Six Key Findings About Digital Asset Management (DAM) Systems

I’ve had the privilege of taking over digital asset management (DAM) system research from my Forrester colleague Chuck Gahun this year, which means I’ve spent the last 60 days immersed, receiving briefings from several dozen vendors, attending events including the Henry Stewart DAM conference in Los Angeles, and getting the scoop on content supply chain at Adobe Summit. As I finish writing my first DAM report, the upcoming “Strategic Technology Selection Guide For Digital Asset Management Systems,” my take is that the opportunities are vast for both DAM vendors and users as DAMs evolve from their traditional role as “systems of record” for rich media and content assets to AI-powered “systems of action.” Below are six capabilities that are increasing their fidelity in DAMs and will likely have a big impact on the future of digital experiences:

1. AI integration and automation. AI continues to shake things up in the DAM space, saving time and creative resources. More vendors are offering AI to generate asset renditions, take over repetitive tasks, and boost metadata management through automatic tagging. They’re ramping up productivity while keeping content relevant and accessible across different markets, such as through video transcription and localization.
2. Personalization for all. It’s a given that audiences and customers want personalized digital experiences, but so do the marketers who deliver those experiences. In addition to expanding tailored content delivery through rich media transformation, many DAM solutions offer customizable, brand-compliant portals and personalized user interfaces, improving the marketer experience.
3. Enhanced content discovery and management. Vendors are investing in AI-powered natural language search and content discovery tools that make digital assets easily accessible and manageable, boosting efficiency and improving the overall user experience.
4. Support for emerging content types. New content formats like 3D models and AR/VR experiences are on the rise, presenting DAM vendors the opportunity to expand their offerings, including tighter integration with e-commerce platforms that enhance customer engagement.
5. Focus on compliance and security. With more regulatory requirements and an increasing volume of AI-generated content, DAM vendors are prioritizing compliance and security, expanding rights management with features such as forensic watermarking, and automating brand and compliance checks.
6. Sustainability initiatives. As businesses become more environmentally conscious, DAM vendors that support sustainability initiatives will have a competitive edge. Many are committing to reducing digital carbon footprints and optimizing data storage efficiency by continuously optimizing and offloading assets to cold storage so that they can align with their clients’ environmental goals.

I have captured this and more in the upcoming “Strategic Technology Selection Guide For Digital Asset Management Systems,” which will help technology and digital business leaders find the right solution to engage better with their target customers.