets in one place. Now, whether our team is in the US or the UK, they have instant access to the latest approved materials. This shift didn’t just streamline our operations—it safeguarded our brand’s integrity, ensuring we deliver a consistent, trustworthy experience to our customers, no matter where or how they interact with us.”

4. Collaborating with multiple teams

There’s a reason the DAM market has a projected 14% CAGR and is expected to reach a staggering 10.3 billion by 2029 — it improves team collaboration. 

This is especially helpful when working on large campaigns or projects that require input from various departments like marketing, design, and sales. It simplifies the process by providing a shared platform where all team members can access, review, and edit assets in real time. This eliminates constant back-and-forth communication and ensures everyone works with the most updated materials.

Plus, DAM systems come with integrations. A learning management system integration can make it easier for teams to access training materials and brand guidelines directly within the platform. This integration ensures that every team member is aligned with the latest brand standards and practices, reducing the risk of inconsistency. 

For example, when a new marketing strategy is rolled out, teams can quickly access the relevant training modules and brand guidelines through the DAM, ensuring that all content, whether for social media or product packaging, reflects a unified brand voice.

Similarly, a project management integration can help seamlessly link assets to specific tasks, campaigns, or projects, streamlining workflows and communication.

5. Brand asset security concerns

One of the major features to look for in a digital asset management software is undoubtedly security.

Is your data safe with them? Where do they host it? Is it confidential? These questions and more should be considered before you pick the ideal tool. 

It becomes critical when dealing with sensitive materials like unreleased product images, confidential marketing strategies, or proprietary logos. DAM systems address these concerns by providing secure storage solutions with robust access controls. 

Unlike traditional storage methods, DAM software lets administrators set precise permissions, ensuring only authorized personnel can access and distribute specific assets.

More importantly, ensure your chosen software adheres to general compliance practices and has required certifications for utmost security like Filecamp.

6. Inefficient approval processes

When assets undergo multiple rounds of revisions across various departments, the risk of miscommunication, delays, and errors increases. This can drastically slow down marketing campaigns, corporate events and content creation. DAM software, designed specifically for this purpose, streamlines this process with built-in workflows.

These workflows let teams set up automated approval paths, where assets can be routed to the appropriate stakeholders for review and feedback on customer feedback platforms. For example, if you have a new promotional video coming, upload it to the DAM software to trigger a workflow that automatically notifies the stakeholders for review. 

Each stakeholder can then view the asset, give feedback, or approve it directly within the system. This speeds up the review process and keeps all feedback centralized, reducing error rates and ensuring everyone is aligned.

Holger Sindbaek, serial entrepreneur and the founder of the brain training platform Online Solitaire, says, “As a solopreneur behind Online Solitaire, managing freelancers posed a unique challenge—especially when it came to aligning our brand identity. I quickly realized that while freelancers brought creative expertise, their interpretations of our gaming brand often varied. Some assets would feel too casual, others too formal, and this inconsistency risked undermining the seamless experience that’s crucial for our players. To address this, I implemented a DAM system that centralized all brand assets—logos, color schemes, gameplay visuals—and paired it with clear brand guidelines. Now, freelancers can easily access the most up-to-date materials and work within a framework that ensures every asset reflects the brand’s identity. This shift not only sped up approvals but also safeguarded the cohesive, immersive experience our players expect.”

7. Managing large volumes of assets

Managing multiple digital assets can quickly become overwhelming, especially if you work in a marketing agency, print and publishing, or retail and e-commerce industries. 

And what happens when you can’t find the right files on time? Delays, inconsistent branding, and missed opportunities for timely marketing campaigns. This problem is especially pronounced in retail. 

For example, when building a clothing business, large volumes of product images, catalogs, and promotional materials need to be accessed and updated frequently. DAM tools provide robust organizational features to make these materials easily manageable and quickly retrievable.

Here are a few more benefits for businesses in fashion:

8. Maintaining brand compliance

This brand management challenge applies to those businesses that often collaborate with external partners. Without strict controls, there's a risk of off-brand content making its way into public-facing materials, which can dilute brand identity and send mixed messages to the audience. 

Here, DAM systems can ensure that only pre-approved, compliant assets are used. Outdated or non-compliant assets can be archived or restricted from use to minimize the risk of them being mistakenly included in new content.

This setup preserves brand integrity and simplifies the content creation process since teams can confidently use any asset available in the software, knowing it is a recent one.

9. Lack of asset performance insights

Do you know if your content resonates with your audience? A lack of visibility makes it challenging to understand which assets drive engagement and which fall flat and lead to sub-standard marketing strategies. Digital asset management tools address this issue by offering detailed analytics on asset usage and performance.

With it, businesses can track how often assets are accessed, who is using them, and in what context they’re being deployed. The data-driven insights can inform decisions about which assets to prioritize, optimize, or retire, ultimately leading to more effective and targeted marketing efforts.

10. Difficulty in distributing updated assets

Distributing updated brand assets to multiple teams and stakeholders can be a logistical nightmare. 

Without a streamlined process, there’s a high risk of using outdated materials, leading to inconsistencies and potential customer confusion. DAM systems alleviate this challenge by easily distributing updated assets and ensuring everyone always has access to the latest versions.
Additionally, an integrated SMTP email service can simplify smooth email communication when sharing these assets, ensuring your marketing emails are reliably delivered to the right stakeholders.

Once an asset is revised — be it a logo, product image, or marketing collateral — it’s immediately available in the DAM for all authorized users. This eliminates the need for manual distribution through emails or shared drives, which can often lead to version control issues. 

Overcome your brand management challenges with DAM

Investing in digital asset management software is a simple way to overcome key brand management challenges. Because of the features it provides, you can maintain consistency, and operational efficiency, and collaborate better.

Plus, a DAM software lets you:

• Stay brand-compliant
• Speed up your time-to-market
• Get in-depth asset analysis
• Scale as you grow

Looking to get started? Opt for our 30-day free trial!