Best Brand Asset Management Software

According to Energy & Matter, using branded materials consistently can boost business awareness by 3-4 times and increase revenue by an average of 23%. This means that all elements of your company's communications—logos, colors, slogans, and design—should work together seamlessly.

Branding is a complex aspect of marketing. Even small mistakes can lead to misunderstandings, damage your reputation, or even result in lawsuits. That's why it's crucial to ensure your branded materials are flawless—tested, optimized, and standardized. These assets should be stored in a centralized, secure repository accessible to authorized employees.

This is where brand asset management (BAM) software comes in. Today, we'll explore what BAM services are, how they work, and the benefits they offer. We'll also review the top platforms and provide criteria to help you choose the best option.

What Is Brand Asset Management and How Does It Work?

Brand Asset Management (BAM) is all about making sure every element of your brand—logos, slogans, fonts, colors, and more—works together to consistently represent your company across all channels. It's key to building a strong reputation, standing out from competitors, and strengthening relationships with customers and partners.

BAM involves creating, storing, organizing, and reusing all the materials that make your brand unique. To do this effectively, you need clear guidelines and a solid system in place. This is where BAM software can help. It streamlines the process, saving time and money by giving quick access to everything you need and ensuring it’s used correctly.

Take, for example, MANSCAPED. With a centralized content management system, they quickly built a loyal customer base and boosted profits by 33% in a year. KIND Snacks also saw success by digitizing 3,000 product designs in a week, cutting their time spent by 25.7%.

What Is Brand Asset Management Software and Why Use It?

Brand Asset Management (BAM) software is your go-to toolset for storing, organizing, and using all the materials that define your company's identity. Think of it as a central hub where authorized team members can access everything they need, anytime, anywhere.

Key features of BAM software:

Centralized cloud storage: The best option is cloud storage—available 24/7, independent of local equipment, and highly secure against data leaks.
Access control: Branded assets are valuable, so it’s crucial to control who can create, edit, view, and download files. The platform should allow different access levels to prevent costly mistakes.
Knowledge base: It’s not just about having the assets; you need to know how to use them. A built-in knowledge base with instructions and guidelines ensures everyone is on the same page.
Metadata tagging: Simple, standardized tags make searching for assets a breeze. You can tag by file type, project name, workflow stage, and more—this also helps with automation.
Version control: Track changes to ensure you're using the correct versions of your assets. If an experiment doesn’t work out, you can easily revert to an earlier version.
Collaboration tools: A collaborative workspace with commenting, feedback, and approval features enhances teamwork, helping your team achieve more together.
User-friendly and customizable: A simple, customizable interface reduces training time and tailors the software to your company’s needs.
Analytics and reporting: Continuous improvement is key. Analytics tools can show which assets are most effective and which employees are contributing the most.
Integration capabilities: To save time and resources, integrate your asset repository with graphic editors, corporate messengers, and other productivity tools.

The best BAM software even lets you create new materials online, boosting security and reducing errors from outdated versions.

So, why use BAM software? Consistency. It ensures your brand assets are used correctly across the board, reducing reputational risks and enhancing marketing effectiveness. Other perks include:

Avoiding duplicate work by giving everyone access to the right assets
Speeding up decision-making with built-in collaboration tools
Improving the quality of your materials through team collaboration
Enhancing cybersecurity with controlled access
Better planning by having everything you need at your fingertips.

The 13 Best Brand Asset Management Services

Our list features both specialized Brand Asset Management (BAM) tools and versatile Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems that meet all the key criteria. We’ve handpicked the best options based on their functionality, user-friendliness, and ease of implementation.

Pics.io

Pics.io is a versatile Digital Asset Management (DAM) system that's great for managing brand assets, especially multimedia files. One standout feature is its basic image editing tools, allowing you to make simple edits like cropping, resizing, and applying watermarks to protect intellectual property. While it’s not a full-fledged image editor, it does offer solid options for managing your digital assets.

