Embracing Marketing Mistakes

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" Is your strategy still right for 2026? Book a free 15-min discovery call to get tailored insights to boost your brand’s growth. 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our Newsletter✒️Don't miss a hilarious mistake or free event by 👉 subscribing to our newsletter here. 👈 Follow Chris Norton:X, TikTok, LinkedInFollow Will Ockenden:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

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 Is your strategy still right for 2026? Book a free 15-min discovery call to get tailored insights to boost your brand’s growth. 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our Newsletter✒️Don't miss a hilarious mistake or free event by 👉 subscribing to our newsletter here. 👈 Follow Chris Norton:X, TikTok, LinkedInFollow Will Ockenden:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

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 attentionFor the full episode visit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2206375/episodes/13748919 Is your strategy still right for 2026? Book a free 15-min discovery call to get tailored insights to boost your brand’s growth. 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our Newsletter✒️Don't miss a hilarious mistake or free event by 👉 subscribing to our newsletter here. 👈 Follow Chris Norton:X, TikTok, LinkedInFollow Will Ockenden:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

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 degreeThe 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 authorityBalancing traditional corporate approaches with more authentic, personal brand storytelling The challenge of selling creative ideas to conservative B2B leadershipIf you want to connect with Rachel, you can find her on LinkedIn or visit huthwaiteinternational.com. Is your strategy still right for 2026? Book a free 15-min discovery call to get tailored insights to boost your brand’s growth. 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our Newsletter✒️Don't miss a hilarious mistake or free event by 👉 subscribing to our newsletter here. 👈 Follow Chris Norton:X, TikTok, LinkedInFollow Will Ockenden:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

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 Is your strategy still right for 2026? Book a free 15-min discovery call to get tailored insights to boost your brand’s growth. 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our Newsletter✒️Don't miss a hilarious mistake or free event by 👉 subscribing to our newsletter here. 👈 Follow Chris Norton:X, TikTok, LinkedInFollow Will Ockenden:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

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 Is your strategy still right for 2026? Book a free 15-min discovery call to get tailored insights to boost your brand’s growth. 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our Newsletter✒️Don't miss a hilarious mistake or free event by 👉 subscribing to our newsletter here. 👈 Follow Chris Norton:X, TikTok, LinkedInFollow Will Ockenden:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

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 Is your strategy still right for 2026? Book a free 15-min discovery call to get tailored insights to boost your brand’s growth. 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our Newsletter✒️Don't miss a hilarious mistake or free event by 👉 subscribing to our newsletter here. 👈 Follow Chris Norton:X, TikTok, LinkedInFollow Will Ockenden:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

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! Is your strategy still right for 2026? Book a free 15-min discovery call to get tailored insights to boost your brand’s growth. 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our Newsletter✒️Don't miss a hilarious mistake or free event by 👉 subscribing to our newsletter here. 👈 Follow Chris Norton:X, TikTok, LinkedInFollow Will Ockenden:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

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 Is your strategy still right for 2026? Book a free 15-min discovery call to get tailored insights to boost your brand’s growth. 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our Newsletter✒️Don't miss a hilarious mistake or free event by 👉 subscribing to our newsletter here. 👈 Follow Chris Norton:X, TikTok, LinkedInFollow Will Ockenden:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

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 directionIf 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/ Is your strategy still right for 2026? Book a free 15-min discovery call to get tailored insights to boost your brand’s growth. 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our Newsletter✒️Don't miss a hilarious mistake or free event by 👉 subscribing to our newsletter here. 👈 Follow Chris Norton:X, TikTok, LinkedInFollow Will Ockenden:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube