Embracing Marketing Mistakes

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Our host, Chris Norton, reveals his biggest career mistake when he joined a new PR agency as an account manager. What started as enthusiasm to impress his new employers quickly descended into a PR disaster when he prematurely distributed a press release about a new bar opening without client approval.

• Background as a PR professional with experience in London before moving to Leeds
• Eagerly took on a project for an alcohol brand launching a new bar
• Misinterpreted "good to go" from London office as permis...

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What does it take to market an iconic British agricultural product in today's digital world? Graham Clark, Director of Marketing at British Wool, pulls back the curtain on the fascinating journey of promoting this sustainable fiber to modern consumers.

British Wool stands as the last remaining farmers' cooperative in the UK, representing approximately 30,000 sheep farmers across the nation. Unlike conventional businesses, this unique organization returns all profits directly to farmers, supporting rural communities while championing sustainability. Graham shares how they've navigated the complex challenge of communicating...

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Exploring professional mishaps in the world of media training, our guest expert media trainer, Guy Clapperton, shares candid stories from 20 years of journalism experience that reveal how technical difficulties, difficult clients, and embarrassing moments become valuable learning experiences.

• A particularly memorable mishap involved conducting interviews from an unflattering camera angle focused on the "left man boob"
• Managing difficult clients presents unique challenges, especially when company directors intimidate their staff during practice interviews
• Clear expectations must be established before training begins to avoid conflict between stakeh...

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When a high-profile fashion brand stumbles at launch, how do they rebuild customer trust? This fascinating episode dives into Molly Mae's clothing brand "Maybe" and their clever reputation recovery strategy following a quality control disaster that left customers disappointed.

Our marketing experts Lauren and Becca unpack how the brand leveraged International Women's Day to reconnect with their core audience of young female professionals through a perfectly targeted coffee and sweet treats pop-up in Manchester. The genius of this activation wasn't just free goodies – it was the th...

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Neville Hobson, a former Vice President of Corporate Communications, shares a near career-ending mistake when he accidentally published financial results for a public company 12 hours early by hitting "publish" instead of "schedule." 

Quick thinking and a lot of panic led him to unpublish the content, reschedule it correctly, and immediately report the incident to the stock exchange, which fortunately responded with understanding.

• Preparing financial results publication using FrontPage software
• Potentially illegal early disclosure of financial results for a public company
• Learning the critica...

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What happens when you mix two decades of digital comms experience with a brain wired for analytics, SEO and AI? You get friend of the show Andrew Bruce Smith. 

He’s the founder of Escherman, a CIPR Fellow, and Chair of the AI in PR panel, not to mention a certified Google Partner who’s trained over 3,000 organisations. From global brands to government departments, he’s helped them all wrap their heads around data, strategy and the tech shaping modern PR.

We dive deep into th...

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The podcast explores notable professional mistakes and what can be learned from them. B2B Marketing expert Tom Basgil shares his experience organising a New Year's Eve fireworks event at Coney Island, where instead of the expected 500 attendees, 5,000 people showed up, creating major logistical challenges with insufficient facilities.

• Event was planned at iconic Coney Island amusement park district
• Organizers competed with Macy's monopoly on New York fireworks
• Infrastructure (porta-potties, PA system, vendors) was only prepared for 500 people
• Police were upset about the unexpected crowd si...

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Let’s be honest, the PR world still loves a good-looking coverage book. A glossy spread in the national press, a namecheck in a podcast, a flurry of social mentions. It feels like success. But what’s it actually doing for the business? Not much, in most cases. For too long, we’ve let vanity metrics run the show – chasing likes, impressions and clippings instead of asking the tough questions: Did it shift perception? Did it drive action? Did it move the bloody needle?

That’s why Stuart...

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Rachel Auty, head of marketing at Brew York, discusses the brewery birthday celebration that featured collaborations with international breweries like Lervig and Hidden Springs, creating six beers with a Eurovision tie-in called "Collabivision." 

What seemed like marketing genius internally received a lukewarm public reception, teaching them valuable lessons about keeping messaging focused and straightforward.

• Timed release with Eurovision in the UK and called it "Collabivision"
• Created adventurous beer flavours including a cherry stout
• Found the concept exciting internally but met with public indiffe...

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Rachel Massey, Director of Marketing at Huthwaite International, is a brilliant B2B marketing manager with deep experience in leading marketing operations and running fully integrated campaigns that actually deliver on business objectives. She’s worked across both large corporations and SMEs in a range of sectors, and always brings a sharp, strategic edge to everything she does. 

Rachel Massey joins the podcast to share candid stories about marketing mishaps, including a spelling error on an exhibition stand that went unnoticed for three days and a cre...

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Moving fast in business means making quick decisions that can sometimes lead to significant mistakes, as Jack Sutcliffe, CEO of Powersheds, found out when their website was hacked due to an overly simplistic password.

• Rapid decision-making is part of their business approach, which inevitably leads to some wrong choices
• Poor decisions have included selecting the wrong systems and hiring staff who weren't a good fit
• A major security oversight involved using "jack" as the CMS password
• The website hack resulted in thousands of Japanese...

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Chris Simmance, Founder of OMG Centre, opens up about the hard leadership lessons learned through emotional reactions to business setbacks and poor financial management in agency life.

• Letting emotional responses to client departures negatively impact team management
• Acknowledging how leadership mistakes create lasting negative impressions that can't be fixed with apologies
• Taking business losses personally while attributing wins to others
• Failing to properly understand financial numbers despite having management accounts
• Experiencing cash flow crises when client departures coincided with new hires
• Not properly...

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Josh Lachovic, ex-startup founder turned growth agency founder, shares his journey from digital marketing roots to founding a wine startup that experienced meteoric growth during the pandemic, only to face the harsh reality when lockdown behaviors proved unsustainable.

• Started in SEO and content writing at a PR agency, combining his tech background with writing skills
• Moved to Pact Coffee before their Series A, experiencing the shift from agency to startup life
• Joined health-tech Thriver as first employee and head of growth, growing from 500 to 100,000 custom...

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Welcome to another Campaign Crunch episode where we take a look at trending campaigns, what they did and the results they gained. This podcast (presented by one of our Account Managers, Becca Quinlan) delves into one of the most fascinating PR campaigns of recent times - the introduction of Evie Pig to the Peppa Pig universe.

From pregnancy announcement to birth, the Peppa Pig team crafted a masterclass in integrated marketing that blurred the lines between fiction and reality. Mummy Pig appeared on Good Morning Britain...

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This clip explores career mistakes and what people learn from them. Andrew shares a memorable blunder from his early journalism career when he nearly became part of the printing machinery at the historic launch of the Today newspaper in 1986.

• Sent to cover the launch of the Today newspaper as his first press assignment
• Instructed to get an exclusive interview with Eddie Shah
• Climbed onto the actual printing press thinking it was a good vantage point
• Was saved when Eddie Shah spotted him and warned h...

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Guy Utley from Tall Agency shares his journey from recognising his creative talents at school to founding a digital agency working with global brands like Lego and Shark Ninja, focusing on the critical importance of specialisation in marketing.

• The value of using specialists rather than generalists - "I wouldn't use a painter to fix my roof" 
• How Google's algorithm now prioritises human-first content over AI-generated material
• Understanding your customers deeply leads to product innovation, as demonstrated by Shark Ninja's vacuum research
• The infamous "drunken p...

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Andy Green shares his biggest professional mistake from his time as deputy head of PR at Yorkshire Water, when he inadvertently angered 120,000 anglers by running a competition featuring a photo that violated pike fishing ethics. 😱

• Angling Times (circulation 120,000) ran a front-page headline: "Anglers in fury over YW competition"
• The fundamental rule in pike fishing is to catch, photograph, and then release the fish

Key lesson: 
When dealing with specialist subjects you're unfamiliar with, always consult an expert who knows the audience and subject...

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Ever wondered what makes truly exceptional chocolate? The secret might be sitting right beneath its roots - volcanic soil.

Tamsin Daniel, Head of Marketing at Firetree Chocolate, takes us on a fascinating journey through the world of premium chocolate production, revealing how cocoa grown in the nutrient-rich volcanic soils of remote islands creates distinctively complex flavour profiles that chocolate lovers are increasingly willing to pay premium prices for.

What makes Firetree's approach particularly interesting is their commitment to the bean-to-bar process. Working directly with...

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Marketing across borders goes far beyond simple translation - it requires genuine cultural understanding and strategic adaptation. In this eye-opening conversation with Shaheen Samavati, co-founder and CEO of Vera Content, we explore the intricate world of multilingual marketing and why so many brands struggle to get it right.

Shaheen reveals how her Madrid-based agency manages content for international brands across 17+ markets by combining local expertise with cohesive brand strategy. Rather than relying on direct translations, they employ freelancers physically located in target markets who understand regional...

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Getting fired can be devastating to your career - or it can be the catalyst for something greater. For Patrick Collister, being unceremoniously dismissed from a French-owned direct marketing agency where he was billed at £1000 per hour became a transformational moment that propelled him toward  success.

