Digital Asset Management Software

Can You Use Google Drive as a DAM?

When looking at the various DAM solutions to store your digital assets, you might run into solutions like Google Drive, SharePoint, or even Dropbox. Let's discuss whether these solutions are considered good digital asset management software solutions. 

Is Google Drive a Digital Asset Management Tool?

Google Drive is where businesses store their documents that help make their business run. A lot of times Google Drive is where internal HR documents are stored, blog post drafts, or even email campaigns. 

But is Google Drive a digital asset management tool?

No, Google Drive is not considered a good DAM tool, especially for manufacturers. 

Google Drive is not set up to be as customized as manufacturers need to store their digital assets. Manufacturers often have unique workflows and requirements when it comes to asset management. A dedicated DAM tool can be tailored to suit these specific needs, offering custom workflows, metadata structures, and user interfaces.

As a manufacturer, your digital asset library can grow rapidly. Google Drive might not be as scalable in terms of handling large quantities of assets and accommodating the specific needs of a manufacturing environment

While Google Drive is useful for general file storage and sharing, it falls short in meeting the specialized demands of manufacturers in terms of security, integration abilities, scalability, and customization. A dedicated DAM tool designed with manufacturers in mind provides a more efficient and effective solution for managing digital assets.

Is Dropbox Considered a DAM?

Dropbox is useful for general file storage and sharing, but it may not address the specialized needs of manufacturers for digital asset management 

So, is Dropbox a digital asset management tool? Dropbox is not considered a valuable DAM tool for manufacturers for the same reasons as Google Drive. 

Manufacturers often rely on various tools such as Product Information Management (PIM) systems and Digital Experience Platforms (DXP) to create digital experiences using product data and digital assets. A dedicated DAM tool can offer better integration with these tools, ensuring seamless workflows and consistent asset usage across platforms.

Is SharePoint a DAM System?

You might be noticing a common theme, but SharePoint is not a good DAM system for manufacturers for several reasons. While SharePoint offers document management and collaboration features, it lacks many DAM-specific capabilities that manufacturers need.

SharePoint is a platform designed for content management purposes. However, its complexity can be overwhelming, especially for manufacturers looking for a straightforward and user-friendly DAM solution that can be customized to fit their needs. Additionally, SharePoint's licensing and customization costs can add up, especially when tailoring it to meet the unique needs of manufacturers. 

After learning that Google Drive, Dropbox, and SharePoint are not considered to be good DAM solutions for manufacturers, it’s important to note that there are more reliable and cost-effective solutions in the market for manufacturers to manage their digital assets. 

Digital Asset Management Companies

As organizations strive to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and maximize the value of their digital content, the role of DAM companies has never been more vital.

From intuitive user interfaces that empower efficient collaboration to sophisticated metadata systems that enhance searchability, DAM companies are revolutionizing the way organizations harness their digital content. They offer more than just software; they provide a strategic advantage that elevates productivity, brand consistency, and customer engagement.

What Are Examples of Digital Asset Management?

DAM tools are becoming widely more popular with manufacturers, as these businesses are seeing the benefits of having a centralized location to manage their digital assets. Let’s take a look at some of the digital asset management companies manufacturers have as an option to choose from

• Lumavate

• Bynder 

• Canto

• Brandfolder

Curious what the difference is between the storage software we mentioned earlier and a desiccated DAM tool. Let's look at Brandfolder vs Google Drive as an example. 

Brandfolder has a platform built specifically for digital asset management. Customers of Brandfolder can customize their DAM environment to fit their needs. While Google Drive is simply just a place where users can create folders and Documents, Sheets, and PowerPoints. Dedicated DAM solutions can integrate into other systems easily so brands can pull in their digital assets to things like a DXP. Cloud storage solutions like Google Drive cannot.

That being said, it’s important to note that stand-alone third parties still require businesses to integrate with other software or even tap development resources to create digital experiences. 

That’s why we recommend investing in a DAM tool that’s part of a larger product experience strategy platform like a Product Experience Manager (PXM). 

Interested in learning more about a PXM? Contact a member of our team to schedule a demo, and we’ll show you how easy it is to centralize your data, store your digital assets, and create engaging digital experiences with these assets and data under one platform. 

Does Adobe Have a Digital Asset Management System?

If you’re looking for DAM solutions and come across Adobe digital asset management, there are some things to know before you invest. 

Adobe is well known for its creative software like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, which are used for designing and editing content. While Adobe does offer some DAM features through products like Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), its primary focus remains on creative tools rather than providing a robust DAM solution tailored to manufacturing needs.

Plus, customizing Adobe's DAM solutions to suit manufacturing workflows and requirements can be complex and might require specialized expertise. This customization process can be time-consuming and costly. Adobe has a history of not being cost-effective or having a short implementation time. And this could be detrimental to one’s business; marketers these days are being asked to do more with less and long implementation times could mean serious dollars for their business if competition beats them to market. 

Lumavate is extremely affordable with subscription plans starting at just $499 a month and takes only one day to onboard the platform. 

Top Digital Asset Management Systems

So, what makes the best digital asset management software? In short, it’s software that’s more than a DAM.

Lumavate’s PXM is the best DAM tool for manufacturers because its DAM solution is a part of the overall PXM platform. Lumavate has PIM, DAM, DXP, and even messaging capabilities that lend themselves extremely useful for manufacturers when creating a comprehensive product experience strategy. 

Manufacturers often deal with complex product data, including numerous product types, specifications, and data fields. Lumavate's PIM system functionality enables manufacturers to maintain accurate and up-to-date product information. This centralized place for manufacturers to store product data ensures consistency across all touchpoints, reducing the risk of errors and inaccuracies in marketing materials and product listings.

Much like the PIM, Lumavate's DAM functionality allows manufacturers to efficiently store, organize, and manage their digital assets such as images, videos, audio files, and documents. With centralized asset storage, manufacturers can easily access, categorize, and search for assets, ensuring that the right materials are readily available for marketing campaigns, product launches, and sales resources. 

Once product information has been stored in the PIM and digital assets have been uploaded to Lumavate’s DAM, marketers can then begin harnessing the power of Lumavate’s DXP capabilities. Lumavate's DXP enables manufacturers to deliver engaging digital experiences to their customers to drive brand awareness, increase sales, and create loyal customers. 

Lumavate even provides its customers with the ability to send highly personalized text messages to customers. So when a new product is launched or customers need a maintenance reminder, manufacturers can send text messages that have an average open rate of 98 percent. 

No other DAM solutions in the market have PIM, DAM, DXP, and text messaging functionality. Lumavate is purpose-built for manufacturers and uniquely understands the challenges within the manufacturing industry. Plus, we release new functionality into our platform every two weeks.

Get Started with Lumavate

Schedule a demo today with one of our product experts to see how easy it is to use our PIM, DAM, and DXP capabilities in one platform. 
By using Lumavate, you’ll be able to decrease the number of monolithic tech solutions in your tech stack and make your job as a marketer easier by having everything stored in one platform.