Creative collaboration is an integral part of any marketing team’s workflow. Exchanging ideas, solving problems together, and working towards shared objectives means collaborative processes are critical. However, messy file-sharing practices are standing in the way of smooth co-working.
Not only do unorganized file-sharing processes — or a lack of any process at all — hinder creative potential and comprise security, but they also eat into valuable collaboration time. For some, wasted time searching for assets reaches a worrying 9 hours per week.
Without a DAM system, research found a 35% failure rate when creative individuals were searching for assets. However, with a DAM system in place, the failure rate was only 5%. So, it’s fair to say that a great digital asset management tool is a real asset (pun intended) to any marketing team, especially those looking to improve how they collaborate.
Common marketing team collaboration challenges
Modern marketing teams can face a whole host of different hurdles when it comes to creative collaboration — especially now that 75% of creative collaboration now happens remotely.
Below are some of the most prolific struggles that occur as a direct result of using poor digital asset management systems or having no DAM at all:
- Version control - Different people are working on different versions of assets, often unknowingly.
- Brand consistency - Sloppy or chaotic file-sharing leads to inconsistent branding as a result of outdated or incorrect assets. This slows collaboration down and pushes delivery deadlines.
- Poor searchability of assets - People can’t find what they’re looking for in order to collaborate effectively, which leads to frustration and wasted time.
- Disjointed feedback - When assets are hard to find and share, and version control and brand consistency are going awry, the feedback process can experience friction.
- Storing and sharing large files - Circulating big files internally or sending them to external clients or stakeholders can be a struggle without a DAM system. This slows collaboration down and hinders productivity.
- Project management bottlenecks - All of the issues here compound to create roadblocks in project workflows and unnecessary inefficiencies.
The key benefits of DAM for creative team workflow
Our State of Creative Digital Asset Management 2024 report revealed that when searching for a digital asset management tool, 56% of creative professionals look for collaboration features. This highlights the importance of teamwork and project coordination for creative marketing teams.
Let’s dive into the topic of collaboration a little deeper and explore exactly how digital asset management tools, like Playbook, support creative marketing teams.
Centralized asset storage and organization
Using a digital asset manager provides a central place to share, discuss and develop ideas so that creatives don’t have to work in silos. Marketing files can be stored and worked on in one place, in real time, and by multiple people, which makes teamwork, well, dream work.
DAM means that there’s no need to ping-pong between different platforms and systems. You can store, share, and manage everything under one digital roof. For example, Playbook enables you to visualize files and folders, share large files, and store final deliverables for future use.
Slicker, quicker review processes
DAM supports faster, smoother, more efficient review processes and leads to fewer rounds of feedback. Teams that automate the review and approval process have up to 29% fewer revisions and 56% faster project delivery.
Playbook can help close the feedback loop much quicker by facilitating precise annotation commenting, team member mentions, and timestamp capabilities.
Connecting teams and clients
Not only does DAM help ensure smooth co-working between remote and office-based workers, but it also supports effective collaboration across time zones. Marketing teams, creative individuals, and clients can all work in sync together on the same versions of files and assets, thanks to enhanced visibility and accessibility, no matter where or when they are working. Accessibility controls give you the power to control how you collaborate with others by being able to assign them as admins, members, viewers or guests.
Playbook’s Template Gallery streamlines the process of sharing files by providing templates that users can use to quickly create presentable portfolios, presentations, brand portals, and photo galleries. Real-time upload updates and project statuses also support harmonious and effective shared work.
Increased revenue
A byproduct of better collaboration and productivity is a boost for your business's bottom line. Almost 80% of organizations surveyed by Adobe are seeing revenue gains of 10% or more from their DAM, with 21% seeing gains of over 40%. Playbook offers analytics and reporting capabilities that can help track your company's ROI.
Easy integration with other third-party workflow and collaboration tools
Automating manual tasks such as file naming, metadata entry, and essential organization speeds up the collaboration process, makes marketing teams more efficient, and reduces human error.
To scale your DAM-supported creative collaboration, look out for a digital asset manager (like Playbook) that also enables seamless integration with other systems. This could include external project management software, creative tools, or marketing automation platforms.
Check out Playbook's mini-app add-ons, all designed to elevate your creative process, from creating graphics for design projects to editing photos for a marketing campaign.
Real-life use cases of creatives who use DAM to collaborate
Now that we’ve explored some common collaboration challenges marketing teams face and how DAM can help, let’s apply it to real life. Keep reading to learn more about how two Playbook users, BlendJet and Sheila Streetman, use our tools to take their collaborative flows to the next level.
Playbook case study: BlendJet
For eCommerce brand BlendJet, locating assets was a huge challenge, slowed collaboration down, and made workflows disjointed — until the move to Playbook. The production, storage, and sharing of creative content is crucial to BlendJet’s success, so they worked with our team to:
- Manage a smooth migration from Google Drive
- Streamline the team’s internal collaborative content creation process
- Improve external collaboration with freelancers and agencies for influencer marketing activities
Playbook case study: Sheila Streetman
Sheila Streetman is a graphic designer, brand strategist, and self-dubbed 'solopreneur'. Previously, she used Google Drive to share assets with clients but decided to make the move to Playbook on the recommendation of a friend. Ever since migrating, Sheila has felt more confident about collaborating with clients and sharing files.
"I love the idea of using Playbook as a collaboration tool for creatives because everything is all in one place. For example, if you have a team of people you’re collaborating with, you can give them permission to see things and have all your client folders organized.
"I’m a solopreneur, and I usually work with just the client team. However, there are times when I’m helping with web design, and we’re using an external copywriter. This brings another person into the mix, and with Playbook, we can all collaborate in one place."
DAM is the secret to effective collaboration
Your creative team can have the most impressive idea, solid strategy, and crystal clear vision. However, if their marketing file-sharing system is chaotic, it’ll only hold them back. Using a digital asset manager will centralize and streamline the process to support smoother, easier, and more effective creative collaboration.
When choosing the right DAM for your marketing teams, it’s important to understand your business’s needs. Make a list of must-haves and nice-to-haves as your starting point. The DAM that works for one creative team may not be the DAM that works for you. But we’re pretty confident Playbook will tick your boxes.
Book a demo of Playbook today to learn why companies like Block Renovation move their creative teams to Playbook from other platforms like Google Drive.