Pics.io supports a wide range of file types, making it a strong choice for brand asset management. You can create knowledge bases in HTML format, attach links as separate assets, and showcase real-world examples. It’s also possible to create guides in PDF, text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.

The platform’s AI features enhance productivity by automatically tagging images, recognizing text, and identifying faces in photos. This makes searching and organizing files much easier and helps automate workflows. Additionally, Pics.io offers version control, allowing you to visually compare different versions of a file, track changes, and revert to previous versions if needed.

For sharing assets, Pics.io provides secure and convenient tools, including the ability to create custom-designed websites that align with your brand identity. You can also use inboxes with URL and password access to receive materials from customers without requiring them to create additional accounts.

Migration and onboarding are straightforward with Pics.io. The team offers support throughout the process, and you don’t even have to switch to Pics.io’s cloud. You can integrate it with your existing storage solutions like Amazon S3 or Google Drive digital asset management, giving you flexibility in choosing the best storage option for your business.

Pros	Cons
Convenient collection creation without the need to physically move files between folders. This allows you to create and quickly distribute digital brand books	It may take some time to get acquainted with the entire range of functions
The platform is suitable for all users, from freelancers to startups. It can be easily scaled up or down with your business
Many integrations with popular software, including Adobe graphic editors. Support for workflow automation via Zapier

Pricing: Individual subscriptions to Pics.io start at $50 per month, while corporate subscriptions begin at $150 for 10 users. There’s a 7-day trial period with no additional obligations.

Filestage

Filestage is a brand asset management tool that lets you create custom workflows for everything—file creation, uploads, processing, reviews, edits, and final approvals. The best part? You can tailor it to fit your company’s processes, not the other way around.

It handles a variety of file types, including images, videos, HTML web pages, website design elements, and email templates. Filestage also comes with productivity boosters like integration with corporate messengers, reminders, and automatic notifications.

Pros	Cons
Automated approval process for branded assets, which reduces time spent	Compression of images slightly reduces their quality
Seamless integration with Asana and Slack	Large files are slow to upload to the cloud
Possibility to fine-tune access rights — up to the use of individual functions by each employee

The subscription costs $49 per month, which includes 10 active projects and 250 GB of cloud storage. There’s also a free version with 2 GB of storage and 2 active projects.

Papirfly

Papirfly stands out with its robust multi-level access rights system. You can assign roles that perfectly match each employee’s position in the company, ensuring efficient work and minimal risk of information leaks or sabotage.

For digital asset management, Papirfly’s built-in AI is a game changer. It automatically tags images, making it easy to find files using simple search queries.

Pros	Cons
Convenient mobile apps to transfer files via a drag-n-drop method	The interface is quite complicated — it will be difficult for beginners to understand
The ability to set expiration dates for access rights	Limited reporting and analytics capabilities
Instant image conversion, change of quality, resolution, and aspect ratio

Pricing is discussed during a free demo, but reviews suggest it starts at around $7,300 per month, making it a better fit for large businesses.

Brandfolder

Brandfolder sets itself apart with built-in video editing tools. You can convert formats, adjust aspect ratios, merge videos, and add watermarks—all without needing to download the files. This is especially handy if your brand's marketing strategy relies heavily on social media.

It’s also great for handling large volumes of files, allowing for fast transfers, batch processing, and easy distribution. Plus, you can create temporary guest accounts to share files securely.

Pros	Cons
Simple interface with an intuitive arrangement of functional elements	It is not convenient to work with many collections
Supports various file formats, including 3D models	Few integrations with other services
Easy and convenient version control function

Pricing starts at $1,600 per month for 20 users, with some features and integrations costing extra. A free demo is available.

Uptempo (formerly BrandMaker)

Uptempo is designed specifically for marketers in large companies. It offers tools for creating brand books, managing budgets, and tracking employee productivity. It even balances the workload between accounts to prevent crashes and downtime.

