Why should you Give a DAM?
and why should you subscribe?
Welcome to Give a DAM, a new substack from me, Kristin Burns (LinkedIn; Twitter).
Why did I start this substack? Great question! First, some background. I have been a DAM (digital asset management) pro since before it had a name. Whatever you call it, I have become an expert on how to organize files - photos, documents, releases, videos etc. - in a way that gives creative, marketing and editorial teams quick access to find them again and realize their value.
Coming from film and photography, I understand the value of these files and what made them assets. The pain of losing irreplaceable archival work. The frustration of spending time better served designing instead searching endless folders. The annoyance of figuring out whether logo_final.png or logo_final_v2.png or logo_thisonereallyImeanit_FINAL.png was the approved asset.
None of these are trivial problems. I believe that by designing, launching and maintaining DAM platforms we can decrease burnout on our teams and save time and money spent recreating or searching for assets.
Speaking of platforms, enterprise DAM platforms have gone from luxuries, to nice to haves, to requirements for media, technology and pretty much every company with a website. They have evolved from bare-bones file shares to beautiful enterprise platforms that welcome anyone on the team.
Just as DAMs have moved from developer-dependent to user-friendly, I think the way we talk about DAM can evolve as well. While there will always be IT needs and product specs, thinking about DAM as part of the modern business ecosystem means talking about it that way.
So back to why. Because I believe DAM needs to be more understood and more accessible to more people. Here you’ll find weekly musings: clear, low on jargon, high on pop culture references & puns. From old home movies, photo albums or tape collections to today’s digital clutter, everyone has assets and so everyone can benefit from learning about DAM strategy. Whether at home or work, I hope you find this substack helpful.