Maybe a mini-DAM is all you need

I found this article by Jillian Gibbs of Advertising Production Resources which I think supports the notion that many DAM systems are bloated and overly complex. 

Jilian argues for Mini-DAMs, a simpler pragmatic approach which I find refreshing.

It’s an approach that we embrace at Brandkit.

Here’s what Jillian had to say:

The business need for Digital Asset Management (DAM) continues to grow as rich media content and its various distribution channels gain increasing value in corporate brand strategies and as many global companies consider ways to share assets.

The wide variety of solutions offered in the current DAM marketspace can leave one feeling overwhelmed and even puzzled by the sometimes subtle differences between systems. Larger, enterprise DAM solutions can be costly and difficult to maintain due to complex metadata structures, challenging user interface navigation, and high consulting fees for customization.

Many advertisers really need just a simple, quick-to-implement, and cost effective mini-DAM program to address some fundamental issues:

• Difficulty locating existing assets among many creative silos
• Excessive agency fees to access existing advertiser owned assets
• Inability to share assets across multiple agencies
• Misuse or incorrect use of assets between regions or markets
• Inadequate usage rights tracking
• Costly recreation of the same assets

We have found a simpler solution that will yield immediate benefits to your ad production and creative efforts.

A web or cloud-based, mini-DAM program will meet the most important needs and is much more cost-effective. A mini-DAM costs a fraction of an enterprise DAM solution and can provide immediate benefits to the marketing/creative organization.

Your ROI will be covered in just a few months. 

Worth noting is the importance of a dedicated system administrator who provides leadership, organization, and training to your mini-DAM solution. This person or persons are key to the successful implementation of the tool and should provide:

• Asset and end-user maintenance
• System support and vendor liaison
• Training documentation and instruction
• End-user and client communication
• Reporting of system analytics
• Archiving, research on assets current and historical and usage rights information

So, before you invest in an enterprise DAM solution, we recommend you consider a simpler, cost-effective option that is much more realistic and which will provide immediate benefits.

We wholeheartedly agree :)

Note: The original story is no longer available.

Check out Brandkit - Beautifully simple brand & image management software.