In this fascinating conversation, Patrick takes us behind the scenes of his remarkable journey from copywriter trainee at Ogilvy to Executive Creative Director and eventually Head of Design at Google. Patrick unpacks how his most humiliating professional setback opened the do...

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Marketing a TV show in today's crowded streaming world requires more than just trailers and billboards - it demands innovative thinking that captures attention and builds genuine connection. That's exactly what we explore in this fascinating conversation with Courtney Milne from our team at Prohibition, who unpacks the brilliant marketing strategy behind Apple TV's hit show Severance.

Severance isn't just a compelling dystopian drama about corporate life gone wrong; it's a masterclass in how thoughtful, world-building marketing can transform a high-concept show into a cultural phenomenon...

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In this special episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, Chris and Will take a seat on the guest side as they're invited onto the Marketing Room 101 podcast, hosted by Ben Norman. 

The theme? Banishing their marketing bugbears forever. 

Together, they tackle the frustrating world of fake followers, influencers backed by bots, and the questionable practice of excessive pitching. With a healthy mix of insights, laughs, and personal anecdotes, including Ben's fondness for George Clooney and Will's longing for office camaraderie, they explore how authenticity and ge...

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Following on from our most popular episode last year where we looked at social media trends for 2024, we have our 2025 prediction list.

Social media continues to evolve rapidly, with new platforms emerging and established ones transforming to meet changing user preferences and behaviours. We look at the key trends that will shape social media marketing in 2025, from the rise of Blue Sky to creative disruption strategies that help brands break through the noise.

Some of our predicted trends...

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What does it really take to build a successful SaaS business from scratch with no funding? Emeric Ernoult knows the answer all too well - he went three years without a salary while bootstrapping Agorapulse, now one of the world's leading social media management platforms.

The journey began in 2000 with a community-building software before "social media" was even coined as a term. For nearly a decade, his team struggled with a product that was ahead of its time and in the wrong market (France, in French...

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YouTube isn’t just holding its own against TikTok and Instagram – it’s thriving. In fact, in the US, it’s now watched more on televisions than computers, marking a major shift in how audiences engage with digital content. Yet despite this growth, many marketers still don’t truly understand how to make the platform work for them.

In this sharp and practical conversation with Ballint Kistoth from Voxtr, we dig into why 99% of YouTube channels never make it past five videos, usually because creators give up too ear...

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Who would you trust more to recommend a product or service - an influencer who is paid to promote it, or a friend who is a genuine fan and user of the brand? 

In this episode, we sit down with Paul Archer, founder of Duel and passionate 'advocate' for brand advocacy. He offers brilliant insight into how brands can thrive in an era in which consumer trust in brands is plummeting - but our natural faith in our friends and family remains strong. 

Paul's ar...

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Yep, Astonish cleaning products really started out in a shed in Leeds…  

In this episode, we go behind the scenes of cleaning brand, Astonish, with owner and CEO Howard Moss, to learn about the one-man business that has transformed over 50 years into an international success, distributing to more than 30 countries worldwide. 

From Howard’s father attending agricultural shows across the UK with a simple cleaning product, to an unexpected opportunity over the pond that led to the ‘Astonish’ name itself, the origin story is nothing sh...

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It’s easy to feel like things are quickly spiraling out of control when a crisis hits. Our latest episode takes a look at exactly what needs to be done when the heat is high, the pressure is on, and it feels like your back’s against the wall because of one type of disaster or another.  

We discuss the types of crises businesses can face, from data breaches to PR disasters, and unpack real examples and the lessons learned – like Boeing’s operational blunders and Bud Light...

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AI is transforming PR, but is it actually replacing PR professionals? In this episode, we sit down with Jono Matusky, founder of Newsprint AI. Jono has built AI tools that automate media monitoring, press release writing, and executive briefings. But does that mean the role of PR professionals is at risk?

We look into how AI is being used to save time, improve efficiency, and even uncover insights that us marketing professionals might miss. Jono shares the smartest ways to integrate AI into PR work, the...

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Abigail Dixon, the brilliant mind behind the Whole Marketer, shares her inspiring journey from working at Burger King to hosting a podcast with over 130 episodes. Have you ever wondered how aligning personal values like connection, growth, and generosity with your career could transform your professional life? Abigail reveals her passion for psychology and business and how these elements fuelled her career and podcast during the pandemic, aiming to show diverse perspectives into her work.

Feeling overwhelmed in your marketing career? We've got strategies to help you...

