Explore every episode of the podcast Blame it on Marketing ™

Are you actually marketing to your customers… or the customers you wish you had? 👀

In this episode of Blame It On Marketing, Emma and Ruta are joined by Janis Thomas to talk about one of marketing’s favourite delusions: thinking we know exactly who our customers are.

Because apparently our customers are always younger, richer, more sophisticated and far more interested in our product than they actually are. Funny that. 

We get into:
🔥 Why businesses become delusional about their ideal customer
📊 How customer research can expose some uncomfortable truths
💸 What happens when you chase the sexy customer instead of the profitable one
🎯 Why your actual customers might want something completely different from your product roadmap
🧠 How our own biases completely screw with customer understanding
🔬 The simple research questions that can transform your marketing
👀 Why “Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?” might be the most useful question you ask
🪄 Where personalisation goes wrong when your customer insight is rubbish
🚩 And why sometimes proving an idea DOESN'T work is incredibly valuable

Plus, we discover why the number one cancellation reason for one publication was literally death, learn far more than expected about fabric conditioner, and get extremely invested in chickpeas.
It's educational. Promise.

If you've ever sat in a meeting while someone confidently announces “our ideal customer is enterprise” based on one massive deal they closed three years ago, this episode is for you.

👇 Tell us in the comments: what's the biggest assumption you've seen a business make about its customers?

And if you enjoy the episode, subscribe to Blame It On Marketing for more marketing confessions, questionable opinions and conversations about the stuff marketers are actually dealing with.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

What if spending more on marketing is actually making your marketing worse? 😅
In this episode of Blame It On Marketing, Emma and Ruta are joined by Steve Armenti, lifelong marketer and founder of twelth agency, to talk about the big B2B trap: more budget, more leads, more outbound, more tools… but somehow worse results.

Steve has worked across agency, Google, DigitalOcean and now ABM, so he’s seen the demand gen machine from multiple sides — including the part where everyone realises the MQL spreadsheet looked great, but the leads were absolute rubbish.

Marketing confession of the episode:
 Steve used to fully believe in the volume-based demand gen model: more leads, more MQLs, more scoring, more sales complaints. Then he manually reviewed around 1,000 MQLs and realised most of them were not leads sales should ever call. Career-changing. Ego-humbling.

We get into:
 ✅ Why B2B has become addicted to “more”
 ✅ The demand gen trap: volume, MQLs and rigged scoring models
 ✅ Why more leads are not better leads
 ✅ How AI and outbound automation are making everyone noisier
 ✅ Why inbound funnels are earned, not simply “built”
 ✅ The difference between third-party, first-party and manufactured intent data
 ✅ Why third-party intent platforms might not be the silver bullet marketers were sold
 ✅ The weird economics of paying to create data… then buying it back
 ✅ How to think about real intent using your own channels and smarter signals
 ✅ Why G2 is both unavoidable and deeply annoying
 ✅ Experiential ABM: what it is, when it works, and why it beats lazy spam
 ✅ How real-life, personalised experiences can create stronger relationships and better meeting rates
 ✅ Why the future of marketing is asking better questions, scrutinising more, and refusing to take vendor claims at face value

If you’re being pushed to buy more leads, pump more outbound, or “just add intent data” to fix pipeline — this episode is your permission slip to pause, ask better questions, and stop feeding the machine.

Like, subscribe, and comment with the worst “more leads will fix it” moment you’ve lived through.

#B2BMarketing #DemandGen #ABM #MarketingStrategy #IntentData #MarketingOps #RevenueMarketing #AIinMarketing

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Is creativity really about coming up with beautiful campaigns—or is it simply finding clever ways to solve difficult problems?

In this special in-person episode, Emma and Ruta are joined by the team behind Technology for Marketing and eCommerce Expo to explore this year’s theme: Creative Intelligence in Action.

We talk about what creativity actually looks like inside a modern marketing team, particularly when budgets are tight, workloads are growing and AI can produce almost anything at the click of a button.

Marketing confessions include telling a senior stakeholder that a budget cut felt like “a slap in the face” and repeatedly cloning email campaigns without checking the subject line, sender details or reply-to address. Cue 30,000 emails—and one very unhappy inbox owner.

