Using digital assets has become inescapable in modern marketing. Online video content and high-resolution images are used in everything from websites and social media to broadcast ads. We see them every time we shop online, watch viral videos or “poke” our friends (do people still poke?). Because we’re so used to digital being the first option, many believe new media are pushing print to extinction. Especially given the popularity of e-reader devices (like the Amazon Kindle), it’s easy to jump to that conclusion.
Still, print is far from going the way of the Dodo and a company that relies exclusively on digital marketing campaigns could be shooting itself in the foot. While it’s true that digital channels are critically important, print has its advantages and can sometimes go where other media can’t.
Thing is, your print media a collateral is built digitally. So why wouldn’t you think of DAM software as being useful in supporting those workflows as well? In fact, with a digital asset management system that can perform on-the-fly file conversions, it shouldn’t make a difference where your assets are destined to end up.
One aspect of the publishing world gives us an interesting look at how print and digital communications can feed off one another.
Some printed publications are even increasing in popularity despite digital versions also being available. One such example is the comic book. According to an article by Seth Rosenblatt on CNET, orders for printed comics by Direct Market comic shops are up 18 percent in 2012 and there have been more than 300,000 preorders for issue 100 of the popular Walking Dead series. In the same article, Todd Martinez, the sales and licensing coordinator for Image Comics, explains that some of the higher sales in printed comics stems from their promotion as collector’s items in online versions. A lot of readers buy the digital version first but then also end up purchasing printed copies. Martinez also indicates that they are attracting more readers by offering a wider variety of high quality comics.
Companies hoping to connect with customers in comics and other print media platforms need to make sure that their digital asset management programs can be used for creating high quality print ads in addition to digital asset advertising.
To experience digital asset management tools that facilitate marketing in both print and digital platforms, sign up for a free trial of a Widen DAM system today.