New Media Management for High-Quality Writing Implements
Pentel was founded in Tokyo / Japan in 1946 and produces high-quality writing and art products, such as gel rollerballs, mechanical pencils, permanent and whiteboard markers as well as fiber pens, fineliners and other hobby and artist supplies.
In addition to 19 branches in Japan, the company operates 18 branches in other countries. Pentel currently employs around 800 people and manufactures over 300 products in countless product variants. The eyebase project was initiated by the German branch in 2018 and has since enjoyed successful deployment in international sister companies. As of 2021, eyebase will be used in 9 countries.
The Challenge
Lots of effort, lack of collaboration
The starting point was that each sister company managed product images and marketing materials in in-house systems, either on file servers or in proprietary developments.
Upon request, media material had to be first searched, with the relevant material frequently not found. After locating the material, it was then sent by email for approvals and distribution. This was a very inefficient process.
Since the introduction of eyebase, our marketing inquiries for media material that have to be answered in a time-consuming manner have virtually dropped to zero. Our distributors now supply themselves with the images they are looking for via eyebase.
The Solution
Integrated eyebase MAM with an open structure
At the initiative of the German Pentel business, eyebase was procured as a Media Asset Management (MAM) system and presented to the sister companies in an international meeting. Since then, the group of Pentel businesses using eyebase has grown. The complex business structure of sister companies, distributors, dealers and customers is represented in eyebase by a corresponding folder and user structure.
Every Pentel company creates media material and manages it in its own folder structure. The media are first checked and used internally, then made available to national distributors and dealers. Access is via the eyebase API. Subsequently, media can also be exchanged with sister companies in other countries, which in turn pass the data on to their national distributors and dealers. Each media asset embarks on its journey through the global Pentel world.
The data is centralized and accessible through intelligent keywording and detailed metadata in eyebase. All relevant data is found using the eyebase search or filter functions, and available for collaboration immediately. For example, the keywording allows the Christmas business, the back-to-school season, or campaigns on current topics, to be launched quickly with the relevant media material.
International sister companies are given the opportunity to market products with their own country-specific media material, or to use additional material from other countries. As of 2021, eyebase media management has grown to 30,000 pieces of data, and continues to grow every day. In summary, Knut Starke (Pentel, European Export Director) says: “The entire media process from shooting to marketing and distributors to the customer has been raised to a completely new level with eyebase.”