Building better experiences with content and asset management

With the rapid acceleration into the digital era, omnichannel personalized experiences are no longer considered a USP, but a key factor to business survival. According to recent research carried out by Forrester, two-thirds of marketing-decision makers stated that their firms’ content-technology decisions would make or break their future CX efforts.

In our report, Building Better Experiences with Content and Asset Management, commissioned with Wunderman Thompson Technology; we examined the everyday challenges that Marketing and IT directors face across the content supply chain.

 

There is no shortage of tools to manage digital content and assets, with over two-thirds of businesses using a combination of collaboration tools, file storage tools, and other systems in conjunction with a dedicated Digital Asset Management platform. In our report, we highlight how the multiplicity and siloed nature of these systems leads to a number of pain points in the experience supply chain.

 

As a result of these challenges, just 28% of decision-makers strongly agree that they can meet the content needs of their customers. Brands who succeed in combatting these challenges are those that make investments in the right technology and optimization of their organization structure. Content and asset management systems have proven to drive significant efficiencies by pulling together data and multi-channel marketing capabilities.

 

What makes a good Digital Asset Management system?

Typically our survey respondents value a system that enables collaboration, ability to orchestrate a multichannel marketing strategy, and the ability to manage complex workflows. We also found that drivers of DAM choice relate more to the benefits of implementing the system versus the features that drive those benefits. 

 

However, as the experience challenge becomes more complex and DAM solutions evolve to combat them – organizations are finding that more stakeholders are required to drive strong content and asset management processes. Collaboration between IT and Marketing departments are imperative to drive purchase decisions, enablement, and execution to deliver an optimal customer experience.

"It’s vital that organizations configure their tools to reflect organizational nuances and then make sure people on the ground have all the skills and training they need to make the most of them,” said James Scott-Flanagan, digital consultant, Wunderman Thompson Technology

As indicated by contributors to our report, IT and Marketing departments differ in opinion about where these responsibilities lie – and, while they recognize a need to work better together, there is a clear gap in understanding each other’s needs and capabilities to make this happen.

“The reality here is that it is neither one department’s decision nor the other’s, but an organizational decision where both IT and marketing need to be involved," said Chris Stennett, Global VP of Business Value and Strategy at Sitecore.

With the right combination of tools, processes, and organizational structure to support them, businesses can successfully maximize their assets across the end-to-end content lifecycle. Capabilities like data analytics, AI, and headless content are all priorities that decision-makers are considering to elevate their customer experiences to meet and even exceed expectations.

Steps to success

In Building Better Experiences with Content and Asset Management, we offer helpful advice and recommendations to address the challenges and trends in the content and asset management landscape, underpinned by the these guiding principles.

Learn more about our partnership with Wunderman Thompson via the Sitecore Partnership page or via Wunderman Thompson Technnology website.