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Embracing Marketing Mistakes – Prohibition PR — Marketing
Embracing Marketing Mistakes – Prohibition PR

Welcome to Embracing Marketing Mistakes, the world’s leading irreverent podcast for senior marketers who are tired of the polished corporate b*llshit.
Join Chris Norton and Will Ockenden, founders of the award-winning Prohibition PR, as they sit down with industry leaders to dissect the career-ending f*ck-ups they’d rather forget. The show moves past any pretty vanity metrics to uncover the brutal, honest truths behind marketing disasters, from £30,000 SEO black holes and completely failed companies, to social media crises that went globally viral for all the wrong reasons.
We don’t just celebrate the f*ck-ups; we extract the tactical blueprints you need to avoid them yourself. If you are a business owner, or a CMO looking for a competitive advantage that only comes from real-world experience, this is your weekly masterclass in resilience and strategy.
Listen for: Raw stories from top brands, ex-McKinsey strategists, and industry disruptors.Learn from: The errors that cost thousands and the recoveries that saved careers.Get ahead by: Turning other people’s nasty disasters into your unfair market advantage.
If you have a story to tell and would like to appear on the show, tell us your biggest marketing mistake and drop us a line.

Copyright: © 2026 Embracing Marketing Mistakes

Latest Episodes:

EP 124: He Built His Own AI Company Then Shut It Down Aug 18, 2026

A toxic hire nearly cost him his agency. Then he made a similar mistake again, this time trying to build his own AI instead of renting one.

In this episode, Roger Hurni, founder and Chief Brand Strategist of Off Madison Ave, whose client roster includes Nike, Wells Fargo, PetSmart, and P.F. Chang's, breaks down the culture-first hiring lesson he learned the hard way, why his team abandoned an in-house AI build for an off-the-shelf tool, and the AI philosophy he wrote for his own staff: expand your options, never let AI replace your judgment. Trained in behavior design under Stanford's BJ Fogg and the author of Outthink, Outperform, he also explains why he believes 90% of LinkedIn is now AI-generated content, and the test he runs on every new hire to separate real thinkers from people who copy and paste AI output.

You will learn why culture fit can matter more than raw talent, when renting beats building with a new technology, and how to use AI without letting it think for you.

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EP 123: Why I Recommended the Man Who Fired Me - John O'Keeffe Aug 11, 2026

He ran creative for the world's biggest advertising group. Then his own recommendation to the board cost him the job, and he sold every share he owned the same week.

In this episode, John O'Keeffe explains how he took WPP from a "creative desert" to seven straight years as Creative Holding Company of the Decade, why recommending Mark Read to succeed Martin Sorrell as CEO turned out to be his biggest mistake, and what happened when Read undercut him in front of the entire company. He also makes the case for why AI can execute a creative idea at any scale but cannot originate one, using Compare the Market's meerkat campaign as proof, and reflects on the campaigns he's most proud of, including Keep Walking for Johnnie Walker and an Audi ad voted best in the world.

You will learn why creative leaders sometimes cost themselves their own jobs through the people they vouch for, what AI can and cannot do in marketing right now, and why standing for a specific idea beats chasing every trend.

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EP 122: The Sales Funnel Is a Hundred Years Old and Wrong Aug 04, 2026

KFC and Weetabix both threw away the most famous slogans in their category, and had to fight their way back to them.

In this episode, Tom Roach explains how "Finger Lickin' Good" and "Have You Had Your Weetabix" both got dropped while each brand chased fresher creative, and the research and internal persuasion it took to bring them back. He also breaks down why the standard marketing sales funnel misreads how people actually buy, why the von Restorff effect explains why distinctive brands get remembered, and how a hundred-year-old rule about creative quality (95% of everything has always been rubbish) applies directly to the AI content panic gripping the industry today.

You will learn how to audit your own brand's forgotten assets, why B2B brands default to sameness and how to break out of it, and why "share of model" is becoming the new battleground for brand visibility in an AI-driven search world.

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EP 121: I Invented a Category, Sold to Diageo, and Almost Lost It All Jul 28, 2026

Ben Branson invented an entirely new drinks category from his kitchen. Then a £1 million hole nearly took it all away.

In this episode, Ben explains how Seedlip, the world's first non-alcoholic spirit, grew twice as fast as the industry standard, and how that growth hid a working capital gap that surfaced mid-flight to Australia. He breaks down how the team traded their way out of the crisis in six months through relationships rather than financial engineering, why he launched straight into Selfridges instead of starting small, and why he chose to publicly embrace a review that called his product "witch's piss."

You will learn how to spot the hidden financial risk behind fast growth, why polarizing feedback beats indifference when you're creating a new category, and why genuine relationships with customers and suppliers are the real safety net in a crisis.

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EP 120: We Fired 30 People and Nothing Changed Jul 21, 2026

A growth lead at a fast-scaling startup admits the truth: his old company cut a 30-person marketing and sales team, and sales didn't change at all.

In this episode, Hector Hughes explains why a year of growth work, SEO, conversion rate optimization, and endless website testing achieved almost nothing, and how that failure led him to build Unplugged, a digital detox retreat business now serving thousands of guests across the UK and Spain. He breaks down why "tracking everything results in tracking nothing," why most companies never answer the one question that matters, and how stepping away from constant distraction became the foundation of his marketing philosophy.

You will learn how trackable tactics replace the harder work of positioning without anyone noticing, what happens to your mind and body after three days offline, and why authenticity beats competing on someone else's terms.

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EP 119: Moz Founder: 'I Was Making $50M a Year and Miserable' Jul 14, 2026

Rand Fishkin built Moz into the biggest name in SEO. Then he raised $30 million in venture capital and watched it nearly break him.

In this episode, Rand explains why raising venture capital was his biggest mistake, how it led to a battle with depression and his resignation as CEO, and why he is happier, healthier, and making more money today running SparkToro, a company a twentieth the size of Moz. He also breaks down why traffic has always been a vanity metric, how to build a new analytics framework for the AI and zero-click era, and why your boss is wrong to give Google credit for your branded search traffic.

If you're interested on how to track marketing influence beyond click-based analytics, why website traffic is dropping while revenue holds steady for many businesses, and why brand and positioning remain the most durable marketing assets in the AI era, then this episode is for you.

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EP 118: This One Habit Cost Me 100 Million YouTube Views Jul 07, 2026

A top YouTube strategist just revealed the single habit that cost him over 100 million views and then live-critiqued our own channel's titles on air.

Leroy te Braak works with creators and brands doing hundreds of millions of views on YouTube. In this episode, he breaks down why most businesses get YouTube wrong, reveals his IDEAL framework (Idea, Data, Execution, Analysis, Longevity), and explains exactly how a 70-year-old soil-products founder grew from 30,000 to 100,000 subscribers with revenue up 60% month-over-month in just a few months.
Chris and Will discuss why "packaging" (title + thumbnail) matters more than the video itself, why CTR and average view duration are misleading metrics, how to test thumbnails without wasting your best ideas, and why even videos with 100 million views still get revisited and improved.

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From Petrified Wood to Pints Social Proof Gone Wrong Jul 02, 2026

Behavioural science meets marketing mishaps back in episode 46 with Phill Agnew. As a specialist in testing what really works in ads, Phill exposes how well intentioned campaigns often push audiences in exactly the wrong direction.

He unpacks the idea of negative social proof, where highlighting how many people binge drink, steal from parks or ignore donation prompts can actually signal that this behaviour is normal and acceptable. Phill shares stories from university alcohol campaigns, an American park full of disappearing petrified wood and even the familiar fundraising banner on Wikipedia to show how this plays out in the real world. He then explains how a small shift in wording, audience framing and local proof can dramatically change response rates.

For marketers who love data but still rely on gut feel when choosing headlines, this conversation offers a smarter way to use social proof without accidentally encouraging the behaviour you are trying to reduce.

Here's the link to the full episode 46.

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EP 117: 70% of Teams Are Using AI With Zero Oversight. Here’s What Happened Jun 30, 2026

Most companies have bought AI. Hardly any are actually using it properly inside their teams.

In this episode, recorded live at the AI for PR conference in London, we break down the real reason AI adoption fails in marketing and communications, and what it takes to make tools like Microsoft Copilot genuinely valuable.

Chris Norton is with two experienced voices from the PR and SEO world who share practical use cases, honest frustrations and proven ways to close the gap between AI ambition and execution.

Stuart Bruce is a communications and PR consultant who specialises in helping organisations adopt and embed AI into real workflows. He has been working closely with Microsoft Copilot, including early access through its Frontier programme, giving him hands-on experience with how AI performs inside corporate environments.

Darryl Sparey is Co-Founder of Hard Numbers, a data-led PR agency focused on measurement, SEO and GEO. He brings a performance-driven perspective on how AI search is evolving, how it links with traditional SEO, and how marketers can prove ROI in an increasingly complex landscape.

Together, they unpack:

Why most teams are underusing AI tools they already have
The biggest mistakes marketers make with Copilot and generative AI
Real examples of AI automation driving efficiency in PR workflows
How SEO and GEO now intersect with AI search platforms
The risks of misinformation and manipulation in AI-driven discovery

This is a candid conversation for marketing leaders who want to move beyond experimentation and start embedding AI into real business impact.

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How a Transparency Slip Sparked a PR Firestorm Jun 25, 2026

In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, Chris Pharo CEO from 72 Point talks through the controversy that erupted after critics on social media challenged the term guaranteed coverage.

What began as a few confused comments quickly grew into a public discussion about ethics, transparency and how PR teams work behind the scenes. Chris explains how two members of his team were unexpectedly named online, why the situation became so stressful for everyone involved, and how a lack of clarity around their processes helped fuel the reaction. He also shares the steps 72 Point took in response, including bringing in industry expert Stuart Bruce to carry out a six-week review of their methods.

The findings surprised many people and led to important changes in how the company communicates its approach. This episode offers valuable lessons on communication, expectation setting and how to respond when a story takes on a life of its own.

Click on this link to listen to the full episode.

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EP 116: "SEO Is Dead. It's an $85 Billion Market and It's Over" Jun 23, 2026

Everyone is talking about AI transformation. Almost no one is thinking about whether their brand shows up when customers ask AI what to buy.

This episode breaks down the biggest mistake in modern marketing and why PR is quietly becoming the most powerful driver of visibility inside generative search.

Recorded live at the AI for PR conference in London, this episode features Andrew Bruce Smith, Johnny Bentwood, and James Crawford. Each brings a different lens, from strategic AI adoption to data-driven marketing and PR measurement.

Together, they unpack how AI is reshaping comms, why most organisations are focusing on the wrong problems, and what marketers need to do differently right now.

You’ll hear:

Why starting with “tools” is the wrong way to approach AI
How generative AI is changing buying behaviour across B2B and consumer markets
The 4F framework to improve visibility in AI answers
Why earned media is driving the majority of AI citations
The biggest commercial opportunity PR has had in years

This is a candid, no‑nonsense conversation about what actually matters when AI meets PR, and how to avoid getting lost in the noise.

If you work in marketing, comms, or digital, this episode will help you refocus on what drives results rather than chasing the latest trend.

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The Hangover That Landed Us A Major Client Jun 18, 2026

Our guest, Guy Utley CEO of Tall Agency, shares a candid story about winning a major pitch despite being severely hungover from celebrating a "Best Creative Agency" award the night before.
This unexpected success led to a complete transformation in his approach to business presentations, moving away from over-preparation toward more authentic communication.
• Celebrating winning "Best Creative Agency" award led to drinking too much the night before a 9 AM pitch
• Despite being hungover and unable to remember the pitch itself, the presentation was successful
• The partner agency didn't notice anything wrong with the presentation
• They won the account from a major bread company despite the presenter's condition
• The experience transformed his pitching approach from rigid over-preparation to more natural, flexible presentations
• Focusing on knowledge and experience rather than memorised talking points creates more authentic client interactions
• Being too rehearsed can make it difficult to pivot when necessary during presentations
• Main lesson: "If I can win it drunk, then surely I can win it sober"
Don't drink on a school night, even if it's an award celebration. And if you need help planning your diary better, speak to Will Ockenden - he's brilliant at it.

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EP 115: The Moment Claude Co-Work Replaced 4 Days of Work in 30 Minutes Jun 16, 2026

He handed AI a full marketing project… and it came back finished in 30 minutes.

What used to take 4 days of analysis, reporting, and presentation building was done in a single sitting with better insights included.

In this episode, Andrew Bruce Smith breaks down how tools like Claude Co‑Work are changing the way marketers actually work. This is not about faster copy or better prompts. It is about delegating entire workflows to AI and shifting your role from execution to management.

You will hear how AI can analyse raw marketing data, build reports, create presentations, and even improve on your thinking without being explicitly asked. The implications for agencies, in-house teams, and professional services are immediate.

There is also a clear warning. Most organisations are still treating AI like a tool rather than a system. That gap is where both risk and opportunity now sit.

If you work in marketing, this is already affecting your output, your value, and your role.

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EP 114: We Deepfaked a CEO in 2 Minutes. Here’s What Happened Jun 09, 2026

A finance worker joins a Zoom call with their CFO and colleagues.
Everything looks and sounds real. They transfer $25 million. Every person on that call was fake.

AI misinformation has moved from theory to real-world crisis, and brands are already losing control. From deepfake CEOs and fake giveaways to hijacked campaigns and cloned influencer accounts, the speed and scale of risk has changed completely.

In this episode, Will and I break down how AI is reshaping crisis management in 2026 and why most organisations are still underprepared. You’ll hear real examples of deepfake fraud, brand damage, and misinformation spreading faster than teams can respond.

We also walk through a practical framework to help you protect your brand, including how to respond in the first 24 hours, how to monitor AI-driven threats, and how to build a proactive crisis plan that accounts for today’s risks.

If you lead marketing, comms or brand, this is no longer optional. It is operational risk.

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The Mistake That Burnt Me Out: Staying Too Long Where I Didn’t Belong Jun 04, 2026

Cory Koryczan opens up about the career mistake that nearly broke her.

Staying too long in a role that no longer fit. She’d built her identity around someone else’s business and clung to safety until it led to burnout. In this episode, Cory talks about the cost of over-loyalty, the fear that kept her stuck, and how she rebuilt her courage to finally walk away. She also shares a second big lesson from returning to work after maternity leave.

Why confidence doesn’t just snap back and how discomfort became her best teacher. It’s honest, raw, and packed with lessons for anyone who’s ever ignored their gut to “play it safe.”

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EP 113: Why Most CMOs Fail at Brand Strategy Jun 02, 2026

Most marketing fails before a single ad is made. Not because the execution is bad, but because teams leap straight to tactics and skip the strategy underneath. Ben Norman calls the result "busy fools": lots of activity, very little impact.

Ben, Strategy Director at Principles Agency and host of Marketing Room 101, joins Chris and Will to break down what brand strategy actually is, why so many senior marketers get it wrong, and how to do it properly without drowning in 20-page decks and brand "salad bowls".

What you'll learn:

The simplest definition of strategy you'll hear, using Ben's "person and product" model
Why diagnosis comes before strategy, and strategy before tactics (borrowed from the ancient Greeks)
The Three Cs framework: customer, company, competition, and why every problem comes back to them
The "bow tie" method for distilling a mountain of insight down to a single word
Why you should think in alternatives, not competitors (a Snickers competes with doing nothing, not just a KitKat)
The McCafé anti-poncery campaign and what makes it a masterclass in positioning
Why "channel neutrality" matters, and why SEO, GEO and AEO are all just "search"
How strategic thinking applies to everything from cleaning your house to running the country

Plus Ben serves up his now-famous Menu of Mistakes, including the £70k pitch that got away, the food shoot where he forgot to book the art director and styled it out by pretending he was one, and the Wally the Whale mascot meltdown at Wetherby Racecourse that ruined childhoods and lost punters their bets.

The conversation closes with the three things Ben would banish from marketing right now: tiny microphones, people misusing the word "omnichannel", and the damage social media is doing to society.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:15 Building a podcast with Room 101
4:35 Mini MBA and marketing basics
7:40 What strategy really means
12:35 The Three Cs and the bow tie
17:55 Listening first and field research
21:00 Knowing when insight is enough
24:55 McCafé and anti-poncery positioning
29:10 Strategy thinking in daily life
34:45 False binaries and channel neutrality
39:35 What communications means in practice
42:25 The menu of marketing mistakes
46:30 Wally the Whale mascot meltdown
51:05 The missing art director food shoot
54:40 Three things to banish now
57:35 Social media harm and regulation

Connect with Ben Norman on LinkedIn

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I Took A Team To Paris And Discovered The Brief Was In Spam May 28, 2026

A missed brief. A room full of decision-makers. A team fresh off the Eurostar waiting to present a tailored proposal that never existed—because the client’s detailed instructions were quietly filed in spam. We tell the whole story with candour, including the costs, the embarrassment, and the uncomfortable gap between personal brand and reality when a simple system failure derails a big moment.
We dig into what professionalism really looks like in sales and agency life: not bravado at the pitch, but the boring brilliance of process. You’ll hear why “creds plus” only works at the right funnel stage, how attendee lists hint at evaluation versus discovery, and where most teams stumble when meetings evolve without explicit re-qualification. We break down practical safeguards—48-hour objective confirmations, shared inbox rules, whitelisting, pre-flight checklists, and backup comms channels—that make important emails unmissable and keep live meetings aligned with buyer expectations.
There’s also the human layer. Pride takes a knock when your edge is process mastery and the basics fail; we talk openly about that ego hit and how to respond without excuse-making. From rapid acknowledgement to a 48-hour turnaround on a tailored proposal, we share recovery moves that rebuild trust and sometimes strengthen relationships. If you sell, pitch, or lead client work, this story will arm you with simple, repeatable habits that prevent single points of failure and turn confidence into evidence.
If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a teammate who runs high-stakes meetings, and leave a quick review telling us your most expensive lesson learned.

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EP 112: Author of Decoded Explains Why This T‑Mobile Ad Failed in One Sec May 26, 2026

Phil Barden, Author of Decoded once led a European brand relaunch that cost millions. The problem was not the strategy, the budget or the agency. The human brain rejected the advert in seconds.

In this episode, Phil explains the T‑Mobile campaign that quietly failed and why the creative meant something very different to audiences than it did in the boardroom.

That mistake changed his career. It took him from senior brand roles into behavioural science, neuroscience and decision science, and eventually to writing Decoded, one of the most cited books in modern marketing.

You will hear why perception always beats intention, why first impressions lock in meaning, and why marketers routinely overestimate what audiences will “take out” of an ad.

Phil also breaks down category entry points, mental availability, and why consistency in brand assets often beats constant reinvention.

This episode is essential listening for senior marketers, brand leaders and agency teams who want to understand how advertising is actually processed, not how it is explained in presentations.

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The Expedia Pitch Mix-Up: When the Wrong Logo Won the Deal May 21, 2026

In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, Sam Benton, co-founder of Mad Masters, joins Chris Norton and Will Ockenden to revisit one of his most unforgettable marketing moments. Early in his career, Sam walked into a major pitch for Expedia only to realise that Experian’s logo was proudly displayed on every single slide. What could have been a career-ending blunder turned into a long-standing client relationship and a story that still gets a laugh today.

The team reflects on the lesson behind the mishap. Sam shares how working alongside Rory Sutherland shifted his perspective from “knowing it all” to embracing curiosity and collaboration. It’s an honest conversation about humility, growth, and the surprising ways that small mistakes can lead to big professional wins.

Whether you have ever sent the wrong deck or just enjoy hearing marketers own their most human moments, this episode is equal parts insightful and entertaining.

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EP 111: The Typo That Lucy Woolfenden Made It Onto a 96-Sheet Billboard May 19, 2026

Growth looks exciting from the outside. Inside, it is usually chaotic, opinion-led and full of avoidable mistakes.

In this episode, we sit down with Lucy Woolfenden, a former Skype marketer turned fractional CMO who now helps B2B and fintech scale-ups turn messy growth into focused, repeatable momentum.

Lucy Woolfenden is a growth-focused fractional CMO and founder of The Scale-Up Collective, with senior marketing experience at Skype, Starling Bank and high-growth fintech scale-ups.

She shares what really happens between product-market fit and the next funding round. From billboard typos that made it to print, to emails accidentally forwarded to clients, she explains why growth only works when teams prioritise properly, base decisions on real customer insight and stop trying to do everything at once.

We also dig into why most B2B brands struggle to stand out, how marketers earn credibility with the rest of the business, and why focus beats hustle at every stage of scale.

This is an honest conversation about growth, mistakes and the systems that stop chaos killing momentum.

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The Disappearing Pitch: How a Magician Cost Us the Client May 14, 2026

When James Thomlinson decided to “bring some magic” to a high-stakes pitch for InterContinental Hotels Group, he meant it, literally.

The plan? A magician disguised as a team member, ready to wow the client with a “reappearing newspaper” trick. The result? Cringe, confusion, and a fast lesson in what not to do when pitching creative ideas.

In this hilarious and humbling episode, James shares how a failed attempt at showmanship turned into one of his biggest professional lessons and how he eventually won the client with a smarter, more authentic approach.

If you’ve ever pushed creativity a little too far in your marketing, this episode will hit home.

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EP 110: Most Creative Directors Are Never Told What Their Job Is | Mick Mahoney May 12, 2026

Most creative directors are never told what their job actually is.
That confusion leads to imposter syndrome, burnout and years of silent mistakes at the top of agencies.

In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, we sit down with Mick Mahoney, one of the most experienced creative leaders in advertising. Mick spent over 25 years as a Creative Director, Executive Creative Director and Chief Creative Officer at agencies including Ogilvy and BBH.

He has led award-winning teams, topped creative rankings and worked alongside some of the biggest names in the industry. Despite that success, Mick openly admits that for much of his career he felt like he was winging it.

We talk about the real job of a creative director, why no one ever defines it, and how that lack of clarity fuels ego, micromanagement and burnout. Mick shares the mistakes he made early on, the clients he lost, and the leadership lessons that only come from experience.

This is an honest conversation about empathy, psychological safety, confidence and what creative leadership actually looks like when you strip away the posturing.

If you lead creative people, manage senior teams or feel the pressure of needing to have all the answers, this episode will resonate.

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Too Many Topics, Too Few Clients: David's YouTube Marketing Mistake May 07, 2026

David thought his YouTube channel was flying tens of thousands of views, rapid growth, big smiles all round. But behind the buzz was a costly mistake. By turning his finance channel into a jumble of lifestyle, language and fitness videos, he confused his audience and killed his conversions.

In this episode, David joins Chris Norton and Will Ockenden to share how he turned his “carnival channel” fail into a business lesson every marketer needs to hear. Discover why more views don’t mean more clients and how clarity beats clicks every time.

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EP 109: The Tweet That Broke Yorkshire Tea with Dom Dwight May 05, 2026

Dom Dwight joins Embracing Marketing Mistakes to share the reality of building a challenger brand that people genuinely care about.

Across 18 years at Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate, Dom helped turn Yorkshire Tea into one of the UK’s most loved brands by backing creative risk, trusting people and stripping out layers of sign-off. In this episode, he talks candidly about the resistance that comes with brave marketing decisions, the value of long-term agency relationships and why safe ideas often create the biggest risk.

The conversation also goes deep on social media mistakes, political pile-ons and the moment a single tweet spiralled into days of backlash, memes and headlines. This is an honest look at autonomy, humour and accountability when a brand finds itself in the spotlight.

