New Independent Study, Enterprises Boost DAM Spend as AI Drives Content Orchestration Shift

As enterprises race to keep pace with surging content demands and the growing influence of artificial intelligence, a new independent study points to a major shift in how organizations view digital asset management. A recent Opportunity Snapshot commissioned by Orange Logic and conducted by Forrester Consulting finds that DAM is rapidly evolving from a passive content repository into a core orchestration layer for modern digital operations.

According to the study, 80% of enterprises surveyed plan to increase their DAM investment over the next two years. The primary drivers include the need to manage higher volumes of content, publish across more channels, and integrate AI into content workflows at scale. As brands expand their digital footprints, leaders increasingly expect DAM platforms to support faster go-to-market execution, improve customer experience, and provide a reliable foundation for AI-powered workloads.

The research highlights a decisive change in perception. Enterprise leaders no longer see DAM as simply a place to store and retrieve files. Instead, it is becoming the connective tissue that links people, systems, and assets across the entire content lifecycle. Thirty-one percent of respondents said they plan to use DAM to orchestrate workflows across disparate enterprise platforms, including product information management systems, digital experience platforms, e-commerce environments, and creative production tools. This signals a broader move toward composable, integrated content operations that can adapt to constant change.

“This groundbreaking study confirms what we’re seeing across industries,” said Brian McLaughlin, CEO of Orange Logic. “Organizations need a platform that delivers enterprise-wide consistency while empowering teams with the flexibility to execute with velocity, one that supports real AI adoption, and helps them produce better work with less friction.”

AI is a central theme throughout the findings. Sixty-seven percent of respondents expect their use of AI within DAM to grow over the next two years, particularly in areas such as intelligent search, automated asset creation, and storage optimization. However, the study also reveals that many organizations are still working through how to operationalize AI responsibly and effectively across content workflows.

Enterprises achieving the strongest returns treat AI not as a collection of features, but as infrastructure. The research suggests that agentic, governed AI only delivers value when anchored to a robust DAM foundation that defines which assets are approved, how they can be used, and who they are intended for. Without that structure, AI initiatives tend to stall in experimentation, producing inconsistent outputs and increasing brand, rights, and compliance risks.

By contrast, organizations that start with a centralized, well-governed DAM give AI a reliable system of record. This allows automation, enrichment, and decision-making to scale sustainably, rather than breaking down as content volumes and channels grow.

Leaders with optimized DAM programs reported measurable improvements in operational efficiency, digital execution, and time-to-market. The findings reinforce the idea that content orchestration is no longer a back-office concern, but a strategic capability that underpins enterprise performance in an AI-driven digital economy. As AI continues to reshape how content is created and activated, DAM is emerging as a critical investment for organizations aiming to stay competitive.