Digital asset management, or DAM - a game-changer in how companies manage their creative digital files. It makes organising, finding and sharing your brand assets simple and easy.

Digital Asset Management

The single source of truth for all your digital brand assets - in one single location. Find, share, re-use with ease.

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What is a digital asset?

A digital asset is any content in a digital format that holds value to an organisation. This includes images, videos, PDFs, presentations, brand logos, design files, audio recordings, documents, spreadsheets, and even metadata. These assets are often used in marketing campaigns, internal communications, educational materials, or public engagement. What makes an item a digital asset is not just its format—but its strategic importance, rights of use, and the need to manage, retrieve, and share it efficiently across teams and systems. As the volume and variety of digital content grow, so does the importance of having a reliable system to manage these assets securely and effectively.

It's important to note that other formats of digital assets exist, and the definition of a "digital asset" is continuously changing due to emergence of new business areas.
The above are reasons why managing such brand content with a DAM software is of high importance because what you can't find, you can't use.

What is Digital Asset Management (DAM)?

Digital Asset Management (DAM) refers to the process and software systems that store, organise, manage, retrieve, and distribute digital assets—such as images, videos, brand files, and documents—in a centralised and searchable repository. A robust DAM solution enables organisations to manage their content more efficiently, maintain brand consistency, streamline workflows, and reduce time spent searching for files.

DAM platforms are essential tools for marketing teams, creative professionals, government agencies, educational institutions, and enterprises seeking greater control and efficiency over their digital media.

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Why digital asset management matters?

The volume of content created by businesses is growing exponentially. In 2025, the need to manage these assets effectively is more important than ever due to:

Remote and hybrid workforces needing easy access to centralised content
Increased content production driven by omnichannel marketing
Compliance and governance requirements, especially in local government and education sectors
The rise of AI and automation in content tagging, metadata management, and visual search

Benefits of a Digital Asset Management system

Centralised access and storage

All your brand assets live in one secure, cloud-based location—accessible by internal teams, agencies, and stakeholders 24/7.

Improved productivity

No more wasted time searching for the right version of a file. DAM software includes powerful search and filtering tools that make retrieval instant.

Brand consistency

Keep everyone on-brand by managing approved logos, templates, and marketing materials from a single source of truth.

Enhanced collaboration

Teams can collaborate on campaigns, share content globally, and accelerate go-to-market timelines with integrated workflows.

Usage rights and compliance

Easily track licensing rights, expiry dates, and consent for media use—vital for compliance with Australian privacy laws.

Who uses digital asset management in Australia and New Zealand?

DAM is used across industries in our region, including:

Local and State Government: To manage libraries of public imagery, historical content, and digital records.
Education: For organising marketing materials, course content, and student media across campuses.
Corporate Enterprises: Marketing and creative departments managing global campaigns and brand assets.
Not-for-Profits: Centralising community engagement materials, press content, and reports.
RTO, Tourism & Travel: Managing destination images, promotional videos, seasonal campaign assets, and partnerships with media or agencies.
Retail and eCommerce: Managing product images, videos, and promotional banners across channels.

➡️ Explore our Case Studies to see how organisations in Australia and New Zealand are successfully using DAM.

DAM vs MAM vs BAM

Which solution is right for you?

DAM

Digital Asset Management solution works as a single source of truth for all your digital content, including images, videos, documents, creative design files, and more. DAM allows your marketing and design teams to collaborate on work-in-progress creative projects, share files, publish finished content on different platforms, give specific access permissions, and track usage of your files.

MAM

Media Asset Management system is a one-stop shop for all your media assets, designed specifically for large video files and production workflows, from raw footage to finished products. MAM helps organise all media files, especially video and audio files. It is used in the media supply chain, from post-production studios to media sales teams.

BAM

Brand Asset Management is a tool that helps companies keep their brands consistent. BAM is a platform where employees can find all the finished assets they need to create on-brand content, like logos, colours, fonts, and images. BAM makes it easy to keep everyone on the same page and ensure that all communications reflect the company's brand identity.

DAM Use Cases

Educational Institutions:

Schools and universities use DAM software to collect digital content from both inside and outside the school. It makes sure that staff, students, and the public have safe access to approved digital content, and it makes it easy to share images and videos both inside and outside the school.
For example, a private college can ensure brand consistency by storing and sharing logos, brochures, and promotional videos. This ensures that all marketing materials align with the institution's image.

