Success Story - Yamaha

Challenges

The Yamaha team was managing the production of brochures and promotional material for 26 languages and multiple products, with a large number of stakeholders; product managers, distributors, dealers, design agencies, photographers, copywriters, translation agencies, and printers. In addition, they had a number of sensitive assets of new products that could not be made public, and their photos, design, copy, and other collaterals were stored or worked on in different, unconnected systems. This led to lost time in finding assets and creating content. 

Evaluation and implementation

Working together, YME and WoodWing ran a detailed analysis of the interest groups, working methods, and marketing materials involved in its content processes. Based on this, WoodWing designed an integrated solution that included:

• WoodWing Assets (formerly known as Elvis) - WoodWing's digital asset management product, and WoodWing Studio, (formerly known as Enterprise) - WoodWing's workflow management product.
• A page planning module.
• A content exchange module.
• EasyCatalog Server for pagination.

In addition, integrations with two key solutions used by YME also helped the organization take another step towards orchestrating their content: 

InRiver PIM: The solution is integrated with the InRiver PIM system, in which multilingual product content is managed. This integration means that users of the WoodWing editorial system have access to all the content they need for both online and offline channels. 

Adobe InDesign: With Adobe InDesign automation, the brochures are created automatically, and previews are shown in the web browser. If changes in the layout are required, they can be requested from the designer and approved by the marketing team via the workflow in WoodWing Studio. 

Brands like Yamaha are always consistent with their messages across channels. WoodWing can help streamline and speed up the content creation process, giving internal and external teams more time to focus on creating amazing localized content.

 

Ronald Leusink, Commercial Director

Results & benefits

Within the system designed and assembled by WoodWing, YME users work in a single, central environment in WoodWing Studio, where they know exactly what is expected from them and when, based on their role and workflow. Via the platform, YME arranges the automatic production of 26 different language versions of the brochures. These are sent via the workflow to over 3,000 distributors, who are able to:

• Adjust copy and images online.
• Choose pre-selected images per page based on the online editor.
• Automatically send to head office for approval, or otherwise, of the 'localized brochures.'

WoodWing Assets significantly improved collaboration both internally as well as with creative agencies. From shooting to final use, the metadata now travels with the image files, enabling the team to find all pictures immediately, and the system ensures 24/7 availability of press materials for PR agencies across Europe.

Just a month after the launch of the system, the team was able to provide all images across Europe exactly at the specified embargo time for EICMA - the world's most important trade fair for two-wheel vehicles - with the last images came in from photographers just one hour before deadline.