Asset Avalanche vs. DAM Programs

In relation to the artwork and magic of branding, few do it higher than Disney. 

Former CEO Michael Eisner famously mentioned, “A model is a dwelling entity, enriched or undermined over time by numerous small gestures.” For entrepreneurs, which means each marketing campaign, visible, and message — regardless of how small — shapes how folks understand a model. The problem isn’t simply making daring gestures, however making certain all of them reinforce a unified id.

That problem is rising tougher day by day. Immediately’s manufacturers function throughout dozens of channels — from social media and e mail to occasion cubicles, gross sales collateral, and show adverts. Every platform has its personal codecs, groups, and timelines. As asset volumes skyrocket, making certain model consistency turns into much less about creativity and extra about coordination. With out the best programs in place, model integrity rapidly turns into collateral injury.

That is the place digital asset administration (DAM) is available in. A DAM answer acts as a single supply of reality for all model supplies — logos, pictures, movies, templates, tips — enabling groups to entry, replace, and deploy belongings persistently, regardless of the channel or location. It’s not nearly storage; it’s about management, visibility, and defending the model at scale.

As a result of with out that management, entrepreneurs discover themselves buried within the “asset avalanche.”

Now, manufacturers sometimes handle 3-5 social media platforms, which suggests creating new content material nearly day by day. Add to that the varied measurement necessities for digital adverts, e mail signatures, PowerPoint templates, and print supplies for commerce reveals. In 2025, manufacturers are cranking out extra content material than ever earlier than  — and it is so much to maintain observe of.

There is a identify for this drawback: the asset avalanche.

The asset avalanche describes how manufacturers as we speak are drowning in their very own advertising supplies. As corporations promote themselves throughout extra platforms, they want extra belongings to help these efforts. 

What begins as a manageable assortment of information can rapidly develop into an awesome pile that is onerous to arrange and navigate. Similar to an actual avalanche begins with just a little snow earlier than turning into an unstoppable pressure, your model information can multiply till your group struggles to seek out and use what they want after they want it.

In response to Frontify’s knowledge, over simply three years, the variety of model belongings saved on the Frontify platform has surged by 458%. Month-to-month asset additions have risen too, with a 165% enhance within the common variety of belongings added from Q1 2022 to Q1 2024. Much more telling, distinctive asset downloads have jumped by 357% throughout the identical interval.

Supply: Frontify

These numbers verify what entrepreneurs already really feel: manufacturers are producing belongings at an astonishing charge, with 1000’s extra information being created yearly. 

The snowball impact of the asset avalanche finally leaves entrepreneurs in the dead of night, unable to find vital information when wanted, which results in rushed work and redundant asset creation. As groups scramble to maintain tempo with content material calls for, they spend a lot time creating and distributing belongings that they’ll barely give attention to the strategic pondering that truly strikes the enterprise ahead.

When groups are racing to maintain up, visible id usually begins to splinter. You’ve probably seen it: an organization’s web site seems to be glossy and cohesive, however its social feeds really feel like they belong to a totally completely different model, with low-resolution variations of the identical pictures and inconsistent design selections. These discrepancies could appear small, however they erode model belief and dilute advertising impression.

And whereas model consistency would possibly look like a nice-to-have, the enterprise impression tells a distinct story. Manufacturers that get it proper don’t simply look higher — they carry out higher.

McCain’s win on the IPA Effectiveness Awards actually drives this level house. After the 2008 financial crash, folks began pondering “chips are simply chips” and stopped paying extra for identify manufacturers. 

McCain’s response? They doubled down on constant branding throughout all their advertising. The outcomes communicate for themselves — they lowered value sensitivity by 47%, boosted base gross sales by 44%, and generated £26 million in revenue. Over 9 years, they’ve constructed a model folks genuinely join with, not only a product folks purchase. That is the facility of consistency.

In distinction, manufacturers that ship blended alerts — mismatched logos, clashing coloration palettes, conflicting messages — don’t construct recognition. They construct confusion. And in as we speak’s crowded digital world, inconsistency is the quickest path to irrelevance.

It’s no surprise advertising groups are overwhelmed. Many nonetheless construct content material templates manually, a course of that doesn’t scale and eats into inventive time. As content material calls for develop, this outdated strategy drains effectivity and makes it almost inconceivable to take care of a cohesive model presence.

The day by day workflow displays this frustration. Image your group looking for model tips or that excellent picture, clicking by complicated folder programs or clunky platforms. In response to IDC, workers spend 16% of their time simply looking for info. Now, if they can not discover the newest brand or authorised photograph, they usually simply recreate it, duplicating work that is already been performed whereas introducing much more inconsistencies. 

That is particularly draining for designers. As an alternative of pushing boundaries and growing contemporary, inventive concepts, they’re caught recreating what already exists over and over. With out the best instruments to handle digital belongings, creativity and productiveness each endure.

