Tired of marketing campaigns that miss the mark? Richard Shotton, bestselling author of "The Choice Factory" and "The Illusion of Choice," reveals why understanding human psychology is the secret sauce behind effective marketing.

The gap between what consumers say influences them and what actually drives their behavior creates a golden opportunity for marketers who master behavioral science principles. Shotton demystifies these concepts, proving they're not just for academics with psychology doctorates but practical tools any marketer can deploy immediately.

Want to raise prices without losing customers? Frame increases as "pennies per day" rather than larger monthly sums and clearly explain your reasoning. Struggling with website conversions? Change "out of stock" to "sold out" for a 15% reduction in customer irritation. These small, cost-free interventions leverage how our brains actually work rather than how we think they work.

The most overlooked principle, according to Shotton, is surprisingly simple: "make it easy." Both Nobel Prize winners Daniel Kahneman and Richard Thaler identify this as their single most important insight. Removing small friction points has an outsized effect on behavior change – something marketers consistently underestimate while overemphasizing motivation.

Testing these principles is crucial, but Shotton warns against directly asking consumers if they'd be influenced. "People do not have full introspective insight into their own motivations," he explains. Instead, use monadic testing – showing different groups only one version of your messaging and measuring their responses. This oblique approach reveals the true impact of psychological nudges that consumers would otherwise deny affect them.

Whether you're managing seven-figure campaigns or launching your first marketing efforts, these evidence-based techniques can dramatically improve results without increasing your budget. Listen now to unlock the behavioral science secrets behind the world's most successful brands – and learn how to apply them to your next campaign.

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Our host, Chris Norton, reveals his biggest career mistake when he joined a new PR agency as an account manager. What started as enthusiasm to impress his new employers quickly descended into a PR disaster when he prematurely distributed a press release about a new bar opening without client approval.

• Background as a PR professional with experience in London before moving to Leeds
• Eagerly took on a project for an alcohol brand launching a new bar
• Misinterpreted "good to go" from London office as permission to distribute the press release
• Sent the release to media outlets without client approval
• Discovered his mistake when the story triggered local controversy on the evening news
• Feared being fired on his first weekend in the new job

"To everybody out there I apologise for sending a release out too early. I was just keen to get going, but luckily I survived and I'm here to do this podcast with you today."

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What does it take to market an iconic British agricultural product in today's digital world? Graham Clark, Director of Marketing at British Wool, pulls back the curtain on the fascinating journey of promoting this sustainable fiber to modern consumers.

British Wool stands as the last remaining farmers' cooperative in the UK, representing approximately 30,000 sheep farmers across the nation. Unlike conventional businesses, this unique organization returns all profits directly to farmers, supporting rural communities while championing sustainability. Graham shares how they've navigated the complex challenge of communicating their distinctive identity to consumers who often don't understand the difference between "wool" and "British wool."

The conversation takes us through British wool's remarkable versatility beyond just clothing. Did you know the iconic upholstery on London Underground seating is made from British wool in Yorkshire? Or that wool bedding naturally regulates your body temperature while you sleep? These practical applications highlight wool's superiority over synthetic alternatives, which Graham pointedly reminds us are essentially plastic.

We explore how British Wool has built brand awareness through innovative campaigns, including collaborations with Love Island's Farmer Will and Shaun the Sheep. Their marketing strategy balances traditional channels like radio with contemporary digital approaches, resulting in measurable success brand recognition has increased 7% in recent years, with nearly a third of consumers now recognizing their iconic "crook mark" logo.

The episode also delivers honest reflections on marketing mishaps, from printing 50,000 high-quality brochures with the wrong phone number to mail merge disasters that sent customers competitors' information. These candid stories remind us that even seasoned marketers make mistakes, it's how we respond and learn that matters.

Listen now to discover how this legacy brand is fighting fast fashion while supporting local farmers. Whether you're a marketing professional seeking inspiration or simply curious about sustainable consumer choices, this episode offers valuable insights into how traditional industries can thrive in the modern marketplace.
Subscribe today and join the conversation about bringing sustainability to the forefront of consumer consciousness!

