The Hidden Cost OF Content Chaos - And Why WE Need TO Start Wrangling IT
Written by: BizCommunity Editor Save to Instapaper
The average organisation is sitting on terabytes of visual content that is untagged, untraceable, unlicensed, and often unusable.
This challenge may lack the spotlight of more visible marketing initiatives, but its strategic importance cannot be overstated. It directly impacts bottom lines, brand integrity, and operational effectiveness.
The myth of 'more content'
Somewhere along the line, content became confused with volume. More posts, more formats, more channels. We automated. We templated. We scaled.
Behind every campaign is a graveyard of unused visuals, and behind every rebrand, a mess of legacy assets. Behind every DAM system rollout lies an uncomfortable truth: technology alone doesn’t solve the problem – it's the strategy, structure, and stewardship behind it that makes it work.
Most marketing teams focus on producing content. A smaller number think about distributing it. Fewer still invest time in how to organise, structure, and sustain it.
However, this is where real value lives: in reuse and repurposing, alongside cross-market deployment, rights protection, and brand consistency over time.
If your content isn’t findable, it isn’t usable. And if it isn’t usable, it’s not an asset, but simply digital clutter.
The rise of the content wrangler
Enter the content wrangler. This is not a job title you’ll find on every org chart. It’s a title we’ve coined as an adaptive response to an increasingly essential market need.
Content wranglers sit at the intersection of creative, operational, and legal concerns. They understand metadata as well as aesthetics. They see the bigger picture, not just the parts. And they can ask the tough questions that many creative teams avoid:
- Do we own this image?
- Has it been tagged correctly?
- Can we reuse it next year, in another market, on another platform?
- Can your content be futureproofed?
This isn't about slowing down the creative process. It's about making sure the content we create today doesn’t become tomorrow’s liability – or worse, tomorrow’s forgotten asset.
Why this matters now
We’re at a tipping point. As AI begins to automate content generation at scale, the real competitive advantage will lie in how organisations manage content, curate it, and ensure its longevity.
In a world of abundance, the ability to sort, interpret, and strategically deploy content becomes the differentiator.
Content wrangling isn’t about nostalgia for order. It’s about protecting brand equity, enabling speed, and reducing risk. Crucially, it’s about putting systems in place to support creativity – not to stifle it, but to sustain it.
A call for better questions
This is not a rallying cry for more consultants or bigger systems. It’s a call to start asking better questions about existing content, and how to treat it with the strategic care usually reserved for budgets, media plans, and product launches.
The content is there. We are here to wrangle it.
We submit and automate press releases distribution for a range of clients. Our platform brings in automation to 5 social media platforms with engaging hashtags. Our new platform The Pulse, allows premium PR Agencies to have access to our newsletter subscribers.
Latest from
- RAM and Vodacom Bulls Celebrate Fan Loyalty with Grand Prize Isuzu D-MAX X-Rider Giveaway
- Unlocking the Secrets to Long-Term Channel Loyalty Through Strategy Trust and Partnership
- Murray and Roberts Announces Closure After Decades as a Leader in South African Engineering
- The Missing Link Between AI and Customer Experience Lies in Accurate Data and Strong Knowledge Bases
- Stellenbosch University Breaks New Ground with MPhil on Violent Histories and Transgenerational Trauma
- Ford Prioritises Customer Safety with Recall of Over 21 000 Vehicles in Southern Africa
- ERWIC Awards Showcase the Power of Women Leading South Africa’s Construction Industry
- Isuzu Motors South Africa Announces Ambitious Plans to Make Country Hub for African Truck Output
- Starbucks Nelspruit Welcomed by Community as New Store Becomes a Hub of Coffee Culture and Connection
- Tourism Leaders Unite to Rethink ESG for Southern Africa at SADC Alliance Industry Think Tank
- Beeshoek Mine Workers Face Uncertain Future as Contract Collapse Threatens Nearly 700 Jobs
- South African Film Industry Shines as Seven Premieres Headline Silwerskermfees and Beyond
- OFM Announces Volt Competition Winner as Corlia Hamlett from Douglas Scoops Grand Prize of R29 000
- Victoria Witbooi Champions Safer and More Reliable Public Transport Through Mocwagole Passenger
- Rania El-Rafie of APO Group Celebrated as One of 10 Women Shaping the Future of Public Relations
The Pulse Latest Articles
- Designed To Inspire_the Raindance Alive Experience (August 18, 2025)
- Zintle Mpupha’s World Cup Mindset, Prepared For The Big Stage (August 18, 2025)
- Hansgrohe Reinvents The Washbasin With Avalegra (August 15, 2025)
- From Tiktok To The Karoo: New SA Initiative Reclaims Manhood Through Wilderness (August 14, 2025)
- Rode Report Expands Coverage To Include Multifamily Rental Housing (August 13, 2025)