Blue Legacy Selects Widen Media Collective to Help Mission of Saving Earth's Water Resources

MADISON, Wis., January 13, 2016 /3BL Media/ - Blue Legacy, an international organization founded by Alexandra Cousteau (granddaughter of Jacques Cousteau) to protect the Earth's oceans and fresh water sources, has selected the Widen Media Collective for its digital asset management (DAM) needs. They will use Widen's cloud-based DAM solution to organize many different types of digital media files, particularly large amounts of video footage acquired all over the world.

Alexandra Cousteau and the Blue Legacy International expedition team consistently travel the world exploring water issues. With each new location the team is uploading terabytes of video and image content onto hard drives they carry with them. This can create issues for searching and share that content with a global network of users. 

"My grandfather used to always tell me, 'You have to go and see.' For too long, the environmental movement has asked people to protect things they've never had the opportunity to experience. I'm putting my grandfather's advice to work to try to change that. Through expeditions, film, social media connections and interactive projects, Blue Legacy is focused on helping mainstream audiences connect with critical water issues," states Alexandra Cousteau, Founder and President of Blue Legacy.

To continue to tell their stories in real-time from the field, they needed a cloud-based digital asset management system that would allow them to cut down on hardware and work seamlessly across continents. They were looking for global access through a web browser, traceable and user friendly distribution options, and efficient and fast uploads from anywhere. After reviewing a half dozen options, they chose the Widen Media Collective because of its hands-on customer support, set up, and single point of contact that was responsive and knowledgeable, making the transition very easy.

"As a non-profit committed to telling the stories of our water, it is critical that we are able to quickly upload new content and distribute stories to our partners," states Amanda Pope, chief of staff and director of projects with Blue Legacy. "We hope that the DAM system will significantly improve the workflow for projects and provide an easy to use solution for our partners to access and use new content."

The Media Collective will allow Blue Legacy to work together much more efficiently by consolidating 10 separate hard drives totaling more than 20 terabytes of data into one central location. They will use the Media Collective to upload and share images, audio and video files (both finished short films, and B-roll footage) with small grassroots organizations and global broadcasting networks.

"The Media Collective protects, promotes, and grows the missions and legacies for hundreds of brands," said Craig Bollig, senior advisor with Widen. "Blue Legacy and its scope for proper digital content management is a story that other brands connect with on an intimate level. It gives all of us a deeper meaning to what an asset truly is to the world's creative and philanthropic organizations."

About Blue Legacy

Blue Legacy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by Alexandra Cousteau -- an iconic global water ambassador and explorer -- who continues the storytelling legacy of her renowned grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Blue Legacy is on a mission to empower people to reclaim and restore the world's water, one community at a time. Since 2009, Blue Legacy has been exploring water issues around the globe and sharing our findings through short films and mainstream and social media. Through strategic collaborations, Blue Legacy infuses environmental science, technology, and exploration into digital media and storytelling assets to build public awareness of the interconnectivity and importance of local watersheds and global water resources, and to inspire more sustainable water management actions by business leaders, elected officials, communities, and citizens.

ALEXANDRA COUSTEAU

A National Geographic Emerging Explorer, filmmaker and globally recognized advocate on water issues, Alexandra Cousteau continues the work of her renowned grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau and her father Philippe Cousteau, Sr. She has mastered the remarkable storytelling tradition handed down to her and has the unique ability to inspire audiences on the weighty issues of policy, politics and action. Alexandra is dedicated to advocating the importance of conservation and sustainable management of water in order to preserve a healthy planet. Her global initiatives seek to inspire and empower individuals to protect not only the ocean and its inhabitants, but also the human communities that rely on freshwater resources.

About Widen Enterprises, Inc.

Widen is a marketing technology company that powers the content that builds your brand. Leveraging cloud-based resources, Widen delivers configurable, scalable, and cost-effective digital asset management solutions to help you easily store, search and share your digital content. Organizations of all sizes use Widen's SaaS DAM solution, the Media Collective, to streamline their marketing and creative workflows and make their content work harder. Widen is trusted by hundreds of thousands of users around the world at organizations like LG, Roche, Trek, Cornell University, New Orleans Tourism Marketing, The Atlanta Falcons, Red Gold Tomatoes, Electrolux, and Yankee Candle. To learn more about Widen, go to http://www.widen.com.