Video is no longer just another asset type in the content marketing machine. Today, it’s the heartbeat of brand communication. According to a Cloudinary Video Survey, 54% of brands view video as key for driving conversions, 65% see it as critical for market awareness, and 78% rely on it to build trust and credibility.
Yet video also brings a new set of challenges. Unlike static images, video files are large, varied in format, and often require complex workflows before they are ready for use. Managing them in DAM calls for more than just storage, it requires a control center for the entire video lifecycle. Modern DAMs now function as an operations hub for creative and marketing teams, where every asset, workflow, and optimization is managed, tracked, and activated across channels.
For many teams, the first hurdle is technical. High-resolution formats like 4K, 5K, and 360-degree video consume significant storage and are often not fully supported by viewers’ devices or networks. Add to that the challenge of managing multiple versions across channels and inconsistent metadata practices, and teams can quickly lose efficiency and control.
Workflows themselves can be cumbersome as well: deciding how and when to upload finished cuts, setting permissions for different teams, and preparing assets for multiple platforms all add complexity.
These obstacles aren’t minor. In the Cloudinary Video Survey, 58% of brands reported bottlenecks when creating video variants for different devices and channels, while nearly a quarter said publishing delays frequently hold them back. And yet, progress is being made: Almost half of respondents now report being able to publish videos in under an hour. The difference comes down to workflow maturity and technology adoption.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the way video is managed in DAM. Instead of relying solely on manual processes, AI automates tasks that once consumed hours.
Metadata and tagging, for example, can now be applied automatically, making huge libraries instantly searchable. Transcriptions and translations can be generated on upload, enabling captions, multi-language support, and compliance with accessibility standards such as the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
Just as importantly, AI unlocks new possibilities for video activation. With DAM systems that integrate customizable, fully branded players, organizations can control not just how video is stored, but how it’s experienced. Teams can create and save player profiles that match brand specifications, ensuring every video aligns with the company identity. These players are lightweight, responsive, and WCAG 2.1AA-compliant, offering accessible experiences for users with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments. They’re also analytics-ready and even support monetization strategies, giving brands total control over video implementation.
Traditionally, adapting videos for multiple platforms required repeated handoffs between marketers and editors. Now, AI-powered transformations make it possible to resize, crop, trim, and even apply overlays programmatically. Need a 15-second vertical cut for TikTok, a 30-second horizontal ad for YouTube, and a captioned version for a PDP? That can be generated from a single master file in minutes rather than days.
But the role of AI doesn’t stop at automation. Generative AI is starting to reshape the creative side of video production as well. Beyond reformatting, AI can fine-tune the look and feel of videos through automated adjustments like saturation, vignette, and dynamic transcoding. Smart cropping and adaptive bitrate streaming ensure optimal quality across devices, while automated previews help teams review content faster.
For global brands, this means a single video can be efficiently adapted and optimized for multiple regions and channels without the time and expense of rebuilding each one from scratch.
The shift is profound. Instead of creative teams bogged down in repetitive editing or manual localization, they can focus on storytelling and brand strategy, while automation and GenAI handle the technical heavy lifting.
Of course, technology is only part of the solution. Collaboration is equally critical. Effective DAM environments bring marketers, e-commerce managers, creatives, and external partners together in a single workspace where they can comment on, review, and approve video assets without endless email threads. Just as important, they keep people at the center of the process ensuring that while AI accelerates workflows, human judgment and creativity still guide key decisions.
Version history, notifications, and structured approval flows keep projects moving quickly and eliminate the “version sprawl” that happens when files are scattered across personal drives and inboxes. And permission controls mean every stakeholder (including AI agents and LLMs) can access exactly what they need and nothing more or less. Internal teams can collaborate freely while sensitive assets remain protected, and external agencies or partners can be granted time-limited or role-specific access.
This balance of openness and control is what allows collaboration to scale, giving teams the freedom to move quickly without sacrificing oversight. The result is both agility and governance: creative work progresses without bottlenecks, while brand integrity and compliance remain intact. And when everyone is working from the same source of truth, consistency improves and campaigns hit the market faster.
The timing of Henry Stewart DAM New York (HS DAM NYC) couldn’t be more significant. Industry priorities (AI, accessibility, and video-first engagement) are converging just as demand for video content accelerates. Events like HS DAM NYC are where those themes come to life, bringing together practitioners who navigate these challenges daily.
It’s also a chance to spotlight what’s working. Brands are already using AI to automate localization, accessibility, and personalization. They’re deploying interactive players to turn video from a passive medium into an engagement engine. And they’re finding that the right DAM setup doesn’t just make video manageable, it makes it scalable, repeatable, and ROI-driven.
The conversation is shifting from “How do we store video?” to “How do we activate video as a growth driver?” The answer lies in uniting DAM with AI, automation, and collaborative workflows. Companies that embrace this approach can move faster, reach more people, and deliver experiences that resonate on every channel.
At HS DAM NYC 2025, we’ll explore how brands are doing just that, and how you can too. The future of DAM isn’t just about organizing content. It’s about empowering teams to turn video into a driver of efficiency, inclusivity, and growth.