Dom Dwight spent nearly two decades shaping Yorkshire Tea’s brand voice and advertising, starting as a creative copywriter and later leading its early move into social media. He played a central role in the brand’s long-running, award-winning work with Lucky Generals and is now working independently, helping ambitious brands build culture-led marketing that resonates with real people.

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The Expensive Mistake of Starting a Shop You Don’t Believe In Apr 30, 2026

What happens when you pour your heart and money into a business you’re not truly passionate about? In this episode, we hear the candid story of Louise, who launched a bricks-and-mortar craft shop while juggling three kids and a career in IT project management.

She opens up about:

Growing up in an entrepreneurial family in Northern Ireland
Why she started a business that never really aligned with her interests
The hard lessons she learned running a shop with no profit
The turning point when a mentor helped her see her real talent: social media
How following that spark led her to a business she genuinely loves

It’s a raw, relatable conversation about the risks of chasing the wrong business, the importance of passion, and the power of pivoting when things don’t work out.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re on the right business path or how to recognize when it’s time to change direction this episode is for you.

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EP 108: Why 95% Of Buying Happens On Autopilot Apr 28, 2026

Most marketers believe customers think carefully before they buy. Behavioural science shows that 95% of buying happens on autopilot, driven by subconscious shortcuts rather than logic.

In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, Nancy Harhut explains why framing, anchoring and presentation matter more than information. She shares real examples where small changes doubled results without changing the product.

Nancy is the author of Using Behavioural Science in Marketing and founder of HBT Marketing. She has spent decades helping brands apply psychology and neuroscience to real campaigns, translating academic research into practical tactics that increase response and preference.

This is a practical conversation for senior marketers who want better ROI without chasing discounts or gimmicks.

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The Weight We Carry: Authenticity and Mental Wellbeing in Corporate Life Apr 23, 2026

Mental health neglect emerges as the most impactful career mistake, affecting happiness, security, and stability in both personal and professional realms. Many people recognise mental health issues too late, silently carrying burdens that significantly impact their relationships and performance.

Authentic Alex shares her story.
• Tendency to ignore mental health concerns until they become impossible to dismiss
• Personal anecdote about a friend struggling silently despite having a busy career
• Started writing about therapy experiences seven years ago, and grief on LinkedIn five years ago
• Corporate conversations about mental health have transformed dramatically in recent years
• Current global circumstances continue to place extraordinary pressure on people's mental health
• Many remain unaware of the burdens they're carrying and that they have the option to set them down
• COVID-19 intensified universal experiences of grief and mental health challenges

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EP 107: Award-winning ads stopped driving growth says Steve Harrison Apr 21, 2026

Steve Harrison has spent over 40 years in advertising. He rose to Creative Director at Ogilvy, then founded Harrison Troughton Wunderman, building one of the most awarded direct marketing agencies in the world and winning 18 Cannes Lions.

In this episode, Steve argues the industry lost effectiveness when it stopped focusing on selling and started chasing societal impact. He explains why award-winning work stopped delivering commercial results and why purpose messaging rarely stuck with consumers.

Steve also shares a personal leadership mistake. After selling his agency, he took a global role that cost him day-to-day control and real influence, a lesson many senior marketers will recognise.

This is a direct conversation about effectiveness, growth, and why selling the product matters again.

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What Losing a £10K Tape Taught This BBC Journalist Apr 16, 2026

Veteran tech journalist Spencer doesn’t hold back in this refreshingly honest episode filled with media mishaps and marketing missteps. From confidently predicting the iPad would never take off to losing £10,000 worth of BBC footage in a single stairwell accident, Spencer shares the kind of hard-earned lessons that come from real-world chaos. It’s a funny, cringe-worthy, and surprisingly relatable look at how fast things can go wrong behind the scenes.

You’ll hear what really happens when promised access on international press trips disappears on arrival, why having your PR contact on the same flight matters more than you'd think, and how a nonexistent motion-sensing TV led to an awkward bamboo laptop diversion. Whether you're in PR, media, or tech, this episode is a sharp reminder that mistakes are inevitable. They are also where the best stories usually begin.

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EP 106: Ant Cousins Explains Why Handing Empathy to AI Almost Went Wrong Apr 10, 2026

In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes features Ant Cousins unpacking a moment where trusting AI with empathy nearly caused real harm.
Ant Cousins is Vice President of Product at Meltwater and has spent over 25 years working across defence, public safety and AI. He previously advised the UK Ministry of Defence in Iraq and Afghanistan, worked in counterterrorism and strategic communications, and later led AI efforts to combat misinformation.

Broadcasted live, the conversation captures the unfiltered reality of how AI decisions play out under pressure. Ant draws on experience from defence, counterterrorism and modern AI product leadership to explain why empathy is one area where automation still struggles.

From deepfakes and crisis communications to a powerful real-world incident involving emergency response, this live discussion shows both the value of AI and its limits. The key lesson is about responsibility, judgement and knowing when human intervention must stay firmly in place.

This episode is essential listening for senior marketers, comms leaders and anyone using AI in sensitive or high-risk situations.

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The Costly Hiring Habit That Nearly Broke Sarah Clay’s Business Apr 09, 2026

Ever hired someone just because you clicked with them? You are not alone. In this candid episode, our guest admits to recruiting based on personality instead of business needs. The result was duplicate roles, major skill gaps, and tough decisions that still sting years later.

From letting go of an “amazing assistant” before the pandemic, a decision they still regret, to realizing the need for complementary skills over similar personalities, this is an honest look at one of entrepreneurship’s most common and costly mistakes.

The turning point came when they recognized the problem and invested in professional hiring help, creating stronger and more balanced teams. Whether you are making your first hire or managing a growing company, this episode offers lessons that can help you avoid the same pitfalls.

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How My Coca-Cola Site Tour Ended in Disaster - Richard Shotton Apr 02, 2026

Marketing mistakes happen to everyone, even the so-called experts. We’ve seen everything from press releases that accidentally went viral for the wrong reasons to brand names so complicated even the CEO couldn’t spell them. But there’s something weirdly therapeutic about sharing these messes. One guest summed it up perfectly. If you’re only testing stuff you already know will work, you’re not really testing. The risk is tiny when something flops. The reward if it works is huge. So why are so many marketers still playing it safe?

Of course, we also got the juicy stuff. Richard Shotton once missed a 9am Coca-Cola site tour because he was too hungover to move. Another guest won a pitch he was too foggy to remember. You couldn’t make it up. These stories aren’t just funny. They’re honest. They show the grit behind the gloss. The recovery after the cock-up. That’s what this podcast is about.

Got a story like that? Share it. Join the chaos. Link’s in the bio.

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EP 105: The Email That Destroyed 30 Years Of Customer Loyalty - Roger Dooley Mar 31, 2026

One email rewrote “lifetime” loyalty and turned Carnival’s most devoted customers against the brand.
In this episode, neuromarketing pioneer Roger Dooley breaks down the background to that decision, the Royal Caribbean photo-op disaster, and how AI could have stopped both.

For twenty years, Roger has been inside the rooms where these calls are made, teaching companies how real human brains work in marketing, loyalty and crisis communication. He shares how, until recently, only big brands with behavioural science teams and neuromarketing labs could afford this level of insight, and why generative AI has blown that wide open.

They chat through the emotional history behind loyalty schemes, the symbols that make customers feel seen, and how a single cold message can feel like the end of a long relationship. They walk through Carnival’s loyalty “update”, Royal Caribbean’s eight-second helicopter video that ruined luxury cruises, and what happened when Roger ran those communications through AI.

If you lead marketing, CRM, loyalty or customer comms, this episode gives you a practical playbook to AI-proof your emails, stress-test crisis statements and avoid turning loyal fans into vocal critics.

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How A PR Exec Survived Lads’ Mags, a Riot, And A Near-Top Gun Airspace Incident Mar 26, 2026

What happens when the person paid to pitch stories decides to live them instead? We pull back the curtain on 90s Soho PR, where relationships were built over ringing landlines, long lunches, and last-minute invitations, and where the distance between press release and personal risk got uncomfortably thin. From beer brands and lads’ mags to editors who wanted proof you’d done the crazy thing you pitched, we trace how a career at the edges turned into a catalogue of hard-won lessons.
The ride starts with hedonistic newsroom camaraderie, then swerves into a series of commissions that demanded nerve over notes: witnessing a Boca Juniors vs River Plate riot in Buenos Aires, chasing the feeling of landing Tony Hawk’s 900, and even the absurd hustle of visiting twenty-six massage parlours in a day. The stories escalate toward a 30-day bid to earn a pilot’s licence in San Diego—only to hit sea mist, lose all visual anchors, and drift into Miramar airspace, a live parachute zone, and an unintended step toward Mexico. Mayday calls, a wrong airfield landing, uniforms closing in, and a second takeoff later, the final lesson lands: curiosity without judgment is roulette.
We unpack why those scars matter for modern comms work. Curiosity fuels ideas and access, but judgment prevents spectacle from turning into liability. Risk translates into instinct—how to read a room, how to name danger early, how to keep the energy without burning the plan. If you’ve ever wanted to know how chaotic experience can become a professional edge, this is a field manual disguised as a joyride. Listen, share with someone who loves a near-miss story, and leave a review with the boldest lesson you learned the hard way.

Click here to listen to the full episode 94.

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EP 104: Why Liquid Death and Guinness Highlight Their Flaws with Phill Agnew Mar 24, 2026

Behavioural tactics collapse more often than marketers admit. Phill Agnew joins us again to expose the shortcuts that fail, the ones that hold up under pressure, and the science senior marketers can actually trust.

Phill is the creator and host of Nudge, one of the most respected behavioural science podcasts in marketing. He is known for turning academic research into practical tools used by senior marketers, founders and brand leaders. His work blends storytelling with evidence, backed by real experiments he runs on his own content to see what genuinely moves behaviour.

This episode digs into the heuristics that influence high stakes decisions. We cover social proof, reciprocity, operational transparency, the peak end rule and why some once trusted tactics simply do not replicate. Phil takes us inside the studies that matter and calls out the ones the industry should move on from.

There is clear value here for anyone pitching, shaping brand strategy or trying to influence complex B2B decisions. Phil makes the science accessible and gives you examples you can apply straight away.

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We Printed 50,000 Catalogues... With the Wrong Phone Number. Mar 19, 2026

Ever had that stomach-sinking moment when you realise you've made a massive, irreversible mistake? Try 50,000 glossy brochures printed with the wrong phone number. One poor marketer handed over a random pensioner’s number to the public, then had to hire temps to stick the correct digits on every single copy by hand. It only got worse from there. Mail merge cock-ups that sent rival names to customers and a sixty grand exhibition display with a typo you couldn’t cover up with gaffer tape. Brutal.

But here’s the thing. Back in 2004 there was no AI to save you, no Google to ask, and no easy fix. If you got it wrong, you owned it. You figured it out or went under. These stories aren’t just hilarious. They’re a lesson in grit, ownership and creative panic. Fancy hearing more of these marketing horror stories? Subscribe to the podcast and get stuck in. Link in bio.

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EP 103: From Fax Nightmares to AI: Staying Future Ready with Alistair Frost Mar 17, 2026

A single fax almost caused a multimillion pound pricing collapse. Yet the story is only the starting point. This episode goes much deeper into how marketers cope with relentless technological change and why so many professionals feel overwhelmed.

Allister Frost is the former Head of Digital Marketing Strategy at Microsoft and one of the first people inside the company to shape its early digital and performance marketing approach. He now writes, teaches and speaks globally about staying future ready, building adaptable teams and avoiding the slow suffocation of the comfort zone.

Chris and Allister's conversation explores AI hype, quantum computing, career resilience, the Frost Framework and the behaviours that help marketers stay relevant when the rules keep changing.

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What happens when creativity outpaces strategy? Mar 12, 2026

On this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, I’m joined by Gareth Turner, founder of Big Black Door and former Head of Marketing at Weetabix. Gareth has over 23 years of experience in food and drink, having led marketing for brands like John Smith’s, Bulmers, Lurpak and Arla. From buying a racehorse for John Smith’s to launching Bulmers fruit ciders and leading the viral Beanz on Bix campaign, his career is packed with bold ideas and brilliant lessons.

Gareth opens up about one of his biggest missteps: a bizarre PR stunt involving a coat made of human hair to promote a chocolate milkshake. The idea aimed to poke fun at over-the-top masculinity in advertising but fell flat due to a lack of strategic grounding and a weak link to the product.

• Created a coat from barbershop hair to promote protein chocolate milk
• Concept satirised extreme masculinity in ads
• Missed the mark with an unclear product connection
• Broke a key food marketing rule by undermining appetite appeal
• Gained international attention, including CNN Japan
• Might spark social media buzz today, but still fails on brand relevance

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EP 102: How Kevin Chesters Helped Make Britain’s Worst Ad Mar 10, 2026

One advert wiped out a supermarket product in six weeks, and Kevin Chesters was right in the middle of it. He saw the disaster coming, ignored the warning signs and watched the whole thing collapse in real time.
Kevin Chesters is a seasoned strategist with more than twenty five years in top flight marketing, including leadership roles as Chief Strategy Officer at Wieden+Kennedy London, Dentsu McGarryBowen and Ogilvy, plus a spell as Head of Strategy at BT. His track record gives him serious authority on how strategy actually gets done inside big organisations.

He now runs his own consultancy, lectures widely and speaks around the world on creativity, storytelling and problem solving. His book The Creative Nudge became an Amazon best seller and helped cement his reputation as someone who can turn complex thinking into practical tools for marketers.

Kevin talks through how a simple brief for a kid's snack turned into a chaotic TV script, a flawed media plan and a campaign he openly calls the worst ad in British history. His honesty shows how experienced strategists can still get caught in groupthink and momentum.

Chris and Will dig into how the Big Cheese Dipper fiasco unfolded, why the agency pushed ahead and how the failure shaped Kevin’s career. The conversation moves from creative misfires to pitch disasters, toxic clients, time pressure and the trouble with rushed workshops.

Kevin also shares what thirty years in agencies have taught him about confidence, collaboration and protecting work from being watered down. His stories are brutal, funny and painfully familiar for anyone who has ever tried to get a brave idea through an organisation.

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We almost made political history on Twitter, until they pulled the plug Mar 05, 2026

I’m joined by Stuart Bruce, who is internationally recognised as the PR Futurist. He is a thinker, strategist and hands-on practitioner in modernised public relations, communications and corporate affairs. Stuart specialises in AI, communication technology (CommTech), measurement and evaluation, and crisis communications. He helps organisations embrace digital transformation and future-proof their communications in a changing world.

In this episode, Stuart tells the story of how he tried to bring Twitter into mainstream political campaigning during Alan Johnson's 2007 Deputy Leadership bid. It was an ambitious and forward-thinking move that nearly made history, but a sudden change by Twitter threw the plan off course.

• Joined Twitter on January 2nd, 2007 when the platform was brand new
• Nearly became the world's first political campaign to use Twitter with a senior figure, beaten only by John Edwards by two weeks
• Used Twitter primarily to generate media coverage through innovation, successfully getting a full page in The Guardian
• Planned to leverage Twitter's SMS functionality to send free text messages to 200,000 Labour Party members
• Twitter discontinued their SMS service between printing campaign leaflets and their delivery to members
• Key lesson: don't rely on free services for important campaign communications
• Few complaints received due to Twitter's limited adoption at the time

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EP 101: Stop Wasting Social Spend: 12 Social Media Trends That Will Make Or Break 2026 Mar 03, 2026

Marketers are fighting on too many fronts. Budgets are tight, algorithms change daily and AI is flooding every feed with low grade content. This episode cuts through the noise and lays out the 2026 social landscape with absolute clarity.

Chris and Will unpack the 12 trends shaping how brands win this year. The conversation covers AI brand bots, the rise of live shopping, the collapse of SEO into AEO, Google Lens changing buying behaviour, micro influencers outperforming big names, and the growing pressure on brands to be authentic rather than everywhere.

Expect blunt truths, practical frameworks and a road map for where to put your time and money.

Key takeaways
• Where social budgets are being wasted.
• Why micro influencers now outperform celebrity campaigns.
• The platforms worth focusing on in 2026.
• Why authenticity and community beat AI slop every single time.

Ideal for marketing directors, social leads and CMOs who want a clear plan for the year ahead.

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Hold My Buffalo: Samsung's Aussie Adventure Gone Wrong Feb 26, 2026

Joining the conversation today is Richard Noble, Head of European Public Relations at Audible. With years of experience managing brand reputation and navigating high-pressure PR situations, Richard understands how quickly things can go wrong when communication within a company breaks down. Today, he shares a story that highlights just how chaotic things can get, complete with a touch of Australian absurdity.

A hilarious and cautionary tale about a PR disaster at Samsung Australia when two water buffaloes escaped during an unauthorised photoshoot in Sydney. The local PR team only discovered their company's activities when a journalist called asking about the animals that were now charging through Newtown's busy streets.

• Samsung's global team arranged a photoshoot with water buffaloes in Sydney without informing the Australian office
• The PR representative learned about the incident from a journalist while watching helicopter footage of the escape on live TV
• The crew members reportedly fled the scene in a golf buggy
• Fire brigade eventually cornered the buffaloes in someone's backyard
• Despite the chaos, no one was hurt in the incident

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Ep 100: 450,000 Emails and a Waterboarded Exec: The Best of 100 Episodes Feb 24, 2026

A hundred stories in, and the sharpest truths are hiding inside the worst moments. We mark our rather large milestone with a definitive countdown of six unforgettable marketing screw-ups.
From an automation update that unleashed 450,000 emails on VIPs in under an hour to a six-figure exhibition stand misspelling “software,” we explore what really fails in campaigns: governance, proofing, and the quiet processes no one posts on LinkedIn.
We also pull back the curtain on the risks of live media. PR veteran Greg Matusky relives a national TV interview that swerved into “walking away from the devil,” then explains why controlled transparency can neutralise future scandal.
Then there’s the money. Futurist Tom Goodwin breaks down a £15m launch that drove 37 downloads, a painful lesson in TAM realism, conversion friction and the false comfort of a spreadsheet. We talk common-sense planning, incrementality testing, and why some search spend is just paying for credit you didn’t earn. Topping the list is a war-zone media scrum where a shaved head and a beard still added up to “David Cameron.” What followed was a masterclass in crisis poise: clear lines, steady voice, and a quick call under impossible pressure.
If our top six resonate, follow the show, share it with a teammate who’s firefighting this week, and leave us a review with the lesson you’ll apply first.
And if you’ve got a mistake worth learning from, email podcast@prohibitionpr.co.uk, we always love to hear them.

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When Exposing Bad Hairdressers Costs Eight Hours of Your Life Feb 17, 2026

Let me introduce you to Ann Wright, a journalist, BBC producer and PRCA-approved media trainer with years of experience behind some of the UK’s biggest live events and investigations. She’s had an impressive career, but not without a few wild turns and difficult lessons along the way.

While working on "UK's Worst Hair Disasters", Ann went undercover at a Norfolk salon with secret cameras to expose their terrible braiding service. What she uncovered was shocking: staff openly smoking marijuana and drinking whisky while working.

• She spent eight hours in the salon chair receiving ginger-coloured braids for her brown hair
• The stylists ran out of hair during the process and had to send someone to another salon to get more
• Extensions were sealed with cigarette lighters instead of proper tools
• She developed painful blisters from the poorly installed braids
• She had to sleep with the extensions in overnight before having them professionally assessed
• The salon eventually shut down after the investigation aired

Another mistake in her career came when she agreed to a Huffington Post interview about producing royal weddings for the BBC without getting the proper approval. The article was never published, but BBC management were furious. That decision effectively ended her working relationship with them for good.

Ann’s story is one of bold journalism, unforgettable undercover work and the reality that even experienced professionals can find themselves in difficult situations.

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The Secret Spelling Mistake That Cost Six Figures Feb 12, 2026

In this episode, we’re joined by Rachel Massey, Director of Marketing at Huthwaite International. She talks us through one of the most stressful moments of her career and what it was like to deal with it in real time.

We dig into a cringe-worthy marketing mistake involving a high-profile exhibition stand with "sofware" misspelled across the entire structure, leading to three days of anxiety while hiding the error from company executives and thousands of visitors.

• Six-figure exhibition stand at Excel London featured a prominent spelling mistake that went unnoticed by everyone except a competitor
• Decision to avoid drawing attention to the typo rather than attempting a last-minute correction
• Psychological impact of spending three full days at an exhibition expecting to be called out at any moment
• Revelation that many people don't notice spelling errors in familiar words because our brains fill in what we expect to see
• Additional stories of marketing mishaps including press release errors and mass mailings with embarrassing typos
• The universal experience of having to sometimes employ the "ostrich approach" when mistakes can't be fixed

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EP 99: Why PR Needs a Complete Rethink in 2026: Sarah Waddington Feb 10, 2026

She went globally viral. Overnight, she faced death threats, abuse and media frenzy reaching across continents. This is the story of how PRCA CEO Sarah Waddington rebuilt, refocused and reshaped the PR industry in the middle of chaos.

In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, Sarah Waddington CBE breaks down the viral moment that changed her life, the hidden pressures of PR leadership and the uncomfortable truths about misinformation, trolls and industry standards.

We cover her journey into strategic advisory, the fight against fake experts, the realities of agency life in a tough economy and the role PR must play in repairing a fractured society.

Whether you’re a PR leader, agency founder or senior marketer, this is essential listening.

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Even experts fall into their own marketing traps. Feb 05, 2026

Katie Tucker is a marketing strategist who helps teams truly understand their customers so they can build products that sell. She works with companies of all sizes, offering practical support, training, and discovery sprints that cut through the noise and get results.

But even she’s made the kind of mistake she warns others about. Despite her expertise in customer discovery, she once created a family travel course without doing proper market research, assuming her personal experience and enthusiasm would be enough. It wasn’t. The course never launched, and COVID-19 ended up saving her from what would have been a costly flop. It was a sharp reminder that even seasoned pros can forget the basics when emotion gets in the way of evidence.

• Built a social media following while on a family gap year travel adventure
• Created a comprehensive course teaching others how to travel with children
• Secured prominent media coverage in The Times with a link to the course
• Made the classic mistake of only getting feedback from friends and family
• Felt immense pressure for the venture to succeed after quitting a regular job
• COVID-19 halted all travel plans, inadvertently preventing a potential business failure
• Learned that professional expertise doesn't make you immune to marketing blind spots

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EP 98: Media Training Masterclass: How Leaders Land Messages in a Digital‑First World Feb 03, 2026

Chris Norton and Will Ockenden of Prohibition PR unpack what modern media interviews really feel like for leaders today. They move past the old PR textbook and talk frankly about hot mic blunders, off‑record comments that never stayed off the record and the way journalists now hunt for viral moments. Their stories make the risks feel real, but the tone stays grounded rather than dramatic.

Let them take you through a practical approach to landing messages with confidence in a digital‑first environment. Chris and Will explain how to prepare properly, handle awkward questions and speak with the kind of clarity that holds up on camera. The advice is direct, usable and built for anyone who represents a brand when the stakes are high and the margin for error is tiny.

