My company LOVES using the new drag and drop email creator. They can choose a layout and change colors and elements easily this way. The problem is, the logo always has to be put in as does other reoccuring elements for our branding.
Is there a way to modify the drag and drop email templates to auto-populate based on settings?
What you are experiencing is one of the big limitations of using the new drag and drop emails. You are unable to save your templates (and retain settings) to be used by others. The only way to do this is by cloning an already sent campaign. But if you create a new email you will have to re-add the logo and color settings. So it would require some educaiton to your users to not create but clone. In my opinion that is not very intiuitive.
As a developer I am biased, but I prefer the coded templates because you can lock in the repetitive elements you need for branding consistency. And then leave the body content areas freeform to allow creators to add the modules they need.
I appreciate your answer BootstrapC. The specific ability to put in buttons and choose the color and style and changing background colors and other design elements on the fly is what they want to have... but also need the consistent branding elements.