This short sketch is a simplification of a highly complex and competitive situation, I am aware. Visiting Henry Stewart in London made that very clear. But in spite of the complicated consensus integration processes that mark the corporate approval procedure required to implement a DAM/PIM system, I would hope most brand owners are relying on these systems by now. How else do you keep track of the digital liquid gold that is your USP?

The next logical step would be to turn that liquid gold into some fine jewelry. What’s the point of the dam if you don’t have a goal for the water it contains? Not repurposing all that digital content will make it lose its value. And you definitely don’t want to let that crack your dam. Repurposing the digital content in your control will extend the reach you have out there towards your subsidiaries and stakeholders. That’s why we were at Henry Stewart.

Because that’s where a digital document editing solution pops up. I see a great deal of potential in the better rendering of the digital content out there. How about repurposing your content into output for web and print? Create a new advert based on the existing images and available meta data into a brand new template. When the DF is ready, it can be fed back into the DAM/PIM system as a new digital asset. Full repurposing control of owned content.

And while I’m at it, why should you limit the use of your DAM to internal repurposing? Consider opening up to partners who can create online branded templates and enrich these with content from the DAM system, importing data that has just the copyright for that region and timing. Spot-on, controlled marketing efforts at all times, according to your branding guidelines. A Utopia no longer.

Over the years we’ve established quite some relationships with key DAM partners such as Xinet, DALIM SOFTWARE, Canto Cumulus, ADAM Software and MediaBeacon, to name a few. They understand the potential that online editing and content creation of the accumulated content may bring to brand owners. They rely on CHILI publisher to turn the crack into a channel.

And that’s what brand owners visiting Henry Stewart hopefully picked up at the London session. Getting their DAM systems installed proved a difficult task at hand. Maximizing those systems shouldn’t be. We can enrich and extend their DAM system to its full potential.

Next time you’re at a Henry Stewart gathering, let me know or come look for me. I’m the Belgian boy with my finger in the DAM.