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From Office to Remote: A Pandemic Pivot Gone Wrong Jan 29, 2026

Rich Mullholland, Founder of Missing Link and a presentation company leader, shares how his eloquence led to convincing himself of incorrect strategies that nearly cost him their business after the pandemic.
His decision to permanently close their unique office space following initial online success eliminated their word-of-mouth marketing engine and created significant challenges.
• Being skilled at persuasion can lead to convincing yourself of incorrect ideas
• During lockdown, the presentation company initially went to zero revenue
• By August, they achieved their best month in 18 months with no live events
• September became their best month in 24 years as presenters needed online training
• They permanently closed their unique office with distinctive features
• The office closure unknowingly destroyed their word-of-mouth marketing engine
• Staff became distributed across multiple locations, making office reopening difficult
• By the time they realised the mistake, they lacked the resources to create a new remarkable space
• The experience taught them about the importance of recognising when a pivot is just a "swinging door"

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EP 97: Ex-McKinsey Strategist: Why Your Strategy Will Fail - Faris Aranki Jan 27, 2026

A brilliant strategy doesn’t fail because it’s wrong. It fails because people don’t own it and leaders won’t focus. That’s the energising premise of our conversation with Faris Aranki, founder of Shear Ghetto Consulting and former McKinsey advisor, who breaks down why IQ without EQ and FQ leaves great plans to die at sign‑off.
We unpack Faris’s simple but powerful multiplier: IQ × EQ × FQ. IQ is the sharp idea. EQ is your ability to read the room, adapt your message, and turn passive stakeholders into active owners. FQ is focused prioritisation that protects momentum when the calendar floods and politics bite. Faris shares the story of opening a C‑suite presentation with jokes, losing credibility in seconds, and the rewiring that followed. From auditing talk‑time to flipping monologues into questions, he shows how to win trust by designing for receive, not broadcast.
The episode gets practical fast. Learn how to personalise the same strategy for a CFO’s numbers lens and a CMO’s vision lens. Steal the “five degrees askew” technique to make leaders touch the plan so they claim it. See how Faris turns 200 pet projects into Pokémon‑style cards and uses gameplay to help boards cut down to the vital few. We explore ethical influence, feedback that lands, and why live conversations beat email chains for unblocking gnarly problems. On focus, we separate disciplined pivots from magpie syndrome and explain how compounding assets outperform constant novelty, especially in brand‑building and marketing.
If you’ve ever watched a good idea stall in the boardroom, this is a field guide to making strategy stick. Subscribe for more candid lessons from the front lines of marketing and leadership, share this episode with a colleague who needs sharper buy‑in, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

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Behind the Skip: How Eight Students Nearly Ruined a VIP Event Jan 22, 2026

Melanie Parker, a university recruitment professional, shares a hilarious mishap when student hospitality staff abandoned their posts at a high-profile university event to get drunk behind a skip. Eight students helping themselves to champagne and wine during a Vice-Chancellor's gathering led to a mortifying call from security and a scramble to manage the fallout.
• Worked at Leeds Becker University running a recruitment business placing hospitality students as event staff
• Students were supposed to be catering and waitressing at an important gathering with the Vice-Chancellor
• The student workers played "mind sweeping" (collecting drinks) "at a whole new level"
• Security called to report that eight students were "mortal" (hammered) behind a skip surrounded by empty bottles
• Had to pick each student up and remind them they were representing the university
• Managed to handle the situation without the Vice-Chancellor finding out
• Reflects that while mortifying, it wasn't as bad as it could have been if it had happened with external clients

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EP 96: Community Isn’t a Campaign: Lessons from Comms Hero Asif Choudry Jan 20, 2026

What does it take to turn a simple hashtag into a thriving community of 15,000 marketing and comms professionals? In this episode, Chris Norton sits down with Asif Choudry, founder of Comms Hero, to unpack the journey from a one-off event in Manchester to a nationwide movement. They dive into the early days of superhero-themed conferences, the backlash that almost derailed everything, and why treating a community as a long-term commitment, not a short-term campaign, is the secret to success.

Expect candid stories about embracing marketing mistakes, surviving Twitter trolls, and why authenticity matters more than perfection. From handwritten notes that sparked viral moments to the philosophy behind “Dare to Fail,” this conversation is packed with insights for anyone building a brand, running events, or navigating the ever-changing world of social media. If you’ve ever wondered how to create real connections in a digital age, this episode is for you.

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The Unlikely Path from Vatican City to Kim Jong-un's Birthday Party Jan 15, 2026

Ken Robertson, Paddy Power’s former Head of Mischief, was given one job: grab attention by any means necessary. Known for outrageous campaigns and a flair for chaos, he built a career out of toeing the line. But one particular stunt, his most ambitious yet, pushed things further than even he expected.

It all began when Ken Robertson staged a marketing stunt at the Vatican. He had Paddy Power set up betting odds at St Peter's Square during the 2007 papal conclave, which earned hourly coverage on Sky News. When Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2014, he returned to the scene with a new and provocative promotion: “Money Back if the Pope is Black.”

Then came the curveball.

When Dennis Rodman announced a visit to North Korea with the Harlem Globetrotters, Ken saw a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to blend spectacle with scandal. He arranged for Paddy Power to sponsor a basketball match between the United States and North Korea, set to coincide with Kim Jong-un’s 30th birthday.

What followed was a diplomatic headache.

• Kim Jong-un’s regime carried out a brutal government purge just weeks before the event
• The stunt drew scrutiny from institutional investors and even the United Nations
• Paddy Power was forced to pull out at the last minute
• The match went ahead without branding, and surprisingly, may have contributed to the eventual release of American prisoners
• The campaign drew inspiration from the “ping pong diplomacy” that once thawed tensions between the United States and China

What started as a cheeky Vatican stunt nearly became an international crisis. This is the story of how Ken Robertson's wildest idea flirted with disaster and might have done some unexpected good.

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EP 95: A £7K SEO Disaster to LinkedIn Success Story: Niraj Kapur Jan 13, 2026

Ever sunk thousands into SEO with zero return? Or been ghosted after a pitch you poured your soul into? In this episode, LinkedIn Top Voice and sales trainer Niraj Kapur joins Chris Norton to unpack the brutal truths of modern selling. From reducing ghosting and building trust on LinkedIn to coping with rejection and learning from failure, this conversation is packed with practical advice and raw honesty.

Niraj shares his journey from starting in sales with nothing to becoming a TEDx speaker and bestselling author, plus the painful lessons learned along the way. If you want to stand out in an AI-driven world, sell without sounding desperate, and avoid costly mistakes, this episode is your playbook. Tune in for strategies, stories, and a reminder that being human is still the ultimate competitive edge.

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I Forgot to Book the Entire Afternoon Session of my Event. Jan 08, 2026

Former marketing manager at Prolific North, Natalie Davidson, once accidentally invited 100 people to the wrong day of an event due to a rogue automatic reminder. She discovered the mistake while in the middle of briefing a speaker and was unable to access her laptop for an hour, causing major stress. Miraculously, no one showed up early. Either attendees remembered the correct date or no one had read the email. I did my best to reassure her it was probably the former.

In this episode, we explore professional mistakes and failures that marketing professionals can learn from, offering listeners real-world examples of blunders and recoveries. Natalie shares two honest and revealing stories from her career in events management, showing how even the most organised professionals can make serious errors and still recover with integrity and resilience.

• Forgetting to book an afternoon session for 30 people during a nationwide roadshow of events
• Successfully recovering from the booking error by being honest with the venue and leveraging a good professional relationship
• Setting up automatic event reminders for the wrong day, sending incorrect information to around 100 attendees
• Managing crisis situations while actively engaged in other critical tasks
• Finding humor in professional mistakes and using them as learning opportunities

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EP 94: The Pink Batman Strategy: Finding Your Brand’s Inner Weird - Mark Terry-Lush Jan 06, 2026

Mark Terry Lush spent thirty years chasing every opportunity. Big brands, wild projects, new cultures, he said yes to them all. The problem was that adaptability started to feel like progress, and it cost him focus on his own brand.

In this episode, Mark shares what he learned from building everyone else’s success while neglecting his own. We talk about why versatility without direction can derail your career, how brands fall into the sea of sameness, and why personality matters more than features.

He also tells a flying story that will make you rethink risk and resilience. If you’ve ever felt like you’re busy but not moving forward, this conversation will help you find clarity and build something that lasts.

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How A Bird, A Lost Bag, And A Typo Taught Me To Safeguard My Marketing Career Jan 02, 2026

Writer and freelance marketing expert Sarah Townsend joined the show on episode 43; she shared a set of moments from her career that are equal parts chaotic and unforgettable

She talks about shouting “Look, a heron!” in the middle of a live training session and leaving her suitcase on the wrong train while travelling to a major conference. The most painful moment arrives when she reveals the mistake that cost her twenty thousand pounds after forgetting to invoice a client for ten full months. Sarah explains how ADHD influenced many of these chaotic moments and reflects on what each incident taught her about staying organised, keeping communication clear, and maintaining reliable systems.

If you have ever felt embarrassed by an oversight or worried that you are the only one dropping the ball, this episode shows that every marketer makes mistakes and that each fail comes with a valuable lesson.

Click on the link to listen to the full episode 43:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2206375/episodes/15707196

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When Twitter Turned On Royal Mail Dec 23, 2025

A single missing gesture can set the internet alight. We open up about a day when Royal Mail faced a fast-moving backlash over Paralympics stamps and how a quiet policy gap looked like a loud value judgment on social media. From the first surge of tweets to the uncomfortable hours stuck in monitoring mode, we walk through what happens when your team lacks the tools, approvals, and scripts to respond at the speed of the timeline.
You’ll hear how the narrative formed in real time: honour given to Olympians, absence for Paralympians, and a rush of anger that framed the issue as dignity denied. We unpack why silence isn’t neutral, why a clear holding statement can stabilise a story, and how early Twitter’s velocity made every minute count. Along the way, we get practical about social listening, crisis playbooks, and the small operational choices, like pre-approved templates and escalation paths that create big advantages when things go sideways.
We also talk about brand symbolism and equity. Commemorative stamps seem simple, but they carry cultural weight, and unequal treatment reads as exclusion. That’s why policy stress testing matters: diverse eyes, scenario planning, and checks for unintentional bias before a campaign goes live. If you work in comms, marketing, or customer care, you’ll find clear takeaways you can implement today: set up the tech stack, define who can speak when, rehearse the response flow, and protect your team with debriefs that turn chaos into learning.
If this conversation helps sharpen your crisis plan, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review telling us the one change you’ll make this week.

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I Booked The Billboards For The Wrong Week And Somehow Didn’t Get Fired Dec 18, 2025

When Lisa, co-founder of Common People and strategist at Wavemaker Manchester, accidentally misbooked an out-of-home campaign linked to a BBC event, it was more than an embarrassing blunder back in episode 41.

It became the moment she started questioning who really gets to thrive in advertising and media. In this episode, Lisa recounts that campaign mishap, a chaotic run of travel mix-ups, a painful pitch-room tumble, and the day she ended up crying at her desk. She then connects those experiences to a bigger issue: how class, confidence and unspoken office rules quietly shut working-class people out of the industry. Lisa shares practical ideas for change, from dropping unnecessary degree requirements and paying real living wages to simplifying recruitment tasks and making workplace norms explicit.

This is a candid, funny and insightful conversation for marketers who want more relatable teams, smarter campaigns and fewer people feeling like they don’t belong.

Click here to listen to the full episode 41.

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EP 93: How Overinvesting in Performance Ads Cost Adobe's Andy Lambert £30k Dec 16, 2025

What happens when you drop £30,000 on an influencer and the sign-ups never show?

In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, Andy Lambert, co-founder of ContentCal, author of Spheres of Influence and now Principal Manager of Product at Adobe Express, unpacks two costly growth errors: overinvesting in performance ads and running a transactional influencer campaign that barely moved the needle.

Andy explains why demand capture can look like growth until it suddenly stops, and how “pilot” influencer tests often fail because trust is not built in a week. He shares the practical reset that followed: tighter audience focus, creators who genuinely use the product, stronger community signals, and personality-led brand building that supports revenue over time.

If your paid media efficiency is slipping, your influencer spend feels underwhelming, or you are trying to rebalance brand and demand, this episode will help you avoid the same expensive mistakes.

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The Craigslist Sandwich Board Stunt That Misfired Dec 11, 2025

When Director of Thinking and Creative PR Specialist Peter Freedman joined us for this episode 39, he unpacked the unusual marketing mistake he made while working with Craigslist.

Tasked with satirising the rise of in-your-face shirt sponsorships, Peter sponsored a women’s football team in Battersea Park and put them in full advertising sandwich boards. The stunt was pretty clever, photogenic and completely impractical, yet it barely registered with any journalists.

One even called it the most peculiar idea they had ever seen. Peter explains why the campaign fell flat, how it was simply too weird and not familiar enough, and what he learned from books like The Creative Curve and Contagious about the sweet spot between novelty and recognition.

Marketers will hear a candid breakdown of why some ideas stay niche, why moderate innovation works better than pure shock value, and how to judge whether your next PR concept is different in the right way.

Click here to listen to the full episode.

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EP 92: What Ken Hughes’ 30-Foot Drop Teaches Brands About Loyalty Dec 09, 2025

Ken Hughes spent 15 years chasing NPS scores, loyalty points and dashboards, only to realise his “loyal customers” were simply trapped by discounts and habit. Then he ignored two clear warning signs on his own roof, fell 30 feet and shattered 26 bones.

That moment forced him to reconsider risk, fear and what real loyalty means for modern brands. In this episode, Ken explains why many brands confuse transactions with true connection, how data worship blinds marketers, and why emotion, humour and intimacy are now non-negotiable. He also shares how agentic AI will change buying decisions and what brands must do to stay in their customers’ heart space.

If you are under pressure to prove ROI on every campaign yet still worry your brand is forgettable, this conversation will challenge how you think about loyalty.

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Inside the Haircare CGI Mishap That Stopped a Campaign Dec 04, 2025

As Creative Marketer Anil Manji joined the show, he reflected on an early-career incident that continues to guide his thinking today. We take you into this segment of episode 40, inside a haircare TV ad that reused legacy footage, layered on a week of pricey CGI to turn shampoo into conditioner, and accidentally created a texture that read like something no brand wants on primetime. The client’s blunt feedback changed everything, and once we heard it, we couldn’t unsee it either.
We break down how efficient asset reuse can backfire when context and semiotics are ignored, why fluid simulations demand more than photorealism, and how a single freeze-frame can become meme fuel. From the first treatment to the final cut, we map the decisions that led us there: close-up hair shots, a convincing squeeze-to-palm animation, and the overlooked risk in colour, opacity, and flow. Then we show the fix that is warmer tones, micro-bubbles, altered angles, and strand separation which pulled the work back into brand-safe territory without losing impact.
This conversation goes beyond one mishap. We talk perception checks, diverse feedback loops, and how to design review gates that ask, “What could this be mistaken for?” We dig into sunk-cost bias during CGI iterations, how to use cold reads at key milestones, and why creative teams should plan for what social media might clip and share. If you work in advertising, brand management, or production, you’ll get practical steps to reduce risk while keeping speed: better briefs for reused footage, early semiotic audits, and a culture where someone can say the awkward truth sooner.
If this story helped sharpen your creative process, follow the show, share it with your team, and leave a quick review telling us your most unforgettable client note.

Click on this link to the full episode 40.

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EP 91: How AI Is Transforming SEO: Chris Attewell on Google, Bing and the Future of Search Dec 02, 2025

This week on Embracing Marketing Mistakes, Chris Norton is joined by Chris Attewell, former CEO of Search Laboratory and now board advisor at Realise Advisory, to explore how AI is changing the future of SEO.

Chris revisits his early years in digital marketing and explains how Search Laboratory moved from PPC into SEO, digital PR and integrated search. He breaks down how Google, Bing and ChatGPT are reshaping user behaviour, why brand authority now matters more than ever, and how AI overviews and multi platform search are shifting the mechanics of visibility.

Together they unpack the North Star trap, where teams chase a perfect strategy instead of delivering value in stages, and how marketers can link content, PR, social, brand and search without falling into silos.

Whether you work in digital, PR or brand, this episode gives you clear insight into how AI is transforming search and what it means for your marketing in 2025.

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I Lost $25,000 On Ads And Learned Exactly What Not To Outsource Nov 27, 2025

When Pinterest Strategist and Niche Marketing Expert Meagan Williamson joined the show for Episode 38, she opened up about a painful and expensive mistake that shaped the way she works today.

Early in her business, she hired a Facebook ads expert to run paid traffic to a new funnel that had never been tested organically. Over a 90-day period she spent more than twenty-five thousand dollars on ad spend and fees with almost nothing to show for it. The only purchase was a sixty-seven-dollar sale that ended in a refund four days later. The experience was embarrassing for Meagan, but it completely changed the way she evaluates contractors, tests funnels, and teaches clients about paid traffic.

In this episode she shares the red flags she ignored, the questions she now asks before outsourcing, and the lessons every marketer should take from her story.

Click on this link to the full episode.

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What Happens When Your Influencers Refuse to Use Their Own Names Nov 25, 2025

Marshall Manson is the CEO of Fleishman Hillard and a communications strategist with deep experience in both brand marketing and corporate reputation. In 2006, while working at Edelman, he played a central role in the infamous "Walmarting Across America" campaign, an early and much criticised attempt at influencer marketing that quickly unravelled due to a lack of transparency. Marshall joins us to reflect openly on what went wrong, what he learned, and why the lessons from that experience still matter today.
The 2006 "Walmarting Across America" PR scandal offers valuable lessons about transparency and ethics that remain relevant in today's influencer marketing landscape. This storytelling deep-dive reveals how a promising campaign featuring anonymous bloggers in Walmart-branded RVs unraveled when they refused to identify themselves to a journalist, leading to front-page coverage in major newspapers.
• Campaign concept: Bloggers would travel in Walmart-branded RVs, staying in store parking lots and documenting their experiences
• Critical mistake: Allowing bloggers to remain anonymous despite red flags
• Campaign built momentum that made it difficult to cancel despite ethical concerns
• Media coverage quickly turned from positive to highly critical
• Leadership response from Richard Edelman emphasized learning from mistakes rather than scapegoating
• Importance of transparency in sponsored content remains a crucial lesson for modern influencer campaigns
• Setting high ethical standards when operating in uncharted territory

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EP 90: The Body Shop Line That Haunted Vikki Ross Nov 18, 2025

A single soft line on The Body Shop catalogue haunted copywriter Vikki Ross for six months. Years later, another forgettable line slipped through and ended up across London on billboards. In this episode, I talk to Vikki about how those moments changed the way she presents copy and how she helps clients avoid drifting into the dull middle.

We get into why stakeholders so often choose the safest option, how she now protects the creative process, and what it really takes to build a brand voice for Sky, Virgin, Expedia, Jaguar Land Rover and Formula E. Vikki also opens up about imposter syndrome, the reality of AI in copywriting, and the pressure that comes with presenting work to a room full of decision makers.

If you have ever watched your best idea, get watered down in a meeting, this episode is going to hit home.

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From helping DJ Bob Sinclair to almost getting fired. Nov 13, 2025

Christopher McKay, Head of Brand Engagement at Hillarys shares his career-defining failure when working at Ministry of Sound, revealing how a creative idea bombed due to lack of audience research and testing.
• Started career in journalism before moving to PR at CalPR in Leeds
• Moved to Ministry of Sound in London
• Created "French Lessons with Bob" featuring DJ Bob Sinclair teaching French phrases
• Campaign received only 50 likes compared to the usual 800-1,000 engagement
• After two failed posts, had to cancel the planned 10-part series
• Learned a valuable lesson about using data and insights before creative brainstorming
• Key takeaway: Test before investing significant resources into a campaign

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EP 89: The Secret Brain Hack Powering the World’s Biggest Brands with Claire Koryczan Nov 11, 2025

What if the key to leading brilliant brand teams was already wired into your brain?

Claire Koryczan, founder of Imagine Beyond, has helped FTSE 100 brands and creative agencies unlock smarter ways to lead, create and think. In this episode, she shares how neuroscience shapes everything from energy in meetings to decision-making under pressure.

Expect practical tips, brain-friendly habits, and a few stories from the front lines of brand leadership.

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Three PR Nightmares That Cost Brands Millions Nov 06, 2025

Marketing mishaps from major brands reveal the critical importance of PR coordination with marketing efforts and careful forward planning to prevent campaign disasters.
• Zara's campaign featuring mannequins with missing limbs was filmed before the Israel-Palestine conflict but released during war coverage, resulting in widespread criticism
• Negative sentiment towards Zara surged from 13% to 76.4% following the incident
• Nike initially refused to sell Mary Earps' England goalkeeper kit despite her popularity
• After public outcry and a petition with 150,000 signatures, Nike reversed course and the kit sold out immediately
• Bud Light's partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney faced transphobic backlash
• The company's vague response failed to support Mulvaney, alienating both conservative customers and the LGBTQ+ community
• Bud Light suffered a 15% drop in revenue and lost its position as America's top-selling beer

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EP 88: How I Built a PR Agency from Zero During COVID - Darryl Sparey Nov 04, 2025

What happens when you leave a top PR agency to launch your own business, only for the world to shut down weeks later? Darryl Sparey, co-founder of Hard Numbers and former Hotwire leader, shares how he built an agency focused on proving marketing impact through data. In this episode, Darryl explains how marketers can move beyond vanity metrics and start connecting PR and SEO performance to measurable ROI.

You’ll learn why access to GA4, Looker Studio, Search Console and CRM data changes everything, and how brands like Reddit, The FT and the BBC are shaping authority in the age of ChatGPT and Gemini. We also unpack what generative engine optimisation means for the future of earned media and how to future-proof your marketing results in 2026.

If you care about clear metrics, credible reporting and meaningful outcomes, this conversation is for you.

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EP 87: From KFC’s Pricing Error to Expedia’s Deck Disaster: Lessons from Sam Benton on Creative Courage Oct 28, 2025

Sam Benton, co-founder of Mad Masters, shares a career-shaping error many ambitious marketers will recognise: believing you know it all and avoiding help until reality proves otherwise.

He explains why pricing is a feeling, not a number, how KFC’s box-meal flop only succeeded after they doubled the price, and the pitch-room mistake where an Experian logo appeared in an Expedia meeting but still led to a client win. Sam explores herd effects, talk-trigger moments like hotel cookies, and the idea of “reverse benchmarking” to turn competitor weaknesses into creative strengths.

You’ll learn how to build a culture that encourages risk-taking, use the SCARF model to motivate teams, and reframe pricing without relying on discounts. This episode is a reminder that the smartest marketers fail first, learn fast, and stand out by thinking differently.

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She controlled her narrative by revealing her darkest secrets first Oct 23, 2025

Today we speak with Greg Matusky, CEO & Founder, Gregory FCA Public Relations. He talks about being a young PR professional.

We learn how Auntie Anne Beiler, founder of the famous pretzel franchise, brilliantly managed a potential scandal by revealing her own past mistakes before they could be used against her.
• Auntie Anne grew up connected to the Amish community in Pennsylvania
• Her hand-rolled soft pretzel recipe allegedly came through divine inspiration, creating a wholesome origin story
• Secured an appearance on The 700 Club with Pat Robertson to share her story
• Unexpectedly revealed a scandalous past involving an affair with a pastor and church fraud
• Strategically shared her dark past publicly so it couldn't be weaponised against her later
• Demonstrated the PR principle that "if you put bad news out, it can never be used against you"
• The business now has approximately 1,200 franchises globally

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EP 86: When Google’s AI Stole Their Clicks: How Prohibition Turned a Traffic Crisis into GEO Strategy Oct 21, 2025

When Google rolled out AI Overviews, Prohibition PR’s founder Chris Norton and co-owner Will watched something shocking: their clients’ sites still ranked high, but traffic plummeted overnight. The cause? AI summaries stealing clicks before users ever reached their pages. In this episode, Chris and Will reveal how a 50% traffic crash exposed the myth that “rankings = revenue,” and how they pivoted to GEO, meaning Generative Engine Optimization. From an awkward AI hallucination that invented a fake client to the discovery that authority beats keyword every time, they share the playbook that rebuilt visibility and leads. Learn how to make your brand the cited source inside AI answers, not the forgotten footnote. This is the new marketing reality: adapt your SEO to AI or risk disappearing entirely.

