1STATE OF DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT REPORT - 2017

2STATE OF DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT REPORT - 2017

WELCOME TO THE 2017 STATE OF DAM REPORT

2016 was a huge year for Digital Asset Management (DAM). CMI named DAM “one of the hottest subjects in content marketing this year,” and MarketingProfs said “DAM is rapidly becoming a necessity in the world of photographers, graphic designers, marketing teams, website developers, and PR personnel.”

It was also a huge year for DAM innovation. From templating offerings to analytics expansion, and an industry-wide focus on video capabilities, digital asset management platforms have never been more competitive, or more comprehensive.

Now more than ever, it’s important to understand who’s using DAM, why they’re using it, and what they need from it. That’s what this report defines, and we’re happy to present our findings for the second year in a row. Based on our results, it’s clear that the number of marketers relying on DAM is increasing and, along with it, the needs of users are becoming increasingly complex and nuanced.

So how does the DAM community meet those needs? The responses in this survey lead us to believe the answer to that question is through the creation of more targeted features. Today’s DAM users don’t want feature overload. They’re looking for a DAM that meets their needs and integrates with tools they’re already using on a daily basis, including Adobe, Slack, and Microsoft.

So, we have our jobs cut out for us in 2017. The competition is high, the bar is higher, and the need for DAM is still largely untapped. We look forward to seeing how fast this growing field evolves over what is sure to be the most exciting year yet for digital asset management.

TABLE OF CONTENTS1. Who took the survey? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 032. What does brand management mean to marketers in 2017? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 053. How are creatives approaching asset storage? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 074. Why don’t companies have DAM? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 095. How do DAM users feel about their software? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126. What do Brandfolder users think about their software?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147. Looking forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

3STATE OF DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT REPORT - 2017

WHO TOOK THE SURVEY?

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350 marketers from across the industry participated in our second annual State of DAM survey, a 40% increase from 2016. Respondents were primarily marketing managers (24%), creative directors (32%), and designers (15%), working in the technology and agency sectors, and primarily headquartered in North America. The split between B2B and B2C was fairly even at 41% and 36% respectively.

When asked what sites they visit every day, 83% of participants overwhelmingly identified Facebook, 62% said news sites, and 57% cited industry/tech blogs. Instagram and Twitter also had a strong showing with 56% and 44% daily usage respectively. We took a deep dive into what “industry news” meant to survey participants, and the overwhelming responses showed us that “Forbes,”

“TechCrunch,” and “Facebook,” are where creatives turn to for the latest news in their industries.

When it’s time to evaluate new software, 89% head to Google for research. And peer reviews were cited as crucial for many when making their final decision. Regarding peer reviews in the DAM industry, many respondents found G2 Crowd as a helpful resource. Most came across the site via Google search, and stayed for their comprehensive ranking system.

We also asked marketers and creatives to list the top three challenges they think their teams will face in 2017. “Generating traffic and leads” came in first, while “proving the ROI of our efforts” held the spot for close second. “Content marketing” and “time management” tied for last place, aligning with industry predictions for areas of focus in 2017.

1. WHO TOOK THE SURVEY?

Other10%

Locating Assets17%

External Sharing18%

One-off Requests13%

Internal Sharing13%

Asset Inventory29%

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU FACE WHEN MANAGING DIGITAL ASSETS?

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WHAT DOES BRAND MANAGEMENT MEAN TO MARKETERS IN 2017?

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2. WHAT DOES BRAND MANAGEMENT MEAN TO MARKETERS IN 2017?

Brand strategy, brand voice, and brand guidelines have become buzzwords over the last few years, but they’ve also never been more important. In today’s digital age of marketing, it’s easy to find 10 logos for the same organization with a simple Google search. It’s also true that company marketing teams and touch points can be too large for one brand guardian to manage. Because of these hurdles, it’s crucial for brands to have a strong set of guidelines. Most brands seem to agree, because 74% reported having and using brand guidelines.

But who’s actually making the assets that require brand guides in the first place? Well, a lot of people! 82% of respondents said that they are involved in the creation of digital assets (images, video, marketing materials). And almost all respondents use Adobe Creative Cloud to bring those assets to life — good news for DAMs that play well with Adobe.

We also asked how much time participants are investing in asset creation this year, with most responding they allocate 25 hours or more a month to the task. If you’re spending that much on asset creation, you’d better be investing equal or greater resources into storing and maintaining said assets with the right DAM.

HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK DO YOU SPEND CREATING DIGITAL ASSETS?

4-8 Hours23%

9-16 Hours16%

17-24 Hours11% 25+ Hours

17%

0-4 Hours32%

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HOW ARE CREATIVES APPROACHING ASSET STORAGE?

