The Difference Between Files and Brand Assets

Today we're continuing our discussion of Modern DAM with a post about the difference between files and brand assets. We've already covered a few other topics in our series - you can find links to them here. Don't forget to check back next week for our post on the benefits of cloud-based DAM.

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The Proliferation of Content

According to the 2015 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report from Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, “86% of marketers say their organization uses content marketing.” I’d like to argue every organization uses content marketing because without it, are you really marketing?

Regardless of how you feel about “content marketing,” today we’re seeing more content across digital channels than ever before. In fact, “70% of B2B marketers are creating more content than they did one year ago.” So not only are marketers challenged to produce more content at a faster rate than ever before, but it's essential that they have an efficient solution for managing, sharing, and analyzing all of that content.

Enter Digital Asset Management (DAM)

That’s where DAMs can help. DAM solutions provide a central location to help with the organization, management, and sharing of a company's’ digital assets. This definition can cover many use cases and tools, but here at Brandfolder, we pay special attention to digital brand assets.

Typical cloud-based storage repositories won’t give you the proper ammunition to successfully drive your content initiatives forward.

According to Gleanster’s Digital Asset Management Adoption Trends in 2014, “use of online storage platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox are common substitutes for a DAM system ... but it’s not just about storing the content, it’s about what you can do with the content.”

In order to successfully take your content marketing strategy to the masses, you need to make sure your assets are catalogued, on-brand, and properly cared for. This is where solutions like Brandfolder really stand out from other cloud-based solutions, which act as digital dumping grounds that are nearly impossible to navigate.

Why Assets Are More Valuable Than Files

Brand assets are very different from files.

A logo needs individualized management: it can live in many different formats and sizes and there are specific usage guidelines. Brandfolder understands these requirements and provides you with a way to easily showcase the variations of your logo as well as the governance that should accompany it.

Brandfolder also understands your other important brand assets, such as color palettes and font files. As seen in the image below, our platform provides an easy way to showcase your brand identity. All of these important brand-related assets are not well represented in a one-size-fits-all cloud-based storage solution.

Other benefits of a true, modern DAM include the ability to easily search for and find assets based on associated metadata{:target=”_blank”}. Instead of trying to remember file naming conventions, folder-hierarchy, or exactly who saved what where, assets can easily be searched for by their color, date created, associated campaign, or a myriad of other tags.

We also provide users with the ability to see who is accessing assets so that you can be sure your rebranded logo or promotional launch photos are looked at by the people who should be looking at them.

Once your brand identity is beautifully housed in Brandfolder, you can safely build out the rest of your content knowing it will be on-brand every time. The most successful campaigns are those that have consistent branding because they help to make your company memorable, differentiating you from your competitors.

A Better Way to Manage Brand Assets

Brandfolder was created to provide an easy way to help you understand and manage your assets, which are more than just files. With tools for easy search, capturing metadata, governance, and analytics, we are so much more than cloud-storage. Can your current solution help you do all of that?

Don’t get left behind. Leverage DAM to help you better manage your brand and your content. If you’re interested in learning more about Brandfolder, sign up to get your free quote today.