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Breaking the BBC Homepage: Tales from the Trenches Oct 16, 2025

We explore marketing mishaps and professional blunders that offer valuable life lessons with a bit of humour. Our guest today is Gerry White, SEO, Growth and Product Led Marketing Expert he talks about costly decimal point errors right through to accidentally breaking the BBC homepage himself.
• How a decimal point error (£50 instead of 50p) in a pay-per-click campaign led to dismissal
• Setting a lifetime budget as a daily budget over a weekend – and how the client actually loved the results
• Accidentally publishing Doctor Who fan fiction articles on a government website
• An intern documenting her drunken weekend on a client's Instagram account
• Breaking the BBC homepage and discovering the mysterious "burning clown" test card
• The evolution of digital content from early BBC webpages to modern platforms

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EP 85: AI-Written RFP Fail: Why Pitches Collapse Oct 14, 2025

What do you do when your big pitch idea quite literally vanishes in front of the client? For James Tomlinson, it involved a magician, a torn-up Financial Times, and the most awkward silence of his career.

In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, James reveals the pitch fails that taught him more than any win ever could from sanding a CEO’s boardroom table to dealing with AI-written briefs that make no sense. With two decades in agency leadership, he now helps brands and agencies avoid the same time-wasting, budget-draining mistakes.

Expect brutal honesty, plenty of laughs, and practical lessons on how to run pitches that actually work.

🎧 Because sometimes, the best way to learn about winning… is by talking about the fails that nearly broke you.

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Knowing When to Fold: A Transatlantic Marketing Lesson Oct 09, 2025

Andrew Bloch shares the challenging story of opening Frank PR's New York office after successful expansion to Manchester, Glasgow, and Sydney. What started as a promising venture with moderate success ultimately became a significant business lesson about knowing when to walk away.
• American business culture proved vastly different despite sharing the same language
• US clients expected much larger account teams - one "small boutique agency" had 35 people on a single account
• American executives would readily agree to meetings but rarely convert to business
• US candidates interviewed exceptionally well regardless of actual skills or experience
• Frank's disruptive UK approach didn't resonate with the more conservative US PR market
• The New York office became a drain on the London headquarters despite being marginally profitable
• Making the tough decision to close the office was painful but necessary
• Sometimes acknowledging failure and moving on is the strongest business decision

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EP 84: Cracking the YouTube Algorithm: Lessons from Raw Data, Not Hype Oct 07, 2025

Forget chasing subscribers and viral videos. It’s time to turn YouTube into a serious lead generation engine.

In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, hosts Chris Norton and Will Ockenden sit down with David Greiner, co-founder of David & Luana Co., to explore how businesses can use YouTube not for vanity metrics, but as a predictable client acquisition channel.

David shares the hard truths behind what most marketers get wrong on YouTube and why traditional engagement metrics likes, comments, and subscriber counts don’t translate into real business results. He breaks down the psychology of trust, the data that drives conversions, and the simple automation systems that can cut your YouTube workflow from forty minutes to two.
This episode is a masterclass in data-driven marketing and practical creativity. If you’re a coach, consultant, or business owner tired of chasing empty views, this conversation will show you how to make YouTube work for your brand and your bottom line.

Follow Embracing Marketing Mistakes for more insights from industry experts who turn marketing errors into opportunities for smarter growth.

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The Gap Year that Almost Became a Career Gap Oct 02, 2025

Marketing professionals aren't immune to making classic business mistakes, especially when personal projects cloud professional judgment. Our guest Katie Tucker, a Customer Insight Strategist, and Author of Do Penguins Eat Peaches, shares how her family gap year adventure led her to create a course without proper market validation, only to be unexpectedly saved by the COVID pandemic's timely intervention.

World tour with family generated Instagram following and many questions about how to plan family gap years
Created a comprehensive course teaching practical and psychological preparation for family travel
Secured impressive media coverage in The Times money section
Failed to properly validate the business idea beyond supportive friends and family
COVID pandemic intervened before full launch, preventing potential business failure
Working in market research didn't prevent making the same mistakes she warns clients about
Personal connection to the project made objective assessment more difficult
Sometimes you need to make mistakes to learn valuable business lessons

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EP 83: Demoted at Deliveroo: Alice Ter Haar's Career-Shaking Failure Sep 30, 2025

Careers rarely implode on schedule, but what you do next can change everything. When Alice Ter Haar was demoted at Deliveroo, right as the rocket ship was taking off she refused to hide. Instead, she told the truth, turned a career low into an origin story, and built Badass Unicorn to help high-growth teams find confidence, resilience, and psychological safety without the buzzwords or the fluff.
We dig into how to reframe shame into signal, why morale rises when people spend more time in their energising strengths, and how psychological safety unlocks better ideas, faster decisions, and real accountability. Alice breaks down imposter syndrome with disarming clarity, spotting the perfectionist and workaholic archetypes, reframing nerves as excitement, and giving your inner critic a name so you can thank it and then do the work anyway. Her BRAVE method makes resilience practical: protect the body, invest in relationships, acknowledge reality, venture into your circle of control, and be easier on yourself so you can try again sooner.
Along the way, we talk leadership style and culture fit, the trap of the arrival fallacy, and the power of “wince-and-send” micro-actions that compound into a career you actually want. If you’re building a high-growth team or navigating your own squiggly path, you’ll leave with tools to boost morale, set fair expectations, and create the conditions where people speak up and do their best work. Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs this, and leave a review to tell us which idea you’ll try first.

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Webinar FAIL: That Time I Forgot to Record Our Huge Influencer Webinar Sep 25, 2025

Shaheen Samavati, Co-founder and CEO of Vera Content, explores career mistakes through a cautionary tale of a webinar gone wrong during severe storms in Spain. 😱
Shaheen a committed marketing agency owner, shares how forgetting to hit record on a high-profile influencer webinar with 1,000 registrants and 350 live attendees created an expensive problem requiring a completely new recording session.
• Decision to collaborate with a major industry influencer through a joint webinar required significant financial investment
• Webinar coincided with severe flooding and storms in southern Spain, creating additional stress
• Technical limitations of the GetResponse platform restricted administrative access to three seats
• Critical error occurred when no one pressed record despite plans to share the recording with registrants
• Influencer initially wanted full payment to re-record, but eventually offered a discount

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EP 82: Mastering LinkedIn Visibility: Four Steps to Turn Followers into Clients Sep 23, 2025

Think your LinkedIn profile is just a digital CV? Think again. In this eye‐opening conversation with Louise Brogan (Founder, Brogan Partners; LinkedIn: Louise Brogan Ltd. – Video Content Marketing) LinkedIn UK, author of Raise your Visibility on LinkedIn, we uncover the strategic approach that transformed her business from a failing craft shop to a thriving LinkedIn consultancy serving global clients.

Louise breaks down her four‐stage system for LinkedIn success that goes far beyond basic profile tips. She explains why your headline should communicate value rather than just your job title, how your “About” section should focus on helping potential clients (not showcasing your achievements), and why the often‐overlooked “Featured” section might be your most powerful conversion tool.

What’s particularly fascinating is Louise’s approach to networking and selling on the platform. Rather than connecting with everyone who sends a request, she maintains a carefully curated network of relevant contacts. “It’s so much better to have a network of people who are interested in what you have to say,” she explains, comparing LinkedIn to an in-person industry conference where strategic connections and thoughtful conversations lead to business opportunities.

Perhaps most surprising is Louise’s revelation about YouTube’s role in her business growth. With 110,000 subscribers watching her short, targeted LinkedIn tutorials, she’s built a powerful lead generation engine that funnels prospects to her consulting services. “I have 3.3 million views on YouTube,” she shares, “and I have less than 16,000 followers on LinkedIn.”

Whether you’re a marketing professional looking to build thought leadership, a business owner seeking quality leads, or simply tired of getting spammy connection requests, Louise’s practical advice will transform how you approach LinkedIn. Stop wasting time on random connections and irrelevant content – start treating LinkedIn as the powerful business development tool it can be.

Ready to raise your visibility and start meaningful conversations that actually lead to business? This episode is your blueprint.

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Direct Marketing Fuck Up that Taught Me Everything Advertising Couldn't Sep 18, 2025

In this mini series where we take a look back to our guest's mistakes they have shared, we have Patrick Collister's marketing mistake.

Everyone makes mistakes in their marketing careers, but few are willing to discuss them openly. In this refreshingly candid conversation, our guest reveals how a seemingly catastrophic career move - joining a French-owned direct marketing agency as creative director – became an unexpected turning point in their professional journey.
The position seemed promising on paper, but reality proved harsh. Billed at £1,000 per hour, Patrick found themselves in the peculiar position of being too expensive for account directors to utilise in client meetings. "Not a single account director wanted me to go to a single meeting with their clients because I was going to massively damage their numbers," they explain. This structural dysfunction made success impossible, leading to termination after about a year – "a blessed relief to both parties."
What makes this story compelling isn't the failure itself, but the unexpected benefits that followed. This career detour exposed our guest to direct marketing precisely as digital transformation was revolutionising the field, turning what was once dismissively called "folding shit" into the foundation of modern advertising. "If you haven't got a URL and if there isn't a whole series of consumer experiences that comes out of your communication, then you're a bloody idiot," our guest notes, highlighting how direct marketing principles have become fundamental to all effective advertising.
You can listen to Patrick's full episode here

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EP 81: How a Prestige Client Nearly Cost Alexandra Galviz Her Authentic Brand Sep 09, 2025

Alexandra Galviz, better known as Authentic Alex, is a LinkedIn Top Voice and the co-creator of the global LinkedIn Local movement. At just 24, she was leading training for 350 people across 21 offices, while secretly battling imposter syndrome, burnout and the pressure of living a life that didn’t feel like her own. Her viral LinkedIn post about leaving the “pointy-top building by the river” marked the start of her mission to build a career rooted in authenticity.

In this episode, Alexandra opens up about her biggest mistake: chasing prestige clients and big logos that looked impressive but conflicted with her values. She shares what happens when you choose status over alignment, and how that experience reshaped her approach to work, storytelling and leadership.

Listeners will learn why emotion and relatability matter more than polish, how to use AI without losing your unique voice, and the principle of authentic storytelling that Alexandra refuses to compromise on. This is an honest conversation about success, failure and what it truly takes to build a personal brand that lasts.

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Food Marketing Gaffe: My Culinary Embarrassment with Meena Patak Sep 04, 2025

Tamsin Daniel, a senior marketing professional and Head of Marketing at Firetree Chocolate, shares her embarrassing culinary f*ck up while supporting celebrity chef Meena Patak during a cooking show filmed in India.
What begins as an exciting opportunity quickly descends into chaos with illness and a fundamental misunderstanding about chickpeas. 🤣
• Becoming violently ill on day one after eating something unsuitable
• Responsibility for preparing ingredients for Mina's outdoor cooking demonstration
• Mina forced to improvise a new recipe when faced with rock-hard, unusable chickpeas
• Living down "Chickpea Gate" among colleagues

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EP 80: The 1 B2B Thought Leadership Strategy You're NOT Using in 2025 Sep 02, 2025

Only 26 percent of B2B brands see real results from thought leadership, even though 80% are actively producing it. In this episode, we explore why most strategies are falling short in a time when trust in media and corporations is at just 33 per cent in the UK. The biggest missed opportunity is clear. Employee-shared content delivers 561% more reach, is reshared 24 times more often, and drives eight times more engagement than corporate channels.

We share a practical roadmap for turning employees into influential voices. Learn how to create strong LinkedIn profiles, develop consistent content, and use nano-influencers to boost visibility without chasing massive audiences. We cover how to overcome executive resistance, measure success, and keep programs focused using a simple one-page strategy. You’ll also hear how friendly internal competition can accelerate adoption and results. If your thought leadership isn’t working, this episode shows how your people can turn it around.

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Sadie Straw’s Inbox Fail and the Wellness Campaign That Asked Too Much Aug 27, 2025

Wellness initiatives in the workplace often sound ideal, but what happens when they demand more than businesses can give? In this Campaign Crunch mini-episode, we’re joined by guest Sadie Straw to unpack Joe Wicks’ Movement Hour campaign, which encouraged employers to give staff an extra hour off each day for physical activity. Despite 10,000 companies applying for a personal visit from Wicks, only 600 committed to the pledge. We explore why this well-intentioned campaign struggled to gain traction and whether it asked too much, too soon.

Sadie shares her insights on what could have made the campaign stronger, from better timing to a more realistic approach and stronger use of storytelling. She also shares a memorable marketing mistake of her own involving a very awkward email mix-up between two clients with the same name. It’s a candid and insightful conversation about campaign ambition, real-world results, and the small errors that keep us humble.

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EP 79: Why the BBC's Spencer Kelly Said the iPad Would Fail, Hours Before Its Launch Aug 19, 2025

Back when Apple was rumoured to be about to launch the iPad, BBC presenter Spencer Kelly was already on air confidently predicting that the rumours were nonsense, because tablets were a stupid idea. Just six hours later, Steve Jobs proved him spectacularly wrong. In this episode, Spencer reflects on the mistake, the lessons it taught him about spotting genuine innovation, and why even the experts get it wrong.

Spencer is no stranger to high stakes. As host of the BBC’s Click for 20 years and 1,000 episodes, he introduced audiences worldwide to AI, virtual reality, and emerging tech before they became everyday conversation. His presenting skills and ability to turn complex ideas into stories people understand have made him a trusted voice in technology.

We also dive into failed PR promises, a £2,000 drone crash, and what marketers can learn about separating hype from reality. Packed with insights and entertaining stories, this episode is a must for every marketer.

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn here and X here.

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EP 78: From Zero Clients to LinkedIn Success: Sarah Clay’s Lockdown Marketing Fail Aug 12, 2025

For Sarah Clay, that nightmare became her big break. Pre-pandemic, she was running a social media agency for hospitality brands. Then lockdown hit, and in the space of a week her market evaporated.

Instead of wallowing, she made a bold pivot into LinkedIn training. That’s when she spotted the goldmine nobody was talking about: employee advocacy. Get your people talking about your brand on their own profiles, and you’ll see up to 561% more engagement than a company page ever gets (LinkedIn’s own stat, not mine).

From ditching law school, to producing TV ads, to mastering LinkedIn, Sarah’s career says one thing loud and clear: LinkedIn isn’t social media, it’s a networking machine. And if you’re still treating it like Facebook in a suit, you’re doing it wrong.

Is this a smart move or a marketing mistake?

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EP 77: Mind Games: Richard Shotton Reveals Marketing's Hidden Secrets Jul 22, 2025

Tired of marketing campaigns that miss the mark? Richard Shotton, bestselling author of "The Choice Factory" and "The Illusion of Choice," reveals why understanding human psychology is the secret sauce behind effective marketing.
The gap between what consumers say influences them and what actually drives their behavior creates a golden opportunity for marketers who master behavioral science principles. Shotton demystifies these concepts, proving they're not just for academics with psychology doctorates but practical tools any marketer can deploy immediately.
Want to raise prices without losing customers? Frame increases as "pennies per day" rather than larger monthly sums and clearly explain your reasoning. Struggling with website conversions? Change "out of stock" to "sold out" for a 15% reduction in customer irritation. These small, cost-free interventions leverage how our brains actually work rather than how we think they work.
The most overlooked principle, according to Shotton, is surprisingly simple: "make it easy." Both Nobel Prize winners Daniel Kahneman and Richard Thaler identify this as their single most important insight. Removing small friction points has an outsized effect on behavior change – something marketers consistently underestimate while overemphasizing motivation.
Testing these principles is crucial, but Shotton warns against directly asking consumers if they'd be influenced. "People do not have full introspective insight into their own motivations," he explains. Instead, use monadic testing – showing different groups only one version of your messaging and measuring their responses. This oblique approach reveals the true impact of psychological nudges that consumers would otherwise deny affect them.
Whether you're managing seven-figure campaigns or launching your first marketing efforts, these evidence-based techniques can dramatically improve results without increasing your budget. Listen now to unlock the behavioral science secrets behind the world's most successful brands – and learn how to apply them to your next campaign.

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PR FAIL: I sent a press release that wasn't approved and made the 10 o'clock news. Jul 17, 2025

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 permission to distribute the press release
• Sent the release to media outlets without client approval
• Discovered his mistake when the story triggered local controversy on the evening news
• Feared being fired on his first weekend in the new job
"To everybody out there I apologise for sending a release out too early. I was just keen to get going, but luckily I survived and I'm here to do this podcast with you today."

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EP 76: How British Wool Turned 30,000 Farmers into Brand Advocates Jul 16, 2025

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 their distinctive identity to consumers who often don't understand the difference between "wool" and "British wool."
The conversation takes us through British wool's remarkable versatility beyond just clothing. Did you know the iconic upholstery on London Underground seating is made from British wool in Yorkshire? Or that wool bedding naturally regulates your body temperature while you sleep? These practical applications highlight wool's superiority over synthetic alternatives, which Graham pointedly reminds us are essentially plastic.
We explore how British Wool has built brand awareness through innovative campaigns, including collaborations with Love Island's Farmer Will and Shaun the Sheep. Their marketing strategy balances traditional channels like radio with contemporary digital approaches, resulting in measurable success brand recognition has increased 7% in recent years, with nearly a third of consumers now recognizing their iconic "crook mark" logo.
The episode also delivers honest reflections on marketing mishaps, from printing 50,000 high-quality brochures with the wrong phone number to mail merge disasters that sent customers competitors' information. These candid stories remind us that even seasoned marketers make mistakes, it's how we respond and learn that matters.
Listen now to discover how this legacy brand is fighting fast fashion while supporting local farmers. Whether you're a marketing professional seeking inspiration or simply curious about sustainable consumer choices, this episode offers valuable insights into how traditional industries can thrive in the modern marketplace.
Subscribe today and join the conversation about bringing sustainability to the forefront of consumer consciousness!

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Media Training Error: The Constructive Dismissal Quip That Sparked a Training Fuck Up Jul 10, 2025

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 stakeholders
• The most challenging trainees are those who don't believe they need training and are just there to show off their existing abilities

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The Molly Mae Effect: Salvaging Brand Reputation Through Community Engagement Jul 09, 2025

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 thoughtful alignment with their audience's lifestyle, featuring collaborations with female-led businesses like Sage Coffee Machines and North Star Coffee Roasteries, plus Molly's personal involvement serving customers and creating genuine connections.
The results speak volumes about effective community engagement: minimal press coverage but explosive user-generated content across social platforms. As the team notes, "Everything Molly touches turns to gold," but even celebrity-backed brands need strong reputation management after missteps. The episode offers valuable insights on authenticity in crisis recovery and understanding your audience on a deeper level.
In a hilarious turn, Lauren shares her own marketing mishap when booking a venue for a sports nutrition brand photoshoot, only to be asked if they were filming adult content! It's a reminder that clear communication is essential in all aspects of marketing.
Have you experienced your own marketing blunder? We'd love to feature it on a future episode! Email us at podcast@prohibitionpr.co.uk to share your story – anonymous submissions welcome.

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Marketing Mistake: Did I Just Break Stock Market Regulations? Jul 03, 2025

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 critical importance of attention to detail
• Modern publishing risks are even greater with multiple access points
• First public disclosure of this corporate communications fuck up

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EP 75: Your Marketing Team Just Got Smarter Thanks to AI Jul 01, 2025

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 the rapidly evolving world of AI for marketers with expert Andrew Bruce Smith, exploring how reasoning models, research capabilities, and AI avatars are transforming the marketing landscape at breathtaking speed.

• Reasoning models like ChatGPT-4o spend more time thinking through complex problems, delivering better quality responses for marketing plans and strategy
• Deep research functionality allows marketers to generate comprehensive market analyses in minutes that previously took weeks and cost thousands
• Understanding when to use different AI models is crucial, reasoning models for complex tasks, standard models for simpler requests
• AI avatars through tools like HeyGen and Syntesia can create promotional videos and may soon represent you in meetings
• The rise of agentic AI allows for autonomous systems that can execute complex workflows with minimal human intervention
• Marketers need to rethink where they add value as AI handles more tasks, potentially moving from time-based to value-based billing
• AI isn't replacing jobs but tasks, freeing humans to focus on strategic thinking and creativity

The best place to find Andrew is on LinkedIn (there's only one Andrew Bruce Smith) or at his website escherman.com.

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Marketing Blunder: When 500 Becomes 5K: A Coney Island New Year's Disaster Jun 26, 2025

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 size and inadequate security preparations
• The event happened in freezing temperatures, adding to the challenges
• The experience taught Tom to "prepare for the best, just in case it happens"

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EP 74: Are You Still Measuring Outputs When You Should Be Measuring Outcomes? Jun 24, 2025

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 Bruce is worth listening to. He’s not peddling the latest buzzword or flogging a new AI subscription. He’s a PR Futurist who actually gets it. Someone who helps senior comms leaders cut through the noise, sidestep the hype, and use technology to do better work, not just faster work. He’s advised more than 400 organisations across the globe, and he’s still banging the drum for strategy, substance and measurement that matters. His latest take? The new Barcelona Principles 4.0, and why the way we measure communications is finally getting smarter.

Here’s what stood out from our chat:

• Set clear objectives upfront. If you don’t know what success looks like, how can you measure it?
• The new Barcelona Principles 4.0 focus on learning and iteration, not chasing perfection.
• Shift your attention from outputs like media hits to outcomes that drive real business impact.
• AI tools like Copilot and Gemini can save you hours each week. But only if your team knows how to use them.
• Buying AI without training? That’s the "AI adoption illusion". We hate it.
• “Generative AI optimisation” is the next battleground. It’s how you shape what AI says about your brand.
• Trade publications might now outrank national press in AI-driven search. Yes, seriously.
• Misinformation and AI-generated video are your new crisis comms nightmares.
• Authentic content and human interaction are back in fashion. Thank goodness.

If you want to measure what matters, ditch the ego metrics and start with the AMEC framework: amecorg.com

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FAIL: Hops and Dreams: The Beer That Nobody "Cheers'd" To Jun 19, 2025

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 indifference
• Realised we had too many marketing messages competing for attention

For the full episode visit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2206375/episodes/13748919

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EP 73: The Art of Authentic Brand Storytelling: Rachel Massey on Breaking Through B2B Blandness Jun 17, 2025

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 creative brand strategy that was too ahead of its time.

Starting as a salesperson before transitioning to marketing without a marketing degree
The current state of B2B marketing is becoming bland due to AI overuse and the need for creativity to stand out.
Using white papers that offer genuine expertise and deep knowledge to establish authority
Balancing traditional corporate approaches with more authentic, personal brand storytelling
The challenge of selling creative ideas to conservative B2B leadership

If you want to connect with Rachel, you can find her on LinkedIn or visit huthwaiteinternational.com.

