Briefs multiply, versions branch, approvals are delayed. Localisation creates more variants. I run the asset pipeline so creative work stays creative and delivery stays deliverable.
What this looks like
It seems straightforward: 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 we sometimes hit problems. “Just one more tweak” can become a change too far.
Where I start
Define the asset universe. What exists, what variants are required, what “done” means.
Build the content matrix. Formats, sizes, markets, channels, owners, dates. One view of the workload.
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.
Reduce rework. Clarify briefs, lock decisions early, keep change control honest. Rework is usually just indecision.
Evidence
Examples are anonymised to respect client confidentiality.
Hundreds of digital assets across markets
I took over a global, event-driven luxury campaign with heavy asset output across formats, variants, and markets. The media plan was difficult to read and too messy to run cleanly, so I built a matrix showing every asset, format, and market, then imported that structure into Jira. I set strict version rules and locked the approval path so signed-off decisions could not reopen later. What had felt chaotic became a pipeline the team could actually run.
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 (and impact) clear to the client.
Naming conventions existed but weren’t enforced
Europe-wide product launch where the CMS required specific formats for localisation: “en-ie” for Ireland, for example. The team 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, 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. Turnaround time massively improved.
Speed was critical
Global energy account with no time for three rounds of amends on a video edit. Deadlines were tight and the edits needed to be right. I sat with the editor and signed off changes on the spot. The feedback process shortened from days to minutes.