The underside line? Manufacturers buried below the asset avalanche battle to function effectively, fall behind opponents who’ve streamlined their programs, and miss out on progress alternatives.

That’s why merely working tougher or including extra instruments isn’t sufficient. To really get forward, manufacturers must rethink how they handle their rising library of content material. That is the place investing in a correct DAM system is important to driving significant progress. 

The reply is easy: digital asset administration (DAM). A DAM system centralizes, organizes, and distributes digital information — logos, advertising supplies, product pictures, and extra — so each worker can simply discover what they should reside and breathe the model. 

A strong DAM system stops the asset avalanche in its tracks by providing a single, accessible supply of reality. In brief, DAMs do the heavy lifting of managing digital belongings, releasing up entrepreneurs and creatives to give attention to what they do finest.

Advantages of a DAM system

Implementing a DAM system isn’t only a tech improve — it’s a strategic transfer that impacts how groups work, create, and collaborate. From bettering effectivity to reinforcing model integrity, the advantages of a DAM system ripple throughout departments and immediately affect enterprise outcomes. 

Right here’s how a DAM software can reshape your workflows and unlock long-term worth:

Streamlined entry and productiveness

Implementing a DAM system streamlines entry to model supplies, making a centralized hub that fosters collaboration and boosts productiveness. With out an environment friendly methodology for sharing and managing model belongings, groups waste hours looking for information or recreating misplaced work. The time price is critical: it is estimated {that a} DAM can save designers as much as 16 hours per week by eliminating repetitive requests for belongings.

With all belongings, templates, and model tips housed in a single place, departments — from accounting to communications — can entry what they want rapidly and independently. Even exterior collaborators like businesses and design companions profit from this centralization. In brief, higher entry equals higher effectivity.

Fewer questions, extra solutions

Artistic groups usually face the identical, time-sapping questions: “The place’s the newest model?” “Is that this the best brand?” “Can I crop this picture for social media?” These seemingly easy queries add as much as hours of misplaced productiveness. A well-implemented DAM eliminates that uncertainty by serving as the only supply of reality on your group.

No extra checking Slack threads, Groups chats, or inboxes for file updates — DAM programs be sure that solely essentially the most present, authorised belongings can be found. This promotes constant utilization throughout the board and creates a self-sustaining system the place model consistency turns into automated.

Improved model cohesion

And not using a centralized system, sustaining model consistency turns into an uphill battle. Advertising groups produce a number of brand variations, product pictures seem inconsistently throughout platforms, and outdated visuals linger on web sites or collateral. DAM programs resolve this by storing all authorised belongings in a single organized, searchable repository.

This ease of entry encourages right utilization, which compounds over time — every touchpoint reinforces your model id as a substitute of diluting it. The outcomes are tangible: stronger model recognition, elevated buyer belief, and a coherent model story that builds lasting viewers connections.

Self-service entry empowers designers

And not using a DAM software, designers are sometimes pulled into asset administration roles — fielding requests, clarifying file variations, or recreating present belongings. A DAM empowers workers to self-serve their asset wants, drastically decreasing dependency on designers for day-to-day duties.

This shift permits inventive professionals to give attention to what they do finest: designing. With fewer interruptions and administrative burdens, designers can channel their power into creating impactful visible tales that elevate the model. The outcome? Better effectivity, improved inventive output, and a group that may innovate slightly than simply sustain.

Translate these ache factors into tangible targets, like decreasing search time, growing asset reuse, or bettering model consistency. Monitor each operational and strategic outcomes. For instance, reductions in compliance violations or will increase in model alignment throughout channels sign deeper ROI. These metrics assist exhibit the DAM’s worth to management and justify ongoing funding.

Asset migration

Transitioning from scattered folders to a centralized DAM isn’t only a technical train — it’s a vital basis for fulfillment. Keep away from the temptation to bulk switch all the pieces into the brand new system. As an alternative, start with a complete audit of your present belongings. What’s outdated? What’s nonetheless priceless?

Use this audit to tell your metadata technique. Develop a tagging and group framework that aligns with how your group truly searches and works. This upfront effort dramatically improves usability from day one and prevents pricey re-tagging or restructuring down the road. A clear, searchable, well-organized DAM system units the tone for long-term adoption and worth.

Ending the asset avalanche with DAM programs

The asset avalanche is not only a storage drawback — it is a strategic problem that impacts model notion, group productiveness, and market efficiency. 

By implementing a thoughtfully designed DAM system, you rework scattered model belongings into a robust, cohesive library that empowers groups, enhances consistency, and builds lasting model fairness. 

In a multi-channel world, the manufacturers that thrive aren’t simply these with compelling tales, however these with the programs to inform these tales persistently throughout each touchpoint.

Understanding the pitfalls of asset overload is step one. Now, discover which digital asset administration instruments may help you regain management and streamline your inventive workflows.

Edited by Shanti S Nair