Change can be scary, but not changing is scarier

At a recent presentation by an AI company that I attended, my colleagues and I jokingly said bye to each other whenever the presenter took us through a feature that could potentially replace our jobs. I remember walking out of the meeting feeling excited about the possibilities, but others were nervous about how AI would change our industry. And they have every right to be. According to a report by Forrester, around 7.5% of jobs in US advertising will be automated by 2023.

However, this is not the first time new technology has threatened to change our industry. Remember 20 years ago when we went from film to digital, and everyone was unsure what would happen? People were upset that it was occuring, and many felt that going digital would reduce quality and budgets and make work less beautiful. But look where we are today.

As a production professional who has worked in the industry for the last 20 years, I can say that only one thing has remained constant—change. I’ve seen it all (or as much as one person can see); we have gone from film to digital, long TVCs to six-second videos, mounting boards to Google decks.

Yet, with all these changes, there’s only one thing we can and must do: Move forward, survive, adapt and change.

For example, we launched Iris Inc., an earned-first content initiative that helps clients tap into the growing creator economy and a new potential way of working. With ad spends in influencer marketing seeing a significant uptick in Asia, with a projection of US$30.69 billion by 2027, this is just one of the many ways that the agency is adapting and changing in order to survive and thrive.

So, if your agency is at the cusp of change, just like ours is, here are three things you can do to make the transition smoother:

Remember that change can be positive

If, like me, you have been in the industry for a while, you will remember the many challenges our industry has adapted to. And as with every challenge, opportunities will always be found. Just look at the kind of great work we are creating now.

It’s ok to make mistakes

Experiment and innovate. It might not always work at first, but lessons can be learned, even in mistakes. It is only a failure if we hold on to the old ways of working for fear of mistakes.

Celebrate your wins

Adapting to change is never easy, so celebrate every win, even the small ones. This will give you the momentum and energy to keep going, even when things are not going your way.

We are an industry where creativity is our greatest strength. Amidst the challenges are endless possibilities, and I know we will find our way to emerge stronger into the light. So, how is your team getting ready for change?

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Bettina Feng is director of Integrated Services at Iris Singapore.