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How to manage global print operations through your DAM

March 3, 2023
Enterprise Print

Managing global marketing assets can be a total nightmare, if you do not centralize your efforts. By using a Digital Asset Management (DAM) platform, you make sure that everyone and everything works from a single online place according to predefined branding guidelines, from asset management to creation, and printing. But how do you make sure that your printed files come out exactly as planned? 

In this blog, we discuss the benefits of a DAM, and how Peecho can help you make your print campaign rollout as smooth as possible.

In this article:

What is a DAM?

A Digital Asset Management (DAM) platform is a centralized library for a brand’s marketing materials such as logos, photo stock, documents, templates for flyers and brochures, and previously created marketing materials. It acts as a central hub for creating content. Some DAMs integrate with file creation tools. Based on your company’s needs, more functionalities and workflows can be incorporated, such as CMS systems and print. It allows marketing managers to effectively work together on campaign assets, within a predetermined brand identity.

In addition, DAMs can be calibrated in such a way that they automatically enforce your brand values and guidelines in the assets created within the platform. A crucial aspect of communicating a unified brand vision across departments and markets.

By centralizing asset creation and management and giving access to those who need it, you can keep all materials in one tidy place. Instead of sending out multiple versions of one document in a series of emails, your worldwide staff can work on the same digital files, and speed up campaign roll-outs without the hassle of chasing multiple versions.

Location, location, location: Why you need a DAM in your global print operations

You’d think creatives want their preliminary designs and assets stored neatly in one place, with clear tags and descriptions to make sure they can find it back later, whenever they need it. Or if they want to duplicate a previous campaign idea and expand it on with a fresh pair of eyes.

That would be easy if it were just one or two files. But, you know, creatives gonna create. They typically work on a whole range of ideas and campaigns throughout the week. So guess what happens if you’re responsible for global marketing operations across multiple offices, working together on various campaigns.

Tons of files and outdated versions end up spread across multiple local computers and mailboxes. For marketing managers, keeping track of all the versions and campaigns across offices becomes nearly impossible, and your campaign rollout grinds to a screeching halt. You lose a lot of time chasing after files, correcting outdated logos, fonts, and dimensions, keeping everyone on board on your vision for your campaigns, and approving assets. Maintaining global brand consistency is not easy, which is why you may want to read our previous blog about it.

In short, you need a DAM. One platform to connect them all. A central place where you have all your assets in one place, and from which you can coordinate your global marketing operations. This ensures brand consistency, quick campaign rollout, reduced printing costs, and more effective work overall.

Preparing DAM files for print

But you’re not there yet. Your posters, flyers, and other assets, now neatly stored in your DAM, must be made ready for print. Globally. This is another pickle, because every local branch office may be working with their own preferred local printers. You as a global manager may not have a clear understanding of how they work, how they will interpret your ideas, and how they handle your company’s print assignments.

Without a centralized solution for print, local branch offices work in disjointed ways with local providers. They often export assets away from their DAM and separately send them to local printers. From there, it’s out of your hands. Keeping track of printed assets and their properties becomes a muddled affair.

Are the local printers aware of your global presence and reputation? Are they familiar with your brand’s guidelines, your print preferences, requirements in terms of ink, colors, qualities and dimensions? Your required delivery times and cargo handling?

Besides engaging in talks with your affiliated printers, you must make sure their workflow seamlessly integrates with yours. They should have access to and an understanding of your DAM as well. In most DAMs, you can manage rights and restrictions for individual users, ensuring that your files remain secure and accessible to those who need them.

Regain control over your print results by using a centralized print solution that integrates with your DAM.

Find the right DAM for global printing

As consistency is one of the most important issues in bolstering brand awareness, there are many DAM options out there that do a decent job. Some, such as Bynder, Lytho, and Papirfly, have proven that they can manage the sort of bulk typically involved with global enterprises. They offer easy enforcement of your brand guidelines in preparing your files for print, and  easily transform design output into press-ready files, with optimal end results.

An added benefit of these larger-scale DAMs is that they facilitate review and approval processes for print materials across different regions and teams. This helps you keep track of your global campaigns’ print assignments, and enforce last-minute changes if needs be.

Turn your DAM into a print shop

To make the transition from a fully digital file to a beautiful, physical print asset as smooth as possible, you want to make sure that both your internal and external teams tick all the right boxes. In other words, that the things your teams produce, roll off the presses looking exactly as planned.

Connecting your to-print workflow with your DAM and granting your external printers the right levels of access helps you streamline the transfer of digital dimensions into the real world. At the same time, it gives you an extra measure of control in correct printer handling, as it all happens within your reach.

The right DAMs allow you to access extended printing functionalities through a preferred API. Through standardized conversion processes, your files will be prepared for printing, on your own terms.

On the downside, traditional printers often have difficulty adapting their standard procedures to DAMs, and may be reluctant to use external software. Local offices still may have to resort to exporting files away from your DAM and allow their printer to add cut marks and bleed margins manually, causing uncertainty about the end result and the need for extra checks. This costs a lot of extra time and resources.

Shortcut: easy global printing with Peecho

At Peecho, we understand both tech and print sides of the bargain. Through years of Print-on-Demand experience, we have developed an API that automates the exchange between marketing departments and printers worldwide. It offers easy asset-to-print conversion.

By integrating Peecho with your DAM, you unlock a network of printers in over thirty countries around the globe, directly from your workspace. These understand your terms, are familiar with Peecho print files, and guarantee a quick and quality delivery. It also ensures a reduction in carbon emissions, as hiring a Peecho printer near your required place of delivery means shorter transportation routes.

This way, you can save yourself and your team a lot of troubles, extra hassle and costs. An added benefit of our integration is that it lets you track your orders, and offers valuable data for your future marketing operations.

Check out our global enterprise print page if you would like to make managing your global print assets easier.

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