Welcome to Widen

My Bio

I’m Kathy Lewis and welcome to Widen. As the Marketing Assistant at Widen Enterprises, I am the first person you see when you walk in the door and the first person you talk to when you call. Prior to Widen, I was a kitchen designer for everything from apartments to million dollar homes. Yes, I know, a major occupational change on my part, but I do not look back and only look to the future of what I can do to contribute to Widen’s success.

Being part of the Widen Marketing Team as the receptionist, many people refer to me as the 'manager of first impressions.’ I wear many hats at the front desk, including: chief greeter, operator, CRM administrator, campaign manager, travel agent, order filler, A/V display expert, interior designer, and video transcriber just to name a few.

My purpose for blogging is to give the average person a look at Widen through my eyes, in a simplified manner. I promise to minimize the technical talk in this blog. I think you’ll value my spirit for what we do here. Again, welcome to Widen!

Using Digital Asset Management for Multiple Brands

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the tenth and final video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jason Barinaga, Manager of eCommerce Initiatives, at Oceania Cruises, Inc. In this video, Jason talks about the multi-site branding available with the Widen digital asset management system. Widen DAM serves as a dual solution used by Oceania Cruises and their sister company—Regent Seven Seas. Oceania Cruises has a niche between the premium and luxury cruise lines where they offer a luxury experience at premium pricing. Regent Seven Seas is a luxury cruise line that is a little more upscale. Each brand has two different catalogs of digital assets partitioned into a Regent side and an Oceania Cruises side. If a user enters through the Regent travel agent center they automatically see all resources from Regent and the same applies to travel agents seeking brand assets from Oceania Cruises. Widen’s ability to have multiple skins for the same digital content management system was instrumental because it satisfied the needs of two different companies. Watch the video to learn more about using digital asset management for multiple brands.

The User Experience with Widen Digital Asset Management at Oceania Cruises

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the ninth video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jason Barinaga, Manager of eCommerce Initiatives, at Oceania Cruises, Inc. In this video, Jason talks about the importance of having an easy to use user interface with their digital asset management system and how Widen provided just that. It was essential for Oceania Cruises to have an online resource that looks sleek and professional, fits the brand, and be customizable to some degree. A DAM system needs to be user friendly and organized so their travel agents can find what they need, build personal collections, download what they need and come back again. Watch the video to learn more about the user experience with Widen digital asset management at Oceania Cruises.

Leveraging Digital Asset Management as a Marketing and Sales Tool

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the eighth video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jason Barinaga, Manager of eCommerce Initiatives, at Oceania Cruises, Inc. In this video, Jason talks about why they want as many travel agents and media contacts as possible to have easy access to Oceania marketing assets and how they are able to accomplish this using the Widen DAM solution. He explains how everyone is free to visit their marketing asset repository, create an account, and download all the materials they want. Their DAM system exists as a central location where travel partners can go to grab destination photos and brand assets for use in creating custom marketing and promotional materials. Jason explains how their marketing asset management system contributes to their travel agents’ ability to advertise, promote and sell their product through the marketing materials they create and find using the Widen DAM system. Watch the video to learn more about leveraging digital asset management as a marketing and sales tool.

What to Consider When Leading a Digital Asset Management Project

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the seventh video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jason Barinaga, Manager of eCommerce Initiatives, at Oceania Cruises, Inc. In this video, Jason talks about what he would say to the next person charged with leading a digital asset management project. For Oceania, the number one factor in recommending a DAM solution was verifying the level of customer support that is offered to users. This includes everything from the implementation team and their experience in successfully deploying DAM systems to the ongoing support offered to administrators and end users beyond the deployment phases. For Oceania, it was important for their DAM administrators to have the guidance and understanding of everything that went into the implementation. The second factor for Oceania’s justification of Widen DAM was the vast capabilities of the DAM software tools in helping to streamline internal marketing operations and facilitate greater customer relationships with travel partners and media personnel. Jason explains that it is hard to believe there are other DAM solutions out there that offer more than what Widen does for the investment involved. Watch the video to learn more about what to consider when leading a digital asset management project.

Implementing a Digital Asset Management System at Oceania Cruises

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the sixth video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jason Barinaga, Manager of eCommerce Initiatives, at Oceania Cruises, Inc. In this video, Jason talks about the functionality they asked Widen to create for them that would allow travel agents to go seamlessly through the travel agent center to the Widen-powered DAM system to access Oceania brand assets and destination photos. Jason talks about the challenges they had to overcome in building user adoption among travel agents and the technical integrations that had to be done. After several months, Oceania Cruises’ marketing team is receiving a lot of positive feedback from the travel agents and media personnel that used their previous digital asset management system and are now extremely pleased with the Widen DAM solution. Watch the video to learn more about implementing a digital asset management system at Oceania Cruises.