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Marketing Mishap: Using My Name As My Password Wasn't Great Jun 12, 2025

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 pages appearing in Google search results
• Even after fixing the security issue, the compromised pages remained in search results for months

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FAIL: When your business feels like your baby, you take the losses personally Jun 05, 2025

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 provisioning for expenses like VAT bills
• Learning significant lessons that led to starting additional agencies
• Expanding into multiple businesses outside the digital industry through openness to learning

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FAIL: "I Started an Online Wine Business Right Before Lockdown" May 29, 2025

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 customers
• Launched WineList in 2019, initially as a podcast before evolving into a subscription service
• Went full-time on March 1, 2020, with lockdown creating perfect market conditions initially
• Revenue jumped from £3,000 to £50,000 within months, leading to rapid expansion
• Pandemic success created false impression of product-market fit
• As restrictions eased, retention declined dramatically despite various pivot attempts
• Business shut down in September 2021 after funding fell through
• Reflects that he should have recognized warning signs earlier rather than letting money run out

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Oinking Outside the Box: Marketing Lessons from a Cartoon Pregnancy May 27, 2025

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 for an "exclusive interview" announcing her pregnancy, graced the cover of Grazia magazine for a maternity photoshoot, and even had Battersea Power Station lit up pink for a spectacular gender reveal party. The birth announcement, strategically staged outside St Mary's Hospital (where royal babies are presented), completed this remarkable campaign that transcended children's entertainment to become a national talking point.
What makes this campaign particularly brilliant is how it reached parents directly through adult media channels, rather than relying on children to carry the message home. By partnering with the National Children's Trust and treating a cartoon character with the same media approach as a celebrity, the team created something genuinely innovative that sparked conversation across demographics - even causing controversy among farmers concerned about the inaccurate portrayal of pig births!
The episode also features a candid discussion of embarrassing professional mistakes, from accidentally copying competitors into confidential emails to unfortunate verbal slips during presentations. Have you made a marketing blunder? We'd love to hear your story - share it with us for a possible mention in a future episode!

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FAIL: I was almost printed on the front page of a national newspaper May 22, 2025

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 him before starting the press
• Became the laughing stock of Fleet Street journalists present at the event
• Eddie Shah kindly sought Andrew out afterward, giving him the interview and photo opportunity
• The embarrassing moment actually created a memorable connection
• Demonstrates how career mistakes can sometimes lead to unexpected opportunities

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EP 72: Why Lazy Content Will Kill Your Brand May 20, 2025

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 pitch" story and what it taught Guy about authentic presentations
• Why the traditional pitching process is broken and how paid pitches could create better agency-client relationships
• The importance of flexibility in marketing budgets to adapt to rapidly changing digital landscapes
• How imposter syndrome can actually indicate you're pushing yourself in the right direction
If you're looking to digitise your brand or create better digital experiences that convert, reach out to Tall Agency - they're a small team in Leeds working globally to help brands achieve high performance online.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/guyutley/

https://tall.agency/

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Marketing FAIL: How I made 120,000 Anglers Angry May 15, 2025

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 matter. While a tad embarrassing, Andy notes his mistake was relatively minor compared to Government mistakes that can impact financial markets

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EP 71: The Future of Chocolate Is Hidden in Volcanic Soil May 13, 2025

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 small-scale farmers in places like the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and the Philippines, they're creating chocolate with nuanced taste notes that challenge conventional chocolate making.
Tamsin shares insights from her remarkable career working with iconic food brands including Newman's Own, Pataks spices, and Betty's Tea Rooms. Her candid "chickpea disaster" story from an early marketing trip to India with Meena Patak offers a humbling reminder of how even the smallest details can impact marketing success. The conversation explores broader food marketing trends, including the shift toward taste appreciation, ethical sourcing considerations, and how major retailers like Tesco are recognising consumer demand for more sophisticated offerings.
Whether you're a chocolate enthusiast, food marketer, or business owner interested in premium product positioning, this episode delivers valuable insights into how authentic product differentiation combined with distinctive brand positioning creates lasting consumer appeal.

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The Art of Global Content with Shaheen Samavati May 06, 2025

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 nuances and cultural contexts. This approach solves two common client challenges: consolidating fragmented international marketing operations or efficiently scaling content for new market entry.
The conversation takes a fascinating turn when we discuss how AI is transforming multilingual content creation. Shaheen shares her pragmatic approach to balancing AI efficiency with irreplaceable human expertise. "We've been working on how to leverage AI without relying on it too much," she explains, highlighting the importance of preserving cultural authenticity.
Most memorably, Shaheen vulnerably recounts a costly marketing mistake - failing to record a webinar featuring a major industry influencer after securing 1,000 registrations. This candid story offers valuable lessons about preparation, contingency planning, and recovering from marketing mishaps. We also explore the varying state of influencer marketing across global markets, with Instagram emerging as the dominant platform for such collaborations.
Whether you're responsible for international marketing campaigns or simply curious about cross-cultural content strategies, this episode offers practical insights for creating marketing that truly resonates across borders. Connect with Shaheen on LinkedIn or visit veracontent.com to learn more about effective multilingual content strategies.

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EP 70: "Getting Fired Was the Best Career Move I Ever Made" Apr 29, 2025

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 door to understanding direct marketing just as digital communications was transforming the industry.
Patrick shares the untold story behind one of Britain's most iconic advertisements - the "Accrington Stanley" milk commercial that continues to resonate decades later. Discover how that instantly recognisable line "Accrington Stanley, who are they? Exactly!" wasn't the original plan at all, but emerged from rejection and creative necessity.
Throughout our discussion, Patrick explores the paradox at the heart of effective marketing: the tension between creative risk-taking and business pragmatism. He challenges the concept of "risk" altogether, suggesting that what we call risky is often just exciting and unfamiliar. His refreshingly practical definition of creativity as "nothing more and nothing less than solving problems" strips away mystique and makes innovation accessible to everyone.
For marketers navigating today's fractured media landscape, Patrick offers invaluable insights on reframing challenges, interrogating briefs properly, and fostering environments where meaningful creativity can thrive. His stories of pitch disasters, encounters with industry legends, and observations about the current state of advertising deliver both entertainment and enlightenment.
Subscribe now to hear Patrick's full conversation and learn how our greatest professional mistakes often become our most powerful catalysts for growth and reinvention.

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Severance: The Marketing Masterclass Behind Apple TV's Cult Show - Campaign Crunch Apr 23, 2025

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. We take a look into the show's premise - a workplace where employees undergo a procedure that surgically separates their work memories from their personal lives—and how this unique concept lends itself to memorable marketing activations.
From creating a fully functioning LinkedIn profile for the fictional Lumon Industries (complete with propaganda and fake job listings that attracted over 87,000 followers) to publishing an actual self-help book featured in the show, the Severance marketing team extended the show's universe into our reality. The crown jewel of their strategy? A stunning glass box installation in Grand Central Station where the actual cast performed as their characters without scripts, generating over £5 million in earned media value from a single activation.
What makes this approach so effective is its commitment to analogue marketing in our digital age. Rather than relying solely on online promotion, Severance created tangible experiences - like special vinyl soundtrack releases with "innie" and "outie" editions containing fictional company artifacts. The result? Severance overtook Ted Lasso as Apple TV's most streamed show through organic word-of-mouth growth.
Whether you're a fan of the show or a marketing professional looking for fresh inspiration, this episode offers valuable insights into how the most powerful marketing doesn't just promote content - it creates immersive worlds that audiences want to be part of. Ready to sever your connection with conventional marketing wisdom? Listen now and discover how thinking outside the digital box can create true cultural impact.

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EP 69: The Fake Follower Epidemic: Stop Vanity Metrics Killing Your Brand - Marketing Room 101 Special Apr 15, 2025

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 genuine influencer relationships can triumph in an industry increasingly cluttered by inauthenticity.

Check out Marketing Room 101 here

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EP 68: AI, Reddit, and Micro-Virality: Our Social Media Trends for 2025 Apr 08, 2025

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 include:

• Blue Sky's explosive growth challenging both Threads (300M users) and Twitter (X)
• YouTube experiencing a renaissance with long-form content and new features like Hype
• B2B brands adopting more personality-driven approaches on LinkedIn
• Micro-virality becoming more effective than broad-reaching content strategies
• Outbound engagement helping brands proactively connect with audiences
• Reddit representing an untapped resource with 1.2B monthly active users globally
• Creative disruption helping brands stand out in an oversaturated content landscape
• AI continuing to evolve as a content creation tool, best used as a starting point
• TikTok Shop's massive growth, generating $100M on Black Friday alone
Don't forget to revisit your social media strategy if you haven't done so in the past year, refresh your audience personas, and test new approaches based on where your audience is spending their time.

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EP 67: "I Didn’t Pay Myself for 3 Years" - How Agorapulse Built a Thriving Business Mar 31, 2025

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). The pivotal shift came when they recognized Facebook's dominance and evolved their offering to meet what social media managers actually needed daily: tools to manage comments, schedule posts, and measure results.
Emeric's breakthrough innovation - the social media inbox - transformed how professionals handle online communications. Rather than the chaotic column view popularised by early tools like Hootsuite and TweetDeck, Agorapulse organised incoming content chronologically like an email inbox. This seemingly obvious solution propelled them from zero to $5 million in revenue before competitors eventually copied it.
Emeric categorises his costliest mistakes: hiring without clearly defining roles, ignoring gut feelings about unsuitable candidates, delaying necessary terminations, creating overly complex pricing models, and attempting go-to-market strategies without proper expertise. "I can count the smart things I've done on two hands," he admits, "but I'd need several bodies to count my mistakes."
Today, Agorapulse is tackling social media's biggest challenge: proving ROI. Their patent-pending technology connects social activities directly to website conversions, showing which specific posts, comments, and replies drive business results. It's this innovation that's helping social media managers finally gain the respect and budgets they deserve from sceptical executives.

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EP 66: YouTube Dominance: Why Most Brands Fail at Video Marketing Mar 25, 2025

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 early. Ballint breaks down what it really takes to build a successful channel, starting with the essentials: a compelling hook, thumbnail, and title – all of which need to be nailed before you even hit record.

For brands serious about using YouTube properly, understanding audience behaviour is crucial. We explore the niches with the highest ad revenue (finance tops the list at $60–$80 per thousand views) and why your audience’s age, location and intent can make or break your monetisation strategy. You’ll also learn why your videos should be at least eight minutes long, and how to structure them to keep viewers watching until the end.

Ballint also challenges the common myth that short-form content viewers will naturally become long-form viewers, a false assumption that’s led many marketing strategies astray.

Whether you’re building a new channel or trying to revive a dormant one, this episode gives you a clear, no-nonsense approach to making YouTube content that attracts, engages, and converts.

Stop guessing – and start getting results. Listen now.

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EP 65: How to turn passionate fans into your most powerful marketing channel, with Paul Archer Mar 19, 2025

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 argument is that brands need an advocacy programme to succeed. Unlike traditional influencer marketing, which he describes as paying people to "pretend to like your brand", true advocacy taps into the enthusiasm of genuine fans who already love what you do. The key? Having a clear purpose that makes it easier for consumers to understand and align with the experience you're creating.

Want to find out how to truly tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing? Learn everything you need to get started, including the five-stage process brands follow to build genuine, authentic brand advocacy programmes.

Is your marketing strategy ready for 2025? Book a free 15-min discovery call with Chris to get tailored insights to boost your brand’s growth.

👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈

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EP 64: How a Family Cleaning Brand 'Swept Up' the Competition, with Howard Moss Mar 11, 2025

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 short of inspirational. It’s a real display of entrepreneurial spirit and of not staying down when you’re knocked.

Howard has a refreshing philosophy of not over-analysing everything – something that extends to the brand’s marketing strategy and is exemplified by its brilliant Wimbledon sponsorship tactic. We discuss this, the importance of influencer marketing, and everything the brand has learned over an incredibly interesting history.

It’s a masterclass in how entrepreneurial thinking and a genuine commitment to product quality can disrupt an industry, and a candid conversation into sustainable growth and authentic brand building.

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EP 63: Crisis Control 2025: What to Do When It All Goes Wrong Mar 04, 2025

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’s marketing missteps. We cover the importance of real-time monitoring, empathy-driven communication, and planning (planning, planning), and how these strategies can even turn a crisis into an opportunity.

The key takeaway? Every crisis is manageable as long as there’s a robust plan in place to mitigate damage and retain brand trust. As the overly-quoted (but absolutely accurate when it comes to a crisis) idiom goes: "fail to prepare, prepare to fail"!

Don’t treat a crisis as an ‘if’, but rather as a ‘when’ – and learn everything you need to prepare like a pro in this episode.

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EP 62: Why Comms Teams Are Wasting £10K a Month (And How to Fix It) Feb 25, 2025

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 biggest mistakes people make when trying to automate, and why some tasks still need a human touch. Plus, he reveals the Google Ads blunder that got his client de-platformed.

If you’ve ever wondered what AI really means for the future of PR—and how to use it to your advantage—this episode is a must-listen.

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EP 61: The Powerful Role of Psychology in Business and Marketing with Abby Dixon Feb 18, 2025

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 regain control and find fulfilment by understanding your motivations and setting priorities. Abigail discus with us the common stressors in marketing, the immense emotional energy required to align stakeholders, and the highs and lows marketers face. Learn how to navigate these challenges and why support and alignment are crucial for a rewarding career.
Marketing is no longer just a supporting role; it's a strategic business pillar. Abigail discusses how marketing professionals have evolved over the last 25 years, becoming integral to business strategy. Gain insight into the significance of engaging training sessions and crafting award-winning entries, while exploring the nostalgic evolution of communication technology in the workplace. This episode promises rich insights for marketers eager to enhance their careers and demonstrate their value in today's fast-paced business environment.

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EP 60: How to Avoid the Dirty Tricks from the Media with Helen Nugent Feb 11, 2025

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 avoid misquotations or embarrassing situations. From the "rabbit punch" to the "Columbo question," Helen unveils strategies journalists use to draw out valuable information. Prepare yourself with practical advice for handling interviews, ensuring your message is delivered accurately and effectively.
Finally, we examine the subtleties of on-camera presence and how to avoid common interview blunders. Helen offers insights into the art of reframing negative language, the power of humour in handling personal questions, and optimising body language. With anecdotes that highlight both interview wins and mishaps, this episode equips you with the confidence and skills to face the media spotlight without missing a beat.

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EP 59: Why Your PR ROI is Failing – And How to Fix It Feb 04, 2025

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 efforts with real business results. If you’re tired of guesswork and want to track PR the right way, this ROI episode is a must-listen!

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EP 58: It’s Better to Belong: The Art of Building Customer Loyalty in Competitive Markets Jan 28, 2025

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 relationships

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EP 57: The £400 Billboard That Made Headlines: Mark Rofe’s Love-Seeking PR Stunt Jan 21, 2025

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 stunt a massive PR win.

Mark also shares his entrepreneurial side hustles, from his misstep selling England car flags to building an e-commerce Christmas tree business. Each miscalculation taught him valuable lessons in branding, targeting, and navigating unexpected challenges—insights he now uses to teach marketers how to stand out in the crowded digital landscape. This episode goes beyond the usual PR chatter and explores the real-world impact of risk-taking and out-of-the-box thinking.

For marketers looking to learn practical, no-nonsense strategies, Mark shares his favourite quick and “lazy” ways to secure coverage, along with actionable advice on crafting campaigns that capture attention. Packed with humour, real-world anecdotes, and expert tips, this episode will leave you inspired to embrace your own marketing experiments—mistakes and all.

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EP 56: From Zero to 110K Downloads: Master Podcasting in 2025 to Transform Your Brand Jan 14, 2025

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 podcasting
• The potential for community building and brand authority through podcasts

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EP 55: How Gap Leveraged TikTok Trends for a Bold Fashion Move Jan 07, 2025

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 TikTok trends but also set a new standard for brand-influencer partnerships. Discover how social listening and community engagement can transform marketing strategies for legacy brands. Sinead offers insights into the evolution of influencer culture, reflecting on lessons learned from past collaborations and the immense potential of the creator economy. Join us to understand how listening to your audience and collaborating with digital influencers can lead to relevance and relatability in today's fast-paced social media landscape.

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EP 54: Failing Forward: Brian Keane’s Road From Broke to Bestseller Dec 03, 2024

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 embrace failure as feedback. From practical tips on building resilience and personal branding to the raw truth about setbacks, Brian’s story offers powerful takeaways for marketers and entrepreneurs alike.

Explore the art of handling negativity and building resilience in the business world whilst Brian's insights into managing negative feedback and reframing challenges highlight the importance of seeing failure as valuable feedback rather than a final outcome. Drawing lessons from Brian's personal business missteps and triumphs, we dive into the balance of leveraging social media for growth and maintaining sanity online and equipping you with the strategies to overcome obstacles and thrive in both personal and professional pursuits.
Get ready for a conversation packed with inspiration, authenticity, and actionable insights that will help you turn failures into opportunities.

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EP 53: The Report That Scared CMOs: AI, Backlash, and Budget Squeezes Nov 26, 2024

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 underscores the importance of balancing creativity with data to navigate today’s marketing landscape.
We explore the gruelling landscape of modern marketing strategies where social listening tools become pivotal in understanding ever-changing customer needs, particularly in B2B sectors. From the rise of podcasts as essential engagement tools to the struggles of CMOs juggling increased demands with shrinking budgets, this episode covers it all. Discover how innovative approaches like outsourcing talent to cost-efficient regions align time zones without compromising quality, offering a lifeline to budget-strapped marketing departments.
We cap off the discussion with a candid look at workplace fails and the lessons they offer. From email mishaps to the nuances of maintaining statistical robustness in research, the episode is rich in relatable anecdotes and practical advice. Robin shares exciting future possibilities, like blending natural and synthetic audiences in marketing events, hinting at the technologically innovative road ahead. Buckle up for an episode that promises to enlighten you with its blend of expert insights and real-world experiences.

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EP 52: Unlocking 40% Profit Margins: The Secret to Agency Pricing Success Nov 19, 2024

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 challenges faced by agencies, such as undervaluing services and competing against lower-priced competitors. Crispin provides real-world examples and strategies for demonstrating measurable impact, ensuring your agency stands out in the crowded marketplace. We also discuss the concept of the "hamster wheel of growth," sharing tips on how to scale effectively without sacrificing quality or losing sight of your business goals. By understanding key growth thresholds and maintaining structured processes, agencies can thrive sustainably.
Gain clarity on aligning personal and organisational purposes to develop better decision-making and business strategies. Crispin emphasises the importance of understanding the 'why' behind agency goals to attract the right clients and maintain value. Whether it's rethinking growth strategies or interviewing client CEOs for deeper insights, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge for agency owners aiming for long-term success and meaningful outcomes. Join us and transform how you articulate your agency's worth in today's competitive landscape.

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EP 51: Why 80% of New Grocery Products Fail: Lessons from the Food & Beverage Sectors Nov 12, 2024

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 brands like St Pierre, Primula Cheese, and Bloom Gin.
Join us as we explore the dynamic dance between consumer behaviour, market trends, and marketing strategies. Delve into Coca-Cola's surprising leap into dairy-free products and unpack the lessons from Burger King's infamous Satisfries launch. With a market brimming with optimism and rising consumer confidence, discover how innovative campaigns, like Cereal's audacious moves in the cereal aisle, are reshaping the landscape and capturing attention.
Finally, we unravel the art of storytelling in marketing, sharing how compelling narratives and integrated strategies can captivate both media and consumers alike. From Estrella's bold challenge to its competitors to the rise of low and no-alcohol beverages, witness how brands are making waves with disruptive marketing. By leveraging social media insights and third-party reports, learn how to craft dual-focused campaigns that engage trade buyers and consumers, driving organic growth and solidifying brand presence in an ever-evolving market.

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EP 50: 450K Emails in One Hour?! How a HubSpot Blunder Turned into a Nightmare Nov 05, 2024

Ever wondered how rejection can fuel innovation? Zohe Mustafa, the visionary founder and head of marketing at Growth Hakka, shares his inspiring journey from being turned away by advertising agencies to pioneering AI-driven marketing strategies. Learn how Zohe has transformed obstacles into opportunities, including a noteworthy mishap with HubSpot that resulted in an email debacle. His experiences with industry titans like QVC, Virgin Media, and Nokia provide insightful lessons about resilience and adapting to market shifts, particularly the dramatic impact of the iPhone's launch on Nokia's fortunes.
Discover the secrets of harnessing data to elevate your marketing game, especially if you're working with a modest budget. We discuss how analysing digital footprints using a 50-metric approach unveils growth opportunities and optimises marketing efforts. Hear about the vital role of data in managing unforeseen challenges, such as a social media crisis faced by Royal Mail during the 2012 Paralympics. This episode is a goldmine of insights on using data-driven strategies to justify marketing budgets and handle public relations challenges effectively.
Uncover the potential of AI in marketing, as we explore how it can streamline workflows and boost productivity. From AI workshops to utilising tools like Microsoft's CoPilot and Google's offerings, we delve into the practical applications of AI for marketers. Zohe emphasises the importance of experimentation with different AI tools to find the perfect fit for your marketing goals. Alongside these tech insights, we highlight the timeless power of curiosity and the value of asking questions, encouraging listeners to stay engaged and keep the conversation going.

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EP 49: How to Build a Premium Brand: Insights from Lexus - Mat Thomas Oct 29, 2024

World-renowned brand strategist Mat Thomas shares his fascinating journey from finance to marketing, offering insights on how his diverse experiences have shaped his approach in the competitive world of automotive branding. With a background in handling powerhouse brands like Unilever and Bayer, Mat reveals the nuances of transitioning into the automotive sector with Lexus UK. From his strategic rebranding success with Rennie to navigating the complexities of marketing for Toyota and Lexus, Mat provides a compelling narrative of adapting and thriving across industries.
Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of Lexus's strategic initiatives as a smaller player in the premium car market, exploring how innovative partnerships and sponsorships, such as those with the Lawn Tennis Association and Sky Tennis Channel, are key to building brand salience. Mat delves into the intricacies of accurately defining target audiences, moving beyond stereotypes through ethnographic research, and maintaining a distinct brand identity in a rapidly evolving market. This episode offers a comprehensive examination of Lexus's marketing strategies, highlighting the crucial role of customer understanding and brand coherence.
Join us as we uncover the pitfalls of misaligned social media strategies and the importance of aligning them with brand goals. Mat candidly discusses a notable misstep at Lexus and offers valuable insights into crafting campaigns that resonate emotionally rather than just chasing engagement. Aspiring marketers in the automotive and premium sectors will benefit from expert advice on building a solid foundation in brand management and media, understanding customer objections, and leveraging strategic partnerships. Don't miss this engaging conversation on the ever-evolving landscape of marketing and how to effectively navigate its challenges.

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EP 48: £15M and 37 Downloads: Inside the Kylie Minogue Campaign That Went Horribly Wrong - Tom Goodwin Oct 15, 2024

Can you imagine a world where the relentless march of technology isn't as swift as we perceive it to be? Join us as we explore this intriguing possibility with futurist and digital transformation expert, Tom Goodwin. In a thought-provoking conversation, Tom shares his insights on "Digital Darwinism" and the importance of maintaining a human-centred approach in the face of technological change. Tom provides invaluable lessons on how making mistakes can lead to smarter, more creative strategies that truly resonate with audiences.
As we navigate the current landscape of digital advertising, Tom challenges the conventional wisdom that hyper-personalised ads are the key to success. Instead, he advocates for crafting broad, well-designed campaigns that genuinely serve and respect audiences. Emphasising the concept of nowism, Tom breaks down the value of focusing on improving present-day customer interactions and connecting with people in meaningful ways. He paints a picture of a marketing industry that prioritises being helpful over mere innovation, encouraging brands to rethink their strategies and truly engage with their consumers.
Looking to the future, Tom offers a glimpse into the advertising trends expected in 2025, highlighting the potential for more direct advertising and the emergence of premium web experiences. He stresses the importance of reconnecting with consumers to better understand their needs and preferences, urging marketers to break free from their echo chambers. By sharing insights from diverse individuals and inviting regular consumers into the conversation, Tom envisions a more people-centric approach that can drive innovation and success in marketing. Don't miss out on this enlightening episode that promises to reshape your understanding of digital transformation and marketing.

