Centralizing Content For Top Drawer Communication

Theresa Regli, digital asset management expert and industry analyst, argues for the combined content powerhouse of digital asset management (DAM) and product information management systems (PIM) to help untangle the mess.

  1. chevron left iconCentralizing Content For Top Drawer Communication
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Lucy Campbell-WoodwardMay 9, 2019
  • Digital Asset Management
  • Product Information Management
  • Content Management

Decluttering is a huge trend, but one which is well worth thinking about. Japanese household guru, Marie Kondo, has sold over 10 million copies of her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. It inspired a Netflix series, copycat instagrammers, and millions of consumers enthused by the concept of getting life under control.

And this is what it boils down to – getting things under control. The digital world has multiplied the clutter in our lives – information and material overload. We buy more, we sell more, we collect more, we publish more, we consume more. Content or items – there’s just so much more stuff to manage both at home and in the workplace. But there’s a reason we feel better when we declutter and reorganize. It provides clarity and therefore makes room for direction. We’re no longer fighting against a tide of stuff demanding our attention and we can focus on the really important things. At home, we spend less time pointlessly moving stuff around our houses, and in the office, we work smarter, not harder.

For example, having a clear overview of what you have in the store cupboard at home, knowing what you still need to buy an what you already have enough of, saves you both time and money when doing the weekly shop on a busy Saturday morning. Equally, having the same approach towards the content larder in your organization can bring similar benefits but on a far bigger scale.

Looking at it from the other way around, it is fair to say that companies are wasting colossal amounts of time, energy, and money, as well as putting their brand‘s reputation on the line, if they have little overview of what product data and related content they already have in their possession, of where this information is located or which version of this data is the most up to date, or whether the related copy adheres to branding guidelines, and who to go to for answers to all of these questions regarding any one of their assets.

This is why Theresa Regli, digital asset management expert and industry analyst, argues for the combined content powerhouse of digital asset management (DAM) and product information management systems (PIM) to help untangle the mess. We are on her side, so much so that her most recent whitepaper is hosted on our website: DAM and PIM: A Match Made in MarTech.

In it, she suggests a central package of product data that can be accessed from anywhere within the organization, as well as distributed to third parties such as retailers or creative agencies - something which some brands are already practicing with much success while others are still struggling to understand the concept or how it could help them.

“Managing product data that’s aligned with corresponding imagery, video, and other marketing material is a big challenge for many modern businesses. Regardless of the product you sell […] pictures, video, and accurate data tied together in targeted customer communications is an anchor for success.” - Theresa Regli, Digital Asset Management Expert, DAM and PIM: A Match Made in MarTech

The idea is to house, process and manage all product information and related content in one centralized system, which in the case of product data, can come from the marriage of two well known industry solutions – product information management (PIM) and digital asset management (DAM). As a result of this amalgamation, all product data is stored, managed and delivered from a central point which helps to ensure that complete and up to date data and content is available to the relevant users whenever they need it. This kind of accurate and comprehensive product information provides a solid base from which teams can work when building market ready materials for promotional campaigns. It also reduces the risk of error, encourages a higher quality output, and supports a deeper level of communication between you, your product and your customers.

“Whether you are a product company or a retailer, a tourism agency, or a museum, supplying consistent, accurate, and high-quality content downstream can result in better personalization, advertising, and promotional opportunities.” - Theresa Regli, Digital Asset Management Expert, DAM and PIM: A Match Made in MarTech

Product data and its related content can be complicated in nature, however. From the moment of inception, a product produces a whole spectrum of data and information which is constantly changing as it develops from ideation to physical production and onto the market. Once the product is ready to go market, other kinds of related content come into play, such as advertising and marketing material, created with input from across multiple departments and requiring optimization for use across multiple markets.

“The goal is to come to a set of final and accurate product data that can be used at global and local levels.” - Theresa Regli, Digital Asset Management Expert, DAM and PIM: A Match Made in MarTech

But with everything in one place, these challenges can be met with relatively little effort. Data and content can be updated, approved, managed and delivered in an effective, transparent way, and costs can be held in check as users don’t waste money reshooting and rebuying licenses for digital assets which they unwittingly already own. The energy and resources saved from this increased efficiency can be channeled into new projects or allow teams more time to think more creatively or strategically.

By creating a proper product data architecture, the information flow can be controlled from the moment an item – or service – is conceived, to the moment it’s posted on Instagram by the consumer. Associated strategies such as up and cross selling become simpler as product information becomes interlinked and everyone from marketing to sales to innovation and merchandising can see what exists – and, indeed, what does not.

If you’re not convinced, then perhaps you should read the paper itself and find out more on creating a centralized product data architecture and the benefits it could bring.

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Lucy Campbell-Woodward
Lucy is Head of Marketing for censhare, and leads the global team in the aligned planning and implementation of censhare's marekting strategy. Having joined the team in 2017, Lucy has played a pivotal role in the censhare Marketing team for a good few years now, and stepped up into a leadership role in 2022.

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