Aidsfonds is a Dutch organization committed to a world without HIV and AIDS. To achieve that mission, the organization needs support from individual donors. It is very important to make the Dutch public aware of the AIDS issue, which is in danger of being forgotten. Martine van der Meulen, content manager at Aidsfonds, explains in this article how important it is that the story of Aidsfonds is told in the right way, both online and offline.She also explains how Comrads' DAM system helps with this.

AIDS deadliest epidemic ever

The AIDS issue is off the radar of many people. Many people think it is something of the 1980s, but in reality it is still a huge pandemic. There are nearly 40 million people living with HIV worldwide and one in four do not have access to life-saving drugs, even though they have been around for 25 years. This is due to inequality, exclusion, stigma and discrimination against certain groups, preventing them from getting the care they need. This is not only a bad thing, it is unnecessary. HIV no longer has to be a death sentence. You can live to a perfectly healthy old age with HIV today, and you cannot transmit the virus if you are under treatment. We have all the knowledge and resources to defeat this pandemic, and yet we are not there yet. That's why support is needed.

Bringing stories into the limelight

To get the word out about our story, we need content, lots of content and powerful content. Who are those people living with HIV? Who are those people dying from AIDS? But also, who are those researchers working very hard to find a cure for HIV, because it still doesn't exist. Who are those health workers in the field who make sure people get tested for HIV and get their medication? As content manager, I am responsible for making sure there is the right content to highlight all those stories, both online and offline, for existing and for new donors. Then, of course, it's nice to have a good database to store that content and access it properly.

The challenge of managing content

We have been around for almost forty years now. We create content in lots of countries and on lots of different topics. The challenge of properly managing and making accessible the enormous mountain of content that we have collected over all these years was growing. If you store all those assets in folders on a computer, you have to open folder by folder. That's not a do. We started looking for a suitable solution in 2016, and we found it in Comrads' DAM system. The great thing is that the system is completely adapted to our needs. During the implementation, Henk van de Goor actively helped us think about the right set-up for our DAM system. We are extremely satisfied with how the system works. For example, if I now search for content from Project X in South Africa about orphans with HIV, I can easily find it. The only gap I see is our video content. We are still looking for a way to open that up properly, because video is super-heavy, for any system, but it can't be left out.

brand portal-module

Comrads' DAM system brings a piece of efficiency. It makes content findable faster. After working with the DAM system for several years, we added the brand portal module, in which we store all our logos and other house style elements. This is also nice if you work with external designers. Then you can refer them to that.

Collaboration with Comrads

The cooperation with the Comrads team is excellent. Henk is easy to reach and tackles things quickly. And if you want something just that little bit different and you don't know exactly how, he has a trick for it. He knows the system inside out.

Tips for other organizations

If you are also considering a DAM system, take a good look around and inquire with similar organizations. What system do they use and how do they like it? Inquire about personalization options and make sure that everyone who will be working with the system is properly trained. And realize that the success of a DAM system hinges on uploading your content correctly and having the right metadata structure. It's not a panacea; you still need human power in this.

Want to know more?

Implementation of a DAM system can be a gamechanger for your organization as well. Comrads is ready to personally support you with our valuable insights and practical tools. So request a no-obligation demo that we tailor to your needs and discover how we can help your organization with a successful DAM implementation.

Photo credit: Storyground