This brand asset management platform excels in workflow automation. You can set up automatic file transfers, create triggers for specific actions, and get notifications when tasks are completed.

Pros	Cons
Informative analytics, minimalistic dashboard, regular sending of reports to administrators	Deployment of the system and onboarding are time-consuming
Integration with popular services such as Salesforce, Coupa, and Adobe Workfront	Some functions are difficult to find in the platform's extensive menus
Convenient visualization of workflows for managers

The pricing isn’t listed openly, but it reportedly starts at $2,000 per month, tailored to each client’s needs.

Bynder

Bynder is an all-in-one platform loaded with features for managing digital assets across various file types. One of its standout modules is the digital brand book, where you can store marketing materials, templates for everyday use, and even sources of inspiration for designers.

Bynder is one of the top choices for brand asset management thanks to its simple, intuitive interface and easy file sharing. Managers can maintain control over access rights and even get notifications of any suspicious activity.

Pros	Cons
Dynamic Asset Transformation (DAT) function to automatically change the resolution of images and videos	The service lags behind competitors in terms of AI integration
Informative analytics for the effective management of the company's product and marketing policy	Although the interface is quite convenient, it provides few options for customization
Easy workflow automation; many integrations

Pricing is discussed during a consultation, but reviews suggest it starts at $450 per month for 5 users.

Extensis

Extensis is a great option for small to medium-sized businesses. It offers basic image editing tools, AI for automatic tagging, and even a dedicated repository for branded fonts that syncs with popular graphic editors. It also includes tools for license management, such as automatic renewals and notifications of changes to terms and conditions.

Freelancers and small studios will also find Extensis handy for creating portfolios of their best work, which they can share with just one click. Despite its simplicity, Extensis integrates with many other web platforms.

Pros	Cons
Convenient intelligent search for digital assets in a centralized library	Downloading files is rather slow
High level of cybersecurity; modern information encryption technologies	Basic functions are convenient, but additional modules require extensive training
Built-in collaboration and productivity tools adapted for small teams

Subscription fees range from $150 to $200 per user per year, depending on the features. A free demo is available via video or web conference.

Filecamp

Filecamp offers granular access management, allowing you to grant clients or contractors access to specific files while keeping others blocked. You can also control permissions for transferring, downloading, or printing digital assets, which helps prevent information leaks and keeps your data secure.

Filecamp also lets you customize the interface, even choosing themes for folders that match their content. If you’re not a fan of the default design, you can easily change it.

Pros	Cons
Possibility to select and edit thumbnails for multimedia files	No drag-n-drop functionality offered by most competitors
Automatic image tagging with the help of AI	The interface is aesthetically pleasing but not user-friendly
File distribution via secure links with a password and time limits

Subscription costs range from $29 to $59 per user, depending on the features. There’s a 30-day trial period, but you’ll need to provide a credit card to sign up.

MarcomCentral

MarcomCentral is a centralized image repository designed for editing, uploading, and embedding multimedia assets into websites, web services, and mobile apps. It also comes with collaboration tools that streamline workflows and boost productivity.

You can use MarcomCentral to create static brand books filled with samples, templates, usage examples, and other important files. These can be tailored for the company as a whole, for individual projects, or for specific marketing activities.

Pros	Cons
The platform offers many image editing tools	The platform implementation requires knowledge of programming languages
The analytics module provides information to optimize the company's marketing policy	The interface lacks customization options
Integration with the world's top print-on-demand providers is available

Subscription costs range from $2,000 to $5,000 per month, depending on the features and integrations you need, with no limit on the number of users. Exact pricing details are discussed during a free demo.

Canto (formerly MerlinOne)

Canto stands out with one of the best AI models for brand asset management. It allows you to search for images without metadata—just by using simple descriptions like “three palm trees and a hut by the sea.” The system also evaluates the quality of your multimedia assets and sorts them accordingly. Additionally, it offers filters and tools to automatically enhance images.

