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    Marketing

    Embracing Marketing Mistakes

    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.

    Advertise

    Copyright: © 2026 Embracing Marketing Mistakes

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    Latest Episodes:
    Breaking the BBC Homepage: Tales from the Trenches Oct 16, 2025
    Show notes

    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

    Send us Fan Mail

    Your competitors are being named by AI. Are you? One of our clients went from being named in 4 of 50 buyer prompts to 19 in 90 days. Book your free AI visibility check with Chris here. 👉 [Book free AI Visibility Check] 👈

    Subscribe to our newsletter
    The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. 👉 [Subscribe here] 👈

    Follow Chris:
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    Follow Will:
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    Follow The Show:
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    EP 85: AI-Written RFP Fail: Why Pitches Collapse Oct 14, 2025
    Show notes

    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.

    Send us Fan Mail

    Your competitors are being named by AI. Are you? One of our clients went from being named in 4 of 50 buyer prompts to 19 in 90 days. Book your free AI visibility check with Chris here. 👉 [Book free AI Visibility Check] 👈

    Subscribe to our newsletter
    The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. 👉 [Subscribe here] 👈

    Follow Chris:
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    Knowing When to Fold: A Transatlantic Marketing Lesson Oct 09, 2025
    Show notes

    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

    Send us Fan Mail

    Your competitors are being named by AI. Are you? One of our clients went from being named in 4 of 50 buyer prompts to 19 in 90 days. Book your free AI visibility check with Chris here. 👉 [Book free AI Visibility Check] 👈

    Subscribe to our newsletter
    The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. 👉 [Subscribe here] 👈

    Follow Chris:
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    LinkedIn
    Follow The Show:
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    EP 84: Cracking the YouTube Algorithm: Lessons from Raw Data, Not Hype Oct 07, 2025
    Show notes

    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.

    Send us Fan Mail

    Your competitors are being named by AI. Are you? One of our clients went from being named in 4 of 50 buyer prompts to 19 in 90 days. Book your free AI visibility check with Chris here. 👉 [Book free AI Visibility Check] 👈

    Subscribe to our newsletter
    The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. 👉 [Subscribe here] 👈

    Follow Chris:
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    Follow Will:
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    Follow The Show:
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    The Gap Year that Almost Became a Career Gap Oct 02, 2025
    Show notes

    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.

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


    Send us Fan Mail

    Your competitors are being named by AI. Are you? One of our clients went from being named in 4 of 50 buyer prompts to 19 in 90 days. Book your free AI visibility check with Chris here. 👉 [Book free AI Visibility Check] 👈

    Subscribe to our newsletter
    The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. 👉 [Subscribe here] 👈

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

    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.

    Send us Fan Mail

    Your competitors are being named by AI. Are you? One of our clients went from being named in 4 of 50 buyer prompts to 19 in 90 days. Book your free AI visibility check with Chris here. 👉 [Book free AI Visibility Check] 👈

    Subscribe to our newsletter
    The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. 👉 [Subscribe here] 👈

    Follow Chris:
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    Follow Will:
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    Follow The Show:
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    Webinar FAIL: That Time I Forgot to Record Our Huge Influencer Webinar Sep 25, 2025
    Show notes

    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

    Send us Fan Mail

    Your competitors are being named by AI. Are you? One of our clients went from being named in 4 of 50 buyer prompts to 19 in 90 days. Book your free AI visibility check with Chris here. 👉 [Book free AI Visibility Check] 👈

    Subscribe to our newsletter
    The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. 👉 [Subscribe here] 👈

    Follow Chris:
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    Follow Will:
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    Follow The Show:
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    EP 82: Mastering LinkedIn Visibility: Four Steps to Turn Followers into Clients Sep 23, 2025
    Show notes

    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.

    Send us Fan Mail

    Your competitors are being named by AI. Are you? One of our clients went from being named in 4 of 50 buyer prompts to 19 in 90 days. Book your free AI visibility check with Chris here. 👉 [Book free AI Visibility Check] 👈

    Subscribe to our newsletter
    The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. 👉 [Subscribe here] 👈

    Follow Chris:
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    Follow Will:
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    Follow The Show:
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    Direct Marketing Fuck Up that Taught Me Everything Advertising Couldn't Sep 18, 2025
    Show notes

    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

    Send us Fan Mail

    Your competitors are being named by AI. Are you? One of our clients went from being named in 4 of 50 buyer prompts to 19 in 90 days. Book your free AI visibility check with Chris here. 👉 [Book free AI Visibility Check] 👈

    Subscribe to our newsletter
    The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. 👉 [Subscribe here] 👈

    Follow Chris:
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    Follow The Show:
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    EP 81: How a Prestige Client Nearly Cost Alexandra Galviz Her Authentic Brand Sep 09, 2025
    Show notes

    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.

    Send us Fan Mail

    Your competitors are being named by AI. Are you? One of our clients went from being named in 4 of 50 buyer prompts to 19 in 90 days. Book your free AI visibility check with Chris here. 👉 [Book free AI Visibility Check] 👈

    Subscribe to our newsletter
    The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. 👉 [Subscribe here] 👈

    Follow Chris:
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    Follow Will:
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    Follow The Show:
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