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 industr

Embracing Marketing Mistakes is a business podcast hosted by Prohibition PR, with 195 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Prohibition PR hosts Embracing Marketing Mistakes, a business show with 195 episodes published.

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  Embracing Marketing Mistakes

  EP 130: Gerry Hopkinson Sold His Agency, Stayed Five Years, And Became A Cultural Strategist

  Sep 29, 202657 min

  A 20-year agency founder built his reputation turning Pizza Express back into a cult favourite, then years later made the mistake he now calls his biggest regret. Gerry Hopkinson, founder of Unity and now a cultural strategist, joins Embracing Marketing Mistakes to explain how he sold his agency, why he stayed on for five more years, and the commercial decision that cost him a loyal client. Gerry walks through the Pizza Express "living lab," a real restaurant handed over to customers, chefs, designers, and even an acoustics professor to redesign together, and the customer-psychology insight that made it work. Then he tells the story of Absinthe, the Pernod Ricard brand his agency grew by 300% through a platform called Think Work Play, before admitting he dropped the client to chase a bigger, more famous brand, and regretted it immediately. Send us Fan Mail Struggling to prove marketing's worth to your board? Grab our free one-page Board-Proof Scorecard: Download the scorecard Got a marketing problem you would rather not admit to? Reply to this and we will answer it anonymously on the show. Subscribe to our newsletter The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. [ Subscribe here ] Follow Chris: X , TikTok , LinkedIn Follow Will: LinkedIn Follow The Show: TikTok , YouTube

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  Embracing Marketing Mistakes

  Six People Trolled Me. It Felt Like Sixty Thousand

  Sep 25, 202610 min

  Social media can feel like the best networking tool in the world, until it throws you a curveball. We were joined by Asif Choudry back in episode 96. We talk about the early days of Twitter when it felt like a friendly space for real conversations, and how one superhero-themed event turned into a lesson in handling criticism. From swag bags to unexpected backlash, this is a story about resilience and why staying visible matters even when things get uncomfortable. We also dive into the reality of trolling, online pile-ons, and why ignoring negativity is often the smartest move. If you’ve ever had that sinking feeling after a public misstep or worried about what people might say, this conversation will give you practical advice and a reminder that mistakes don’t define you, they shape you. Click here to listen to the full episode 96. Send us Fan Mail Struggling to prove marketing's worth to your board? Grab our free one-page Board-Proof Scorecard: Download the scorecard Got a marketing problem you would rather not admit to? Reply to this and we will answer it anonymously on the show. Subscribe to our newsletter The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. [ Subscribe here ] Follow Chris: X , TikTok , LinkedIn Follow Will: LinkedIn Follow The Show: TikTok , YouTube

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  Embracing Marketing Mistakes

  Spending £30k on Influencers for Five Signups

  Sep 24, 20267 min

  We revisit Andy Lambert back in episode 93 to unpack the influencer marketing moment that changed how he thinks about influence in B2B. Andy explains how his team approached creators like a media buy, treating the partnership as a quick transaction and expecting one post to shift perception and drive signups. He shares the campaign that made the lesson unavoidable. They spent £30,000 on a Facebook Live with a North American influencer, stayed late to watch the registrations roll in, and saw almost nothing. The mistake was not the talent. It was confusing awareness with intent, and expecting demand capture from activity that was really demand creation. Andy then breaks down what he changed next. He focused on niche operators like agency owners, insisted partners genuinely use the product, and invested in relationships that build trust over time. If you are planning influencer spend in B2B, this episode will sharpen how you judge impact and choose the right value exchange. Click here for the full episode 93. Send us Fan Mail Struggling to prove marketing's worth to your board? Grab our free one-page Board-Proof Scorecard: Download the scorecard Got a marketing problem you would rather not admit to? Reply to this and we will answer it anonymously on the show. Subscribe to our newsletter The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. [ Subscribe here ] Follow Chris: X , TikTok , LinkedIn Follow Will: LinkedIn Follow The Show: TikTok , YouTube

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  Embracing Marketing Mistakes

  EP 129: Unbounce's VP Of Marketing Explains What Actually Wins AI Search Visibility Now

  Sep 22, 202647 min

  A VP of Marketing running two brands at once shares what's working in AI search visibility right now, and admits to one of the messiest direct mail campaigns a B2B marketer has confessed to on this show. Val Riley, VP of Marketing and Strategy at Unbounce and Insightly CRM, joins Embracing Marketing Mistakes to explain why she pays a dedicated contractor to represent her brand on Reddit, how a 2.5-billion-conversion research report drives both PR pickup and AI citations, and why removing one line from a signup form quadrupled trial signups overnight. Then Val takes us back to the "growth at all costs" era of SaaS marketing, when her team shipped root beer float kits that leaked in the office lobby, a money tree that dumped potting soil across a prospect's desk, and agency logos printed on glass that arrived in pieces. Despite the chaos, the company sold for many millions of dollars, and Val explains what she'd keep from that era of marketing and what she wouldn't touch again. Send us Fan Mail Struggling to prove marketing's worth to your board? Grab our free one-page Board-Proof Scorecard: Download the scorecard Got a marketing problem you would rather not admit to? Reply to this and we will answer it anonymously on the show. Subscribe to our newsletter The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. [ Subscribe here ] Follow Chris: X , TikTok , LinkedIn Follow Will: LinkedIn Follow The Show: TikTok , YouTube

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  Embracing Marketing Mistakes

  I Made the Worst Ad in British History

  Sep 17, 202615 min

  Kevin Chesters reveals the painful truth behind what he calls the worst advert ever made in British history. This is a forensic breakdown of ego, bad process and the lessons every marketer needs to hear. Back in episode 102 of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, Kevin walks us through the infamous Big Cheese Dipper campaign. From ignoring clear strategic signals to forcing a flawed creative idea onto TV, this is a masterclass in how good teams end up making terrible work. If you’ve ever wondered how to stop bad advertising before it happens, this conversation is essential listening. Listen to the full episode 102 here. Send us Fan Mail Struggling to prove marketing's worth to your board? Grab our free one-page Board-Proof Scorecard: Download the scorecard Got a marketing problem you would rather not admit to? Reply to this and we will answer it anonymously on the show. Subscribe to our newsletter The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. [ Subscribe here ] Follow Chris: X , TikTok , LinkedIn Follow Will: LinkedIn Follow The Show: TikTok , YouTube

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