Understanding Digital Assets

"Digital Assets." It sounds like something found on the Stock Market or in an Investment Portfolio. Its no longer a secret, Digital Assets have an inherent value. In fact, the wiser they are used the greater their value. Much like the New York Stock Exchange, Northwest Mailing Service has been facilitating the transactions involved with holding, managing, and using Digital Assets for quite some time.

It may sound strange to consider a production facility as a way to get a "Return on Investment". Typically, the novice marketer thinks, "I send my files to the mailhouse they print them and mail them." Then they are gone? This "I send -- they mail" scenario is, of course, extremely simplified. Even on the most basic level, a mailing necessitates the involvement of many different people: estimators, a list provider, a graphics designer, a printer, the paper mill, a database programmer, project managers, and so on... If every marketer had to go through every expensive step for each mailing from start to finish, they would eventually realize there is no need to recreate the wheel for every mailing.

Briefly, this better way consists of the marketer utilizing a process of Transactions instead of One-time Investments. Some of the short-term benefits of using Digital Assets are:

• Reusability of creative elements
• Print on Demand
• Concurrent Programs
• Dynamically Printed Documents
• Better Targeting of Groups
• Prevention of Preprinted material waste
• Better response rates

The Expert Marketers (like Loyalty, Renewal, Incentive, and Membership Program Marketing Directors, for example) know how to build and manage a good portfolio. This is why they are the most successful with yields on ROI from Digital Assets Management. However for the novice who wants to learn the trade, much like the rookie day trader, must first learn and understand the dialog, process, and rules. This article is the first of its kind, a definitive guide for Digital Asset Management, written by the service provider.

Enjoy!

Dig•i•tal <data> A description of data which is stored or transmitted
as a sequence of discrete symbols from a finite set, most
commonly this means binary data represented using electronic
or electromagnetic signals.

The opposite is analogue.

Source :The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2003 Denis Howe

Table of Contents

1. Initiating Workflow
2. Digital Assets Simplified: Quadrangle
3. Anatomy and Physiology of Digital Assets
4. Managing Transactions

1) Initiating Workflow

Digital Assets have become an increasingly important element in production Workflow. Getting the ball rolling can be the hardest part. One anology is that a network of Digital Assets are the conveyer belt for information:

As a result, it is increasly important to recognize how Digital Assets flow from the Source to the Service Provider. Poor Digital Asset delivery is often the sources of blame for holding up mailings. This is due to a number of factors:

1. Faulty Digital Asset are often not identified until "down-stream"
2. Most mailers have not yet mastered the proper handling of Digital Assets
3. Digital Assets are not uniform to each other, even within the same group
4. Digital Assets are becoming the preferred method of resource delivery therefore increasing the odds for mistakes
5. Mailers are making little contribution to improve the process

Problems typically arise when initiating a new program. This is why first-time processes often require more funds, time, and resources. Within the past 50 years of experience, Northwest Mailing has learned the importance of properly initiating and maintaining a long-term job. As with most sophisticated mailers, Northwest is an expert in handling one-time jobs as well.

While common Initiating Workflow downfalls can not be totally prevented, understanding the people involved with the process is the best protective measure. Targeted Direct Mail is High-Tech AND High-Touch. Likewise, so are Digital Assets. This sample diagram shows departments of people required to make the system run at peak performance, the inner workings of this illustration will be discussed in the next section:

Account Manager:

Data Processing:

Hosting/Networking:

Digital Imaging:

This destiction of roles is necessary for continued success. Ironically, the diagram we call the Quadrangle looks strangely like a baseball diamond. (Seeing this Article was written in the United States, this analogy may be a good fit.) Whether or not you are famliar with the game, some aspect are very similar to a Direct Mail campaign. You have several Players in the game positioned for optimized of their skill set. Workflow starts the minute a ball is hit into the diamond. Because of the ever-growing array of Digital Asset Types, an element (ball) can come from any direction. The Players must catch the ball and pass the ball to the appropriate location within a determined set of time--before the opponents reach the base. If the ball is not caught, or if it is dropped, this may slow the process.

When sending Digital Assets to Service Providers, it is important to understand that the packet of information sent, no matter what media, gets further taken appart and broken down into four sections. When finalizing this package, take a quick look to see if the spreadsheet references the database, the creative copy references the database, the database to the graphic library, and so on... Once these resources are well established, each Digital Asset group can be handled as separate entities (without losing the basic relationships) for future jobs. ie, the next month's job requires a new database list, a new letter, a new lookup matrix, or a new photograph for the library.

2) Digital Assets Simplified: Quadrangle

There are four major catagories of Digital Assets. They are:

1. Mailing List
2. Creative Layout
3. Graphics Libraries
4. Group Data

With highly integrated mailings, these four asset groups interact with one another. It is highly likely that once the advantages of this methodology take hold, a Marketing Manager may want to borrow elements from their other Quadrangles--easily allowing 3-dimensional relationship marketing.

These four catagories are all inclusive. The idea is based on the rule that all elements of a job must fit somewhere within this Universe of the Quadrangle.

Starting from the upper-left, here is where all creative layouts go. This is dedicated to a full design of a page--the letter, the logo, the envelope, the mailer,... Simply stated, they are the final files handed directly from the Graphic Designer to the Printer. Now with the onset of Digital Printing, these can be more than one document and change on the fly.

The Grouped Data is located in the upper-right section of the quadrangle. These hold a more modern type of communication. They are usually in the form of a look-up table, CRM system, or spreadsheet. The Grouped Data matches and manages the inter-related elements from other quadrants. Meanwhile, Grouped Data is an element itself and therefore may be matched to other Grouped data and so on. Grouped Data should be the highest in the management of Digital Assets--its the glue that holds it all together. Proofing, Reporting, Resource Management, all can be handled through Grouped Data.

