Good cop, bad cop, brand cop: Confessions of a global brand director

Abstract

This paper is adapted from a presentation given at DAM Europe in June 2013. It describes a corporate user’s perspective on some of the challenges of implementing a digital asset management system. Like others responsible for managing corporate brands, the author’s role has been referred to as that of the ‘brand police’. The brand police, like their uniformed counterparts, play an important role in the community, walking a beat and watching over their neighbourhood. As authority figures they are stewards of the firm’s most valuable asset. But they do more than protect a brand: they enhance its value. The author encourages readers to embrace the role of policeman or policewoman, using digital brand management systems to underpin the authority of their role. He also explains how such systems contribute to the understanding and valuing of brands as strategic assets.