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Exploring professional mishaps in the world of media training, our guest expert media trainer, Guy Clapperton, shares candid stories from 20 years of journalism experience that reveal how technical difficulties, difficult clients, and embarrassing moments become valuable learning experiences.

• A particularly memorable mishap involved conducting interviews from an unflattering camera angle focused on the "left man boob"
• Managing difficult clients presents unique challenges, especially when company directors intimidate their staff during practice interviews
• Clear expectations must be established before training begins to avoid conflict between stakeholders
• The most challenging trainees are those who don't believe they need training and are just there to show off their existing abilities

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When a high-profile fashion brand stumbles at launch, how do they rebuild customer trust? This fascinating episode dives into Molly Mae's clothing brand "Maybe" and their clever reputation recovery strategy following a quality control disaster that left customers disappointed.

Our marketing experts Lauren and Becca unpack how the brand leveraged International Women's Day to reconnect with their core audience of young female professionals through a perfectly targeted coffee and sweet treats pop-up in Manchester. The genius of this activation wasn't just free goodies – it was the thoughtful alignment with their audience's lifestyle, featuring collaborations with female-led businesses like Sage Coffee Machines and North Star Coffee Roasteries, plus Molly's personal involvement serving customers and creating genuine connections.

The results speak volumes about effective community engagement: minimal press coverage but explosive user-generated content across social platforms. As the team notes, "Everything Molly touches turns to gold," but even celebrity-backed brands need strong reputation management after missteps. The episode offers valuable insights on authenticity in crisis recovery and understanding your audience on a deeper level.

In a hilarious turn, Lauren shares her own marketing mishap when booking a venue for a sports nutrition brand photoshoot, only to be asked if they were filming adult content! It's a reminder that clear communication is essential in all aspects of marketing.

Have you experienced your own marketing blunder? We'd love to feature it on a future episode! Email us at [email protected] to share your story – anonymous submissions welcome.

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Neville Hobson, a former Vice President of Corporate Communications, shares a near career-ending mistake when he accidentally published financial results for a public company 12 hours early by hitting "publish" instead of "schedule." 

Quick thinking and a lot of panic led him to unpublish the content, reschedule it correctly, and immediately report the incident to the stock exchange, which fortunately responded with understanding.

• Preparing financial results publication using FrontPage software
• Potentially illegal early disclosure of financial results for a public company
• Learning the critical importance of attention to detail
• Modern publishing risks are even greater with multiple access points
• First public disclosure of this corporate communications fuck up

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What happens when you mix two decades of digital comms experience with a brain wired for analytics, SEO and AI? You get friend of the show Andrew Bruce Smith. 

He’s the founder of Escherman, a CIPR Fellow, and Chair of the AI in PR panel, not to mention a certified Google Partner who’s trained over 3,000 organisations. From global brands to government departments, he’s helped them all wrap their heads around data, strategy and the tech shaping modern PR.

We dive deep into the rapidly evolving world of AI for marketers with expert Andrew Bruce Smith, exploring how reasoning models, research capabilities, and AI avatars are transforming the marketing landscape at breathtaking speed.

• Reasoning models like ChatGPT-4o spend more time thinking through complex problems, delivering better quality responses for marketing plans and strategy
 • Deep research functionality allows marketers to generate comprehensive market analyses in minutes that previously took weeks and cost thousands
 • Understanding when to use different AI models is crucial, reasoning models for complex tasks, standard models for simpler requests
 • AI avatars through tools like HeyGen and Syntesia can create promotional videos and may soon represent you in meetings
 • The rise of agentic AI allows for autonomous systems that can execute complex workflows with minimal human intervention
 • Marketers need to rethink where they add value as AI handles more tasks, potentially moving from time-based to value-based billing
 • AI isn't replacing jobs but tasks, freeing humans to focus on strategic thinking and creativity

The best place to find Andrew is on LinkedIn (there's only one Andrew Bruce Smith) or at his website escherman.com.

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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"

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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

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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 attention

For 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] 👈

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