In the bottom-left corner, is the Library elements. Much like an author will look-up a spelling in the dictionary, the versions will look to the library to fill-in graphics, fonts, etc... This can be called directly from any of the other quadrants but usually is placed into the version.

The bottom-right corner, is the database. In mailing, this is the mail list. In 1-to-1 marketing, each of these records signify one person and one unique set of marketing criteria useful to the campaign. While its possible to have other Quadrangle elements access and drive the campaign (i.e. "give me all the names from the Bronx"), it is more common that the Database is the driving force in mailings. Due to Postal Discounts offered by the USPS, the Database is usually batched processed with a frozen set of elements from the other three quadrants.

3) Anatomy and Physiology of Digital Assets

The transaction pattern of specific Digital Assets over a long period of time dictates what type of marketing is occuring. Without getting into the specific file formats (these are always changing), this section will offer an idea on how this system works by analyzing the behavior of the each Digital Assets and how this behavior translates into a pattern.

Borrowing and reusing an unlimited number of Quadrangle elements in a controlled fashion is the basis for Digital Asset Management. In Direct Mail, the most commonly new or changing Quadrangle element is the 1) mailing list:

The above describes the relationship between database and output.
new DATABASE = Dynamic DATA DRIVEN Marketing

Here we have changes to the 2) Group Data:

Let's say that a distinction has been made to certain individuals who are from England.
Change in value GROUP DATA* = RELATIVE database marketing
* Group Database tables are sometimes called a Matrix

A change to 3) Creative Version:

Here a new letter is added for a Region.
new CREATIVE Version = VERSIONING

A change to 4) Graphic Library:

This is considered Indemnity because an item is fulfilled once its bookshelf has a book.
new GRAPHICS LIBRARY ITEM = INDEMNITY

The recursive nature of indemnity is first made possible by Digital Asset management. This is not yet common behavior. Most other elements are highly dependent on deadlines and the batched nature of the mail list and less so on the value of a graphic within a version within a record...

Because of the low-level of Library Items, they are usually handled with Exceptions, Nulls or Defaults. In other words, missing Library Items are handled on the Version or Group Data quadrant level so to leave the database in tact for future cases of Indemnity. If a Library Item is not found do this. Where "this" is usually one or many set of generic instruction. i.e. The mail piece recipient wants to see a picture of a Yellow Sports Car, however, there are no photo of this car in Yellow so use a Red Sports Car. An Indemnity, would mean that NO Exception was used. Instead, the instruction indicate to hold the record until there is a picture of a Yellow Sport Car.

4) Managing Transactions

With the Management of Digital Assets, it is more important to look at what is not effected or what may remain. It is essential to force the freeze and Assets not to change. It's a security measure. How does a production facility effectively freeze Digital Assets?

On the other hand, the Value of Digital Assets is affected by change. Again much like the Stock Market, these values may simply be measured by calculating change in response to the comparison against historical data. Results can be fed back into the system by utilizing Group Data. The key, then, lies not only in what is current but how valuable each current item is in respect to what has already been tried.

How can version history be stored? In both cases, Management and Value, operations must stick to a strict policy regarding each Transaction. Concurrent Versioning System (CVS) makes this possible in all cases.

CVS is a type of Version Control software which enables multiple programmers to work on the same project by accessing a single Repository. For more detailed information on using CVS see the publication Open Source Development with CVS, Karl Fogel, first edition. For the purposes of this article, it is better to understand the Philosophy of CVS more than the Gory Details.

Despite the fact that CVS roots are in Software Development, it is the smartest method to save version histories, resolve conflict, collaborate, and to manage files. Because each Quadrant has entirely different types of elements, Northwest Mailing Service uses four separate sub-repositories--one for each Quadrant. Earlier discussed in Workflow Management, each of these Quadrants have a separate group of people assigned. In each of these Quadrants, the typical operations are identical:

1. "Checking Out" copies the current version to a working space.
2. "Working Copy" changes are done in a separate location.
3. "Commit" a Revision uploads the changes and makes them current.
4. "Update" checks to see if a users "Working Copy" is current. If not, it tells the differences.

Most CVS systems are truly remarkable and swiss-army knives for Version Management and Collaboration. No mater how complex or simple the job, Northwest uses CVS to ensure the best quality of end product.

CVS's successful Management of Digital Assets combined with "Branching" technology allows the history of programs be converted into Value. "Branching" is the Transaction mechanism for once major changes have been made and the job is approved. Ultimately, this indicates a major Version Release.

A Version (a Branch) is globally communicated from Project Managers at Northwest Mailing Service. Again, Grouped Data can be used to translate the Versioning naming system. This is the receipt for approval. Coinciding with the idea that Stored Digital Assets have expounding Value, an old Version can always be re-used. Likewise, every preciously used element can be merged into the most current.

Any high-level Executive or expert Marketer will tell you, "Understanding Digital Assets is a full-time job." Digital Asset Management is not an idea that died with the dot-coms. Nor is it an idea that falls to far from M.B.A.'s "seven-year business cycle". Some assets will come and go very quickly. Some corporate logo's, like Ford, Apple, or Coca-Cola may never die. What is not well known, what may be the best kept secret in Direct Mail, is that Northwest Mailing Service is the most experienced and best fitted organization for managing Digital Assets. We wrote the book.

The hardest part remains, getting the ball rolling. Contact us today:

Have someone contact me from Sales.

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Regards and Happy Mailings!

Northwest Mailing Service