How to turn DAM enemies into allies
Think of a time when your DAM program hit turbulence because of a stakeholder.
Maybe the vibes were off. Maybe you heard inconsistent or puzzling feedback.
Or, maybe a persistent misconception was quietly undermining all the good work you’ve been doing.
In my work, both as a DAM practitioner and as a consultant, I’ve faced plenty of human shaped challenges on behalf of the DAM programs I’ve supported. I call these folks enemies of DAM. They can absolutely kneecap your program, and if you own or champion a DAM initiative, you need to prioritize addressing them head-on.
What is an Enemy of DAM?
I define an enemy of DAM as:
Anyone who creates recurring challenges in your DAM program that you must repeatedly solve
Someone who encourages (or allows) operational or cultural dysfunction that undermines DAM goals
Someone who actively minimizes your DAM’s impact
Anyone who can influence budget discussions without having the DAM’s best interests in mind
These people aren’t always acting out of malice towards you or the program. Sometimes, they’ve had a bad first experience with the system. Sometimes they’re protective of tools and workflows they know, which might not include the DAM (yet!). Sometimes, they simply haven’t seen the value that DAM can bring to them.
Common Enemies of DAM
In my consulting work, I see these archetypes over and over:
1. The Budget Gatekeeper
Controls budget approval (ie: renewals, new projects, etc) and sees DAM overall as a nice to have rather than a critical system.
Why it’s a problem: Investment stalls, new and necessary integrations get delayed, and system growth is limited.
Why they resist: They don’t see the ROI that DAM brings, at least not the way you do.
2. The Workflow Disruptor
Pushes process changes that bypass or ignore the DAM.
Why it’s a problem: Governance is undermined, operational procedures degrade, and adoption goes down.
Why they resist: They view DAM as inflexible or incompatible with their processes.
3. The Skeptical Executive
Doesn’t understand DAM’s strategic role in brand consistency, compliance, and speed to market.
Why it’s a problem: Neutral or negative sentiment at the upper levels of the org chart can deprioritize DAM or block budget requests when costs inevitably rise.
Why they resist: Competing priorities or no direct exposure to DAM’s business impact.
4. The “Good Enough” Contributor
Accepts mediocrity in asset quality, metadata, or content findability.
Why it’s a problem: Poor DAM discipline erodes user trust and reduces the value of content over time.
Why they resist: They believe “something is better than nothing,” without recognizing long-term risks or fear of highlighting it to others.
How to win them over
Converting DAM adversaries requires a mix of diplomacy, proof, and persistence. I’ve found these four steps consistently effective:
Understand their motivations: Identify what matters most to them. Seeing how creative innovation, compliance, faster launches, reduced costs or fewer errors can be essential to linking DAM’s value to those priorities.
Invite them into the process: Give them a voice in DAM work in ways that resonate. Holding informative office hours, writing internal posts, and including their feedback in your next survey are helpful methods.
Create quick wins to build trust: Highlight the successes the DAM is driving, from faster approval cycles, fewer duplicate task requests, to speedier asset discovery and distribution. Connect your DAM to your organization’s wins.
Show your metrics: Track adoption, utilization, and user satisfaction in ways that are easy to share often. Turn your dashboards and all that activity in your system into compelling stories that actually show how DAM is advancing the business. Get creative!
When to walk away
Not every resistant stakeholder will come around. If you start to think someone you’ve been working with isn’t changing their tune:
Find other decision-makers to demonstrate DAM value to
Keep communication about DAM work visible and consistent across leadership and team channels
Strengthen alliances with more receptive partners in your organization
The bigger picture
Enemies of DAM are inevitable. With the right approach, some of your most vocal skeptics can become your most valuable champions. Once converted, they often advocate to their peers, creating a ripple effect that accelerates adoption, protects your DAM budget, and secures its place in your organization for years to come.
Looking for expert DAM support? You came to the right place.
Struggling with resistant stakeholders in your DAM program? I help organizations turn friction points into growth opportunities, protecting their investment and drive measurable results. Connect with me on LinkedIn!
Book a complementary discovery call with me, and we’ll build a strategy to turn your skeptics into allies.