Pros	Cons
AI groups similar images and suggests deleting unnecessary ones to clean up memory	Slow processing of large amounts of information
Traditional AI functions are available — auto-tagging and face recognition	The minimalist interface hides a cumbersome menu structure
The ability to create custom reports in the analytics module

Pricing is determined during the demo, with a minimum cost of $1,000 per month. Individual user accounts typically range from $30 to $80 per month.

Seismic (formerly Percolate)

One of the standout features of Seismic is LiveDocs, a centralized content management tool perfect for large collections. With LiveDocs, you can create interdependent files that update almost instantly across your entire collection. So, when you make changes to a digital asset in one place, those updates are automatically applied everywhere.

Pros	Cons
AI takes into account the search context and constantly improves results	Deployment is time-consuming and requires technical knowledge
Simple workflows help managers keep all tasks under control	The digital asset sorting system has weaker functionality compared to the advanced search
There are many other automation tools besides LiveDocs

Pricing is provided after a demo and negotiations with the company, but reviews indicate it starts at $32 per month per team member.

ClickUp

ClickUp is primarily a productivity platform, but it also offers digital asset management and digital brand book features. One of its best features is the instant approval system—when a user finishes creating or editing a file, they can simply click a button to notify the person in charge. ClickUp also lets you create custom metadata fields with tags, which helps streamline workflows and save time.

Pros	Cons
More than 1,000 integrations with other web services and applications	Slow loading and processing of large files
The ability to provide access to important materials on an individual basis	Long training and onboarding process
Convenient mobile applications

Subscription fees range from $7 to $12 per user per month, with some integrations costing extra. There’s also a free version with limited functionality and 100 MB of storage.

Frontify

Frontify lets you manage a branded portal with guidelines and a shared repository where everyone can contribute to creating digital assets. It includes a template editor that allows managers to customize and distribute tools to speed up workflows. The platform also features AI for quick file searches using metadata and visuals.

Pros	Cons
Seamless integration with popular software like Slack, Jira, Figma, and Salesforce	It is inconvenient to transfer content between different projects
User-friendly interface with minimalist design and logical menu structure	Unpleasant bugs may appear in the system after updates
Excellent customer support

The pricing isn’t openly listed, but reviews suggest that the minimum subscription starts at $1,500 per month, with no free or freemium versions available.

How to Create a Branded Asset?

When we talk about the best brand asset management software, we're really talking about managing workflows—creating, controlling, and optimizing them. Let’s break down the main stages to make it easier to understand.

Ideation & Briefing

This is where the magic begins—conceptual development. With the right data in hand, like your corporate identity, tone of voice, business model, and analytics insights, you can start brainstorming. Collaboration is key here, so it’s important to have tools for discussing, commenting, and approving ideas online.

Creation

Once you’ve nailed down some great ideas, it’s time to develop drafts. Copywriters, videographers, designers, and other creatives bring the first versions of digital assets to life. Managers then approve the ones that best align with the goals. At this stage, version control is crucial—it helps you track changes and quickly revert to earlier versions if needed.

Review & Approval

After the assets are created, they need to be reviewed and approved by all key stakeholders. They might reject some ideas or suggest edits. To keep things moving smoothly, brand asset management software should have tools to notify stakeholders when work is ready and make it easy to approve files for use.

Finally, it’s time to put those assets to work. Whether you're sending them to print, publishing online, or sharing with customers, you can do it seamlessly with links, guest accounts, or integrations with email platforms.

Conclusion

Brand asset management software plays a vital role in keeping your marketing consistent and balanced, while minimizing reputational risks. By giving everyone access to samples, templates, and guidelines, it streamlines workflows and reduces errors. The result? A more competitive company, happier customers, and better financial performance.

Did you enjoy this article? Give Pics.io a try — or book a demo with us, and we'll be happy to answer any of your questions.

Top 13 Brand Asset Management Software in 2024