July 21, 2009

The marketing team just spent $40,000 on a major rebranding initiative. What did it get for that? A new corporate logo, tag line, some updated messaging, and presentation templates that reflect the new brand. Yet, three months later, the marketing director found the sales reps using the company’s outdated logo, presentation materials, and position statements, which don’t articulate the company’s new value proposition. What went wrong?

Digital Asset Management: A Marketer’s Best Friend

DAM A Marketer's Best Friend 3 The marketing team just spent $40,000 on a major rebranding initiative. What did it get for that? A new corporate logo, tag line, some updated messaging, and presentation templates that reflect the new brand. Yet, three months later, the marketing director found the sales reps using the company’s outdated logo, presentation materials, and position statements, which don’t articulate the company’s new value proposition. What went wrong?

Policing an entire organization to ensure that everyone is using the latest materials is the bane of a marketer’s existence. Maintaining consistent branding becomes that much more challenging when employees are accessing outdated logos or graphics with incorrect color schemes or imagery and outdated messaging because there is no dedicated system or process in place to identify and locate current, approved assets.

It doesn’t take long for companies to accumulate a wealth of collateral, artwork, and other digital media files. Although there is often a core set of assets that remain consistent for upwards of 12 months, the vast majority undergo some form of change on a regular basis, with many being stored in multiple, disparate locations. It’s no wonder employees have a hard time keeping track of the most up-to-date materials. The marketing department may have its own repository of materials, only to discover that “rogue” groups like sales and product management have been hording their own set of materials, which often no longer comply with current brand guidelines.

Continues @ http://www.1to1media.com/view.aspx?docid=31716