Marketing Central and Acrobat

You will find more PDF files in the Marketing Central system than in most places on earth. But, it is important to understand the role of PDF.

PDF, at least as implemented in Adobe's latest products, does include some level if annotation capability. But, "PDF" is not a system, it is specification evolved from EPS (encapsulated post script). It was not designed as a team collaboration, proofing and annotation solution. Attempts to use it in this manner involve significant technology investments and complexity.

And, PDF is all about print. What about the other media you use to drive traffic, leads, buying, attention, and market share? How about web sites, video, audio, and other formats? Marketing Central's system and markup tool works across a wide variety of media - all the ones you use.

PDF does not incorporate a robust system for workflow, notification, approval, and project management. Like MS Office products, Acrobat/PDF was designed as a single user, shrink-wrapped product. Marketing Central's approach to review, collaboration, and proofing is team-based. Marketing Central's proofing solution is built around the concepts of project management and job management. Annotations aren't simply graphical markups, but task items in an overall project management solution that gives you the best of both worlds - annotations in graphical context and annotations in manageable and actionable lists.

To use Acrobat PDF for annotations, you must also install a version of Acrobat that supports it. So every member of the team that wants to proof and collaborate must have the correct version at every location he or she wants to work - office, home, laptop, etc. That can be inconvenient, especially if the user needs to perform work and doesn't have the rights to install software. With Marketing Central's web-based markup tool, you do not need a full Acrobat license. In fact, you don't need Acrobat at all!