Embracing Marketing Mistakes

A single missing gesture can set the internet alight. We open up about a day when Royal Mail faced a fast-moving backlash over Paralympics stamps and how a quiet policy gap looked like a loud value judgment on social media. From the first surge of tweets to the uncomfortable hours stuck in monitoring mode, we walk through what happens when your team lacks the tools, approvals, and scripts to respond at the speed of the timeline.You’ll hear how the narrative formed in real time: honour given to Olympians, absence for Paralympians, and a rush of anger that framed the issue as dignity denied. We unpack why silence isn’t neutral, why a clear holding statement can stabilise a story, and how early Twitter’s velocity made every minute count. Along the way, we get practical about social listening, crisis playbooks, and the small operational choices, like pre-approved templates and escalation paths that create big advantages when things go sideways.We also talk about brand symbolism and equity. Commemorative stamps seem simple, but they carry cultural weight, and unequal treatment reads as exclusion. That’s why policy stress testing matters: diverse eyes, scenario planning, and checks for unintentional bias before a campaign goes live. If you work in comms, marketing, or customer care, you’ll find clear takeaways you can implement today: set up the tech stack, define who can speak when, rehearse the response flow, and protect your team with debriefs that turn chaos into learning.If this conversation helps sharpen your crisis plan, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review telling us the one change you’ll make this week. 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

When Lisa, co-founder of Common People and strategist at Wavemaker Manchester, accidentally misbooked an out-of-home campaign linked to a BBC event, it was more than an embarrassing blunder back in episode 41.It became the moment she started questioning who really gets to thrive in advertising and media. In this episode, Lisa recounts that campaign mishap, a chaotic run of travel mix-ups, a painful pitch-room tumble, and the day she ended up crying at her desk. She then connects those experiences to a bigger issue: how class, confidence and unspoken office rules quietly shut working-class people out of the industry. Lisa shares practical ideas for change, from dropping unnecessary degree requirements and paying real living wages to simplifying recruitment tasks and making workplace norms explicit. This is a candid, funny and insightful conversation for marketers who want more relatable teams, smarter campaigns and fewer people feeling like they don’t belong.Click here to listen to the full episode 41. 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

What happens when you drop £30,000 on an influencer and the sign-ups never show?In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, Andy Lambert, co-founder of ContentCal, author of Spheres of Influence and now Principal Manager of Product at Adobe Express, unpacks two costly growth errors: overinvesting in performance ads and running a transactional influencer campaign that barely moved the needle.Andy explains why demand capture can look like growth until it suddenly stops, and how “pilot” influencer tests often fail because trust is not built in a week. He shares the practical reset that followed: tighter audience focus, creators who genuinely use the product, stronger community signals, and personality-led brand building that supports revenue over time.If your paid media efficiency is slipping, your influencer spend feels underwhelming, or you are trying to rebalance brand and demand, this episode will help you avoid the same expensive mistakes.  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

When Director of Thinking and Creative PR Specialist Peter Freedman joined us for this episode 39, he unpacked the unusual marketing mistake he made while working with Craigslist.Tasked with satirising the rise of in-your-face shirt sponsorships, Peter sponsored a women’s football team in Battersea Park and put them in full advertising sandwich boards. The stunt was pretty clever, photogenic and completely impractical, yet it barely registered with any journalists.One even called it the most peculiar idea they had ever seen. Peter explains why the campaign fell flat, how it was simply too weird and not familiar enough, and what he learned from books like The Creative Curve and Contagious about the sweet spot between novelty and recognition. Marketers will hear a candid breakdown of why some ideas stay niche, why moderate innovation works better than pure shock value, and how to judge whether your next PR concept is different in the right way. Click here to listen to the full 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

Ken Hughes spent 15 years chasing NPS scores, loyalty points and dashboards, only to realise his “loyal customers” were simply trapped by discounts and habit. Then he ignored two clear warning signs on his own roof, fell 30 feet and shattered 26 bones. That moment forced him to reconsider risk, fear and what real loyalty means for modern brands. In this episode, Ken explains why many brands confuse transactions with true connection, how data worship blinds marketers, and why emotion, humour and intimacy are now non-negotiable. He also shares how agentic AI will change buying decisions and what brands must do to stay in their customers’ heart space. If you are under pressure to prove ROI on every campaign yet still worry your brand is forgettable, this conversation will challenge how you think about loyalty.  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