Digital asset management at Diageo plc

Abstract

<p>SmartBrand is Diageo’s digital asset management system, a large end-to-end approval, rights management asset library tool, built by the company in 2002, and the subject of ongoing senior support and funding. The challenges have been many— the tool has been deployed in 147 countries and has been adopted by the marketing community and supply brand change teams, as well as being used in The Diageo and Guinness Archives. The biggest challenge has been keeping pace with the plethora of high-quality websites SmartBrand’s users visit and build. Driving out complexity has been key, ie learning to unpick some of the conservative decisions that were made in the tool’s infancy. Also critical at a time of severe budget constraint is marketing the benefit of the tool to Diageo’s leadership. The continual improvement of SmartBrand is a journey based in strategy, and responding to user’s wants and meeting the business’ needs.</p>