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EP 47: How Can You Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking? Jayne Constantinis Oct 08, 2024

In this episode, we’re joined by Jayne Constantinis, an esteemed trainer and presenter whose career spans the high-pressure world of BBC broadcasting, corporate PR, and TEDx stages. Jayne shares her captivating journey from navigating live TV to empowering others with the tools to communicate confidently and authentically in any setting.

Drawing on her rich experiences across industries, Jayne reveals the key strategies behind effective communication—from conquering the fear of public speaking to making your message resonate with any audience. Her practical insights, honed from years of presenting and coaching, offer invaluable guidance on everything from structuring boardroom presentations to delivering TED-style talks with confidence and ease. She shares actionable tips on understanding your audience, crafting content that sticks, and creating compelling visuals to keep attention focused on you, not the slides.

Jayne also emphasises the importance of rehearsing out loud to eliminate filler words and maintain a natural, engaging delivery. And with her own personal story of preparing for a TEDx talk, she offers a step-by-step guide for overcoming performance anxiety, embracing spontaneity, and striking the perfect balance between preparation and authenticity.

As the conversation shifts to the art of small talk and active listening, Jayne offers fresh perspectives on building genuine connections in business and personal settings. Whether you’re mingling at a networking event or navigating the complexities of digital-age conversations, her advice is both practical and inspiring.
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https://www.jayneconstantinis.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayneconstantinis/

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EP 46: Why My Generosity Flopped: The Reciprocity Lesson Marketers Need - Phill Agnew Nudge Oct 01, 2024

What if understanding consumer behaviour could transform your marketing efforts? Join us for an insightful conversation with Phill Agnew, the mastermind behind the Nudge Podcast, as we uncover the secrets of behavioural science in marketing. From his early days as a marketing student to becoming a leading voice in the industry, Phill shares his journey and the pivotal moments that led him to embrace behavioural science. We'll explore the immense impact of these principles on marketing success and learn how to leverage psychological insights to avoid costly mistakes and achieve exceptional results.
Phill delves into the integration of behavioural science within organisations and the common pitfalls to avoid, like negative social proof. Through real-life examples, he illustrates how constant testing and the input bias can refine strategies and elevate your campaigns. We also dive into an intriguing experiment comparing the effectiveness of handwritten notes versus standard emails in boosting podcast review response rates, offering practical takeaways for personalised engagement.
Creativity, reciprocity, and hidden influences are key themes in this episode, as Phill debunks myths about creativity and examines the mere exposure effect and irrational consumer behaviours. We draw on wisdom from behavioural science luminaries like Richard Shotton and Rory Sutherland, and highlight the benefits of learning from the mistakes of experts. This episode is packed with insights, ready to revolutionise your marketing approach and deepen your understanding of consumer psychology. Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your strategy with the proven principles of behavioural science.

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EP 45: Is Guaranteed Coverage Really Just Paid Media in Disguise? Chris Pharo Explains Sep 24, 2024

If you’ve ever wanted “guaranteed media coverage,” this episode is a must-listen. We’ve all been there — clients expecting front-page headlines and PR teams doing their best to secure that all-important killer piece. However, many in the PR industry have asked how anyone can guarantee coverage and whether it is just paid content in disguise. In this episode, we were grateful to sit down with Chris Pharo, CEO of 72 Point, to peel back the layers of this contentious issue. We explore why “guaranteed coverage” isn’t always what it seems and what it means for the industry.
As a senior marketer, you know that media relations are vital. But are your PR strategies keeping pace with the rapid evolution of the industry? Chris Pharo, with over two decades of experience navigating the media landscape, shares insights into the changing nature of media relationships and how outdated PR tactics can hinder your brand’s success. From the death of traditional press releases to the rise of digital-first content, we dive deep into what it takes to get meaningful media coverage today.
What happens when a significant PR promise goes awry? Chris recounts the high-profile campaign at 72 Point that didn’t go as planned, leading to negative headlines in PR Week and a bit of social media shitstorm. How did his team recover? And more importantly, how did this experience lead to a complete overhaul of their communications strategy?
Cutting through the noise is harder than ever. Journalists are stretched thin, content is everywhere, and consumers are more skeptical than ever. If you’re tired of outdated tactics that no longer work, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how to rethink your approach to PR and storytelling. Chris Pharo shares why data-driven insights and creative storytelling are key to building impactful media relationships—and how to use them to your advantage.
Whether you’re frustrated by a lack of media traction or curious about how to adapt your PR strategy for 2024 and beyond, this episode is packed with value.
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-pharo-94b922114/?originalSubdomain=uk

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EP 44: How Top Marketers Avoid Vanity Metrics and Focus on Real Growth Sep 17, 2024

Want to know how to truly resonate with your audience and craft marketing strategies that hit the mark? Listen to our conversation with Alex Myers, head of marketing at the SEO Works, as we break down the essence of market orientation and how understanding your audience isn't just about sharing job titles but stepping into their shoes. From navigating the unique challenges of marketing to marketers to adapting strategies across different sectors, Alex shares invaluable insights that will transform your approach to campaign planning and execution.
The future of SEO is a hot topic, especially with AI on the rise. Alex and I explore the delicate balance between technology and human-authored content, illustrating how authenticity and expertise remain irreplaceable. We dive into the significance of building a brand from the inside out, leveraging the strengths of internal teams to genuinely reflect a company's core values. Our discussion also extends to partnering with SEO agencies for maintaining content quality amidst ever-evolving algorithms, ensuring your brand remains trustworthy and impactful.
Metrics matter, but which ones truly drive business success? We dissect the difference between vanity metrics and actionable metrics with Alex, focusing on metrics that genuinely affect the bottom line like customer retention and organic revenue. Through compelling examples, including a memorable marketing mishap involving construction workers, we underscore the importance of understanding your audience and thoroughly testing campaigns. Tune in for practical advice on navigating the balance between organic and paid campaigns, and learn how to prioritize real metrics that lead to sustainable growth.
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-myers-982868146/
https://www.seoworks.co.uk/

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EP 43: How to Master Strategic Copywriting and Boost Freelance Success with Sarah Townsend Sep 10, 2024

Ever wondered how to transform your business through the power of words? Join us as we chat with the incredible Sarah Townsend, a leading freelance copywriter and author who shares her remarkable journey from the corporate world to freelance success. Learn how clarity, simplicity, and human-centric writing can revolutionise your messaging and respect your audience's time. Discover why it's essential to write for your readers' needs and avoid the pitfalls of academic conventions that can obscure communication.
Struggling to craft an 'About' page that truly connects with potential clients? Sarah reveals her top strategies for making your 'About' page a client-centric powerhouse that solves problems rather than lists qualifications. We also unpack the art of effective calls to action, discussing how to balance providing enough information with encouraging engagement. Sarah's tips on tailoring these calls to action to suit your work style and schedule will help you achieve greater efficiency and productivity in your business.
Say goodbye to clichéd copywriting and hello to a unique brand voice. In this episode, Sarah highlights the importance of authenticity and specificity in your messaging, and how understanding customer language can create genuine connections. Plus, get practical advice on transitioning into freelancing, financial planning, and maintaining mental health. Sarah's entertaining anecdotes, from proofreading mishaps to travel blunders, offer valuable lessons and plenty of laughs. Tune in for an episode packed with actionable insights and amusing stories that will elevate your copywriting skills and freelance success.
Follow Sarah:
https://www.sarahtownsendeditorial.co.uk/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahtownsendeditorial/
https://x.com/STEcopywriting
Buy her book https://amzn.to/2Y1z1cw

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EP 42: Falling Over, Failed Funnels, and Facebook Ad Fiascos: 50 Episodes of Mistakes Sep 03, 2024

Ever wondered how booking events in different cities on the same dates could turn into a hilarious marketing lesson? Or what it’s like to fall over during a high-stakes pitch? Join Chris Norton and Will Ockenden, as we celebrate our 50th episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes. We kick off with Lisa Thompson’s side-splitting stories that highlight the importance of attention to detail and keeping a good sense of humour.
Imagine launching a design-focused pet store right in the middle of the 2008 financial crisis. We revisit this rollercoaster journey, sharing the emotional and financial hurdles of moving from a physical store to an online platform. Learn from our experience about the resilience needed to navigate business failures and turn them into future successes.
From the outrageous chocolate milkshake stunt by Arla to runaway buffaloes in Sydney, this episode features some of the wildest marketing and PR disasters we’ve encountered. Hear stories from Meagan Williamson and Anil Manji about costly mistakes and the lessons we can all take away from them. Whether it’s about avoiding PR nightmares or making wiser investment choices, this episode will leave you with a strong list of practical advice. Celebrate with us and don’t forget to share your own marketing mishaps as we laugh and learn together.
Links to featured episodes:
Lisa:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2206375/15623939
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H11PZDC4zfE&t=22s
Paul:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2206375/13925249
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NurZ0VMwJew&t=13s
Vicki:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2206375/13159964
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqdojwkMtI8
Gareth:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2206375/15392494
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TOrp08XF-Y&t=2s
Greg:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2206375/14684365
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tP33LBrQ-k&t=2211s
Meagan:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2206375/15532735
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx3oHFP5vWE
Anil:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2206375/15606126
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWCg4cgBrYg&t=113s
Richard:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2206375/15149358
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv3ePr967GQ&t=29s
Ant:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2206375/14319495
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9QrdezxlrU
Ken:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2206375/15288946
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFoYlO0Hfdg&t=2427s

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EP 41: How Class Diversity Can Be the Secret to Your Marketing Strategy with Lisa Thompson Aug 27, 2024

Unlock the secrets to more inclusive and effective marketing strategies with our special guest, Lisa Thompson, strategy lead at Wavemaker and founder of Common People. We delve into Lisa's experiences and insights, revealing how balancing data with human intuition can uncover missed opportunities and drive impactful campaigns.
Explore the profound impact of class diversity on the advertising, PR, and marketing industries, tracing back to the natural class diversity of the 80s and 90s that spurred creativity and innovation. Hear personal stories from Lisa and our host about working in Manchester and London, highlighting regional differences and class perceptions. Gain valuable statistical insights on the disparity between the UK's working-class population and their representation in advertising, and learn about the ongoing challenges and biases in recruitment practices that hinder true diversity.
Navigate the nuances of dress codes and social norms in the marketing industry, with anecdotes that underscore the importance of clear communication for newcomers. Embrace the learning process through humorous and insightful stories of marketing mishaps, and get inspired by the resources and initiatives aimed at improving social mobility. Join our engaging conversation with Lisa as we reflect on the progress in diversity initiatives and celebrate the significance of inclusivity in creating more innovative and effective marketing environments.
https://wavemakerglobal.com/
X: @lisajthompson18
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-thompson-fipa-1a5b4b65/

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EP 40: Can a Government Campaign Change the World? Lessons from COVID and COP26 - Anil Manji Aug 20, 2024

Ever wondered how marketing strategies are crafted amidst the chaos of a global crisis? Join us on as we sit down with Anil Manji, a communications consultant with a remarkable journey from Grey London’s iconic campaigns to high-stakes government communications during COVID-19. Anil divulges the intricacies of managing large-scale marketing strategies and the challenges of crisis communication, offering listeners a rare peek into the UK government's crisis hub and his involvement in landmark projects like COP26.
Gain practical insights from Anil as he recounts his experience with the OASIS framework for campaign planning and shares the vital lessons learned in combating misinformation. From navigating the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic to leading high-impact marketing efforts like the M&S Christmas food campaign, Anil's stories provide a valuable education in resilience and adaptability. Learn how he managed to keep the public informed and engaged during a global health crisis, all while ensuring the smooth execution of international marketing efforts.
Our discussion also touches on the strategic challenges of using high-profile celebrity endorsements in marketing campaigns, with Anil offering creative alternatives that maximize effectiveness without overshooting budgets. Listen in as he reveals how a 10-week mini MBA transformed his approach to marketing and how he’s applying this knowledge in his current role with the NHS. This episode is packed with actionable insights on government communication, strategic marketing, and innovative approaches to sustainability campaigns. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the industry's most versatile experts.
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anil-manji-71649484/
X: @anilmanjiuk
Email: anilmanji@gmail.com

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EP 39: Why Weird Works: The Secret to Guerrilla Marketing Success with Peter Freedman Aug 13, 2024

Ever wondered how silly PR ideas turn into marketing gold? We're thrilled to have Peter Freedman, the genius behind Thinking at Think Inc., join us as he shares his journey from the newsroom to the PR boardroom. Discover the secrets behind Peter's knack for crafting campaigns that have made giants like Apple and Disney stand out, all without breaking the bank. He also gives us a sneak peek into his latest book, "How Calm Whipped Up a Storm," which dives deep into the art of mixing humour and seriousness in marketing.
Step into the world of creative PR as we dissect some of the most unconventional campaigns ever conceived. From the ground-breaking "Baa Baa Land" for Calm, which featured an eight-hour slow-motion film to help you snooze, to the strategy behind seemingly spontaneous stunts, we cover it all. Hear about the meticulous research and brainstorming sessions that transform wild ideas into viral sensations. We also explore how guerrilla marketing and viral content have evolved to keep audiences hooked.
Humour and weirdness—do they really have a place in serious marketing? Absolutely! Find out how weird celebrity endorsements and unusual concepts can generate massive media buzz. We bring you stories of Gwyneth Paltrow's infamous candle launch and John McEnroe's sleep stories for Calm. Don't miss this episode filled with laughter, creativity, and expert strategies to keep your marketing fresh and engaging.

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EP 38: How your brand can get the most out of Pinterest - Meagan Williamson Aug 06, 2024

Unlock the secrets of Pinterest marketing success for 2024 with insights from Megan, a seasoned expert who transformed her viral moment into a thriving business. Ever wondered how an educational psychologist can pivot to becoming a top Pinterest consultant? Megan's journey is nothing short of inspiring, and she’s here to share her invaluable strategies and productivity hacks that can drive significant traffic and engagement for your brand.
In this episode, we explore the evolution of Pinterest, highlighting its growing appeal among younger users who appreciate its aesthetic and drama-free vibe. Learn how to harness Pinterest's visual search engine to skyrocket your e-commerce success with a content-first approach. From an online glasses retailer to DIY enthusiasts, discover how Pinterest can match user intent with your products, driving more website traffic and sales than ever before.
We also delve into the nitty-gritty of effective Pinterest marketing strategies, including tailored content, the importance of social signals, and the best practices for pinning. Megan’s transition from psychology to Pinterest consulting is a testament to the platform's power as a consistent traffic generator and email subscriber builder. This episode is jam-packed with actionable tips and will equip you with the knowledge needed to leverage Pinterest for sustained business growth. Don't miss out on learning from Megan's incredible story and expert advice!
https://meaganwilliamson.com/

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EP 37: How the Wrong AI Approach Is Costing Brands Big: Lessons for Smarter Implementation - Andrew Bruce Smith Jul 30, 2024

Ever wondered how AI is reshaping the marketing landscape? Join us for an enlightening conversation with Andrew Bruce Smith as we explore the significant strides AI has made over the past year. Witness Andrew’s unique perspective on evolving from early social media days to leading AI-driven marketing strategies. We also dive into the origins of his company, Escherman, and how his passion for AI has fuelled its success. You’ll hear first-hand about the transformative power of AI in marketing and the challenges that come with its rapid advancements.
Get ready to navigate the often perplexing world of AI tools and services. We break down the real costs and complexities of using technologies from industry giants like OpenAI and Microsoft. From data privacy issues to the steep prices of enterprise-level solutions, Andrew and I share our personal experiences and insights. This episode sheds light on the exciting yet uncertain journey of integrating AI into professional settings, ensuring you’re better equipped to handle the hurdles along the way.
But that’s not all! Discover the cutting-edge intersection of AI and creativity with tools like Udio.com, which can turn a simple guitar riff into a full-blown song. We also tackle ethical concerns and the real-world impacts of AI, particularly in industries like translation and customer service. Andrew's engaging webinars and conferences offer further opportunities to deepen your AI knowledge. Plus, enjoy a fun anecdote about his online handle that adds a touch of humour to our discussion. This episode promises a thorough look at AI’s burgeoning role and its profound future implications.

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EP 36: Can AR Technology Transform Brand Advertising or Is It Just Hype? Jul 23, 2024

How can brands leverage cutting-edge technology and creativity to connect with their audiences? Join us as we sit down with Jed Hallam, the former Global Head of Strategy Arcadia at Snap, for a captivating discussion on his career and his innovative work at Snapchat. Jed's journey from agency life to the tech world is filled with invaluable insights and lessons in brand marketing and strategic planning. Hear first-hand about his passion for culture, community, and creativity, and how these elements have shaped his approach to redefining advertising strategies at Snapchat.
Jed shares an intriguing story of a bold collaboration with Coca-Cola, transforming their vending machines into interactive AR experiences. Discover the revolutionary potential of repurposing existing technologies to create ground-breaking applications. We also dive into Snapchat's unique appeal to Gen Z and its distinct approach to user engagement, which stands apart from other social media platforms with its emphasis on private interactions over publicly visible content. Jed provides a detailed analysis of how Snapchat has maintained strong user retention and continued growth, offering great insights into the future of social media marketing.
The episode concludes with a deep dive into the future of Augmented Reality (AR) and the inception of CultureLab, a venture aimed at helping brands engage with audiences through cultural connections. Learn about the challenges and opportunities AR presents to smaller companies and the importance of integrating cultural insights into brand strategies. Jed's vision for Culture Lab is an exciting look at the future of marketing, making this episode a must-listen for professionals eager to stay ahead in the ever-changing digital landscape.
Follow Jed:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jedhallam/edit/forms/next-action/after-connect-update-profile/
X: https://x.com/jedhallam

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EP 35: The Hairy Fail: Gareth Turner’s PR Nightmare with a Human Hair Coat Jul 16, 2024

Unlock the secrets to brand growth with Gareth Turner, the mastermind behind the innovative Big Black Door agency. Gain insights from Gareth's rich experience in the FMCG and food and drink sectors, including the viral sensation Weetabix and Heinz Baked Beans campaign. You'll learn the marketing fundamentals that drive both B2B and B2C success, with a keen focus on understanding your audience's motivations and breaking down barriers to purchase.
Join us as we explore the importance of taking risks and keeping your brand relevant with unconventional ideas. Gareth shares invaluable lessons from daring campaigns, including a controversial Weetabix promotion and the pitfalls of overcomplicated messaging. From crafting brand awareness to winning prestigious awards during lockdown, Gareth's journey offers a masterclass in maintaining brand relevance and sparking significant public conversations.
Finally, reflect on marketing failures and the allure of new technologies that can distract from core fundamentals. Hear stories, like the PR stunt involving a human hair coat, and celebrate success stories like Spoon Cereals' rise on Dragon's Den. This episode is full of practical advice and real-world examples to help you avoid common pitfalls and achieve sustained brand success.
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X: garethaturner

LinkedIn: garethaturner
www.bigblackdoor.com

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How brands can learn from the Saka x Nando's collaboration - Campaign Crunch Jul 09, 2024

What happens when a passionate footballer teams up with a beloved restaurant chain? Find out as we welcome our newest team member, Caitlin Wharmby, to discuss the sizzling Nando's and Bukayo Saka sauce campaign. We explore how Saka’s genuine affection for Nando's turned into a mouth-watering collaboration, placing him in the spotlight as the "head chef" in their latest marketing video, "Yes, Chef."
We break down what makes this campaign a standout success, from Saka’s personal connection to the brand to the eye-catching artwork that has everyone talking. Caitlin and Chris review the campaign's video, appreciating its engaging content and visual creativity. By blending the appeal of a popular footballer with a favourite restaurant, Nando's managed to create an authentic and relatable promotion that resonates with fans and food lovers alike. Tune in to understand the dynamics of celebrity partnerships and what makes them click in the world of marketing!

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EP 34: How a Twitter Fail Sparked Stuart Bruce’s AI Journey in PR Jul 02, 2024

AI in PR and Politics: Lessons from PR Futurist Stuart Bruce
Ever wondered how AI is revolutionising the PR industry? PR expert Stuart Bruce joins us to celebrate the first anniversary of "Embracing Marketing Mistakes" and share how AI has become an indispensable tool for PR agencies over the past year. From improving productivity to enhancing communication strategies, Stuart provides a deep dive into the practical applications of AI in the business world. We also analyse the upcoming general election, examining the communication tactics of various political parties and drawing parallels to corporate affairs.
Lawyers, take note—AI is not here to replace you but to make your life easier. Our discussion transitions to the legal industry, highlighting the transformative impact of AI tools such as Microsoft's Copilot. We cover cost-effectiveness, pricing strategies for early adopters, and the unique benefits of features like Copilot Studio and custom GPTs. The conversation expands to explore the ethical considerations of AI integration and the importance of building trust in these technologies, offering valuable insights for any industry considering AI implementation.
From the high-stakes world of politics and social media to the ethics of AI, this episode covers it all. We delve into the implications of deepfake technology, showcasing real-world examples and discussing how businesses can update their crisis communication strategies to combat these new threats. Reflecting on Stuart's experience with Alan Johnson's deputy leadership campaign, we explore how early adoption of platforms like Twitter set the stage for modern political communication. Finally, we emphasise the importance of a client-centric approach in business.

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EP 33: When Marketing Stunts Backfire: Lessons from Paddy Power’s Oscar Pistorius Ad Fail Jun 25, 2024

Get ready for a masterclass in disruptive marketing with our special guest, Ken Robertson, the former Head of Mischief at Paddy Power and current CEO of the Tenth Man. We uncover how Ken's strategies transformed Paddy Power into an entertainment powerhouse, from their mischievous "black ops" division to their stunts that grabbed global attention, including one campaign that attracted scrutiny from the UN. Ken shares behind-the-scenes tales of how Paddy Power's irreverent approach helped them stand out in a crowded market.
Ever wondered how a pair of underpants could disrupt brands like McDonald's and Adidas? In our conversation, Ken reveals the genius behind Paddy Power's viral ambush marketing campaign during a European football tournament. By partnering with Danish striker Nicholas Bendtner, they turned a cheeky goal celebration into a global sensation. This move not only garnered massive attention but also forced UEFA to tighten its rules on guerrilla marketing.
We also explore how Paddy Power cleverly infiltrated major events, like cheekily sponsoring an event in London, France, during the 2012 London Olympics. From political betting ventures to the autonomy that fuelled creative freedom, Ken provides rich insights into the brand's playbook. We even touch on how other brands like BrewDog and Ryanair have successfully adopted similar disruptive tactics. This episode is a treasure trove of lessons for anyone looking to revolutionise their marketing game with a fearless and innovative approach.

