Embracing Marketing Mistakes

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 dat...

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 h...

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 ...

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 pit...

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...

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 an...

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 ...

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 IrelandWhy she started a business that never really aligned with her interestsThe hard lessons she learned running a shop with no profitThe turning point when a men...

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...

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 pro...

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 ...

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 wit...

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 re...