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

    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.”

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

    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

    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] 👈

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

    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.

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

    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.

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

    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.

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

    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.

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

    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.

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

    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.

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

    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.

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

    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.

    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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