It’s a phrase I’ve heard a lot recently – the road to perfection is littered with disappointment. Or sometimes with compromise. So, what does it mean for our marketing?
I’ve come to the conclusion I’m too old and battle-weary to expect that very much in my life will come out as perfectly as I might hope it would.
I’m relieved to say that with every brand review or campaign I start working on, I still can’t help begin by thinking “what if we can do something that really blows people’s socks off?”
The relentless effort, dedication, and perseverance needed to strive for the best campaign, the best piece of marketing, the best ad, is often what drives our endeavours as comms and marketing people. But even with all that toil and tribulation, perfection may still be elusive.
I was born a bit cynical, I have to admit. (I vividly recall being told to look it up in a dictionary when I was about seven.) But I think age and wisdom have rounded off the sharp corners of my cynicism and softened me into a healthier realist.
The older I get, the more uphill the journey towards perfection seems to be, and the pain of setbacks, criticism, or obstacles that can lead to disappointment is still painfully all too real.
It often feels like there are too many stars that need to align to be able to shine brightest. But that doesn’t mean we can give up entirely.
Perhaps we can blame social media (go on – let’s!) for the fact that we are surrounded by so many great examples of marketing brilliance, and we hope in our heart of hearts that we too could achieve the same level of greatness.
When we don’t feel our efforts meet the perfection criteria, we can blame lack of budget or resources, lack of opportunity, a lack of understanding on the part of our customers or, too often, a lack of understanding within our own businesses.
But the reality is that at least one of those factors, or one of many others, is likely to mean we simply must compromise on our lofty vision. We can cripple ourselves trying to make something perfect, when we could just as easily be running ahead of the rest with something that’s not perfect but still pretty darn good. Or, worse, do nothing at all through fear of failure.
I’ve been admiring the youthful and resilient optimism of my daughter recently, who has finished her Bachelor of Creative Media Production degree. She’s keenest on the post-production side of film and wants to be an editor. Watching her working a few projects to build up her portfolio, I hold myself back from telling her it’s ok to lower her standards.
She’ll show me footage that she’s editing and share her frustrations about the quality, or the light, or the saturation or some other technical terms that mean diddly squat to me. Looks alright to me, I say! Until, on the third time of viewing, I can see what she’s concerned about and admire her tenacity in trying to make it right.
The clients won’t notice but, as she rolls her eyes and says, she will. And that matters.
The speakers at her graduation told the newly capped crowd to aim high, to set seemingly unachievable goals, because the higher you aim, the higher you’ll reach.
That aspiration for perfection is right to be encouraged, for sure. But knowing when to compromise on your standards can be a key to success.
Think about the impact of time constraints, deadlines, and available resources, all of which might force a refocus. In some cases, achieving perfection in one area may come at the cost of another. Balancing competing priorities may require compromises to find a middle ground that still meets your goals.
There may be situations where the pursuit of perfection may not significantly contribute to the desired outcome, making it harder to justify investment.
When it comes down to it, the decision to compromise on perfection depends on the specific context, goals, and priorities. It requires thoughtful consideration to strike the right balance.
Aiming for perfection may be the ideal, but compromise is better than never getting off the starting blocks in the first place.
