Why Your Team Never Uses Your DAM (Even Though You Pay for It)

On paper, your DAM makes sense.

• It’s powerful.

• It’s well designed.

• It has all the features.

So why does everyone still ask for files?

Too many decisions

Every DAM introduces choices:

• Which folder?

• Which collection?

• Which version?

• Which permission?

Each decision adds friction. When someone just needs a logo, friction feels unnecessary — so they bypass the tool entirely.

Logins create resistance

For internal teams, logins are annoying. For external partners, they’re a deal breaker. People don’t want:

• Another account

• Another password

• Another interface to learn

They want the file.

Power without clarity

DAMs are optimized for flexibility. But flexibility without guidance creates uncertainty. When everything is possible, nothing feels obviously right. And when people aren’t sure, they default to old behavior:

• Asking a colleague

• Reusing an email attachment

• Googling the logo

Adoption isn’t a training problem

Most DAM adoption issues aren’t solved with onboarding. They’re solved by removing obstacles. If accessing brand assets feels easier than asking someone, people will use the system. If it doesn’t, they won’t — no matter how powerful it is. For many teams, the fastest way to improve adoption is not adding features, but removing them.

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Adoption improves when friction disappears

If people avoid your DAM, the issue probably isn’t training — it’s complexity. A single-link brand portal removes logins, choices, and hesitation.