Match the right media to the right products in record time

Managing product visual assets cannot be improvised, and it is sometimes a skill that marketing and e-commerce teams do not fully master. Yet, in our decidedly visual age, it seems inconceivable today to create a product repository without integrating the management of photographs. Launching a new collection, updating the catalogue seasonally, creating a new range or adapting visuals for new markets all require either updating or creating high-quality visuals.

Even before they are linked to the correct products and the online launch that marks the start of sales is triggered, these visuals will go through a lengthy process, handled by numerous people and… may occasionally encounter a few hiccups. This is why, with properly implemented PIM and DAM solutions, it is essential to follow the steps below meticulously, as they will enable you to manage your product data and information optimally.

Linking photos to product listings: a highly time-consuming process

Firstly, a photo shoot is organised to take pictures of the product samples. The photographer directs the shoot, and the photos are taken in sequence according to the shooting requirements defined in advance. Generally, 3 to 5 contextualised shots are selected:

• For example, for a pair of shoes: 1 front view, 2 side views, 1 top view and 1 ‘lifestyle’ shot, with the shoes worn by a model, will be required.

Once the images have been retouched, the question arises of how to send them and link them to the logistics data in the ERP system and the marketing and technical data in the PIM (Product Information Manager).

At this stage, there is a plethora of methods and tools: external image banks, WeTransfer, the intranet, Google Drive… but is this really efficient? Is the integration with the text section of your product listing 100 per cent reliable and seamless?

More often than not, teams raise issues – often critical ones – such as:

• Manual sorting of photographs and the associated search time
• The time taken to upload high-definition media, multiplied by the number of shots, which amounts to hours
• Frequent linking errors:
• To the wrong product page and the risk of a corrupted online publication
• With sales channels requiring specific variations in formats and views
• The enrichment of textual data (photo credits, copyright, information about models, etc.) linked to media, which is carried out via Excel and creates a new need for linking

To successfully achieve this integration and save time, a holistic approach is required, where marketing, technical and media data are managed consistently.

Automatically link products and media from Quable PIM/DAM in 4 steps

To manage the media assets associated with products, it is recommended to use a DAM (Digital Asset Manager). Better still, to ensure that marketing, technical and media information is perfectly centralised, a DAM solution integrated with a PIM (Product Information Manager) is ideal for enabling all teams to collaborate in one place.

Quable is a PIM and a DAM, but it is also a unique methodology for linking products and photographs without the need for manual work. Thanks to automated management and a clear, precise definition of workflows, the management of information, media and other data is significantly faster, more efficient and of a higher quality. The complementary nature of the DAM, integrated with the PIM, ensures that businesses have reliable data and effective management of the product lifecycle.

Why implement this process with Quable PIM and DAM?

Implementing data management through the PIM-DAM integration offers businesses numerous benefits, including:

1. Automating the upload of media to the PIM by linking it to the correct product record. Quable provides an application that generates a unique barcode for each product. When the photo is taken, the photographer scans it with their barcode scanner and the photo is sent to the PIM. This creates a link via a unique reference between the barcode and the product sheet in the PIM.
2. Eliminate upload times. With this process, files are sent immediately. No more sending and downloading – teams receive the photographs directly on the product pages within the PIM.
3. Easily manage copyright and other text data associated with media files. As the media is linked to the correct product record, these fields can simply be managed directly within the PIM
4. Automatically adapt photographs to meet the requirements of sales channels (marketplaces, e-commerce sites, PDF catalogues, etc.). Quable’s DAM module automatically generates the appropriate formats based on the channels used. Efficiency guaranteed.

Conclusion

Updating or creating new photographs for your products is a recurring task that proves extremely time-consuming for the teams responsible for this process and the teams involved (such as marketing). Beyond the tedious operational aspects, sales can be affected in the event of errors – which are all too easy to make – when the processes for linking images to product listings are not properly managed. At Quable, we’ve looked into this issue and decided to create a way to eliminate all manual steps, from the moment the photo is taken right through to its association with the PIM.

Would you like to save time managing your media to boost your sales?

Request your free demo!

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