DAM Right

What is the DAM AI gap?
The DAM AI gap is the distance between what AI promises for digital asset management, faster search, automated metadata, autonomous agents, and what most DAM programs are actually ready to support. In this episode, AVP founder and CEO Chris Lacinak explains why that gap exists, why AI exposes weak DAM foundations rather than causing them, and what it actually takes to close the gap.
AI roadmaps promise intelligence, automation, agents, and massive productivity gains. But inside organizations, DAM leaders report something very different: rising expectations, reduced teams, fragmented metadata, unclear governance, and inconsistent operational foundations. Chris explores the widening distance between AI's theoretical promise and organizations' structural readiness to operationalize it.
In this episode, Chris Lacinak covers:
Why AI acts as a stress test for DAM maturity. AI doesn't create new problems in a DAM; it exposes ones that already exist.
The difference between AI enablement and AI operationalization. Turning on an AI feature isn't the same as being ready to run on it.
Why AI amplifies your DAM foundation instead of fixing it. Strong metadata and governance get better with AI; weak foundations get worse, faster.
How weak metadata, unclear governance, and fragmented processes undermine AI initiatives. The specific failure points that show up first.
What it actually takes to close the DAM AI gap and unlock real value from AI. The operational model behind AI-ready DAM programs.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
For more thoughts and a deeper dive into this topic, visit: https://weareavp.com/damaigap
AVP Free DAM Resources: https://www.weareavp.com/free-resources
AVP Insights – https://www.weareavp.com/insights
Contact AVP – https://www.weareavp.com/contact

Engage:
🔗 Follow Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clacinak
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In this episode of the DAM Right Deep Dive Series, host Chris Lacinak takes you inside Aprimo, a long-established DAM platform with deep roots in enterprise marketing.
Joining Chris are Erik Huddleston (CEO), Kevin Souers (Chief Product & Technology Officer), and Nick Tomassetti (Vice President of Sales). Together, they unpack how Aprimo has evolved over time, how organizations are navigating DAM at scale today, and what and what it means to move from experimenting to operationalizing agentic AI within DAM.
Together, they explore:
Aprimo’s origins and evolution, and how content operations became central to its platform strategy
How enterprise organizations think about DAM, AI, and content orchestration
Customer profiles, success patterns, and common barriers to DAM adoption
The role of AI as foundational infrastructure rather than a bolt-on feature
Leadership perspectives on culture, people development, and long-term value creation

Guest Info:
Erik Huddleston – CEO, Aprimo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ehuddleston/
Kevin Souers – Chief Product & Technology Officer, Aprimo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-souers/
Nick Tomassetti – Senior Vice President of Sales, Aprimo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-tomassetti-1898028/
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Aprimo – https://www.aprimo.com/
DAM Selection Masterclass – https://bit.ly/yourdamchoice
C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) - https://c2pa.org/
Gartner 2025 DAM Magic Quadrant - https://go.aprimo.com/reports/gartner-dam-magic-quadrant
AVP – https://www.weareavp.com/
DAM Right Soundtrack – https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs?si=1780631a0ed14013

Engage:
🆓 Check out the ultimate DAM selection guide at https://bit.ly/yourdamchoice
🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clacinak