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EP 32: What Crisis Management Secrets Can Save Your Brand from Scandal? Ann Wright Jun 18, 2024

Can your business survive a crisis? Learn the secrets from Ann Wright, the founder of Roughhouse Media, who shares her wealth of experience from her days as a BBC journalist uncovering major crises. Discover how to prepare effectively for potential disasters and the vital role media training plays in ensuring your team is ready for anything. Ann’s gripping anecdotes from her investigative reporting days make this episode both educational and engaging.
We'll walk you through the steps of creating a solid crisis strategy for your organisation, using a real-world example from a museum. Find out how to identify key risks, assemble an effective crisis team, and respond promptly to various scenarios. With case studies like the Onclusive Media data breach and a hotel fire incident, we'll show you the importance of timely and transparent communication, especially in the age of social media.
In our discussion, we also dive into the realm of crisis communication for charities, with insights from Adila Worley of Charity Comms. Ann emphasises the importance of genuine care, actionable steps, and keeping perspective during a crisis, sharing stories of successful crisis management from companies like Alton Towers and lessons from high-profile missteps. This episode is packed with practical advice and real-world examples to help you navigate through any storm with confidence.
Follow Ann:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annwright01
X: @roughhouse01

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Embracing Marketing Mistakes Podcast Trailer Jun 13, 2024

Ever wondered why some marketing campaigns flop while others skyrocket? Uncover the secrets of transforming your marketing mishaps and f*ck ups into monumental successes with the Embracing Marketing Mistakes Podcast.
Join me, Chris Norton, and my co-owner, Will Ockenden, as we guide you through the labyrinth of marketing screw-ups, sharing our 25 years of industry insight and expertise. Promising to boost your ROI and skyrocket your revenue, we reveal how even the most costly mistakes can become powerful learning experiences that can help you grow and win.
Every week, we feature invaluable wisdom from industry-leading marketers and share real-life examples of marketing missteps so you can avoid those pitfalls. Whether you're a CMO or Head of Marketing for a high-revenue company, this podcast is packed with actionable strategies to help refine your marketing playbook and ensure your campaigns deliver unprecedented success.
Subscribe to "Embracing Marketing Mistakes" and turn every marketing failure into your own stepping stone toward record-breaking achievements.

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EP 31: How Does Audible Mix Audiobook Success with Marketing Challenges? Richard Noble Jun 04, 2024

Ever wondered how the rise of audiobooks impacts the traditional publishing landscape? Join us as we chat with Richard Noble, Head of European Public Relations at Audible, to uncover the secrets behind Audible's explosive growth and its harmonious relationship with print books. We'll explore how Audible's extensive in-house productions and partnerships with iconic IPs like Marvel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are reshaping the audiobook market. Discover the shifting demographics of audiobook listeners, particularly the younger audience that's driving the industry's digital revolution.
Get ready for an insider's view of the intricacies of PR and marketing in the audio entertainment world. Richard shares his personal career highlights, recounting a wildly unexpected buffalo rampage during a Samsung ad shoot in Sydney—a story that shows the unpredictable nature of PR. We'll also touch on the evolving strategies Audible employs to promote its content and the importance of strong inter-departmental communication to manage potential crises effectively.
Curious about how the pandemic has transformed PR relationships and media strategies? Richard offers his insights into building and maintaining authentic connections in a remote work environment. Learn about the value of agency partnerships, the significance of staying culturally connected, and the innovative ideas that young generations bring to the table. This episode promises a rich blend of professional insights, personal anecdotes, and forward-looking perspectives on the future of audio entertainment and public relations.
Follow Richard Noble on LinkedIn.

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EP 30: How to Master Your Social Media Strategy May 28, 2024

Unlock the secrets to a dynamic social media strategy that keeps you ahead of the curve. This week, in a slightly different sounding pod we're handing over the playbook from a recent webinar that we held with more than 300 marketing professionals. Prepare to sharpen your skills in real-time strategy adaptation, steer clear of the creativity trap, and align every post with your brand's long-term vision.
Dive deep into the world of marketing insights with us, where setting SMART objectives isn't just smart—it's essential. We'll reveal how to transform raw data into golden nuggets of actionable strategy, ensuring that your content not only lands with a splash but also ripples through your audience's world. From social listening tools to audience behaviour analysis, you'll learn how to position your content just where it needs to be for maximum impact.
Finally, balance is everything in content strategy and community engagement, and we've got the formula. Discover the right mix of original and shared content, and learn how to turn your social media followers into a thriving community. We even take a page from C4 Energy's book to show you how to leverage platforms like TikTok and Threads. Plus, we wrap up with strategic measurement insights and tools that promise to elevate your social media game to championship levels. Join us and equip yourself with the expertise to navigate the bustling social media landscape like a proper professional.

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Revving Up Equality: Ford's Empowering Campaign with Sydney Sweeney - Campaign Crunch May 21, 2024

Rev up your engines and tune your ears—Sarah, our account exec with the midas touch for marketing campaigns, joins us to dissect Ford's high-octane partnership with 'Euphoria's star, Sydney Sweeney. Buckle up as we speed through the 'Build Ford Proud' campaign, where Sweeney's genuine passion for car mechanics shifts stereotypes into reverse and drives home the message of female empowerment in the auto industry. With less than 3% of mechanics being women, this collaboration isn't just a brand boost; it's a rallying cry for change, and Sarah's got the inside track on how Ford's strategy is igniting a conversation as powerful as their engines.
Lights, camera, traction! The campaign video has the polish of a blockbuster, but it's the story under the hood that captures our hearts. Sarah highlights the authenticity that fuels this campaign, from Sydney Sweeney's personal connection with car mechanics to the purpose-driven mission that steers it. Ford's not just selling cars; they're championing a future where the roar of American muscle isn't just for the boys. Join us for a turbocharged discussion on marketing with a purpose, advocacy through authenticity, and how bold visuals are matched with even bolder intentions.

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EP 29: How to "suck less" at public speaking at conferences - Rich Mulholland May 14, 2024

Have you ever wondered if the secret to captivating an audience is hidden in the art of jiu-jitsu? Join us as Richard Mulholland, a wizard in public speaking, reveals how to bridge the gap between speaker and listener with expert storytelling techniques. From his initial plunge from the music industry into the marketing world, Richard shares the insights that have made him a sought-after communication strategist. His tales of closing an office and moving his family to the Isle of Man blend professional evolution with personal adventure, offering a unique perspective on adapting to the changing tides of business and life.
Step into the public speaking arena with a fresh set of tools as we dissect the anatomy of a powerful presentation. Richard, the founder of Missing Link, exposes the common misconception that flashy visuals are the backbone of a successful talk. Instead, he advocates for crafting a narrative that challenges and engages your audience, prioritizing their interests to leave a lasting impact. Discover how this approach can elevate your stage presence, refine your personal brand, and grow your business in unexpected ways.
The digital domain demands a new level of engagement, and this episode equips you with strategies to capture and maintain your virtual audience's attention. Richard walks us through the importance of dynamic delivery and visual storytelling in online presentations, sharing anecdotes about the trials and triumphs of adapting to a remote work environment. As we wrap up, the show extends an invitation for listener participation, encouraging a shared journey through the peaks and valleys of the marketing landscape. Don't miss this opportunity to transform the way you present, engage, and connect—Richard Mulholland is here to guide you every step of the way.
Follow Rich: LinkedIn

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What Can We Learn from Olaplex's Battle Against Imitators? May 07, 2024

Ever wonder how a brand can elegantly dance around the issue of product knock-offs while reinforcing its market dominance? Sinead Morrissey from Prohibition joins us to reveal how Olaplex's 'Ola Dupe' campaign did just that—turning the tide of imitation into a wave of authentic brand love. Sinead, who rose through the ranks from intern to senior account manager, shares her first-hand experience of this marketing masterstroke. Together, we unwrap how Olaplex sent fake duplicates to influencers, setting the stage for a grand reveal that showcased the unmatched value of their patented haircare formula. This innovative approach not only combated counterfeit culture but also amplified Olaplex's prestige in the beauty industry.
We're have a candid conversation about the art of keeping things straightforward yet profoundly impactful in creative campaigns. Sinead captivates us with a story of a slight PR blunder, reminding us that we're all human—even the pros. Don't miss this episode of Campaign Crunch, where we explore the brilliance behind Olaplex's fight against fakes and celebrate the delightful mishaps that keep the world of PR spinning.

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EP 28: Walmarting Across America Failure and other hot influencer marketing lessons with former Ogilvy CEO Marshall Manson Apr 30, 2024

Unlock the secrets of thriving in a volatile media world with Marshall Manson. This episode promises a goldmine of insights as we navigate audience engagement's transformation in the wake of Google and social media's evolving roles. Discover strategic nuggets on marketing approaches and the rise of misinformation, learning how brands can pivot to stay pertinent as the market churns ceaselessly.
Step into the realm of leadership within the communications universe and witness the power of CEOs and executives as pivotal online voices. Marshall Manson, with his illustrious career traversing Edelman, Ogilvy, and Brunswick, illustrates the compelling blend of authenticity and expertise that fuels today's digital discourse. The Edelman Trust Barometer's latest findings serve as a backdrop, spotlighting the gravitation towards trust in relatable figures against the fading influence of traditional corporate voices. Our conversation delves into the strategic importance of leadership teams as critical conduits for strengthening brand narratives and the potential risks and rewards hinged to their personal branding.
The episode wraps with a candid examination of the "Walmarting Across America" PR fiasco and its enduring lessons for the sphere of influencer marketing. We go behind the curtain of strategies that stumble and the ethical dilemmas they stir, providing a real-time learning experience from campaigns that missed the mark. Moreover, Marshall imparts the wisdom of learning from past mistakes, pushing boundaries, and the importance of transparency in pioneering new digital terrains. Tune in for an episode brimming with compelling stories and strategic wisdom, arming you with the know-how to craft your message to resonate with your audience through the shifting media landscape.
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What Made Stanley’s Rebrand a Perfect Fit for Gen Z? Apr 23, 2024

Discover the secret behind Stanley's shift from your grandpa's thermos to the must-have accessory gracing the hands of Gen Z, as Victoria from Prohibition joins us for a revealing chat. We unpack the strategic pivot that saw this classic American brand turn its durable beverage containers into viral sensations, tapping into the unquenchable thirst for the latest and greatest in hydration fashion. As we sip on success stories and cringeworthy marketing mishaps, you'll get a taste of the real, raw, and sometimes ridiculous world of branding and influencer marketing.
Laugh along with Victoria and ourselves as we reminisce about our own professional blunders, from a first-day fiasco to Instagram mishaps that could have spelled disaster. This episode isn't just about pointing fingers; it's a toast to the power of authenticity, owning your mistakes, and the resilience needed to bounce back stronger. Join us as we celebrate Stanley's mastery of the social media game and the creation of a culture that's as robust as the products they sell, all while keeping our own PR goofs in check.

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EP 27: How Did a Data-Driven Algorithm Almost Derail a Marketing Project at Hillary’s? Apr 16, 2024

Join Vicki Murphy and me, Chris Norton, as we swap tales from the working life of marketing with Chris McKay, Head of Brand Engagement at Hillary's. Chris shares his initial steps into the professional world right out of university the thrills of working with iconic brands, and the crucial lessons that only failure and hands-on experience can teach.
Step into the nostalgia-fueled Ministry of Sound era with us as we trip down memory lane, reminiscing over legendary dance DJs and digital marketing mishaps. Hear Chris McKay's unfiltered stories of navigating the complex and often unpredictable world of influencer marketing, where authenticity and humour can turn a partnership into a game-changer. We dissect the strategic intricacies of brand communication, emphasising the importance of knowing your audience, leveraging data analytics, and why sometimes, the best strategy is to lean on your team's collective genius.
Give us a follow, share your own marketing mishaps, and join us for more unscripted insights on Socially Unacceptable, where we keep it real and our marketing stories are anything but ordinary.
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What Made Dunkin’s Campaign with Ben Affleck a Cultural Phenomenon? Apr 09, 2024

In this episode of Campaign Crunch we dissect Dunkin's strategic pivot from donuts to coffee. Our spirited conversation will reveal how Ben Affleck's Boston roots and his genuine love for the brand stirred up a local flavour that New Englanders couldn't resist. We're looking into its brand extension risks and rewards, and serving up the importance of cultural connections in marketing—all with our usual splash of terrible humour.
Switch gears with us as we tackle the glitz and glamour of Super Bowl ads, questioning if the hefty price tag is really worth the spectacle. Dunkin's star-studded commercials and social media finesse provide the perfect case study for a multifaceted approach to increasing brand awareness. And for a taste of something a little different, we tease an upcoming segment with our guest Katie, who offers a glimpse into her marketing mistake regarding reality TV influencers.
The 'DunKings' Superbowl ad

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EP 26: The Perils of Auto-Reminders: What I Learned from Sending Hundreds of People the Wrong Date Apr 02, 2024

Ever wondered how to catch the eye of a marketer with your marketing? That's exactly what we try to unravel with Natalie Davidson from Prolific North, the digital powerhouse steering through the currents of non-London agency growth. Together, we peel back the curtain on the vibrant explosion of creativity in the North of England, where agencies are rewriting the playbook with authenticity and bold storytelling. Natalie reveals the strategic manoeuvres behind Prolific North's rebranding success and how they're mastering the art of engaging with a savvy demographic on social media.
Strap in as we navigate the evolving landscape of the northern UK marketing industry, where cities from Birmingham to Scotland are capturing the attention of major brands with their untapped creative potential.
Rounding off our exciting episode with a touch of glamour and camaraderie, we venture behind the scenes of industry awards and the pivotal role they play in fostering a sense of community. We share a laugh over event planning escapades and the growth of Prolific North's LinkedIn community, while showing the power of customer engagement and original content in the marketing space. Tune in for stories of perseverance, humour, and invaluable insights that will arm you with the knowledge to navigate the marketing mayhem, whether you're part of a small team or leading the charge on innovative strategies.

X: @ProlificNorth

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Website: prolificnorth.co.uk

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How Did Norwich City FC and Samaritans Create a Viral Mental Health Campaign? Mar 26, 2024

This episode of Campaign Crunch takes a heartfelt turn with Emily Moult from our team at Prohibition, who guides us through the stirring Norwich City FC and Samaritans collaboration. This campaign is a masterclass in achieving social impact through storytelling, proving that a video with a modest budget can still pack an emotional punch. Learn how simplicity in messaging can spark crucial conversations about men's mental health.
As seasoned pros in social media and public relations, we're not just here to talk shop—we're here to share the kind of insights and inspirations that ignite creativity within our team. Emily's account of how the campaign navigated the delicate theme of suicide prevention and urged action through its narrative is a testament to the power of marketing with a conscience. So, brace yourself for a session that's rich in learnings and laden with the kind of practical wisdom that could transform your brand's approach to meaningful marketing. Join us for a special 15-minute journey into the heart of campaign storytelling.

Norwich City x Samaritans video

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EP 25: The Santa Claus Crisis: Greg Matusky’s Most Unbelievable PR Fail Mar 19, 2024

Imagine uncovering the secret strategies that have revolutionised public relations in the AI era—tune in for a whirlwind tour through the trials and triumphs of brand image management. Our guest, Greg Matusky, CEO of Gregory FCA, a Top 40 US PR Agency, brings a treasure trove of knowledge from his three-decade tenure in PR.
Greg shares some amazing F*ck Ups on the show including when his client decided to change their story mid-broadcast interview to a tale about walking away from the Devil. He tells another story about how he deliberately lost Santa Claus and it became a national story for all the wrong reasons.
Greg guides us through the seismic shifts AI has sparked in crafting narratives and the irreplaceable human touch that still drives the heart of storytelling. This journey isn't just about embracing change; it's a masterclass in balancing technology with the timeless art of communication.
We dissect the role of automated media training, brainstorming sessions that start with AI-generated sparks, and surprisingly, what the concept of "v-tirement" could mean for our future. From the unveiling of RightRelease.com to the subtle finesse required in managing high-profile events, our stories run the gamut from preventing potential PR crises to the wisdom of sharing difficult news upfront. Each narrative is a puzzle piece in the grand picture of the evolving PR landscape.
We wrap up with predictions about AI's corporate governance, the potent mix of junior staff ingenuity with AI tools, and the legal intrigue surrounding platforms like ChatGPT. Whether you're a seasoned PR guru or simply intrigued by the fusion of AI and human creativity, this episode promises to leave you with a fresh perspective on the power of storytelling in the digital age. Join us for an exploration that's as insightful as it is entertaining, where every lesson learned carves a path toward innovation.

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EP 24: How to perfect your pitch with Lord Sugar's PR Guru - Andrew Bloch Mar 12, 2024

Ever wondered what it takes to work through a truly successful partnership between a marketing agency and its clients? Join us as marketing guru Andrew Block, an expert behind agency mergers and with a rich history at FrankPR, offers his goldmine of expertise. Discover the secrets to understanding the real business challenges behind a brief and how the simple act of asking 'why' can set you apart in a crowded field.
Andrew also delves into his vital role as a matchmaker for brands and creative agencies, drawing from his unique experiences with Lord Sugar and The Apprentice winners to provide a rare glimpse into the high-stakes world of public relations.
Get ready for an interesting chat through some of the most out there agency pitches you'll ever hear about. From boardroom transformations to the critical importance of leaving a memorable impression, we unpack the essence of creativity in marketing. Hear about pitches that soared and those that plummeted, and learn why resilience and the ability to embrace the unexpected are crucial in this fast-paced industry.
And for those in the thick of navigating the complex market dynamics, Andrew sheds light on the current hurdles agencies face, from profitability challenges to the art of crafting efficient briefs. We also talk through the trending surge in mergers and acquisitions, which might just point to an industry on the rise. Plus, don't miss the powerful narrative of a marketing campaign's brush with disaster and the lessons in humility and resilience that turned it all around. This episode isn't just about the highs and lows of PR—it's a masterclass in adapting, surviving, and thriving in the ever-evolving realm of agency relationships.
Twitter: @andrewbloch
LinkedIn: Andrew Bloch
Website: www.andrewbloch.co.uk

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EP 23: How to Navigate SEO and Online Reputation Management with Gerry White Feb 27, 2024

Ever wondered how the digital marketing landscape continually evolves and what it takes to stay ahead? Prepare to gain invaluable insights as we sit down with Gerry White, the VP for Growth at Mirador, whose knowledge in SEO and analytics is extensive. From the juicy details of SEO controversies to the progression of a web design enthusiast to an industry-leading strategist, Gerry's stories will not only entertain but educate you on the nuances of an effective digital presence.
Diving headfirst into the world of online reputation management, we unpack strategies that can make or break a brand's online image. Gerry illuminates the significance of SEO, digital PR, and responsive customer feedback loops and the team discuss a cruise line company as a shocking case study.
You'll learn how Mirador's innovative practices encourage positive customer interactions, and the clever use of tools to manage reviews and foster growth. Plus, we don't shy away from the darker side of SEO, discussing the ethical quandaries faced in the industry and sharing a few laughs over some digital marketing blunders that remind us to stay humble.
This conversation then takes a technical twist as we tackle how AI is revolutionizing content generation and the importance of maintaining a human touch amidst the rise of algorithms. Gerry imparts his wisdom on protecting your brand from the perils of negative SEO tactics and the importance of meticulous audience research for effective marketing. So, buckle up for a ride through the highs and lows of digital marketing, replete with anecdotal gold and strategies that will arm you for success in the digital arena.

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EP 22: Threads, AI, and the LinkedIn Boom: Social Media Trends 2024 Feb 20, 2024

Get ready for an in-depth exploration of the pivotal social media trends shaping brand strategy in 2024! In this episode, we delve into three game-changing trends revolutionizing the digital landscape and empowering brands to stay ahead of the competition.

AI in Social Media Advertising: Discover how artificial intelligence is revolutionising social media advertising, enabling brands to target and engage with their audience more effectively than ever before.

The Rise of Podcasting: Explore the burgeoning influence of podcasting in the social media sphere and learn how brands can leverage this medium to connect with their audience in new and impactful ways.

New LinkedIn Developments: Gain insights into the latest developments on LinkedIn and how brands can harness these advancements to amplify their professional presence and network with industry leaders.

Expert Insights: Industry experts share their perspectives on harnessing these trends to elevate brand visibility and engagement in the dynamic landscape of social media.

Practical Tips: Get actionable strategies for integrating AI in social media advertising, podcasting, and new LinkedIn developments into your brand's social media strategy to drive growth and relevance in 2024.

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EP 21: Barbenheimer, Bud Light, and Social Media Fails: Top Marketing Lessons of 2023 Feb 13, 2024

Prepare to be armed with the marketing dos and don'ts that could make or break your brand's presence in the digital world. Chris Norton and Will Ockenden, are here to share the invaluable lessons we've learned from the past year's marketing hits and misses, and to guide you through the shifting sands of social media as we tread boldly into 2024. As we celebrate a new subscriber milestone, we're unwrapping the insights gleaned from our sold out webinar, where we dissected the successes of brands and the fumbles of giants such as Zara and Nike. This dialogue isn't just about what worked and what flopped; it's about equipping you with the hindsight to turn those experiences into foresight for your marketing strategies.
Venture with us into the world where TikTok isn't just for dance challenges anymore; it's an emerging search engine titan among the Gen Z crowd, rocking the social commerce boat with a staggering $1.3 trillion market surge. The landscape is evolving, and so are we, analysing the impact of Twitter's rebrand under Elon Musk and spotlighting the power of authentic, creator-driven brand narratives. Through the lens of our client C4 Energy, we'll show you how to leverage content creators in a way that not only captivates your audience but also tells a story they can't scroll past. So plug in and tune out the noise as we navigate through the cacophony of campaigns and the crescendos of triumph in the tempest of today's marketing realm.

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EP 20: Are Your Surveys Falling Flat? How to Ask the Right Questions for Better Results Jan 30, 2024

Embark on an enlightening expedition into the heart of market research and customer insights with our illustrious guest, Katie Tucker of Product Jungle. We uncover the transformative power these tools hold for businesses of all sizes, debunking the myths that shroud their potential. You'll gain a front-row seat to Katie's own evolution from journalist to entrepreneurial trailblazer, as we delve into her globe-trotting revelations and the customer-centric philosophy that now drives her successful venture. Along the way, we intertwine personal narratives of setbacks and resilience, illustrating how they can forge paths to innovation and growth.
This episode is a treasure trove for anyone curious about the intricacies of crafting surveys that truly speak to customer needs and the delicate dance of balancing one's ego in the corporate arena. Katie share insights from her own journey, including a business venture reshaped by the pandemic's unforeseen opportunities, leading to a newfound passion for writing and personal branding. We probe into the importance of self-awareness and the external perspectives needed to challenge entrenched mindsets, ensuring your business decisions resonate deeply with those you aim to serve.
As we examine the landscape of B2B marketing, you'll be intrigued by the call for more human and creative approaches, moving beyond the stale norms that often plague this sector.
We investigate how customer insight has been the linchpin in both triumphs and pitfalls for industry giants, using case studies like Google Glass and Airbnb to illuminate these lessons. Ending with an invitation to apply the wisdom from Katie's bestseller, "Do Penguins Eat Peaches?".
This episode is an invaluable compass for anyone navigating the wilds of market research and customer centricity. Join us for a show that promises not just knowledge but a genuinely human connection to the art of understanding your clientele - do you really know your customer? Now is the time to find out.

