PIM vs. DAM: What to look for when choosing a Digital Asset Management system
If you find yourself in need of software to help streamline and optimize your management of digital files and information, you’ve probably already been overwhelmed by the plethora of solutions, big and small, available to help you do exactly that.
Two of the most familiar systems available for managing and organizing digital content and materials are Digital Asset Management (DAM) and Product Information Management (PIM). Both are common tools used to store and handle large volumes of digital data (be it information or content).
If you’ve already done some research on each system and find yourself having trouble understanding the differences between them, we get it. The boundaries between the two seem to be continuously blurring as digital technology keeps evolving.
But, while it is true that they do have a few things in common, they’re designed with different purposes in mind, and they have very distinctive capabilities and intended uses.
PIM vs. DAM: When to choose
In the following article, we’ll take you through the main differences between the two and their individual benefits to make sure you’re equipped to make the right decision on when you need a stand-alone DAM and when a PIM will do the job just fine – or when you might want to combine the two for even more powerful benefits.
What’s the difference between PIM and DAM?
Traditionally, PIM systems are designed to store product-related information, ranging from product copy to technical specifications. Hence, it focuses on the product.
On the other hand, DAM systems are designed to provide businesses with a central repository for all rich media content and business-critical digital assets, while optimizing every process from creation to approval, upload and management, to search and distribution across a multitude of channels.
That is, it works as a single source for all the brand assets that the organization controls.
Today, the use cases for PIM often overlap with those for DAM. That’s because many PIM systems come with light DAM functionalities that help store and distribute any kind of product-related asset, including rich media assets like images, video, and audio.
That essentially means that both systems deliver features to benefit both internal and external audiences for businesses that needs to interact with customers across multiple channels – the main difference being that a PIM always focuses on the product, not the asset.
The functionalities of PIM systems make them ideal for e.g. retailers, manufacturers or other companies who work with various SKUs or are pulling product information from various sources and who wish to gather it in one, simple place.
And as a tool that specifically focuses on products, a PIM is especially useful when working with eCommerce, as it helps ensure that customers will always have access to the latest information concerning stock availability, sizes, color variations and so on, assuming that data is managed and updated properly, of course.
What are the benefits of a stand-alone DAM system?
Try to think about the current software solutions, tools and channels you use to manage your brand on a daily basis. How many different systems and platforms do you usually log into?
There’s the CMS, newsletter platform, 3-4 different social media channels, maybe a web shop, sales enablement platform and potentially many more. And that’s just for your averaged size company – content management increases exponentially in complexity as companies grow.
As we are in the golden age of content, you’ll likely need rich media content to support your messages for each of these channels and platforms – assets that are not necessarily always focused on the product, but which may visualize a creative concept or context of usage.
With a Digital Asset Management system, you don’t need to waste precious time by uploading the same asset in five different places. Moving files from one place to another is as quick and easy as adding a song to your favorite playlist.
Essentially, DAM systems enable you to transform your brand assets into brand consistency - across all your platforms and channels, regardless of it being about a product or not.
In an omnichannel world where success is defined by pace, agility is crucial. Comprehensive yet simple, DAM systems provide you with just that.
PIM vs. DAM: A side by side summary
Effective Product Information Management helps your team capture, optimize, and store product information — all in one place — and then distribute it to multiple destinations.
Using a PIM system will help you if:
You have a large product range with multiple SKUs
Your products are described by multiple, complex dimensions
Your portfolio is complex and is frequently updated
Your product data comes from multiple sources
You are showcasing your products across several digital platforms
You aim to improve the customer experience (e.g. by always having updated stock availability)
Meanwhile, Digital Asset Management enables you to share relevant content to the right people at the right time, thereby minimizing time spent searching and sharing for assets.
