The past year and the ongoing Corona pandemic have forced many companies and industries to rethink. In almost all sectors, digitalisation has become the central topic in the past year: More people are working from home and marketing is even more digital-oriented than before. Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems can meet both, the changed daily work routine as well as the increased challenges of marketing. This article therefore answers the question: What are the Digital Asset Management Trends 2021?

1. Digital asset management as a central content hub for all departments

In the past year, the proportion of employees working wholly or partly from home has increased significantly. It is likely that even once the pandemic is over, more employees will continue to work from home offices than before. At the same time, in this globalised world, people from different countries work together on projects. Having a tool that makes the data and files needed for work available to all employees is therefore more important than it has ever been. It doesn't matter whether the employees are in the office, at home, in the company headquarters or in an international subsidiary. A digital asset management solution can serve as a central content hub for all content and is thus becoming relevant for an increasing number of companies and industries. In addition, other departments besides marketing are benefiting from a DAM solution more and more. For example, HR departments need to securely store digital application documents or create media files for recruitment in line with the employer brand management. A DAM can serve as a secure storage location for this. Companies should therefore explore which departments can be connected to a central DAM system. Organisations that do not yet have a DAM system in use should address the issue of digital asset management by this year.

2. Automated multi-channel marketing

The Corona pandemic has not only ensured that more people work from home, but also that many companies and industries have to expand their online marketing to reach their customers. Online marketing works primarily visually: online shops and websites need appealing images, the various social media channels need to be filled and the company's blog needs to be expanded. Marketing managers are therefore faced with more and more tasks and channels to be filled, in even less time, with the same resources. The need for customisation and reusability of marketing content is growing accordingly. A DAM system can save marketers enormous amounts of time and money with automated processes and the right interfaces: Files can be automatically provided to the different platforms in the appropriate format. Companies should therefore make sure to choose a DAM that can be easily connected to other systems.

3. Artificial intelligence and automatic tagging

Metadata is at the heart of any digital asset management system, enabling users to search and find files more easily. Automatic tagging relieves users of most of the metadata work. For example, modern systems recognise what is depicted in images and automatically tag the content accordingly. The content of text files (including, for example, scanned documents via OCR technology) can be automatically captured and tagged. And the contents of audio and video files will also be recognised in the future using Natural Language Processing. These technologies are constantly being expanded and improved, so that manual tagging could soon become a rarity. Especially agencies or companies that use a lot of media assets can save a lot of time and money with such a feature. Since DAM providers partly charge extra for new features, users should consider if they really need such functions, that are sometimes not yet fully developed.

4. GDPR-compliant data storage moves into focus

To simplify remote access and mobile working, many applications and services are currently being moved to the cloud. However, problems with the European data protection guidelines can arise in this process. After the ECJ overturned the Privacy Shield agreement between the EU and the USA with the Schrems ii decision in July 2020, the legal basis is currently difficult. Companies concerned about security should therefore take a close look at where sensitive data is stored. One way is to use a DAM provider that offers its digital asset management as Software as a Service (SaaS) on German servers. As an alternative to large hyperscalers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud Platform, a well-equipped on-premise DAM can also serve as a solution. In this case, the files are stored on the company's own servers. There are also secure and cost-effective solutions for smaller agencies or companies, such as NAS systems.

5. Users value intuitive user experience

Despite the variety of functions and possibilities offered by modern DAM systems, users must be able to find their way around the system easily. Especially when working with international teams, it is important that systems require little explanation. The DAM software as a central content hub should be intuitively understandable for all users from different departments and countries. In addition to easy-to-understand software, the provider's service and support are of course also crucial for a good user experience. Before choosing a DAM system, users should therefore take the time to talk to the providers and get an impression of the look and feel of the software, e.g. via a demo version.

The digital rethinking has gained extreme speed - time to catch up!

As described at the beginning, the working world is changing. A good digital infrastructure is more important than ever in times of working from home and globalisation. The shift to online trade and online communication has also been accelerated enormously by the past year in many sectors. Those who fail to adapt to these changed circumstances may be left behind by the competition. A digital asset management system can help companies keep pace with the rapid change.

Let us consult you how the DAM system Cavok can support you in your changed daily work routine.

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