EP 99: Why PR Needs a Complete Rethink in 2026: Sarah Waddington

Marketers are fighting on too many fronts. Budgets are tight, algorithms change daily and AI is flooding every feed with low grade content. This episode cuts through the noise and lays out the 2026 social landscape with absolute clarity.Chris and Will unpack the 12 trends shaping how brands win this year. The conversation covers AI brand bots, the rise of live shopping, the collapse of SEO into AEO, Google Lens changing buying behaviour, micro influencers outperforming big names, and the growing pressure on brands to be authentic rather than everywhere.Expect blunt truths, practical frameworks and a road map for where to put your time and money.Key takeaways • Where social budgets are being wasted. • Why micro influencers now outperform celebrity campaigns. • The platforms worth focusing on in 2026. • Why authenticity and community beat AI slop every single time.Ideal for marketing directors, social leads and CMOs who want a clear plan for the year ahead. 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, LinkedInFollow Will:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

Joining the conversation today is Richard Noble, Head of European Public Relations at Audible. With years of experience managing brand reputation and navigating high-pressure PR situations, Richard understands how quickly things can go wrong when communication within a company breaks down. Today, he shares a story that highlights just how chaotic things can get, complete with a touch of Australian absurdity.A hilarious and cautionary tale about a PR disaster at Samsung Australia when two water buffaloes escaped during an unauthorised photoshoot in Sydney. The local PR team only discovered their company's activities when a journalist called asking about the animals that were now charging through Newtown's busy streets. • Samsung's global team arranged a photoshoot with water buffaloes in Sydney without informing the Australian office • The PR representative learned about the incident from a journalist while watching helicopter footage of the escape on live TV • The crew members reportedly fled the scene in a golf buggy • Fire brigade eventually cornered the buffaloes in someone's backyard • Despite the chaos, no one was hurt in the incidentIs 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, LinkedInFollow Will:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

A hundred stories in, and the sharpest truths are hiding inside the worst moments. We mark our rather large milestone with a definitive countdown of six unforgettable marketing screw-ups.From an automation update that unleashed 450,000 emails on VIPs in under an hour to a six-figure exhibition stand misspelling “software,” we explore what really fails in campaigns: governance, proofing, and the quiet processes no one posts on LinkedIn.We also pull back the curtain on the risks of live media. PR veteran Greg Matusky relives a national TV interview that swerved into “walking away from the devil,” then explains why controlled transparency can neutralise future scandal. Then there’s the money. Futurist Tom Goodwin breaks down a £15m launch that drove 37 downloads, a painful lesson in TAM realism, conversion friction and the false comfort of a spreadsheet. We talk common-sense planning, incrementality testing, and why some search spend is just paying for credit you didn’t earn. Topping the list is a war-zone media scrum where a shaved head and a beard still added up to “David Cameron.” What followed was a masterclass in crisis poise: clear lines, steady voice, and a quick call under impossible pressure.If our top six resonate, follow the show, share it with a teammate who’s firefighting this week, and leave us a review with the lesson you’ll apply first.And if you’ve got a mistake worth learning from, email [email protected], we always love to hear them. 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, LinkedInFollow Will:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

Let me introduce you to Ann Wright, a journalist, BBC producer and PRCA-approved media trainer with years of experience behind some of the UK’s biggest live events and investigations. She’s had an impressive career, but not without a few wild turns and difficult lessons along the way.While working on "UK's Worst Hair Disasters", Ann went undercover at a Norfolk salon with secret cameras to expose their terrible braiding service. What she uncovered was shocking: staff openly smoking marijuana and drinking whisky while working.• She spent eight hours in the salon chair receiving ginger-coloured braids for her brown hair • The stylists ran out of hair during the process and had to send someone to another salon to get more • Extensions were sealed with cigarette lighters instead of proper tools • She developed painful blisters from the poorly installed braids • She had to sleep with the extensions in overnight before having them professionally assessed • The salon eventually shut down after the investigation airedAnother mistake in her career came when she agreed to a Huffington Post interview about producing royal weddings for the BBC without getting the proper approval. The article was never published, but BBC management were furious. That decision effectively ended her working relationship with them for good.Ann’s story is one of bold journalism, unforgettable undercover work and the reality that even experienced professionals can find themselves in difficult situations.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, LinkedInFollow Will:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

In this episode, we’re joined by Rachel Massey, Director of Marketing at Huthwaite International. She talks us through one of the most stressful moments of her career and what it was like to deal with it in real time.We dig into a cringe-worthy marketing mistake involving a high-profile exhibition stand with "sofware" misspelled across the entire structure, leading to three days of anxiety while hiding the error from company executives and thousands of visitors.• Six-figure exhibition stand at Excel London featured a prominent spelling mistake that went unnoticed by everyone except a competitor • Decision to avoid drawing attention to the typo rather than attempting a last-minute correction • Psychological impact of spending three full days at an exhibition expecting to be called out at any moment • Revelation that many people don't notice spelling errors in familiar words because our brains fill in what we expect to see • Additional stories of marketing mishaps including press release errors and mass mailings with embarrassing typos • The universal experience of having to sometimes employ the "ostrich approach" when mistakes can't be fixedIs 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, LinkedInFollow Will:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

