DAM and CMS: managing assets to maximise adoption and value

David Wood|14^th September 2016

As we watch the world of healthcare marketing shift into the digital era, we see new opportunities beginning to emerge for pharma to target their customers with novel, exciting and innovative content. Alongside this shift, there is the growing need to deliver this content in the quickest way possible. This digital revolution is setting the scene for a faster, cleaner and more effective use of marketing content, which minimises time and cost without compromising on quality.

While we look towards the possibilities that this transition offers, so too must we look at the systems that will be supporting the delivery and uptake of these files – this is where digital asset management (DAM) and content management systems (CMS) come into the mix.

Senior Account Executive Dave Wood talks us through what DAM and CMS are, the role they play in the future of healthcare marketing, and how they can be best utilised to maximise outcomes for pharma and agencies.

What is DAM and who uses it?

Digital asset management (DAM) is a system that supports the distribution of digital assets among users. It is the bridge that delivers revolutionary, breakthrough information to continually content-hungry users. In this industry, any stakeholder within the complex network of healthcare could be a user, and it’s these connections between users where DAM has the opportunity to thrive.

What is a CMS and how is it different from DAM?

When discussing DAM, it is necessary to recognise the role of content management systems (CMS) and understand the difference between the two. While DAM supports the delivery of assets between users, CMS facilitates the uptake and use of these assets.

For example, a DAM system would allow an advertising agency to deliver an advert to multiple media publishers throughout a region. A CMS then informs those publishers of how to edit and format the adverts for their different channels, as well as how to apply search criteria so that their customers can view the adverts easily.

How can we use DAM/CMS?

The two systems work together to provide insight into the true value of an asset, by demonstrating how it is being used across a network of users. Furthermore, DAM/CMS systems are continuing to evolve alongside the development of technology, resulting in an expansion in the types of assets that can be shared across networks. This growth fuels the competitiveness of the industry by encouraging users to share the most ground-breaking and high quality assets in the quickest time possible.

The question is: what makes the systems worthy of the investment in the first place, and what value do the users gain?