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Award-winning journalist Helen Nugent, renowned for her 27-year career across multiple media channels, joins us to breakdown the world of journalism and media training. Discover how seasoned journalists carve out the perfect soundbite and why media training is essential for brand representatives. Helen shares captivating stories from her time at The Times and her interactions with high-profile figures like Richard Branson, offering a unique glimpse into the personalities behind the headlines.

We explore the intricate relationship between journalists and brands, emphasising the importance of clarity to...

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Are you measuring PR ROI all wrong? If you’re relying on outdated metrics like AVEs or vanity impressions, you could be missing the real value of your PR efforts—and losing budget because of it. In this episode, we break down the biggest mistakes brands make when tracking PR success, why traditional measurement methods fail, and what smarter marketers are doing instead.

Learn how to prove PR’s impact in a way that actually matters to decision-makers, secure more budget, and align your effort...

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Nikki Dixon, Director of Brand & Marketing @ Leeds Building Society, shares her journey from retail to finance, highlighting the critical importance of authenticity and community in successful marketing. This episode explores her strategies for rebranding Leeds Building Society and building trust in a competitive and regulated environment.

• Discussion on Nikki's career transitions across industries
• Insights on effective branding and community engagement
• The importance of authenticity in marketing leadership
• How regulatory constraints shape marketing strategies in finance
• The role of trust in maintaining customer relationsh...

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What does a £400 billboard, 1,400 unsold England flags, and a taxi website have in common? For digital PR expert Mark Rofe, they’re all part of a journey filled with creative risks, quirky mistakes, and invaluable marketing lessons. In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, Mark shares the story of his viral billboard campaign that turned a bold idea into global headlines. With appearances on BBC, This Morning, and even Jimmy Fallon, Mark explains how he used humour, creativity, and a bit of luck to make the stu...

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Explore the power of podcasting, we discuss why it has become essential in today's marketing world for brands to maximise engagement and ROI. With practical insights and case studies, we reveal how to expose common challenges while crafting a successful podcast.

• Understanding the importance of podcasting for modern marketing 
• Crafting a podcast that resonates with your audience 
• Effective storytelling and production quality as key components 
• The three-stage process: strategy, production, and amplification 
• Real-life examples of successful branded podcasts 
• Overcoming misconceptions and challenges in pod...

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What happens when a legacy brand like Gap teams up with a TikTok star to redefine fashion trends? Senior account manager Sinead Morrissey joins us to share how Julia Huynh's quest for the ultimate "hoodie that hoodies" sparked a groundbreaking collaboration with Gap. This episode looks at the creative process behind Julia's design journey, offering a fresh perspective on influencer marketing and the power of authentic engagement in the digital age.

We explore how Gap's innovative approach — involving Julia in the design process — not only tapped into...

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In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, we sit down with Brian Keane, bestselling author of The Fitness Mindset and Rewire Your Mindset. Brian opens up about his journey from struggling as a personal trainer — living paycheck to paycheck and actually digging for a bus fare in his sofa cushions — to building a thriving fitness empire and inspiring thousands through his books, podcasts, and coaching.

Discover how Brian transformed his mistakes into stepping stones, including the hard lessons of running a business, overcoming self-doubt, and learning to e...

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Robin Smith, Head of Corporate at Censuswide, joins us in unravelling the complexities of modern marketing in our latest episode as we look at a brand new comprehensive report on CMOs.

We invited Robin onto the show so you could gain real insight from their inaugural "Voice of the CMO Report" which questioned more than 500 CMOs. The report looks at tackling AI's role in crafting hyper-personalised campaigns while maintaining authenticity. With a keen focus on the challenges of managing brand backlash amidst evolving ESG expectations, Robin...

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Unlock the secrets to charging what your agency is truly worth with insights from Crispin Manners, CEO of Onvert and former chairman of the PRCA. We explore how agencies can move beyond outdated pricing models by embracing value-based strategies. Crispin shares his journey and experiences, from pioneering roles in the PR industry to growing Kaizo, a tech-focused PR agency that thrived during the tech boom. Discover how focusing on outcomes rather than outputs can elevate your agency's perceived value and profitability.

Learn how to overcome common...

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Unlock the secrets to marketing success in the food and beverage industry in this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, where we dissect both the challenges and triumphs brands experience in this cutthroat arena. Featuring insights from industry experts like Tristan O'Hara of Pub & Bar and James Beeson from The Grocer, we promise you'll walk away understanding the nuances of securing product listings amidst pressures like shrinkflation and misleading labelling. Dive into stories of success with practical advice from our PR agency, Prohibition, and learn from the journeys of...