Marketing is a high risk, high reward game.   Its a battle for mind space and new ideas.  In a lot of ways marketers are paid to take calculated risks on behalf of the companies they represent.  While there can be a lot of creative excitement there, its also a pretty cut throat and there is not much loyalty in this space.   As marketers in business in our job is to present the best aspects of a business or product while minimizing the negatives, and compelling a consumer to take action.  But amidst the song and dance of it all, failure is a reality that all marketers face from time to time.  


Sometimes the best campaigns flop.   Other times ones that receive minimal investment end of performing much better than expected.   In this fickle business you often see marketing execs hired and fired on the corporate side at an alarming rate.  In the agency world talent is always in short supply and people are willing to move to the highest bidder at the drop of a hat.   It can be a transient occupation if one allows it to be.   Last year we worked on a campaign where there were 3 different project managers and  3 different Marketing VP's in the span of 9 months.  Talk about turnover.  Needless to say it brought on a unique set of internal challenges to be overcome, beyond the actual campaign.  While years of experience have taught me that this is just apart of the job, it can often be a perilous dance for an agency engaged to accomplish the goal for a business in constant flux.

Failure is a reality of the game.   Fear of failure is an even bigger reality for a lot of marketers out there working on razor thin margins and tasked with doing more with less by their CEO.   But to those who can stomach the risk and are up for that next creative idea that just might work, marketing can be one of the most enjoyable fields to be in today.   Final words of wisdom:   I'm always a bit wary of a marketing company that guarantees results.  Lets face it.  No one can really guarantee that.   If they do, especially in online marketing, you need to run the other way.    But if you find an agency that has a consistent track record of success, great customer service, hands on approach, and not afraid to take risks with your company, it might be worth you taking a calculated risk working with them.  

“Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson