At the 2019 Widen Summit, Megan Fisher, Digital Marketing Associate at Crayola, outlined the components of their training program, and how it has contributed to the successful adoption of the Widen Collective® across their organization.
Introducing the Crayola Gallery
Crayola’s Widen Collective site, the Crayola Gallery, launched in August of 2018. It houses over 100,000 assets, including product and lifestyle photography, logos, videos, and sales materials. There are currently around 600 users, all of whom have completed their DAM training program, Crayola Gallery Basic Training.Megan administers this program to both internal and external stakeholders across the globe. There are numerous parts of the program, and they all work together to facilitate strong and sustainable user engagement.
DAM basics for new employees
Next, the program was incorporated into their onboarding process to ensure that all employees — known as Crayolians — understand where and how to access digital assets. Megan holds these training sessions quarterly, and keeps the scope manageable. “I cover how to search, download, and share assets, as well as how to use collections,” she shared. Individuals that complete this training earn the designation of “DAM champions.”
Ongoing training for various advanced users
Beyond general training for new users, Megan teaches advanced topics in separate, ongoing sessions for those with upload privileges. “We have a robust metadata structure of 37 fields, and very strict permissions to keep our assets secure,” Megan said. “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.”In addition, she offers training for other specialized users. “I also host training sessions as needed for international Crayolians, Portals users, and Workflow users.” Tailoring the content to address the needs of these unique users groups helps ensure that the training is relevant and interesting.
A formal email campaign
Megan 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 her users raises the visibility of the Crayola Gallery and bolsters engagement.
A range of support materials
“In addition to live training sessions, I created a variety of training materials that provide a deep dive into the system and its capabilities,” Megan shared. “These materials also provide supplements to in-person trainings and can be sent to international and external users to learn the system.” These PDFs and videos are accessible in the DAM system for users to reference anytime. “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,” Megan explained. “I also created ‘how-to’ videos which are especially useful to Crayola Gallery users who aren’t able to attend in-person trainings, 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.”Further, “when new users join, I send them a comprehensive welcome email with links to training materials that suit their permission level,” Megan said.
In-person assistance
By serving as the face of the Crayola Gallery, Megan gives users a point of contact for anything they need. “I include my email address in all training materials so users can feel free to reach out to me along the way if they have any questions,” she said. This human dimension to the Crayola Gallery continually enhances the overall user experience.
Ongoing success
Crayola’s strategy for achieving their long-term DAM goals relies on their multifaceted training program. It 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.Watch Megan's full presentation from the 2019 Widen Summit:
