Blame it on Marketing ™

Why does every second LinkedIn post promise an “AI system” that will fix your marketing overnight? 🤖✨ If you’ve been told to “just automate everything,” this episode is your antidote.In this episode, we’re joined by Fiona Sherwood (fractional CMO & AI marketing trainer) and Joanna Edwards (events leader behind a GenAI-for-marketers summit) to get practical about what an AI strategy actually is—and why tools come last, not first. We get into: ✅ Why “automate everything” isn’t a strategy (and where automation does belong)  ✅ Using real customer insight (CRM + sales-call transcripts) to fuel content that isn’t beige  ✅ Guardrails that matter: GDPR, FCA/regulated industries, brand voice, approvals, and culture  ✅ Tooling sanity: start small, personalize your stack (Copilot, GPT, etc.), and budget for training  ✅ How marketers can lead company-wide AI standards—without shaming or “AI-washing”  ✅ Measuring what matters, spotting hype, and setting expectations with the C-suite If you’re tired of guru threads and beige outputs—and you want an AI plan tied to revenue, compliance, and actual customer problems—this one’s for you.  We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why do so many great marketing plans get kneecapped by…ego? 🤯 You know the drill: a founder who “already knows” the playbook, a swoop-and-poop exec, or a client who hires you for your expertise—then ignores it.In this episode, we’re joined by marketing strategist and consultant Rissy La Touche (Dimple Studio; ex-Square) to unpack how ego shows up at the top, how to spot it early, and how to navigate it without losing your mind—or your results.We get into: ✅ Red flags on discovery calls (no questions, prescriptive “do this,” trash-talking their team, refusing audits/strategy) ✅ Curiosity as a power move: “What makes you believe that?”—and other ego-disarming questions ✅ When to walk away (and why solo-founder gigs can be the toughest) ✅ “Most founders don’t need a podcast” 🙃 — hard truths about shiny-object marketing ✅ Using ego for good: value props that make buyers look brilliant at work (hello, promotions & advocacy) ✅ Keep your receipts: decision logs, recap emails, and notes that save your sanity ✅ Culture math: why leaders’ “bad-day behaviors” trickle down—and how to push for change ✅ Building allies across the org (the simple “time to chat?” outreach that actually works) ✅ Early-stage reality checks: experiments, resources, and the Square pivot story ✅ Staying sane: feedback loops, mentors, boundaries, and choosing freedom as a consultantIf you’ve ever been steamrolled by a HiPPO, battled a micromanager, or just want better tools for managing up—this one’s for you. We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why do so many teams grab a shiny rebrand when the real problem is strategy? 🤔 We’ve avoided this topic for ages… but today we go there—with brand strategist Beatrice Gutknecht, whose mission is, ahem, “F*** rebrands.” She breaks down why visual-first overhauls flop, how to get brand + marketing actually working together, and what to measure so brand work shows up in revenue—not just mood boards. In this episode, we unpack when you need a rebrand (rarely), when you need repositioning (usually), and how to make it stick inside the business—not just on the website. We swap horror stories (hello, “my wife doesn’t like the logo” feedback) and get practical about test-and-learn, ICP research, and cross-functional buy-in. We get into: ✅ Why “visual-first” rebrands backfire (think Twitter→X, Jaguar) and what to do instead.  ✅ Repositioning 101: align brand, marketing, sales, and CS—then ship fast tests, not 100-page brand bibles.  ✅ Killing subjectivity: replace “CEO’s spouse said no” with customer research and data.  ✅ Building a brand world in B2B (yes, really) so people feel your positioning—not just read it. ✅ A real case study: moving an architectural hardware brand earlier in the buying cycle and making marketing actually easier.  ✅ Agency red flags to watch for (and why big glossy “guidelines” ≠ business impact).  ✅ What to track so brand = pipeline: category mentions/associations, market share & engagement, retention & advocacy, and even CAC.  ✅ Leading through the AI noise while staying human-first (without whiplash). If you’re tired of expensive rebrands that change the logo but not the results—and you want brand work that sales, customers, and your team can feel—this one’s for you.  We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why is it still harder for women to be seen, heard, and safe in B2B marketing? 🤔 We work in female-heavy teams, but the mics, panels, and power seats still skew the other way—and it shows up in our careers, our DMs, and even at conferences.In this episode, we’re joined by Jane Serra, host of Women in B2B Marketing, to dig into what actually moves the needle: women-only spaces, real allyship, and building the support systems that carry you further than any “hustle harder” mantra ever will.We get into: ✅ Why “women-only” rooms still matter (and how they change the convo) ✅ How to build your Personal Board of Directors (P-BOD)—and use it for jobs, pay, and sanity ✅ Practical allyship for men (hint: share those opportunities you’re handed) ✅ Equity vs. equality: what companies get wrong and how to fix it ✅ Conference reality checks: safety, safeguarding, and setting boundaries ✅ “Do it scared”: putting your name in the hat before you feel “ready” ✅ The visibility gap—why fewer women get the mic and how to change it ✅ Surviving the “do more with less” era without burning outIf you’ve ever felt alone in a room full of marketers—or you’re ready to make B2B better for the next woman in line—this one’s for you. We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Think events are all free prosecco and LinkedIn photos? 🤔 Behind every smooth show is a sleep-deprived team juggling power sockets, panic emails, and a thousand tiny fires—often at the same time.In this episode, we’re joined by Sarah Tully (Group Event Director, eCommerce Expo & Technology for Marketing), Laura Dazon (Marketing Manager), and Phoebe Dunsmore (Marketing Executive) from CloserStill Media to pull back the curtain on event season—what really breaks, what actually matters, and how marketers can survive (and even enjoy) the madness.We get into: ✅ The biggest misconceptions about events marketing (and why the show is the middle of the campaign, not the end) ✅ How to balance sponsors, exhibitors & attendees with a clear “value story” (Laura’s “chair with four legs” framework) ✅ Real on-site war stories: raining ceilings, no-show speakers, surprise venue drills, and the eternal Wi-Fi scam ✅ Ops gotchas marketers miss (power, internet, signage, space for photo areas… and why people never read the emails) ✅ Inbox triage during peak season: empathy, boundaries, and why “please unsubscribe me” isn’t a personal attack ✅ Neurodiversity on the show floor—headphones, quiet resets, and planning for the post-event crash ✅ Exhibitor & visitor playbooks: keep activations simple, plan before/during/after, train booth teams, and download the app ✅ Self-care that actually helps on-site: snacks + water, pacing, buddy up, and don’t schedule your whole life the week afterIf event season has you clutching your lanyard and whispering “I need a nap,” this one’s for you. We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why does B2B influencer marketing feel so chaotic right now? 🤔 LinkedIn reach is down, creators are charging enterprise prices, and everyone’s asking how to prove ROI without waiting nine months for a deal to close.In this episode, we’re joined by Hector Forwood, co-founder & CEO of Flooencer, to demystify what’s working (and what’s broken) in B2B influencer marketing—how to pick the right creators, what to pay, and how to measure impact the C-suite will actually buy.We get into: ✅ What’s changed on LinkedIn (why organic reach has dropped & what still works now: carousels/PDFs, mixed media, and long-tail impressions) ✅ Creator types—content creators vs. thought leaders—and when you need both ✅ Pricing sanity: flat fee vs. affiliate/rev-share, and avoiding the “three posts for £18k” trap ✅ Measuring ROI for PLG vs. enterprise (discount codes & clicks vs. engaged-persona tracking) ✅ Running technical campaigns that aren’t cringe (how to make deeply technical features land with data teams) ✅ Small-budget playbook: start with customers, employees & partners, then micro-creators off LinkedIn (TikTok/YouTube) ✅ The four pillars of advocacy (influencers, employees, partners, customers) and how to stack them ✅ Red flags to skip: AI “agents” that are just automations, bait resources, and vanity engagement ✅ A couple of painfully honest “don’t do this” stories to keep you out of trouble 😬If you’re trying to make influencer work on a B2B budget—or trying to price your own content without getting fleeced—this one’s for you. We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Join Alice Phillips and Dan Emery, co-hosts of Work Is Weird Now, as they tackle the shifting landscape of marketing in 2025. They discuss setting boundaries to prevent burnout while staying creative amidst chaos. The duo dives into the challenges of expectations for juniors and the need for experienced insight. They explore the transformative role of AI in marketing without losing authenticity, and share invaluable coping strategies for navigating this unpredictable terrain. Their candid insights make it a must-listen for any marketer today!

Why have so many leaders written off SEO as “dead”? 🤔 Whether it’s the rise of AI search, fears of fierce competition, or painstaking boardroom battles over budget, the rumour mill keeps churning. But if your ideal buyers still Google for solutions—or even ask ChatGPT—you can’t afford to ignore it.In this episode, we’re joined by Sam Dunning, founder of Breaking B2B and host of the Breaking B2B podcast, to explain why SEO isn’t dying—it’s just evolving. Sam shares the unconventional, revenue-focused playbook that’s working today for B2B and SaaS marketers.We get into: ✅ Why “SEO is dead” misses the mark for most B2B & SaaS businesses ✅ How to decide if SEO fits your ICP, runway & resources ✅ The two quick-win page types that can rank in 30–60 days ✅ Niches, “offer + industry” and “alt vs” pages: long-tail goldmines ✅ Why one-and-done SEO is a fantasy—and what a revenue-driven strategy looks like ✅ How to win stubborn C-suite buy-in (or quietly prove ROI yourself) ✅ Brand mentions, structured data & AI search: ranking on ChatGPT, Perplexity & more ✅ Crafting top-of-funnel “jobs-to-be-done” content that truly convertsIf you’re tired of SEO obituaries—or you’ve been guilty of underinvesting in search—this one’s for you.

Why do marketers lose their cool over slide decks, ChatGPT “feedback,” and CEOs who sign off every tweet? 🤯 We’ve all felt our blood boil when leadership “just wants it pretty,” when “my partner hates that ad,” or when they lob in a last-minute “get this done by tomorrow” bomb.In this crossover episode, Emma & Ruta team up with Marketing Dribble hosts Rob Boyle and Johnny Kenyon to play Trigger Bingo—naming the marketing pet peeves that make us want to quit our own jobs. Then they vote on which trigger reigns supreme.We get into: ✅ “Make the slides pretty”—and watch sales hijack your designs ✅ “My spouse saw the ad and hated it”—no, really, that happened ✅ CEOs who must sign off every post, budget or button-click ✅ Marketing leaders replaced by sales hires (or ChatGPT) ✅ “Urgent” priorities imposed last-minute—then radio silence ✅ Google Ads horror stories: “Why didn’t my ad even show up?” ✅ Endless ChatGPT feedback loops that never end ✅ And more of your worst marketing nightmares…If you’ve ever felt your marketing sanity slipping—or wondered if you’d snap, too—this one’s for you. 🎧

Why do marketers blame shadow bans when their posts flatline? 🤔 If you’ve ever felt like LinkedIn’s algorithm is out to get you, you’re not alone. From engagement pods to Top Voice conspiracies, the platform’s quirks spark more theories than a late-night Reddit scroll.In this episode, Emma & Ruta play detective with two LinkedIn insiders—Corey Johnson, growth marketer (LinkedIn addict), and Ash Turner, ex-LinkedIn creator manager to bust myths and reveal what really moves the feed.We get into: ✅ Engagement pods vs. genuine reach—does LinkedIn even care? ✅ Top Voice badge drama—why some big influencers get snubbed ✅ Carousels, video & clicks—how metrics hijack your content ✅ Shadow banning: myth, marketing excuse or content fail? ✅ Company pages vs. personal profiles—which one wins? ✅ Creator monetization & pay-to-play—sponsored posts explained ✅ API lock-down—why third-party tools struggle on LinkedInIf you’ve ever wondered why your best posts get buried—or why a meme explodes while your thought pieces vanish—this one’s for you.🎧 Listen now and crack the LinkedIn code. We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.