total assets
trained DAM champions
Iconic crayon manufacturer Crayola was implementing a digital asset management (DAM) system for the first time.
User training was critical to ensuring DAM adoption across the organization.
Acquia DAM (Widen), including Workflow and Portals
Crayola’s multifaceted training programs help 600 Crayolians become DAM champions.
Best known for its crayons, Crayola is an American manufacturing company specializing in art supplies that markets and sells its products in more than 80 countries.
Crayola was implementing a digital asset management (DAM) system for the first time.
As in any business, launching new software can be tricky — and iconic crayon manufacturer Crayola was no exception. Change can be difficult, and employees don’t appreciate interruptions to their daily workflow. The company knew that offering user training would be critical to ensuring DAM system adoption across the organization.
Crayola implemented Acquia DAM, dubbing it “The Crayola Gallery.” The DAM system contains more than 100,000 assets, including product and lifestyle photography, logos, videos, and sales materials.
Megan Fisher, Digital Marketing Associate at Crayola, leads the company’s DAM training initiatives. Coinciding with the Crayola Gallery launch, she rolled out a training program for existing employees, offering a weekly training session for four weeks. The training program, called Crayola Gallery Basic Training, is offered to internal and external stakeholders across the globe in order to empower strong, sustainable user engagement that drives successful adoption of Acquia DAM across the organization.
After the Crayola Gallery launch, she incorporated the training program into the company’s onboarding process to ensure that all employees — known as Crayolians — understand where and how to access digital assets. Fisher holds quarterly training sessions, focusing on how to search, download, and share assets, as well as how to use collections. Individuals that complete this training earn the designation of “DAM champions.”
Crayola provides training beyond the initial training for new users; for Crayolians with upload privileges, Fisher offers regular training on a number of advanced topics. “We have a robust metadata structure of 37 fields and very strict permissions to keep our assets secure. So for uploaders, which we call power users, I host individual or small-group training sessions to make sure they feel confident uploading in the system,” Fisher said.
In addition, she offers training for other specialized users, customizing content to address a specific group’s needs and concerns. “I also host training sessions as needed for international Crayolians, Portals users, and Workflow users, helping ensure that training is relevant and interesting,” she said.
Fisher sends “quick-tip emails” to remind users of best practices and answer questions from advanced users. “Most quick-tip emails answer questions that DAM champions have asked me individually, and other users have probably wondered about as well,” she explained. “I’ve also used quick-tip emails to troubleshoot when a mistake has occurred.” This regular communication with DAM users raises the visibility of the Crayola Gallery and bolsters engagement.
Beyond training sessions and emails, Fisher has also created a repository of self-service support materials, including PDFs and videos, for Crayolians to access any time they need additional information on the DAM system. “In addition to live training sessions, I created a variety of training materials that provide a deep dive into the system and its capabilities. These materials also provide supplements to in-person trainings and can be sent to international and external users to learn the system,” Fisher said.
She continued, “The PDF guides include screenshots of the DAM with detailed instructions and notes that address questions new users might have. They are also extremely useful to look back on after users have completed Basic Training,” Fisher explained. “I also created ‘how-to’ videos, which are especially useful to Crayola Gallery users who aren’t able to attend in-person training, like our international Crayolians and external business partners. These videos include screen recordings of searching, downloading, sharing, and uploading in the Gallery, in step-by-step detail.”
Additionally, Fisher sends any new users a comprehensive welcome email with links to training materials that suit their permission level, introducing them to the Crayola Gallery and helping them quickly get started.
Across the organization, more than 600 employees regularly use the DAM system – all of whom have completed Crayola Gallery Basic Training. Crayola’s strategy for achieving its long-term DAM goals relies on its multifaceted training program. The company helps users understand how the Crayola Gallery can support unique workflows, keeps power users engaged, and allows every Crayolian to take pride in being a DAM champion.