Overcoming Security Concerns with Web-Based DAM Software at Oceania Cruises

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the fifth video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jason Barinaga, Manager of eCommerce Initiatives, at Oceania Cruises, Inc. In this video, Jason talks about why they made the decision to go with a web-based digital asset management software solution because it supports what they wanted to do on the website and allows anyone, anywhere, at any time access to approved digital assets through their secured web portal. Even Oceania’s internal teams were in support of the SaaS-based brand asset management solution. While security is always a factor in deciding to implement brand asset management technologies, Oceania Cruises wanted to make sure that there was a certain percentage of uptime for their customers, but more importantly they wanted to ensure all brand assets and promotional materials were backed up and secure. Watch the video to learn more about overcoming security concerns with web-based digital asset management software.

The Importance of “Ease of Use” with Digital Asset Management at Oceania Cruises

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the fourth video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jason Barinaga, Manager of eCommerce Initiatives, at Oceania Cruises, Inc. In this video, Jason talks about how “ease of use” for their external users – travel agents and media personnel – is of great significance for the success of their digital asset management solution. Internally, the Oceania Cruises graphics department takes on the responsibility of managing the system which includes uploading, categorizing and organizing brand assets. He talks about how the administrators of the Widen DAM tool find it very user friendly to upload assets, catalog and add meta-tags/descriptions, etc. The ability to create and manage various levels of access and permissions is critical to managing the different user roles as well. Jason talks about the positive feedback their users have provided about the ease of use of the Widen Media Collective from a customer service and functionality standpoint in doing everything that they need it to do and provide. Watch the video to learn more about the importance of “ease of use” with digital asset management at Oceania Cruises.

How Oceania Cruises Went About Selecting a Digital Asset Management System

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the third video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jason Barinaga, Manager of eCommerce Initiatives, at Oceania Cruises, Inc. In this video, Jason talks about how Oceania’s marketing, public relations and sales interactions with media personnel and travel agents impacted their selection of a digital asset management system. Their influence led Oceania down the road of selecting a dam system that was more powerful, robust, and specialized. There were a number of customization and configuration features that Oceania Cruises wanted in their new DAM tools. The most important piece was the seamless entrance into the DAM solution through their travel agent center. Widen project management personnel assisted Oceania’s teams by helping them fully understand the capabilities of the software and how to integrate DAM into their website. Watch the video to learn more about how Oceania Cruises went about selecting a digital asset management system.

Searching for a Digital Asset Management System at Oceania Cruises

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the second video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jason Barinaga, Manager of eCommerce Initiatives, at Oceania Cruises, Inc. In this video, Jason talks about their search for a new digital asset management system in parallel with the launch of a new OceaniaCruises.com last year. One of the things that Oceania wanted to do was find a digital asset library that supported their new website from both a “look and feel” and functionality standpoint. Based on the negative feedback from users of the old system – media, travel agents, etc. – Oceania sought out a more proficient DAM solution that would allow customers to better utilize the resources and brand assets that a wide range of people were looking for. Watch the video to learn more about Oceania’s search for a new digital asset management system.

Digital Asset Management at Oceania Cruises Before Widen

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This series of posts features a video interview with Jason Barinaga, Manager of eCommerce Initiatives, at Oceania Cruises, Inc. In this first video, Jason talks about the pitfalls with digital asset management at Oceania before Widen. Prior to implementing the Widen web-based digital asset management system, Oceania was using another proprietary DAM tool that wasn’t as powerful, robust or scalable as what they found with the Widen DAM solution. There were a number of limitations and, consequently, there was a lot of negative feedback from internal and external users who counted on Oceania brand assets for promotions and marketing collateral. Oceania did not have the ability to store, convert or transcode, and distribute high resolution images or video files, nor did their previous DAM system support the handling of PDF files and other corporate branding documents. Watch the video to learn more about digital asset management at Oceania Cruises before Widen DAM.

Why Choose Widen for DAM Software as a Service

Sunday, March 21, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the eighth video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jim Scarlata, Senior Marketing Operations Manager for Knaack LLC. In this segment, Jim talks about how in any business there are choices. The digital asset management market has clearly differentiated itself between hosted and installed solutions. To Jim, SaaS made the most sense five years ago and makes the most sense now. Regardless of the relationship, Scarlata explains that if Widen wasn’t performing, Knaack would have to look at replacing that system. However, Widen meets and exceeds expectations in all aspects of the service for managing digital media and brand assets. Watch the video to learn more about why Widen is Knaack’s choice for digital asset management software.

Dynamic Media Building with Digital Asset Management

Sunday, March 21, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the seventh video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jim Scarlata, Senior Marketing Operations Manager for Knaack LLC. In this segment, Jim talks about how Widen doesn't just start and stop with digital asset management. Dynamic Media Builder allows dealers to customize ad and brochure templates for the specific selling situation, why keeping in line with Knaack brand guidelines for global brand consistency. Watch the video to learn more about Dynamic Media Building with digital asset management systems.

