Digital Branding and the Role of DAM Software

There’s no denying that we live in a digital world. From the millions of websites and apps at our disposal to the internet-connected phone in our pockets, the evidence is all around us. According to the 2022 Global Digital Overview from We Are Social and Hootsuite, the average internet user spends 6 hours and 58 minutes online every day. 

After the changes in behavior brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, we rely on the web for just about everything. Whether we’re shopping, researching a new product, or communicating with a business, we often turn to the convenience, practicality, and safety of digital channels.

So, given the digital nature of today’s consumers, how should businesses approach branding? And, furthermore, what role does digital asset management (DAM) software, like Acquia DAM (Widen), play in a brand’s quest to win the attention, loyalty, and dollars of these buyers?

Let’s discuss!
 

The importance of digital branding

When we talk about branding, we more or less mean “digital branding.” As mentioned, this has to do with the fact that digital channels play a huge role in a buyer’s journey. If brands ignore these channels, they are, in turn, neglecting a critical segment of their audience.

The brands that understand this realize that their online presence — their social channels, digital content, and website — is their brand. As such, they treat it that way. They leverage and optimize these elements to influence customer experiences, tell their story, connect with their audiences, and establish their unique identity.

And, while many Fortune 500 companies can afford to make and distribute television commercials, they typically prioritize the creation and use of digital marketing assets. Some businesses still purchase billboards and print advertising, but never in lieu of building up their digital asset library. An NFL team like the Houston Texans, who rely on a massive amount of physical brand presentation, know the importance of managing their digital assets.

“The detailed metadata in [Acquia DAM] is probably the biggest asset to building and maintaining the brand. We try to consistently use blue jerseys to represent our brand. Giving our designers and our marketing people the ability to quickly filter out everything that’s not a blue jersey picture helps build that brand consistency,” says Zach Tarrant, Team Photographer at the Houston Texans. 

Brands simply cannot ignore the power of using consistent, relevant digital assets to reach their audiences where they spend their time. Which, as we know, is increasingly face-to-face with a computer screen or mobile device, rather than with the newspaper or television.
 

The connection between branding and DAM software

Digital assets are the “face of a company.” What we mean by this is that most people are first introduced to a company via a brand’s digital content. Whether a consumer first encounters a brand via a photo in their Instagram feed or through a viral video, digital assets are often their first line of contact.

As such, companies invest a lot of time and money developing the digital assets that make up their brand. To protect and get the most out of this investment, many organizations leverage DAM software.

Brands turn to DAM software to help them scale, safeguard, measure, and manage their growing library of digital assets. In other words, businesses use DAM software to help them achieve the level of digital branding they need to drive sales and loyalty in an increasingly competitive digital space.
 

Benefits of DAM software for branding

It’s no longer enough for organizations to simply have a brand or to have a digital presence. To get the most out of their branding efforts, they must deliver their brand to the right people at the right time. DAM software helps organizations make this crucial connection. 

Here are some other ways DAM tools benefit branding efforts.
 

Centralized control of digital assets

This methodology of managing digital assets promotes brand consistency by giving businesses — and the people that communicate their brand — a single source of truth for their brand assets. 

Teams no longer need to guess which logos, images, videos, or other digital marketing collateral are most recent and approved to use. A DAM solution gives organizations a central hub from which to control their brand and define who uses their digital assets, when, where, and how.
 

Unlimited storage space

As organizations and their digital asset libraries grow, they need a scalable way to store and access their branded materials. 

By using a cloud-based DAM solution, businesses get the bandwidth and storage space they need to secure and grow their arsenal of digital assets. And, considering that many companies now rely on large video files and high-resolution images to tell their brand story, unlimited space comes in handy!
 

Efficient global marketing workflows

Businesses are challenged with not only creating a strong brand but also delivering it to audiences with speed and consistency. 

A DAM solution helps brands and their teams — no matter their location around the world — collaborate and work more efficiently via capabilities like cross-platform integrations, advanced search, creative proofing, and easy asset sharing.
 

Do I need branding software?

The right DAM solution can help you support the branding needs of your organization. It’s the software that more and more businesses rely on to grow and nurture their greatest asset — their brand. To learn more about brand management and see it in action, request, watch, or click through a demo of Acquia DAM today to learn more. 

Note: This article was originally published on Widen.com.