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EP 19: How to maintain performance and culture in a remote working world. Jan 25, 2024

Join the conversation with Laura Brown, Engtel's marketing maestro, as we pull back the curtain on the thrilling world of international marketing in the era of remote work. Our latest episode boasts an intimate discussion with Laura, illuminating her rise to marketing strategy stardom and how she orchestrates a culturally diverse team from miles apart. Vicki Murphy (standing in for Chris this week) chimes in, offering her take on the unique challenges and triumphs of telecommuting from across the pond.
Ever wondered how a remote marketing team thrives? Laura and Will dissect the tactics and tools that keep her squad at Engtel in sync despite the distance. From 'marketing therapy sessions' that align sales and marketing priorities to leveraging platforms like Teams and Monday.com for that much-needed visibility, we spill the secrets to our international success. Listen in for a masterclass in nurturing team spirit and productivity across continents, all while keeping cultural identities intact.
But it's not all strategy and success; we keep it real by sharing a laugh over some memorable business faux pas.
Vicki candidly recounts a cringe-worthy encounter with Jedward and the invaluable lessons learned from trusting your gut. Engtel's dedication to diversity and community engagement shines through as we discuss their Diversify the Future Foundation Programme and the Her Success Podcast, proving that the heart of business lies in its people and purpose. So, pull up a chair and get ready for an episode that's as informative as it is entertaining.

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EP 18: How to Protect Your Brand Against Misinformation with Ant Cousins Jan 16, 2024

Prepare to navigate the murky and slightly terrifying waters of brand misinformation with Ant Cousins as we uncover the key strategies you can use to defend your brand's reputation. This episode of Socially Unacceptable is a treasure trove of insights, where a veteran of the IT and defence sectors joins us. Ant Cousins from Cision brings his rich experience, guiding us through the complex maze of misinformation that threatens all marketing campaigns and brand integrity in 2024. Listen as we carefully dissect the anatomy of misinformation, from political manipulation to AI-generated content, and learn how to fortify your brand against the onslaught of falsehoods.
The conversation then takes a technological turn, highlighting the power of AI in revolutionizing social listening and media monitoring. With CISION's advancements, including their acquisition of FactMatter, we delve into the capabilities of contemporary tools to sift through vast amounts of social media content. Our discussion reveals how AI has grown to comprehend nuanced conversations, providing an accurate analysis of public sentiment critical for brand management. Ant shares his journey, reflecting on social media's evolution and its significant impact on communication and data exploitation, giving us a peek into the future of brand protection strategies.
Finally, we explore the tangible consequences that misinformation can have on renowned brands and how they've responded to crises, ranging from the Disney World drinking age fiasco to the misrepresentation of COVID-19 vaccine data. We examine the importance of preemptive narrative shaping and responsive action plans in mitigating the reputational damage misinformation can cause. We also look at Ant's personal experiences, including the intense challenges of leading FactMatter, in this section he provides a candid backdrop, highlighting the importance of resilience in times of crisis. Join us for the episode that equips you with the knowledge to steer your brand through the ever-evolving landscape of digital communication and misinformation.

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EP 17: Is Your Employer Brand Driving Away Top Talent? Melanie Parker Jan 02, 2024

Unlock the secrets to recruiting and retaining the crème de la crème of the marketing world with Melanie Parker, our esteemed guest who's an expert in the recruitment landscape. Melanie lays bare the harsh reality of an outdated educational system failing modern marketing needs, while we sprinkle in tales from my own recruitment playbook, emphasising why a strong portfolio and experience trump any unpaid internship. With Melanie's savvy insights, we chart a course for businesses to navigate the rough waters of the talent gap and come out on top.
Ever wonder how mid-sized companies can go toe-to-toe with the big dogs in the battle for talent? Melanie and ourselves shine a light on the strategic importance of a company's 'why' as we dissect how to craft an employer brand that resonates with the desires of today's job seekers, especially when it comes to remote work. We don't just stop there; we also tackle the thorny issue of AI in marketing, from automating the mundane to sparking a renaissance in creative thinking.
Our convo takes a turn down the culture corridor, revealing how current employees can be your best billboards and why a shift from rigid hierarchy to a flatter, more inclusive workplace is winning the day. And if you're curious about how professionals are championing a new work-life balance, or why the North is the next big thing for career movers and shakers, you'll want to lend an ear. So, sit back, press play, and equip yourself with the strategies to ensure that your marketing team not only survives but thrives in today's digital jungle.

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EP 16: Is Twitter Worth the Risk? Examining Brand Safety in the Elon Musk Era Dec 18, 2023

Are you ready to navigate the constantly shifting digital landscape? Join us as we unravel the complexities of social media and online communication with our esteemed guest, Neville Hobson. A seasoned podcaster and an online veteran since 1988, Neville's insights on Elon Musk's disruptive Twitter tactics and the future of podcasting for brands are not to be missed. Plus, hear about his major blunder with a financial press release that's guaranteed to make your blood run cold.
Neville, a pioneer of PR and communication podcasting, shares his candid thoughts on the state of Twitter and where marketers should be directing their efforts in this age of countless channels and emerging AI technologies. According to him, it all boils down to the basics – focusing on the people you're trying to reach. Peppered with enlightening discussions and intriguing anecdotes, this episode is an insightful journey through the world of online communication and social media. Tune in for a fascinating conversation and learn how to harness the power of podcasting effectively.

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EP 15: How to maximise the use of AI in PR and Marketing Campaigns Dec 12, 2023

Get ready to supercharge your marketing and PR strategies with the power of artificial intelligence. We promise, by the end of our episode, you’ll be equipped with practical strategies and insights that can help you harness AI's potential and make the most of it, no matter how fast-paced its evolution.
We'll take a deep dive into the ways AI is being employed, from content creation to crisis communications, and how it is enhancing creativity in marketing. We unravel the latest trends, ethical considerations, and controversies in the industry, including the ongoing debates around OpenAI and its founder, Sam Altman, and the Bank of England's apprehensions about AI manipulation. As we demystify how AI is influencing PR—serving as a first draft for content creation, saving precious time, and augmenting human creativity—we invite you to envision the remarkable contributions AI can make to your strategies.
But, we're not stopping there. We also examine the risks and implications of AI misuse, as well as discuss a BBC story where a journalist created a custom GPT capable of crafting convincing scam texts. We know that the potential benefits and efficiencies AI can bring to the marketing and PR industries are undeniable, so we'll also present various AI tools that you can incorporate into your strategies. So come and explore the myriad ways AI is reshaping the marketing and PR world.

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EP 14: Is Your Message Getting Lost in Boring Interviews? Here’s How to Fix It Dec 04, 2023

Meet Guy Clapperton, a seasoned media trainer and journalist with a treasure trove of insights into the art of media interactions. Brace yourself for an enlightening discourse on media training, strategic communication, and the mastery of interviews. You'll discover how preparation, authenticity, and a clear narrative can make your media encounters not just successful, but also memorable.
We don't hold back as we delve into the world of media disasters and their victims, often politicians like Nadine Dorries who have tripped over their messaging. From the pitfalls of inaccurate statements to the rigors of facing the tenacious questioning styles of journalists like Jeremy Paxman and Piers Morgan, we unearth the importance of composed and effective messaging. Guy offers a unique perspective on how to avoid these common pitfalls, keep your cool, and maintain control of the narrative.
But there's more - we explore how to make interviews more engaging without sacrificing your key messages. Learn how to be interesting, how to use sound bites effectively, and why understanding your audience is key to a successful interview. We touch on the significance of body language and authenticity, and how the right balance can make your interviews more impactful. So lean in, listen, and let's navigate the challenging world of media interactions together with Guy Clapperton at the helm.

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EP 13: How did customer complaints fuel a business revolution? Nov 21, 2023

Ready to step into the world of unbranded products and discover how a brand was built in a commodity market? We are excited to bring you an interesting conversation with Jack Sutcliffe, founder of Power Sheds, a game-changing company that's shaking up the shed industry in the UK all from its heart in Yorkshire. Jack shares his fascinating journey of rising to the top of an unbranded market, how his company emerged as the 20th fastest-growing in the UK, and his plans for global domination. Hear about their unique modular design, their commitment to sustainability, and the marketing secrets behind their impressive success.
How do you market a shed? Well, sit tight as we dive deeper into the interesting world of shed sales and the marketing strategies that work in this sector! Jack gives us a peek into how Power Sheds successfully uses PPC, social media, and even TV advertising to rake in sales. He sheds light on the importance of customer reviews, the value of an engaged community, and why prioritising customer service is pivotal. Will and I also ponder over intriguing decisions like launching in Germany before Ireland, and the exciting prospects of working with influencers in the right manner.

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EP 12: Navigating the Freelance Landscape: Insights, Challenges, and the Power of Podcasting - Paul Sutton Nov 07, 2023

What does it take to become a successful freelancer in the world of digital marketing? Trust us, there's no one better to guide you through this journey than our insightful guest, Paul Sutton. With over 20 years of experience in the industry and a stint as a creative director, Paul has seen it all. From launching a brick-and-mortar store during the global financial crisis and transitioning into e-commerce, to founding a luxury pet accessories business, his journey is a treasure trove of real-life experiences and hard-earned lessons.
But it's not all about work. Paul also candidly talks about the challenges of maintaining a work-life balance as a freelancer. The moment he took paternity leave and the unexpected response he got from his boss, is a story you wouldn't want to miss. As a thought leader, he also shares his trials and tribulations, and the importance of believing in oneself even when times get tough. Paul's top three tips for freelancers are gold nuggets of wisdom that every aspiring freelancer should hear.
Finally, get ready to uncover the power of podcasting. Paul believes that starting a podcast was the best thing he's ever done for his business and he shares why. From the importance of promoting old episodes to the significance of consistently putting out new content, we explore the many facets of podcasting with Paul. This episode is a treasure trove of actionable takeaways, inspiring stories, and real-life experiences. So buckle up and join us as we embark on this fascinating journey with Paul Sutton.

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EP 11: Is AI the Ultimate Disruptor in PR? Wadds on the Future of Misinformation Oct 24, 2023

Have you ever wondered how disruptive technology is impacting the communications industry? Stephen Waddington, a PR veteran and successful agency owner, gives us an eye-opening perspective in an unmissable chat. Stephen, known for his agile management of agencies even in challenging economic conditions, shares invaluable advice on surviving tough times, from staying true to clients, to effective fiscal management.
In a fascinating twist, we dive into the depths of artificial intelligence (AI) and its game-changing potential in the world of public relations. We explore the tantalizingly complex world of generative AI, examining everything from its alarming capacity to create convincing but fabricated content, to its potential for destructive disinformation campaigns. The ethical implications of AI usage are not overlooked as we unpack the crucial role of trust and safeguards in AI application.
The conversation doesn't stop there. We consider ethical concerns associated with industry disruption and discuss the uncharted territories of AI technology. The tug-of-war between product teams and ethics teams, the lack of effective control mechanisms, and the difficulties of crafting suitable regulations are all addressed.
We look at the effects of the economy on the PR industry, the importance of value, the worrying trend of short-termism, and the phenomena of "ghosting" in the client community. As a bonus, Stephen enlightens us on the factors to consider when deciding to pursue a pitch, such as clear objectives, reasonable time scales, and budget visibility. Tune in for a compelling conversation with one of the industry's leading experts, with over 29 years of experience in public relations.

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EP 10: Are Craft Beers Really Crafty? The Truth Behind Big Beer Marketing Tactics - Rachel Auty Oct 10, 2023

The drink industry is probably one of the most, if not the most, competitive and toughest industries to be in at the moment. Rachel Auty is a marketing powerhouse in the brewing industry. Rachel is the head of marketing at Brew York, a director at Beer Writers, and the founder of Women on Tap, so she knows her stuff when it comes to beer and standing out in the market.
We delve into the challenges of standing out in a saturated market, the importance of customer engagement, and the impact of disruptive strategies in the wonderful world of craft beer. I promise we're not just here to talk shop about beer; this is an exploration of marketing strategy, brand identity and how they collide in the craft beer world. We also discuss the rise of women in the brewing industry, and Rachel shares some invaluable advice for aspiring female brewers wanting to make their mark.
Finally, we wrap up our discussion by venturing into the realm of social media and its growing impact on branding and marketing in the craft beer industry. Discover how the right branding, disruption, and a clear message can make all the difference. If you're interested in marketing, craft beer, or simply love a good conversation, this episode is for you. Tune in, grab your favourite beer, and let's learn together.

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Socially Unacceptable - Podcast Show Trailer Oct 06, 2023

Welcome to Socially Unacceptable the only top 10 UK podcast for marketers, PR professionals, and entrepreneurs, looking to grow their brands, that actually celebrates the biggest f*ck ups, mistakes, mishaps, and misfortunes.

Every fortnight, our two hosts, Chris Norton, a top 10 PR blogger, and the Founder of Prohibition, and Will Ockenden, a business owner and creative powerhouse, plunge headfirst into riveting stories shared exclusively by industry experts, prominent brand managers, and resilient marketers who've navigated their way through big setbacks, career-ending f@ck up and yet still emerged stronger.
In the first 12 episodes, we cover everything from the ever-evolving world of strategic marketing and the pain of failure.
From distinguishing TikTok content for B2B brands to navigating your communications in an AI-era. We look at mastering the science of influencer marketing for years to come. We discuss real-life business failures and what it feels like to lose six figures overnight, we attempt to cover it all with some fascinating guests and inspiring stories.
Please subscribe to the show and let us know what you think of it.

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EP 9: Can TikTok Really Work for B2B? Here’s What You Need to Know - Tom Basgil Sep 26, 2023

Have you ever wondered about the intricacies of B2B marketing? Well, we're here to uncover that world for you. In this episode, we are joined by the seasoned growth marketing specialist, Tom Basgil, who guides us through the labyrinth of B2B marketing. We delve deep into the realm of short-term ROI, understand the nuances of social listening, and appreciate the power of employee advocacy in shaping up a brand. And do white papers work anymore? Tom also shares his valuable insights about gatekeeping and the stand-out factors that can make content shine brighter in the saturated B2B market.
As we move further, we explore the latest trends in B2B marketing. Here, the discussion takes an interesting turn towards the people behind the companies, the value of a dedicated TikTok strategy, and how B2B brands can carve out their unique niches in the crowded marketplace. Tom's exceptional expertise helps us understand the importance of AI, social listening, competitive analysis and the role of employee advocacy in B2B marketing. We also touch upon his exceptional strategies to turn C-suite executives into social media advocates and the secrets of being a successful C-suite influencer.
But we don't just stop at the present; we also set our sights on the future of B2B marketing. The conversation then dwells on the importance of personalization in marketing campaigns, the potential of YouTube as a platform for B2B marketing, and the exciting world of AI-generated content. We also explore alternative methods for capturing data, the impact of AI in cybersecurity and the power of podcasts as a content creation tool. So whether you're in B2B or B2C marketing, tune in for this fascinating conversation and learn about the current and future marketing trends and strategies.

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EP 8: How I Lost Six Figures and My First Business - Josh Lachkovic Sep 11, 2023

How can you turn your business growth around, even amidst unpredictable times? Look no further! This episode brings you the incredible story of Josh Lachkovic, the founder and managing director of growth agency Amphora.
After failing his first startup, the Wine List, Josh is a testament to resilience, having faced failure and emerged more successful. In an eye-opening chat, Josh unveils his wisdom on facing failure and the lessons learned from his first startup, losing six figures as the pandemic altered buying behaviour drastically.
As we delve deeper into the conversation, we navigate the world of 'bootstrapping,' with Josh sharing valuable advice on how entrepreneurs can use creative strategies in these turbulent times of digital marketing. We also uncover how IOS 14 is an opportunity rather than a problem in paid social advertising, the potential of advanced AI targeting, and how quality creative is the key to engaging consumers.
Josh shares critical insights into understanding user psychology, data, and leveraging social platforms for business growth. So, if you're ready to transform your business and scale it to unimaginable heights, grab your headphones and dive into this enlightening episode with Josh Lachkovic!

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EP 7: The Death of the ‘Kardashian Effect’: Why Influencer Marketing Needs a Makeover Sep 04, 2023

Picture this: What if a post from an influencer could impact your brand's reach, bringing exponential growth and loyalty like never before? Well, that's the art and science of influencer marketing, and in today's episode, we're unpacking it all for you. Our hosts' journey through the transformation of influencer marketing, highlighting its evolution from when celebrities charged for a single tweet to the sophisticated system we have today.
We explore the undeniable growth of influencers in the modern marketing world, backed by stats like a whopping 400% increase in the UK. The part where half of millennials trust influencer recommendations over other ads is the real kicker, isn't it? We're not stopping at the stats, oh no! We dive into the strategies, the role of micro-influencers, and the shift from influencer marketing to influencer relations. Plus, we reveal how you can supercharge your paid social campaigns with influencer brand content.
But wait, there's more to it! We're bringing you an understanding of B2C and B2B influencer marketing, guiding you on how to strategize a successful influencer campaign, and enlightening you about the crucial role of compliance. We're armed with practical tips and case studies that will help you stay out of trouble and maximize your influencer marketing performance. And the cherry on top? We discuss how creativity and integration can lead to the best results in influencer marketing.
Our hacks don't stop there, we also have our last influencer marketing hacks for 2024 webinar tomorrow. Register here to save your spot and check out more of our free events!

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EP 6: Top Red Flags in Client Pitches and How to Avoid Bad Deals - Chris Simmons Aug 29, 2023

Ever wondered what it takes to run a successful digital agency? Join us as we navigate the nuances of agency leadership and the importance of understanding your numbers, accompanied by Chris Simmance, founder of OMG Center, and the mastermind behind Optus Digital. With a wealth of experience in digital strategy and SEO, Chris takes us through his journey from a travel salesman to the bustling world of digital marketing.
Dive into the common pitfalls that agency owners often stumble upon in their business operations, and discover how to sidestep them. Chris imparts his insights on boosting business performance through understanding numbers and the significance of client retention. Additionally, we examine how to lead score potential clients, set expectations for payment terms, and measure success and scale, with Chris sharing his rule of seven for agency advisors.
But the conversation doesn't stop there. Chris talks about the stages of business growth, the difference between management and leadership, and how to engage your team with a clear vision. We also discuss training and development for agency owners, and the need to stay ahead of industry trends. So, put on your headphones and get ready to revolutionize your agency leadership with us and Chris Simmance. num36sfh

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EP 5: How a Secret Admirer’s Harsh Critique Transformed My Career - Cassie Moyse Aug 15, 2023

Ever wondered how to transition from career setbacks to becoming a leading magazine publisher in the UK? Say hello to Cassie Moyse, UK Property Business Woman of the Year and Co-owner/Director of Portfolio North, one of the North's most-read business magazines.
She gives us an insider view into her success story, talking about her magazine Portfolio North, and how she managed to champion print media in an era that's increasingly digital. Starting off as a small print-only magazine, Portfolio North has increased its readership to 35k, launched its own digital edition, and soon its own app.
It's not just about the paper and ink, though. Cassie walks us through the magazine's digital strategy, its exclusive events, the strategic audience targeting, and their unique editorial rule - no negative stories. We also dive into the world of PR, discussing the ingredients of a good PR pitch, the significance of a news angle, and the role of visual assets and rich media in catching the reader's eye.
In the concluding part of our chat, Cassie gets candid about her personal journey. She discusses the importance of personal branding and shares some tips on leveraging LinkedIn. She also gives us a glimpse into the future of publishing and PR, emphasizing the need for creativity and a holistic marketing approach.

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EP 4: Will ChatGPT or Gemini Transform Marketing Departments or Threaten Their Future? - Andrew Bruce Smith Aug 01, 2023

Join us as we unpack the endless possibilities of AI in marketing with the extraordinary Andrew Bruce Smith, Chair of CIPR AI in PR panel and co-wrote the CIPRs guide to ethics in AI. From his humble beginnings as a journalist in the mid-80s to his current role as a trainer and consultant, Andrew shares priceless insights from his professional journey that will reshape your understanding of AI.
Andrew's expert insights into AI and its role in major tech giants like Google and Facebook are mind-opening. We tackle the intriguing question: Could AI become sentient? And if it does, what are the implications? Andrew doesn’t shy away from addressing the ethical considerations inherent in AI development. From the potential of AI in PR to the conundrum of choosing the right AI tool, we leave no stone unturned. Amid the discussions, we also touch on Microsoft's AI co-pilot and the implications of its pricing.
In the final part of our conversation, we delve into the serious implications of AI on creativity, copyright, and the increasing necessity for AI regulation. In an era where AI has the potential to become exponentially more intelligent, we examine how this can disrupt our traditional understanding of these important issues. Drawing on the wisdom of renowned figures, we explore the profound impact of AI on our future.
And of course, no conversation is complete without a dash of humor, as Andrew recalls a near-mishap at a press conference, linking it to the art of getting attention in the age of AI. Tune in for an entertaining, insightful, and thought-provoking exploration of AI's impact on marketing and beyond.

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EP 3: Why Should Marketers Dig Deep Into Their Values? Uncovering Personal and Brand Purpose with Andy Green Jul 17, 2023

Have you ever paused to wonder why you do what you do? Does it align with your core values, character, and beliefs? In this week's episode, we help you unravel the profound 'why' behind your actions and help you realize your full potential.
We embark on this intense journey of self-discovery, as we delve into the substantial realm of values, character, and beliefs. Andy Green, an award-winning communicator, trainer, and author, offers valuable insights into how to identify your top five values, create your narrative, and understand your beliefs. We break down the process of creating a purpose manifesto, emphasizing authenticity and the importance of a purpose. This, we believe, can shape not only your professional narrative but also your personal life.
Andy, who also wrote the world's first book in 'Creativity in Public Relations' shares his unique approach to brainstorming, which includes 'green light thinking' and 'red light thinking'. We share the deep significance of understanding your purpose and values, and how they can propel your professional journey. So, buckle up for an insightful conversation about finding your purpose and character!
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EP 2: How to Measure Marketing Campaigns Properly Jul 04, 2023

In Episode 2 of Embracing Marketing Mistakes we are joined by PR Futurist Stuart Bruce and we dive deep into the world of PR and Social Media Marketing, specifically focusing on the all-important topic of ROI and Measurement.
As marketers, we all know that measuring the success of our campaigns is crucial. But do we really know how to effectively measure the ROI of our marketing efforts? In this episode, we will explore the best practices and strategies for measuring the success of your marketing campaigns.
In today's digital age, where everything is driven by data and analytics, it is essential to understand the importance of ROI when it comes to marketing and public relations. Stuart discusses the key metrics to consider when measuring the success of your campaigns.
Join us in this episode of "Socially Unacceptable" as we unravel the mysteries of ROI and careful campaign measurement. Whether you are a seasoned PR or marketing professional or business owner, this episode will provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to measure the success of your campaigns and prove your worth in the digital marketing landscape.
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EP 1: The Future of Video on Social Media Explained Jun 16, 2023

Ready to conquer the world of social video but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Joined by social video experts and show hosts Chris Norton and William Ockenden and we’ll guide you through the maze of Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn video content. We'll tackle the anxieties around creating videos, promising every listener the confidence and knowledge to kick-start or enrich their social video journey.
Ever wondered how the world of social video is evolving? We'll take you on a trip down memory lane, revisiting the predictions we made last year. What hit the mark and what missed by a mile? We'll then look to the horizon, examining short-form content, live streaming, and the TikTok revolution. Plus, we’ll dive into the exciting potential of AR and VR technologies - are they the game-changers we predict?
And don't miss our practical tips for creating stand-out social videos! We’ll explore everything from creating shareable and engaging content to understanding what videos your audience can't get enough of. We’re sharing the secrets of successful storytelling, the power of emotional triggers, and the importance of a dedicated distribution strategy. So join us as we journey through a world where every frame, every clip and every stream has the potential to engage, inspire, and sell.

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