Photography and Color Management with Digital Assets

Sunday, March 21, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the sixth video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jim Scarlata, Senior Marketing Operations Manager for Knaack LLC. In this segment, Jim talks about the photography and color management capabilities of Widen. Not only does Widen provide DAM software, they provide services to create and manipulate digital assets. During or after a photo shoot, Widen can seamlessly import new photos into the online digital asset library. Widen's history and experience with premedia and color management provides a key advantage in having that knowledge level of the content management and structure of the digital asset management system.

Software as a Service with Digital Asset Management

Sunday, March 21, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the fifth video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jim Scarlata, Senior Marketing Operations Manager for Knaack LLC. In this segment, Jim talks about why the Software as a Service delivery model makes the most sense for digital asset management at Knaack. “Why bring a technology into your company that is not a core competency,” he says. DAM SaaS is particular valuable for a company with limited IT resources or where the IT team has limited knowledge of creative and marketing workflows. In 15 years of providing DAM as a service provider, Widen has seen it all and is able to offer the consultation and support needed to implement and maintain a successful DAM system. Watch the video to learn more about why the SaaS model for digital asset management makes the most sense, especially in this business climate.

International Marketing and Branding with Digital Asset Management

Sunday, March 21, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the fourth video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jim Scarlata, Senior Marketing Operations Manager for Knaack LLC. In this segment, Jim talks about how Widen digital asset management services support organizations with multiple brands internationally. The Knaack brand’s focus is mainly in the United States. However, Knaack has a sister brand internationally, Ridgid, that is supports its business expansion internationally. Widen's DAM system provides Knaack the ability to create a multi-branded user interface (UI) to support the various international audiences accessing the same digital asset library, but segmented for different brands and a look to match. Watch the video to learn more about international marketing with digital asset management.

Guarding the Brand with Widen's Digital Asset Management Solutions

Sunday, March 21, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the third video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jim Scarlata, Senior Marketing Operations Manager for Knaack LLC. In this segment, Jim talks about how Widen’s digital asset management solution provides them with a “brand guardian” because DAM offers up the ability for Knaack to have 100% brand consistency. In this economic climate where staffs are lean, staffs are hard pressed with numerous other responsibilities; Jim describes how he has a safeguard with Widen’s digital asset management system. Whatever an internal or external user gets from the system, she or he is only pulling down content in which they can use and it is current, in the right format and ready for use. Watch the video to learn more about why Jim describes Widen Digital Asset Management as the Knaack “brand guardian.”

ROI with Digital Asset Management Systems

Sunday, March 21, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the second video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Jim Scarlata, Senior Marketing Operations Manager for Knaack LLC. In this segment, Jim talks about realizing a return on investment with a digital asset management system implementation. There are both hard and soft benefits that accrue with a DAM solution. The Widen DAM allowed Knaack to immediately eliminate the need for manual intervention with digital assets management and fulfillment by marketing staff, eliminated need to burn CDs and the subsequent shipping costs. Jim talks about how the greatest digital asset library in the world provides no advantage to the marketing operation without the distribution mechanism. Sales channels and marketing partners must have self-serve access to assets 24/7. Jim talks about how the value with digital asset management solutions is seen immediately. Watch the video to learn more as Jim talks about ROI with Widen's digital asset management system.

About the Knaack Digital Asset Management Process Before Widen

Sunday, March 21, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This series of posts features a video interview with Jim Scarlata, Senior Marketing Operations Manager for Knaack LLC. Jim brings a unique perspective to digital asset management users because he started his relationship with Widen as a customer at Motorola. He led the charge for Motorola to implement a web-based digital asset management system to serve multiple divisions and thousands of internal and external users. After realizing the value in the Widen DAM software, Scarlata became part of the Widen team for five years. Now, he leads the marketing operations for Knaack LLC, a manufacturer of job-site storage boxes and a division of Emerson. Before Widen, the process for digital asset management at Knaack was very limiting because they had a single gatekeeper to the assets. They lacked the ability to control consistency, currency and enable access by external channel partners. Watch the video to learn more as Jim talks about Knaack digital asset management processes before Widen.

Why Widen for Digital Asset Management Solutions and Service

Sunday, March 14, 2010 by Kathy Lewis

This is the thirteenth video in the series of Widen customer interviews with Cheryl Rugland, Agency Director for Edge Advertising. After 21 years, Widen has never let Edge down. Edge thinks of Widen as a partner in providing digital asset management solutions and services. Cheryl explains that there is not another company that can provide the capabilities and service levels that Widen provides to the Edge catalog publishing workflow. Widen has delivered DAM tools and services that provide a huge impact to the catalog production process. Widen has helped Edge cut page production timelines down by 20-30 minutes per page. Edge has been able to reduce freelance time while increasing efficiency with their internal staff. Watch the video to learn more about why Edge has stayed with Widen through 21 years of working together.