So use a DAM if:
You have a large number of digital assets – especially rich media content such as images or videos
You need a central repository for all your files, incl. business-critical information and presentations
You are a global company sharing files with multiple regions / countries
You have many employees (both internal and external) involved in content-development
Your brand communications span multiple channels and platforms
You spend a lot of time searching for, updating and sharing digital assets
By now, you should hopefully be able to distinguish between the two systems and understand their core benefits and capabilities. If you’re left wondering what would happen if you combined the two, we’ve got you covered.
Combining DAM and PIM for omnichannel success
As a modern marketer, you need to both be able to create, generate and optimize great content, and then deliver it to your customers in an efficient and effective way. Whether it’s about attracting new customers, providing updated product information or best-in-class service and support, it’s all part of delivering great customer experiences.
By aligning DAM and PIM, organizations can create effective associations between their digital assets and their products. The integrated solutions provide a centralized repository that ensure that all team members are always working with the most up-to-date, accurate versions of any given piece of content. By linking master data and digital assets, it gets much easier to deliver rich, curated digital content to appropriate audiences.
Some of the many benefits of a PIM and DAM combination includes the ability to:
Share a comprehensive repository of assets to drive brand and product consistency
Eliminate costly duplication of assets across different domains
Centralize management of global assets for multi-territory organizations
Save time by avoiding manual upload to individual platforms and channels (faster time-to-market)
Ensure collaboration, rights management and approval processes
So, when it comes to selecting a solution to help you meet your objectives, remember that PIMs and DAMs are different solutions that play unique roles. It’s not necessarily a question of one or the other. They work well as a team with features and capabilities that complement each other to provide greater value to your organization.
As mentioned, some PIM solutions already come with light DAM capabilities to help you reap some – but not all – of the benefits listed above. Depending on your situation and key objectives that might be just fine. Let’s try to go a step further and uncover when you will need a stand-alone DAM, or when a PIM with light DAM capabilities will do the job.
Light vs. advanced DAM capabilities – when to choose what
If you’ve already come to the conclusion that you could benefit from a solution to help optimize your management of digital assets and related materials but you’re left wondering how big you need to go, there are two main things you need to consider; first, consider the size and complexity of your organization – e.g. how many people, both internal and external partners, who need access to the assets – and secondly, how and where those assets are used.
Below, we’ve tried to list a range of requirements to hopefully help you select a solution that is right for you.
| Requirements | PIM with light DAM capabilities | Stand-alone DAM with advanced capabilities |
|---|---|---|
Asset typeThe type of asset you primarily use in your communications |
Product-centered | Mixed assets |
Media typeThe type(s) of media you primarily produce and manage |
Flat media (text, images) | Rich media (video, audio, 3D) |
EcosystemThe format of your activation ecosystem (digital channels and touch points) |
Simple (1-2 channels) | Complex (3+ channels) |
CollaborationSize of team and need for cross-function collaboration and third-party involvement |
Limited | Vast |
OrganizationContent operating system incl. number of sub-brands, markets and user access |
Low complexity / fex users | Complex / many users |
GovernanceRequired governance around content use, rights management and brand compliance |
Limited restrictions | Restricted right |
Asset creation capabilitiesability to closely monitor and manage content creation, approval and release |
Limited / no capabilities | Advanced capabilities |
What you should be able to derive from the list is related to one of the first key points made in this article. PIM systems (with or without light DAM capabilities) are centered around the product why it works great if your work is focused on managing product-centered communications like virtual product catalogues or eCommerce platforms.
But when it comes to keeping your brand up to date across departments, business units, channels and platforms, a stand-alone DAM is needed to ensure both brand consistency and operational efficiency.
Modern consumers are digitally savvy and have high expectations to brand experiences and keeping with their pace can be difficult – and both a PIM and DAM (or a combination of the two!) are vital systems to ensure you’re not left eating their dust.
The Business Case for Digital Asset Management
Through customer interviews and financial analysis, Forrester Research found that organizations using Digizuite can expect 184% ROI over three years, which includes increased efficiency, productivity and cost avoidance.
