From mistakes to masterpieces, IMC professionals call for openness about failures
By Zion Rufus
Professionals in the marketing communications industry are urging their peers to break a long existing trend and start speaking openly about their mistakes and failures.
For so long, marketing professionals have been seen as trailblazers in the industry, creating innovative campaigns and achieving groundbreaking success for their clients. However, behind every success story lies a multitude of failures and mistakes that are rarely talked about.
While speaking at the recently held ADVAN Marketing Masterclass 2023, Osamede Uwubanwmen, President of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) averred that sharing failures can serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for young and aspiring professionals.
“It can also help to dispel the notion that success is effortless and achieved without any challenges or setbacks,” he said, adding that stories of how successful marketers overcome their failures and setbacks can provide valuable insight into the industry and the mindset required to succeed.
Taking the cue from the ADVAN President, Chris Wulff-Caesar, Marketing Director Sub-Saharan Africa, FrieslandCampina revealed: “I read economics in school, I thought I was going to be a banker; infact before then I thought I was going to be a doctor, but science didn’t go as i thought it would. The lesson here is, in life, things won’t go as you would like it to, but you need to remember that there is a silver lining in every cloud, because if you focus on the negative, you would miss out on the silver lining because the cloud clouds your view. So when there were times that I felt like I was losing my path, I found another path, and it is important that when you find a new path, give it your all, and recognize very quickly that the path can also change.”
…I wrote about the crushing feedback I got from a prospective client…
Sharing similar viewpoints in an exclusive interview with MARKETING EDGE, Tolulope Olorundero, Founder, Mosron Communications & VP Communications, Association of Digital Marketing Professionals (ADMARP) noted that it is important for professionals to also speak about their failings, otherwise upcoming professionals will assume that the path to success is filled with roses and paved with good news all through.
“I’ve been deliberate in sharing the stories of my becoming. I recall one time when I published a post on LinkedIn about how I was fired on a job, and the reactions to it. Another time, I wrote about the crushing feedback I got from a prospective client, and how I spent a few days questioning my life’s choices but went on to take certain steps that marked a turnaround in my career and business. The same thing when I made critical mistakes in contract management when I started my business and how I learnt. I know that I would have loved to read such stories when I started out so I could avoid making the mistakes I made. Now, I deliberately write for an audience of one: if just one person reads my articles and makes better choices – then I am happy to make that difference,” Olorundero revealed.
…importance of sharing failures cannot be overstated
For Helen Akue, a marketing professional and brand’s consultant, the importance of sharing failures cannot be overstated, especially in an industry where success is highly valued.
According to Akue, speaking openly about one’s mistakes and setbacks helps to humanise the profession, and make it more relatable and accessible to aspiring professionals.
“It also helps to promote a culture of learning and growth, where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for improvement rather than as shameful failures,” she added.
…If you don’t fail, you cannot grow…
Arafat Manliki, Regional Senior Marketing Manager, Exams, West Africa at British Council told MARKETING EDGE that for every marketing professional, failure is not an unfamiliar phenomenon as it is almost expected in this ever-evolving and fast-paced marketing universe.
“Having been in the marketing industry for almost two decades, I have had my fair share of fails. These have reinforced in me the need to constantly analyze and optimize my marketing strategies based on insights. Ultimately, my failures have served as valuable lessons that helped my growth as an experienced marketing professional,” he revealed.
…everybody can relate to some sort of failure
Ayeesha Omadibi, CEO of Hustle Africa believes it is your experience that qualifies you to be called a professional.
In her viewpoint, everybody can relate to some sort of failure, because ‘life just does what life knows how to do’, and in the course of chasing successes and living a life of colour, people will experience some level of failure.
She stated: “I am an advocate of sharing your vulnerabilities, you weren’t always perfect, you didn’t always know how to do it, and even if you always knew how to do it, in experience, you have found better ways to do it that will also help other people aspiring to get to the level that you are. When you become a professional, or someone who is now regarded as successful, your successes would have come from experiences of failure too, and in sharing your failure, you let people you are trying to teach or people who are coming behind you know that you weren’t always a professional/successful person. And through that, your messages will be easier to accept, because there is that thing inside all of us that automatically identifies with a person’s vulnerability. You cannot discount talking about that experience and professionalism and that authority without sharing your failures, somehow it’d make you look fake.”
On his part, Daniel Chukwu, Digital Lead, Yellow Brick Road urged that marketing professionals in Nigeria’s integrated marketing communications industry should not shy away from discussing their failures and mistakes.
In his opinion, this can help to promote a culture of learning and growth that will inspire young and aspiring professionals, and ultimately lead to even greater success for the industry as a whole.
While commenting on his first ever branding project and how he has improved over the years as a creator, Robert McCombe, a digital creator shared in an Instagram post: “I wanted to demonstrate that everyone starts from a less than perfect place, and it’s natural to compare your work to others. However, we all progress and learn at different rates and stages in our journey.”
According to McCombe, the most effective approach is to concentrate on your own path, progress at your own pace, and not worry about others, because with each passing day, you will make strides towards improvement.
He continued: “Improving as a designer is a gradual process that requires time and effort. I view myself as a work in progress and strive to enhance my skills with each new project I undertake. I created this post with the intention of helping those who have asked me in the past how they can improve their design and branding work.”
In a LinkedIn submission, Olivia Mae Hanlon, Founder of Girls in Marketing revealed that social media can be a lot of ‘smoke and mirrors’.
“We see the wins and highs of a person’s life, and forget the journey it’s been for them to get there. I started driving lessons when I was 17. I failed my practical driving test twice before going off to University and giving up with lessons due to time and location.”
“Since graduating, I couldn’t find the time to learn again and I was quite scared to start due to fear of failure. I worked full-time, then started building a business plus we’ve had a global pandemic – all of which has meant my driving has been put on hold. Late last year I decided it was time to invest in lessons again. I was scared and nervous for what was to come, but determined to get the job done this time. Earlier this month, I took another practical driving test. Fail. Again. I was heartbroken. I felt like giving up. But after a big motivational speech from my driving instructor, I booked another test and crossed my fingers I’d get a cancellation. Last week while on holiday, my instructor messaged me about a potential test – a few days after I got home. I decided to take it. That test was today, and I PASSED! I was nervous and scared as this was my 4th time, but I got through it. The truth is, one celebratory post on social media about a win like this doesn’t show the reality – a lot of emotions and a long, bumpy ride. So please don’t compare yourself to who and what you see online. You’re doing just fine.”
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