Most campaign pain is asset pain.
Briefs multiply. Versions branch. Approvals are delayed. Localisation creates variants. People start working around each other, and then the pipeline breaks.
And then everyone blames production.
I run the asset pipeline so creative work stays creative and delivery stays deliverable.
What this looks like
On paper it’s easy: make the assets, approve them, publish them.
In reality, assets have multiple owners and reviewers. The connections between creative, brand governance, and local markets are where work hits problems. “Just one more tweak” becomes a slow leak that turns into a flood.
Where I start
Define the asset universe. What exists, what variants are required, what “done” means (people can’t hit a target they can’t see).
Build the content matrix. Formats, sizes, markets, channels, owners, dates. One view of the workload, not ten different interpretations.
Set version rules. Naming, storage, status visibility. No private hoards. No final_final_v7.
Design the approval flow. Who approves what, in what order, and what happens when feedback conflicts.
Protect the critical path. Final approvals, trafficking deadlines, localisation cut-offs. If it sits on the critical path, it’s guarded like the only exit in a fire.
Reduce rework. Clarify briefs, lock decisions early, keep change control honest. Rework is usually indecision pretending to be refinement.
Evidence
Examples are anonymised to respect client confidentiality.
Hundreds of digital assets across markets
I took over a global campaign with heavy display output. Asset volume ran into the hundreds across formats and variants.
I built a matrix showing every asset, format, and market. I set strict version rules and locked the approval path so decisions couldn’t reopen after sign-off.
The volume was manageable once the system was visible.
Work arrived “approved” until it suddenly wasn’t
Major FMCG account where approvals weren’t consistently understood or completed properly. Work moved forward as “approved,” then reversed late in delivery.
I clarified who could sign off what and made approval status visible across the programme.
Delivery sped up because late reversals dropped.
Naming conventions existed but weren’t enforced
Global brand programme where the CMS required specific formats for localisation: “en-ie” for Ireland, for example. The team often invented their own: “en-ir,” “en-ei.” Assets became hard to find, hard to reuse, and easy to mis-publish. It was close to impossible to see differences in copy between Ireland and the UK (default), but the subtleties were there and in legal language.
I made compliance part of the workflow and enforced the rules through the PMs, Tech and QA.
On a separate programme, I worked with a transcreation agency to give them direct access to the CMS so they could implement changes themselves. Handoffs dropped, and turnaround time improved.
Speed was critical
Global energy account with no time for three rounds of amends. Deadlines were tight and the edits needed to be right.
I sat with the video editor and corrected changes on the spot. The feedback loop shortened from days to minutes.
If your campaign calendar is fine but your assets are constantly late, the issue is the pipeline.