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3. HOW ARE CREATIVES APPROACHING ASSET STORAGE?

We’ve already told you where we think creatives should be storing their finished brand assets, but where do those hard-working assets really live? 35% of respondents said that they store finished assets on an internal server, with another 45% using a DAM platform. That’s a big jump from last year’s survey, in which just 9% of marketers said that they used a DAM tool.

Of those respondents who said they don’t have a DAM, 29% said DAM is a priority for their organization in 2017. So who’s in charge of searching for the right DAM solution? Who do DAM providers everywhere need to be targeting with their precious ad budgets? Overwhelmingly, respondents agreed that this task falls to their Creative Director.

“35% of respondents said that they store finished assets on an internal server, with another 45% using a DAM platform. That’s a big jump from last year’s survey, in which just 9% of marketers said that they used a DAM tool.”

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WHY DON’T COMPANIES HAVE DAM?

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4. WHY DON’T COMPANIES HAVE DAM?

If DAM is such a trending force in the marketing world, why isn’t everyone jumping on board? We asked participants why they don’t have a DAM, and the top three answers were as follows:

1. 47% THINK THEY’RE TOO SMALL FOR A DAM 2. 40% THINK ASSET MANAGEMENT ISN’T AN ISSUE 3. 33% DON’T HAVE THE BUDGET

This was an interesting response, because the smaller the organization, the more vital DAM can be to your growth. When you’re small or just starting out, you want to present the best first impression of your organization. You might even want to appear bigger than you actually are, and, of course, you want to be ready to respond to press requests at any time. A DAM can help with all of this.

Of the 40% listed above who don’t think asset management is an issue, 45% spend up to 30 minutes a week searching for assets. We think that’s too much time spent searching for assets that should be accessible with a single click. That’s what digital asset management can do for you, and that’s why we think it’s an important tool to add to your marketing stack.

Of those who don’t have a DAM, 78% use a cloud storage solution like Dropbox or Google Drive. These solutions can be sufficient for storing assets. However, unlike feature-rich, cloud-based DAM platforms, these tools aren’t designed to meet the complex needs of modern brands. And considering that, when asked what their biggest challenges are when managing digital assets, respondents said, “understanding asset inventory,” “difficulty sharing assets with third parties,” and “difficulty locating brand assets,” it’s clear non-DAM solutions are wasting valuable creative time every year. But just how much time?

50

40

30

20

10

01-5

REQUESTS5-10

REQUESTS10-20

REQUESTS20+

REQUESTSNOT SURE OTHER

HOW MANY REQUESTS DO YOU RECEIVE VIA EMAIL OR OTHER MEDIUM, ON A WEEKLY BASIS?

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4. WHY DON’T COMPANIES HAVE DAM? (CONTINUED)

49% of the creatives participating in the survey receive up to five asset requests per week. Of those requests, 54% of respondents admitted to spending up to 15 minutes searching for each asset — which adds up to 65 hours annually. So, how are they searching for assets if they don’t have a DAM? 76% of marketers say they get bogged down in Google search and 63% go down the rabbit hole of fishing for assets in their inboxes.

50

40

30

20

10

00-0.5

HOURS0.5-1

HOURS1-2

HOURS2-3

HOURS3+

HOURSOTHER

HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU SPEND SEARCHING FOR ASSETS EVERY WEEK WITHOUT DAM?

The right DAM allows you to tag assets for easy search; store, and edit. It should also help you manage videos (an increasingly important part of today’s marketing landscape) and create templates for marketing materials. Simply put, the right DAM gives you and your team time back

— time that you can spend working on tasks that actually matter to your company’s bottom line.

12STATE OF DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT REPORT - 2017

HOW DO DAM USERS FEEL ABOUT THEIR SOFTWARE?

13STATE OF DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT REPORT - 2017

5. HOW DO DAM USERS FEEL ABOUT THEIR SOFTWARE?

DAM saw exponential growth and user adoption in 2016 and, looking at this data, it’s easy to see why.

When asked how long it takes to locate and return updated brand assets using DAM, 63% of respondents said it takes less than 10 minutes, with about half saying it takes them less than five. Overall, 42% of respondents with DAM reported spending under 30 minutes searching for assets each week. That’s only 26 hours per year — an 86% difference from those who search for assets without a DAM.

But what’s a DAM user to do when they need assets from a brand who’s not as progressive in their marketing automation? 77% say they still turn to Google to locate assets that they hope are correct. That means that if you’re not using DAM, someone may be Googling your logo or other brand assets. Do a quick Google search of your own and see how many outdated brand assets innocently populate that search. A DAM ensures that partners, press, and more have easy access to your most updated and approved brand assets.

Of those respondents who had a DAM other than Brandfolder, 27% said it took more than 1 month to implement. And when asked, respondents said they were 60% satisfied with their DAM. When asked what they didn’t like about their DAM, 21% said that they felt that their DAM wasn’t user friendly, 35% felt their DAM didn’t have enough features, and 13% said their DAM had too many features they don’t use.

“A DAM ensures that partners, press, and more have easy access to your most updated and approved brand assets.”

14STATE OF DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT REPORT - 2017

WHAT DO BRANDFOLDER USERS THINK ABOUT THEIR SOFTWARE?

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6. WHAT DO BRANDFOLDER USERS THINK ABOUT THEIR SOFTWARE?

So what is life like in a post-Brandfolder workplace? When asked about the challenges they faced before adopting Brandfolder, 64% of clients cited “managing correct use of updated brand assets,” 63% said “locating final assets,” and 65% said that “sharing assets with internal staff” was the biggest problem they encountered.

Once a week8%

2-3 times per month

17%

Other8%

Every day32%

2-3 Times per week35%

HOW OFTEN DO YOU USE BRANDFOLDER?

Because software is worthless if you never use it, we also asked our clients how often they access their Brandfolder. 32% of clients responded that they use Brandfolder every day, with an additional 35% using the platform 2-3 times a week. Here are a few other things Brandfolder clients like about our software:

- 70% feel that Brandfolder is easy to learn and use. - 60% like the design and interface. - 70% believe Brandfolder saves them time and makes them more efficient. - 63% believe Brandfolder makes it easy to respond to request and

provide people with what they need.

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6. WHAT DO BRANDFOLDER USERS THINK ABOUT THEIR SOFTWARE? (CONTINUED)

Of the top 3 reasons they chose Brandfolder, respondents said it:

- 63% makes sharing assets with external partners easy - 58% makes sharing assets with internal teams easy - 58% helps my organization manage all brand assets from one location

The most valuable Brandfolder features were:

- Sharing assets with internal users - Searching for and locating assets - Using the bulk actions bar - Adding asset tags for better searching - Embedding Brandfolder into their site

Brandfolder also has the fastest implementation time in the industry. While respondents with non-Brandfolder DAMs said that it took more than one month to implement, Brandfolder has an average implementation time of two weeks or less.

“31% of clients responded that they use Brandfolder every day, with an additional 35% using the platform 2-3 times a week.”

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LOOKINGFORWARD

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7. LOOKING FORWARD

As DAM grows, so should the research and community understanding around it. Our prediction for the year ahead is that there will be a greater need for information on how to use digital asset management to meet broader marketing trends like video, experiential marketing, and marketing automation. DAM will be the tool that ties it all together, and the one that keeps you at the top of your marketing game.

To reflect the growth of DAM this year, we also took an expanded approach to our survey. We got more specific with what we asked and who we asked. That manifested in a more comprehensive view into the interests of the marketers we surveyed, allowing us to create mini personas for the creative directors, marketing managers, and designers who rely most on DAM.

We also spent more time asking about the process of asset creation. It’s important for us, as DAM architects, to understand who’s making assets, how they’re making them, and what those assets are being used for. And finally, we tailored specific survey roadmaps for broader DAM users, Brandfolder-specific users, and those who don’t yet have DAM. This allowed up to more precisely understand the motivations, challenges, and successes each subset experiences with their unique asset management solutions.

As DAM continues to be a force in the marketing world, we will continue to monitor how it is impacting its users. After all, we want to make sure we’re providing you with the best DAM platform around. We also want to see the DAM industry, as a whole, do well. Because the more competition there is in the field, the faster DAM gets better.

So we’ll see you back here for State of DAM 2018. We look forward to seeing how DAM continues to evolve as a key marketing technology to increase brand efficiency.

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Brandfolder is the world’s most powerfully simple digital asset management (DAM) platform for storing, sharing, and showcasing brand assets. Organizations like Slack, OpenTable, Shazam, Webroot, and HealthONE rely on Brandfolder to deliver a consistent, organized, and efficient brand experience.

ABOUT BRANDFOLDER

STORE One home for all of your brand and digital assets. Images, video, logos, your style guide — you can store it all in one place.

SEARCHFind the right assets right when you need them.

SHAREShare your brand with clients, internal teams, or external partners. Add a simple password to your account and give temporary access to partners.

TRACKKnow who’s downloading or linking to your assets and when they’re doing it.