She went globally viral. Overnight, she faced death threats, abuse and media frenzy reaching across continents. This is the story of how PRCA CEO Sarah Waddington rebuilt, refocused and reshaped the PR industry in the middle of chaos.In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, Sarah Waddington CBE breaks down the viral moment that changed her life, the hidden pressures of PR leadership and the uncomfortable truths about misinformation, trolls and industry standards.We cover her journey into strategic advisory, the fight against fake experts, the realities of agency life in a tough economy and the role PR must play in repairing a fractured society.Whether you’re a PR leader, agency founder or senior marketer, this is essential listening. 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, LinkedInFollow Will:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

Katie Tucker is a marketing strategist who helps teams truly understand their customers so they can build products that sell. She works with companies of all sizes, offering practical support, training, and discovery sprints that cut through the noise and get results.But even she’s made the kind of mistake she warns others about. Despite her expertise in customer discovery, she once created a family travel course without doing proper market research, assuming her personal experience and enthusiasm would be enough. It wasn’t. The course never launched, and COVID-19 ended up saving her from what would have been a costly flop. It was a sharp reminder that even seasoned pros can forget the basics when emotion gets in the way of evidence.• Built a social media following while on a family gap year travel adventure• Created a comprehensive course teaching others how to travel with children• Secured prominent media coverage in The Times with a link to the course• Made the classic mistake of only getting feedback from friends and family• Felt immense pressure for the venture to succeed after quitting a regular job• COVID-19 halted all travel plans, inadvertently preventing a potential business failure• Learned that professional expertise doesn't make you immune to marketing blind spotsIs 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, LinkedInFollow Will:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

Chris Norton and Will Ockenden of Prohibition PR unpack what modern media interviews really feel like for leaders today. They move past the old PR textbook and talk frankly about hot mic blunders, off‑record comments that never stayed off the record and the way journalists now hunt for viral moments. Their stories make the risks feel real, but the tone stays grounded rather than dramatic.Let them take you through a practical approach to landing messages with confidence in a digital‑first environment. Chris and Will explain how to prepare properly, handle awkward questions and speak with the kind of clarity that holds up on camera. The advice is direct, usable and built for anyone who represents a brand when the stakes are high and the margin for error is tiny. 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, LinkedInFollow Will:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

Rich Mullholland, Founder of Missing Link and a presentation company leader, shares how his eloquence led to convincing himself of incorrect strategies that nearly cost him their business after the pandemic. His decision to permanently close their unique office space following initial online success eliminated their word-of-mouth marketing engine and created significant challenges.• Being skilled at persuasion can lead to convincing yourself of incorrect ideas• During lockdown, the presentation company initially went to zero revenue• By August, they achieved their best month in 18 months with no live events• September became their best month in 24 years as presenters needed online training• They permanently closed their unique office with distinctive features• The office closure unknowingly destroyed their word-of-mouth marketing engine• Staff became distributed across multiple locations, making office reopening difficult• By the time they realised the mistake, they lacked the resources to create a new remarkable space• The experience taught them about the importance of recognising when a pivot is just a "swinging door"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, LinkedInFollow Will:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube

A brilliant strategy doesn’t fail because it’s wrong. It fails because people don’t own it and leaders won’t focus. That’s the energising premise of our conversation with Faris Aranki, founder of Shear Ghetto Consulting and former McKinsey advisor, who breaks down why IQ without EQ and FQ leaves great plans to die at sign‑off.We unpack Faris’s simple but powerful multiplier: IQ × EQ × FQ. IQ is the sharp idea. EQ is your ability to read the room, adapt your message, and turn passive stakeholders into active owners. FQ is focused prioritisation that protects momentum when the calendar floods and politics bite. Faris shares the story of opening a C‑suite presentation with jokes, losing credibility in seconds, and the rewiring that followed. From auditing talk‑time to flipping monologues into questions, he shows how to win trust by designing for receive, not broadcast.The episode gets practical fast. Learn how to personalise the same strategy for a CFO’s numbers lens and a CMO’s vision lens. Steal the “five degrees askew” technique to make leaders touch the plan so they claim it. See how Faris turns 200 pet projects into Pokémon‑style cards and uses gameplay to help boards cut down to the vital few. We explore ethical influence, feedback that lands, and why live conversations beat email chains for unblocking gnarly problems. On focus, we separate disciplined pivots from magpie syndrome and explain how compounding assets outperform constant novelty, especially in brand‑building and marketing.If you’ve ever watched a good idea stall in the boardroom, this is a field guide to making strategy stick. Subscribe for more candid lessons from the front lines of marketing and leadership, share this episode with a colleague who needs sharper buy‑in, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. 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, LinkedInFollow Will:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube