Embracing Marketing Mistakes

Prohibition PR
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  • Marketing
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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.

  1. 3d ago ·  Video

    EP 114: We Deepfaked a CEO in 2 Minutes. Here’s What Happened

    A finance worker joins a Zoom call with their CFO and colleagues. Everything looks and sounds real. They transfer $25 million. Every person on that call was fake. AI misinformation has moved from theory to real-world crisis, and brands are already losing control. From deepfake CEOs and fake giveaways to hijacked campaigns and cloned influencer accounts, the speed and scale of risk has changed completely. In this episode, Will and I break down how AI is reshaping crisis management in 2026 and why most organisations are still underprepared. You’ll hear real examples of deepfake fraud, brand damage, and misinformation spreading faster than teams can respond. We also walk through a practical framework to help you protect your brand, including how to respond in the first 24 hours, how to monitor AI-driven threats, and how to build a proactive crisis plan that accounts for today’s risks. If you lead marketing, comms or brand, this is no longer optional. It is operational risk. Send us Fan Mail Is your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host: 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our newsletter 👉 Subscribe to our newsletter here. 👈  Follow Chris: X, TikTok, LinkedIn Follow Will: LinkedIn Follow The Show: TikTok, YouTube Instagram

    59 min

  2. Jun 4

    The Mistake That Burnt Me Out: Staying Too Long Where I Didn’t Belong

    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 Is your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host: 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our newsletter 👉 Subscribe to our newsletter here. 👈  Follow Chris: X, TikTok, LinkedIn Follow Will: LinkedIn Follow The Show: TikTok, YouTube Instagram

    6 min
  3. EP 113: Why Most CMOs Fail at Brand Strategy

    Jun 2 ·  Video

    EP 113: Why Most CMOs Fail at Brand Strategy

    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" modelWhy 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 themThe "bow tie" method for distilling a mountain of insight down to a single wordWhy 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 positioningWhy "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 countryPlus 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 Is your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host: 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our newsletter 👉 Subscribe to our newsletter here. 👈  Follow Chris: X, TikTok, LinkedIn Follow Will: LinkedIn Follow The Show: TikTok, YouTube Instagram

    1h 7m

  4. May 28

    I Took A Team To Paris And Discovered The Brief Was In Spam

    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 Is your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host: 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our newsletter 👉 Subscribe to our newsletter here. 👈  Follow Chris: X, TikTok, LinkedIn Follow Will: LinkedIn Follow The Show: TikTok, YouTube Instagram

    7 min
  5. EP 112: Author of Decoded Explains Why This T‑Mobile Ad Failed in One Sec

    May 26 ·  Video

    EP 112: Author of Decoded Explains Why This T‑Mobile Ad Failed in One Sec

    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 Is your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host: 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our newsletter 👉 Subscribe to our newsletter here. 👈  Follow Chris: X, TikTok, LinkedIn Follow Will: LinkedIn Follow The Show: TikTok, YouTube Instagram

    50 min

  6. May 21

    The Expedia Pitch Mix-Up: When the Wrong Logo Won the Deal

    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 Is your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host: 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our newsletter 👉 Subscribe to our newsletter here. 👈  Follow Chris: X, TikTok, LinkedIn Follow Will: LinkedIn Follow The Show: TikTok, YouTube Instagram

    6 min
  7. EP 111: The Typo That Lucy Woolfenden Made It Onto a 96-Sheet Billboard

    May 19 ·  Video

    EP 111: The Typo That Lucy Woolfenden Made It Onto a 96-Sheet Billboard

    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 Is your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host: 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our newsletter 👉 Subscribe to our newsletter here. 👈  Follow Chris: X, TikTok, LinkedIn Follow Will: LinkedIn Follow The Show: TikTok, YouTube Instagram

    53 min

  8. May 14

    The Disappearing Pitch: How a Magician Cost Us the Client

    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 Is your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host: 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈 Subscribe to our newsletter 👉 Subscribe to our newsletter here. 👈  Follow Chris: X, TikTok, LinkedIn Follow Will: LinkedIn Follow The Show: TikTok, YouTube Instagram

    6 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Prohibition PR
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    175
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Embracing Marketing Mistakes
  • Show Website
    Embracing Marketing Mistakes

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