Store images/files in program or create a File/Image program token type

Store images/files in program or create a File/Image program token type

Today, we can store various types of assets in a program, but we cannot stores files and images.

When creating a gated content program, for instance, the file itself has to be located in the design studio. Same for email or landing page images.

Enabling to store them in the program, with a name that would be prefixed with the program name, would make users life much easier when designing or cloning programs. After cloning, if you want to change the image, you would just go to the image asset and replace it, and automatically, all the emails and landing pages that use it would be updated, without need to edit them. When replacing an image, Marketo would check and enforce the fact that the image size remains the same.

This could also be done with a "File/image" type or program token. This could drive to an even more powerful feature since we could imagine that with a token, the program designer would be able to set the min and max size of the image, which would also reduce the risk of errors. When populating the token, the user would have the choice between loading a new image from his laptop, capture an image from the web or use an image that is already in the design studio.

The workaround would obviously to use the rich text token, but reason why we do not want to use rich text tokens for this is because it's error prone, especially in conjunction with responsive templates. People can too easily temper with size, style, etc...

Another use cases would be to render the image URL in a CSS or HTML background, and it would be much easier to pick the image in the image library than having to look for it in the design studio and copy and paste it's URL.

-Greg

10 Comments
Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

PS : together with this other idea :

it would create a even more powerful usage experience and significantly increase productivity.

Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

Another though on this : Obviously, when uploading an image with this mechanism, the image would be stored in the design studio as well. The user would be able to either upload a new image or use an existing one.

Rules would also be build so that if someone uploads an image, he/she cannot update inadvertently an existing one.

When used in conjunction with image element in a landing page, the element would simply accept the token as a value

Robb_Barrett
Marketo Employee

Why not just create a token for the location of the image?

<img src="{{my.Image}}" width="30px" height="40px">

Then just grab the URL of the image you want and plop it in.

Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

Hi Robb,

For At least 3 reasons :

  • Because Users make mistakes and enter a wrong URL, break the whole thing and start screaming the system is ****
  • Because you have to go to the design studio, copy the image URL and come back to you program and paste it. Screen displays can be a little slow and if you have to do it 5 to 10 times, you will waste multiple minutes
  • Because you cannot control image sizes so that they remain compatible with your responsive templates

And probably more

-Greg

Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

At least 2 use cases for this:

  • An image token would be used to set and change background images in LP's and emails
  • an image token could be used to set and change images in LP's and emails, as a replacement for editable zone or img elements in Guided LP's

Ideally, when defining an image token, we would set the image max width and length, and min width and length.

-Greg

Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

Justin Cooperman​,

I understand this one is now in the roadmap?

-Greg

Justin_Cooperm2
Level 10

We have an "image" program token type on the roadmap. It is no different output than a "text" token, it's just a nicer user experience for being able to select an image in your design studio, upload one, or pick one from the web. Very similar to how our image picker works in Email 2.0.

Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

It will do the job

-Greg

Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

Part of the Sky UX.

kh-lschutte
Community Manager
Status changed to: Under review