If you look at any job specification for a marketer, the ‘agility’ attribute will be fairly low down the list of specifications if at all on the list.
The 2020 events have strengthened the ability of businesses and their marketing teams to demonstrate flexibility in the face of severe market pressures that have disrupted multi-sector strategies.
Businesses working in the retail sector were among the hardest hit by the pandemic. The pandemic has expedited the transition to internet shopping. Research by McKinsey found that since Covid-19, there has been a 15-30 per cent increase in consumers who make purchases online.
The pattern is verified by Kantar, who discovered that the proportion of people making 50 per cent or more of their total online transactions has risen by about 25-80 per cent as the virus has developed.
Furthermore, six in 10 consumers expect to continue shopping as much online as they do now after the pandemic has ended.
The greater reliance on online shopping during the pandemic has forced many retailers to rethink their business models quickly. A great example is the Leon restaurant chain, transforming its restaurants into mini-supermarkets and launching a new e-commerce platform to help reduce the pressure on conventional supermarkets.
M&S has grown rapidly into online orders for basic food items elsewhere, and John Lewis has made its wide range of in-store advice available online via video, including home design and personal style.
The ability to pivot successfully and efficiently relies on agile marketing teams. They know that when they are called upon to support the launch of a new product range or service, there will be a large number of digital assets to be created, managed, edited, distributed, and localised. The position was further complicated by the transition to working remotely.
To retain brand consistency and comply with brand guidelines in an office setting, and through the traditional approach defined, it can be hit and missed. However, try to replicate and implement this process at home with other team members potentially hundreds of miles away, and you’re in for a serious challenge.
Digital asset management (DAM) instruments are crucial in assisting many marketing departments to remain agile. Where brands once used their offices, desks, and conference rooms as shared spaces to exchange ideas about, edit, or approve brand assets, they now rely on a centralised digital hub that will be as helpful in the workplace as it is now when teams are dispersed.
This hub can be accessed from anywhere in the world your team members are based. Along with templates and other brand-supporting content, assets can be stored in this central repository, from the most relevant video files and 3D animations to tiny text snippets.
Although DAM networks have had their place in supporting marketing and creative teams for some time, they are now playing a vital, central role for companies that market their products as well.
Colleagues involved in product deployment or sales and development use DAM systems to access assets such as how-to manuals, production, and pricing information. In addition to DAM+PIM, the product information management (PIM) platform, many organisations use DAM to help them speed up product launches and ensure that product listings around the web are correct.
So how can DAM+PIM help an organisation remain agile in these testing times?:
- Find what you are looking for quickly
- all assets are in a centralised position. And to organise these properties, using metadata enables you to quickly locate files. To find the right assets for each project, say goodbye to hours of sifting through personal files, shared drives and unorganised cloud storage.
- Manage versions easily
- Be assured that the audience is watching the most up-to-date version in all locations as assets are altered, optimised, and updated. DAM tools allow you to use embed codes to connect to the newest version automatically wherever the asset is used.
- Understand what works
- DAM systems provide analytics about how each of the properties communicates with users. These clear insights will inform potential asset needs and decision-making campaigns
- Organize file formats efficiently
- A DAM system with file conversion options enables users to build on the fly the formats they need. It removes the need for different formats to be created, stored and handled, and allows users access to the format they need when they need it.
- Stable, with 24-7 access
- DAM systems with configurable roles and permissions allow the assets that internal and external users can access to be managed by creative and IT teams. This secure, self-service strategy removes the need for a gatekeeper to handle file requests and provides access to what they need when they need it for global teams.
For company executives and their marketing departments, 2020 has definitely been a challenge. The increasing value of agility has also been highlighted. The ability to pivot and remain important has been the difference between sustainability and extinction of many organisations.
The challenge will continue well into 2021. The promising prospect for advertisers is that they will continue to play a vital role in helping their company to succeed. But, no worries. With TM Tollfree, your business can thrive even during a crisis.
Call us now at 1 800 22 2020 or visit our website tollfreemalaysia.com today!
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