Widen and Capture Integration Partner to Automate Metadata Delivery From Camera to Campaign…

Article published by Nate Homes, The Widen Blog

April 26, 2018

We’re excited to announce our partnership with Capture Integration to bring smart metadata from photo shoots to DAM. ShotFlow One, Capture Integration’s “operating system” for brand photo studios, enriches visual assets with XMP metadata automatically before they are uploaded into the Widen Collective®. The metadata enables next-gen digital experiences including Shopping the Look and tap-to-buy social content.

ShotFlow One is a data management platform that enables studios to plan, monitor, and measure their photo and video production process. ShotFlow One automatically tags production data to assets at the point of capture, creating what are known as smart assets. Frequently, such data is lost after the shoot or never entered, which means that DAM librarians must “chase” it before they can load new assets into DAM. The integration between the Collective and ShotFlow One will automate metadata capture at the beginning of the content lifecycle, offering brands three significant advantages.

First, ShotFlow One’s smart assets will help all DAM users, including librarians, designers, marketers, and salespeople, find the right photos quicker. For instance, the sports apparel marketer who wants to use an image of a specific athlete won’t have to waste time browsing through related images. ShotFlow One ensures that the athlete’s name will be recorded in the metadata at the point of capture.

Second, ShotFlow One can power shopping the look, an experience in which customers can view and buy any product shown in a photo – not just the featured product. For example, a photo might show a model wearing a blazer, button-up shirt, jeans, and leather shoes all sold by the same brand. Even if the blazer is the featured item, ShotFlow One users can scan barcodes from each clothing item being styled on the capture set to include that product metadata into the asset automatically.

With that metadata, Collective users can set up e-commerce pages or social posts with one photo that makes all four items identifiable and shoppable. This new strategy for visual and social e-commerce can serve brands selling apparel, home décor, sports equipment, beauty products, and more.

Third, ShotFlow One’s metadata can help Widen users organize and cycle content more accurately. Often, the context of new assets is lost as they travel from camera to campaign. Was it for fall 2018 in the U.S. or the reverse timing in Australia and New Zealand? When do the image rights expire? Does the photo feature the 2017 bicycle model or the 2018 version with a new component set? The integration prevents these blind spots that can lead to image misuse and campaign delays.

“Widen shows a unique eagerness to test and embrace cutting-edge technology. They are the ideal partner for introducing ShotFlow One into the DAM space,” said Eric Fulmer, VP of Operations and Strategic Growth at Capture Integration. “We admire Widen’s readiness to be the pioneer in smart assets, and we look forward to serving top brands together.”

Widen Enterprises organizes messages across a range of formats, like photos, videos, audio, illustrations, logos, and copy. They format and govern this media to help organizations creatively express themselves online, in broadcast, and in print.