Public sector:

Local governments often use images to promote tourism and attract visitors. Managing these assets efficiently is crucial to showcasing the region's attractions effectively.
For example, when planning a new tourism campaign, the marketing team can quickly access these images, ensuring consistency in promotional materials across websites, brochures, social media, and advertising. This enhances the city's appeal to tourists and helps boost the local economy.

Retail:

Retailers often have extensive catalogs of products that require high-quality images for online sales. Efficiently managing these product images is crucial for a seamless e-commerce experience.
For example, a retailer use a DAM system to organise product images, including multiple views, colour variations, and lifestyle shots. This ensures that the website displays accurate and appealing visuals for each product, ultimately improving the customer shopping experience and increasing conversion rates.

Manufacturing:

Manufacturing companies often produce a wide range of products, each requiring detailed documentation and images for marketing, assembly, and maintenance purposes. Managing these product image assets efficiently is crucial.
For example, an automotive manufacturer. They use a DAM system to organise high-resolution images of each car model, including exterior and interior shots. When creating marketing materials, assembling vehicles, or performing maintenance, employees can easily access the relevant images and documentation. This ensures that accurate and up-to-date information is available to support various departments, from marketing to production and customer service.

Construction:

Construction companies often showcase their completed projects to potential clients. Managing images and multimedia assets related to completed projects is crucial for building a strong portfolio.
For example, a construction firm specialising in commercial building projects. They use a DAM system to organise images, videos, and blueprints of completed projects, including office complexes, shopping centres, and industrial facilities. When preparing proposals or presentations for potential clients, the marketing team can quickly access these assets. This ensures that they can create visually impressive and persuasive materials that highlight the company's expertise and past successes, increasing their chances of winning new contracts.

Not-for-profit organisations:

Non-profit organisations often run fundraising campaigns and events to support their causes. Managing image assets for these campaigns is essential to create compelling and consistent messaging.
For example, an environmental non-profit organisation focused on preserving wildlife habitats. They use a DAM system to store images and videos of endangered species, conservation projects, and success stories. When launching a fundraising campaign to protect a specific habitat, the marketing team can easily access these assets. This ensures that they can create emotionally impactful marketing materials, including social media posts, email newsletters, and website banners, to engage donors and raise funds effectively.

Frequently asked questions

What is Digital Asset Management (DAM) used for?

DAM software is used to store, organise, manage, and distribute digital assets in a centralised, searchable platform. It ensures faster content retrieval, better collaboration, brand consistency, and compliance with usage rights and file permissions.

Who should get a DAM system?

Organisations that create, use, or share digital content regularly benefit from DAM systems. This includes marketing teams, educators, local government, RTOs, tourism operators, retailers, and not-for-profits across Australia and New Zealand. Read latest information in our article: Who uses Digital Asset Management in Australia in 2025?

Is DAM suitable for small businesses or only large enterprises?

DAM solutions are scalable and can support both small teams and enterprise-wide rollouts. Whether you're managing a few hundred assets or hundreds of thousands, a DAM system helps you stay organised and efficient.

What are the key features to look for in a DAM system?

Important features include metadata and AI tagging, permissions control, version history, approval workflows, branding portals, integrations (e.g. Adobe Creative Cloud, Office365), and reporting tools.

How is DAM different from cloud storage like Google Drive and Dropbox?

While cloud storage is designed for general file storage and sharing, DAM systems are built specifically to manage digital content lifecycles. They offer structured metadata, advanced search, rights management, workflow automation, and user roles tailored for creative and marketing workflows.

How long does it take to implement a DAM solution?

Implementation time varies based on the size and complexity of your asset library. With local support from databasics, many customers go live in just a few weeks, including training and onboarding. Check out our Onboarding page for more info.

How much does DAM cost?

Pricing depends on the number of users, storage capacity, features, and support needs. We offer flexible plans and packages tailored for Australian and New Zealand organisations. Contact us for a personalised quote or a free demo.

Why purchase Canto through databasics in ANZ?

As a long-time certified Canto partner, databasics provides local expertise, personalised onboarding, ongoing support in your time zone, and industry-specific solutions to make your DAM journey seamless and successful. Check out About Us page.