Wedia : Does Santa Claus use a DAM solution?

Posted at 15:59h
in DAMby Carmen Schaefer

Last week the daughter of a coworker visited the office. While we were talking and explaining what we do everyday at Wedia, I also tried to explain how our solution works. She was listening and nodding and at some point she asked: 'After everything you told me, I am wondering: Does Santa Claus use a DAM solution too?'

Excellent question!

Let's imagine for a moment the following situation: Santa Claus is sitting in his home drinking a cup of tea while the fire from the chimney keeps the room warm. A group of elves is wrapping gifts. There's a big, beautiful Christmas tree in the room. You can hear Christmas music in the background. Snow is falling outside the window.
Can you picture it?

Now imagine him sitting at a desk, working on a laptop, using his DAM software and browsing through all of his digital assets organised and recorded in all possible formats within the tool. He has just found an image of a Christmas tree in three different landscapes - one in a cottage in the mountains, one on the beach and one in a city apartment- ready for both print and social network usage, and an amazed 'ho ho ho' escapes him.
Can you still picture it?

We live in the digital age and everybody that says otherwise is either living on a desert island without internet access or likes to deny reality. Digital transformation is one of the magic words nowadays and it's hard to think of a life without digital. So it might only be logical that Santa Claus also uses modern technology and works digitally. It's easy to visualise him using an online video player to watch the latest Christmas videos or a live streaming platform to share the latest sleigh races with his elves. He might even use chat tools to communicate with them and send them GIFs and emojis.

Assuming that Santa Claus is tech-savvy and part of our digital age: Why not use a solution as part of hisMarketing resource management strategy? DAM solutions are highly customizable and can be adapted to his specific needs. Let's be creative: It can be a good way to manage data and visuals of gifts and even wish lists which are typicallyUGC content(user-generated content).

All of the above can be true. However, we shouldn't forget that after all Santa Claus is not a marketer. He might make use of today's modern technologies but does he really need a Marketing Resource Management strategy?

Santa Claus doesn't run marketing campaigns. Even if some of his processes and the volumes (of gifts) he must handle resemble those of big corporations, Santa Claus isn't (part of) a corporation. These indeed run huge Christmas marketing campaigns, but Santa Claus does not.

Furthermore, let's for a moment remember what a Digital Asset Management solution is mainly used for. It's aSingle Source of Truth,where all digital assets of an organisation are recorded, organised and shared. While the advantages of such software are countless, Santa Claus doesn't need to share media assets (or control who to share them with).

Instead Santa Claus travels the world in his sleigh with his reindeers, distributing an immense number of gifts to children in different regions. Despite working globally, there is no need to adapt his digital assets locally to each region.

Santa Claus wouldn't be Santa Claus if he didn't have a group of elves helping him prepare everything and reindeers helping him deliver the gifts. We have no data about it, but the way Santa Claus works, seems magically efficient. So efficient that a DAM software - which can save enormous amounts of time and money - is not something that delivers a real added value to him (whereas to companies with marketing departments and many brands or product lines it definitely will).

Apart from that, we might all agree thatcurrent marketing trends like the shift from outbound to inbound marketing, the rise of communication channels or the continuously increasing importance of Content Marketingare completely trivial to Santa Claus.

The same goes for ROI of marketing activities: marketers might be concerned with how to demonstrate ROI for their marketing activities. Santa Claus' worries rather turn towards preparing and distributing all gifts in time. His success and brand awareness are already guaranteed.

In the end, we can ask ourselves whether or not Santa uses modern technology and a DAM solution. We can find all the pros and cons. The truth is he's Santa Claus. Santa Claus who has a magical gift workshop, elves and reindeers doesn't need a tool, unlike us.

Because he's Santa. And that's exactly what I told my coworker's daughter.

Happy holidays!

A gift for you!
eBook: From DAM to Marketing Resource Management