The AVP team takes lessons learned from 2025 and digs into what it really takes to get DAM right as organizations head into 2026.
Host Chris Lacinak is joined by Kara Van Malssen, John Horodyski, Amy Rudersdorf, and Shawn Averkamp for a candid, pragmatic conversation about the priorities, pitfalls, and decisions that will shape DAM programs in the year ahead.
This episode focuses on the lessons that emerged from real-world work across DAM selection, implementation, migrations, AI experimentation, governance, integrations, change management, and more, and how those lessons should inform what organizations do next.
The team explores the growing gap between platform capabilities and organizational readiness, the rise of DAM-adjacent tools, why integrations and automation continue to challenge teams, and how AI is forcing a renewed focus on fundamentals like metadata, permissions, and stewardship. They also tackle big questions that will carry well beyond 2026: Is DAM evolving or being redefined? Are organizations moving too fast or not fast enough? And what conversations still need more attention inside the DAM community?
If you manage, select, govern, or depend on a DAM platform, this episode is designed to help you move forward with clearer priorities, better questions, and a more realistic view of what success actually requires. 👉 Subscribe for more DAM Right conversations that focus on practical insight, not hype, as the DAM landscape continues to evolve.
Guest Info:
Kara Van Malssen – Partner and Managing Director, AVP https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvanmalssen/
John Horodyski – Managing Director, Strategic Client Growth, AVP https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhorodyski/
Amy Rudersdorf – Director of Consulting Operations, AVP https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyrudersdorf/
Shawn Averkamp – Director of R&D Services, AVP https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnaverkamp/
Resources mentioned in this episode:
DAM Good Advice Newsletter (Subscribe to get updated when the 2026 DAM Trends Survey Report is published) https://www.weareavp.com/damgoodadvice
Interline DPC 2026 Report https://bit.ly/interlinedpc2026
C2PA https://c2pa.org/
EU Artificial Intelligence Act https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/
Engage:
📰 Subscribe to DAM Good Advice at https://www.weareavp.com/damgoodadvice
🆓 Access free DAM resources at https://www.weareavp.com/free-resources/
🔗 Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

The AVP team is back with another field report straight from Paris.
Host Chris Lacinak is joined once again by our globetrotting DAM correspondent, John Horodyski, who just returned from the OnDAM 2025 Conference in France. And he’s giving us the full download.
From gorgeous venues and natural light, to discussions on AI legislation, provenance, trust, authenticity, 3D workflows, DAM governance, and yes… even hip hop dancers. This episode dives deep into what made OnDAM one of the most energized DAM gatherings this year.
If you’re curious how the European DAM community is thinking, what’s trending, and what’s coming next in 2026, this conversation will bring you right into the room.
👉 Subscribe for more DAM Right conversations that explore the people, culture, and ideas driving the future of Digital Asset Management.
Guest Info:
John Horodyski - Managing Director, Strategic Client Growth, AVP – https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhorodyski/
Resources mentioned in this episode:
OnDAM Conference - https://www.ondamparis.com/
Activo - https://www.activo-consulting.com/
C2PA - https://c2pa.org
EU Artificial Intelligence Act - https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/
Transparency and Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act - https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/09/29/governor-newsom-signs-sb-53-advancing-californias-world-leading-artificial-intelligence-industry/
California AI Transparency Act
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB942
AVP Free DAM Selection Masterclass - https://bit.ly/yourdamchoice
Engage:
📅 Find us at upcoming events online and in-person at https://www.weareavp.com/avp-events/
🆓 Get amazing free DAM resources at https://www.weareavp.com/free-resources/
🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

The AVP team just got back from Henry Stewart DAM NY 2025, and we’re unpacking it all — live, unfiltered, and together.
Host Chris Lacinak is joined by Kara Van Malssen, John Horodyski, Pamela Vizner, Jason Ulsh, and Brian Courtney for a roundtable recap of the biggest themes, surprises, and hot takes from this year’s conference.
From AI hype vs. reality, to governance gaps, to why “DAM is a human endeavor,” the team breaks down what stood out most — and what’s coming next for the DAM community.
If you missed the event (or just want to hear what your peers really thought), this candid, high-energy conversation will bring you up to speed.
🎧 Listen for insights, laughs, and a few spicy predictions about the future of the DAMosphere.
Guest Info:
Kara Van Malssen – Partner and Managing Director, AVP – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvanmalssen/
John Horodyski - Managing Director, Strategic Client Growth, AVP – https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhorodyski/
Pamela Vizner - Associate Director, AVP – https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-v%C3%ADzner-oyarce-a1085518/
Jason Ulsh - DAM Solutions Architect, AVP - https://www.weareavp.com/team/jason-ulsh/
Brian Courtney - Senior Consultant, AVP - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bg-courtney-bb9374/
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Henry Stewart 2025 DAM NY Conference - https://www.henrystewartconferences.com/events/dam-new-york-2025
C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) – https://c2pa.org
DAM Right Spotify Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs?si=53fcb86bfbf14f85

Engage:
📅 Find us at upcoming events online and in-person at https://www.weareavp.com/avp-events/
🆓 Get amazing free DAM resources at https://www.weareavp.com/free-resources/
🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak