Throughout our time working with organizations to build and grow their digital asset management (DAM) programs, the Stacks team has been fortunate to work with organizations of all shapes and sizes, across many different industries and use cases for DAM.
One example of this is our work with sports teams, specifically those in the National Football League (NFL). These partnerships have enabled us to build strong relationships with the content creators and managers at several teams. They have also provided us with a front-row seat as they create stunning images, videos, and marketing materials that engage with their fans and grow their brands.
Due to our expertise in this area, our team was able to participate in the 2nd Annual NFL Photographer Summit held in 2024, a gathering of some of the most talented photographers across the league. During the Summit, they discussed their profession, strategies for capturing moments more effectively and efficiently, and ways to derive greater value from the digital assets they create.
By listening to these professionals discuss topics like production, editing, DAM, gameday workflows, artificial intelligence (AI), and collaboration with other business units, our team gained valuable insights we can apply to our work with sports teams and other brands regardless of industry.
There is an excitement when the majority of the NFL team photographers join together to compare notes and share tips with each other to get ahead. Leaving the competitiveness to the players on the field, it was fun to see the different teams show support on healthier workflows and effective digital asset management.
Casey Templeton, Founder, Stacks
Key Takeaways from the NFL Photographer Summit
Advocate for the Value of Your Assets
For content creators, especially those relied on by their organizations to consistently generate the new content that drives brand campaigns, advocating for the value of their work to other parts of the business and leadership is vital.
In many contexts, content creators regularly share their work with other business units, quantifying the value and usage of freshly generated content through data and analytics. They may also summarize the effort required in creating and managing this content through regularly updated reports. By doing this, they can justify further investment in the people, processes, and platforms that facilitate their work and enhance its effectiveness. They can also improve their standing in the business and industry and further their careers.
Effective digital asset management assists these efforts in several ways. First and foremost, it makes content available to every part of an organization, ensuring that assets are used and drive value. DAM also makes it easier to impress leadership by showcasing content that has been created. Many DAM platforms have robust reporting capabilities on an asset-by-asset basis, allowing creators to quantify exactly which assets were used, how often, and by whom.
Identify How Content Supports Organizational Goals
Another way to justify further investment from leadership in content creation efforts and elevate the status of the content creation and management department is to align DAM-related goals with broader organizational ones.
Strategically linking content creation and management to organizational objectives ensures that every asset serves a purpose and drives tangible results. This alignment not only fosters greater excitement around your efforts but also provides a framework to guide your DAM and content creation strategy.
For example, if your organization is focused on driving more traffic to your website, you may prioritize building an integration between your DAM platform and Content Management System (CMS). The connection to a larger organizational objective would justify the integration cost and improve the experience of the teams managing and contributing to both systems. This goal could also guide the type of content you invest in creating in the short term. For instance, if you already have great product shots in your DAM program, you can focus on creating other types of content to engage potential customers.
Learn to Ask Good Questions and Educate Teammates
Our final takeaway from the NFL Photographer Summit is the value of becoming a source of information about topics related to content creation and management for other parts of the organization. When you’re a trusted resource, whether it's providing contextual insights, strategic guidance, or teaching others effective questioning techniques for specific topics, you become more integral to your organization’s overall strategy. From this position, you can also advocate more effectively for your department’s needs and value.
Two great examples of this from the Summit itself are artificial intelligence (AI) and digital asset management (DAM). When you understand these topics well enough to lead your peers in asking thoughtful questions, developing strategy, and contextualizing new capabilities, you boost your value to the organization.
For instance, if your organization invites you to a discussion about utilizing AI in workflows to increase efficiency, you can provide insights into how it can and should be implemented in your specific context, including when it’s prudent to delay, where human oversight may be needed, and the questions to ask beforehand. By doing this, you not only lead the conversation but also emerge as a leader in future strategic decisions.
Conclusion
The attendees at the NFL Photographer Summit discussed the potential of strategic digital asset management and offered key takeaways for content creators. These were to advocate for the value of digital assets, align content with organizational goals, and foster effective communication.
By implementing these recommendations, content creators can help their organizations become more efficient and productive in their content creation efforts. If you’d like to optimize your DAM practices and accelerate your organization’s growth, contact Stacks today! Our team of experts is happy to help ensure your program’s success.
