DAM by Design – Putting Purpose First at Henry Stewart DAM Chicago

Digital Asset Management (DAM) technology is a fantastic tool, but all too often it can become the focus rather than the facilitator. At this year’s Henry Stewart DAM Chicago event, held on 12 September with censhare US as lead sponsor, it was all about putting purpose back into content management.

Delegates were treated to a wide range of presentations and exhibitors with something for everyone, from the absolute beginner to seasoned DAM professional. But, the overarching theme was making the technology fit the need, not the other way around.

Putting the Human at the Heart of Tech Selection

Real Story Group analyst, Jarrod Gringas, discussed how he applies design thinking to the technology selection process. It’s all about understanding the human sitting at the center of the experience – both of the content professional and end consumer – and then tailoring the tech selection to fit. By creating a needs narrative rather than ‘Checklist RFPs’, vendors can get to the heart of their clients’ use cases, better resolving their pain points.

Match Teams to Goals

One standout presentation from DraftKings and HelloFresh honed in on creative operations – in particular, managing the relationship between performance marketing and brand building.

Getting a diverse group of professionals with differing motivations and goals to work well together is always a challenge, but it is also critical for a top performing team. The key, according to the presenters, is to unify the young, hungry designers, and the experienced, business minded creatives behind a common goal. Trust among team members is the foundation upon which success is built.

The Power of Personalization

Personalization isn’t just for the end user. That was the message from censhare’s invitation only roundtable, “What does your marketing tech stack actually need?’, featuring both brand and vendor representatives. DAM, it was noted, is not one size fits all. Some companies use multiple systems in order to respond to their very specific needs.

And it seems that this challenge comes through in built incompatibilities between systems and vendor solutions, as well as over supply and duplication of resources. Some companies can’t even get the budget to turn the workflow part of their DAM on.

We learned that it’s about having open and receptive vendors who listen to clients’ goals and present a realistic, phased approach that suits teams both now and in the future.

The building block analogy has been over used and is, if you think about it, unhelpful. Tech doesn’t need to be lumped on top of tech but instead needs to integrate and form an ecosystem that serves multiple touchpoints on an as needed basis. This allows clients to expand and contract with demand, rather than finding themselves shackled to products which no longer fit for purpose. One participant in particular mentioned that they have a constant process of review for vendors, reevaluating their ecosystem by need and need alone.

Understanding what technology can do for clients is important, but understanding client needs and how to meld that technology to them is even more so. As the DAM roadshow continues into November with DAM San Diego and censhare US once again performing duties as lead sponsor, we will be taking these learnings and expanding upon them.

To hear more of what we have to say, as well gaining new insights from our peers, colleagues and partners, join us at San Diego by using code CENSHARE100 to enjoy a $100 discount on your registration fee. You can also contact us to set up a meeting to chat with one of our team during the event!