We get into:

✅ Why creativity is much broader than design, copy and campaign concepts
✅ How problem-solving, communication and data storytelling are creative skills
✅ Using AI to brainstorm, sense-check ideas and adapt campaigns across channels
✅ The risk of outsourcing your critical thinking and personal judgement to ChatGPT
✅ Why audiences are pushing back against AI influencers, artwork and synthetic content
✅ How marketers can use AI for learning, admin and the work they genuinely struggle with
✅ Efficiency versus effectiveness—and why giving people more tools often just creates more work
✅ Why growth requires experimentation, waste and the occasional failed campaign
✅ How to test properly instead of changing everything and declaring that marketing “didn’t work”
✅ Burnout, boundaries and the importance of having colleagues you can have a proper moan with

Plus, we discuss parasocial relationships with creators, senior salespeople misusing the term “demand generation,” and why nobody should leave their dinner getting cold after being told it’s ready.

Technology for Marketing and eCommerce Expo take place on 23–24 September 2026. Emma and Ruta will also be there with the Blame It On Marketing confession wall, ready to hear your marketing sins—and validate how much you hate your boss.

#MarketingPodcast #CreativeMarketing #AIinMarketing #MarketingLeadership #MarketingBurnout #TechnologyForMarketing

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why are we still having to prove that marketing contributes to revenue? 😅
 In this episode of Blame It On Marketing, Emma and Ruta are joined by Karen Lloyd, podcast host, recruiter, headhunter and founder of Armstrong Lloyd, to finally give revenue the dedicated airtime it deserves.

We talk about why marketing needs to be commercially accountable, how to prove contribution without getting lost in attribution drama, and what happens when sales and marketing stop trusting each other.

Marketing confession of the episode:
 Karen over-scripted an early podcast episode so much that her guest was visibly shaking. They ditched the script, had a real conversation, and it became one of the best-performing episodes. A lesson in letting things breathe.

We get into:
 ✅ Why marketing has to contribute to revenue if it wants a seat at the table
 ✅ The danger of being seen as the “colouring-in department”
 ✅ Attribution fights: events vs digital vs sales touchpoints
 ✅ Why every marketer needs access to the CRM
 ✅ What to do when you don’t trust the data
 ✅ Short-term revenue vs long-term revenue: why you need both brand and demand
 ✅ Why “the sales cycle is three months” usually ignores the whole marketing journey
 ✅ Sales and marketing politics: what happens when trust breaks down
 ✅ Why the CEO or founder has to help fix the sales-marketing relationship
 ✅ The importance of having receipts when you need to challenge bad behaviour
 ✅ Commercial acumen: why marketers need to understand revenue, pipeline and business impact
 ✅ AI gossip: why asking Claude to make strategic marketing and hiring decisions is not the flex some founders think it is

If you’ve ever been asked to prove ROI while being blocked from the CRM, or watched sales ring the bell for a deal marketing helped create six months ago, this one’s for you.

Like, subscribe, and comment with your biggest “where did the revenue come from?” battle.

#B2BMarketing #MarketingStrategy #RevenueMarketing #SalesAndMarketing #MarketingLeadership #CRM #Attribution #MarketingROI

Live recording from the Leadoo Big Conversion Meetup! This episode focuses on the content portion of websites and how that leads to better conversions. We are joined by Joe Rogers, Fractional Head of Content, and Jonny Kenyon Head of Marketing at Jungle IT.

Is your ICP actually an ICP… or is it just “women aged 25 to 45” in a trench coat? 😅
 In this episode of Blame It On Marketing, Emma and Ruta are joined by Ada, CMO of the Year in Lithuania and marketing leader at Norcurrent, the biggest Baltic mobile gaming company, to talk about ideal customer profiles and why most companies still get them painfully wrong.

We get into what ICPs really are, how gaming uses customer behaviour to understand value, and why B2B marketers need to stop confusing personas, demographics, target audiences and actual profitable customer segments.

Marketing confession of the episode:
 Ada once billed a client £1 million instead of £100,000. A tiny extra zero. A very large panic.

We get into:
 ✅ What an ICP actually is: the customers who bring the most mutual value
 ✅ ICP vs target audience vs persona — and why mixing them up causes chaos
 ✅ Why your ICP should not live only in marketing
 ✅ How gaming uses behaviour, retention and spend to identify “whales”
 ✅ Why usage data should be part of every B2B SaaS ICP
 ✅ The big B2B problem: marketing often doesn’t get enough product or adoption data
 ✅ How to find your ICP: start with revenue, look for patterns, then interview customers
 ✅ Why “we can sell to everyone” usually means wasted budget
 ✅ Buyer vs user: why the person who signs the contract isn’t always the person who drives retention
 ✅ How customer service, product, sales and marketing should all use ICP insights
 ✅ Why retention data and usage signals can help you spot the customers worth keeping

If your company still thinks an ICP is “anyone with budget,” this one’s for you.

Like, subscribe, and comment with the worst ICP you’ve ever been handed.

#B2BMarketing #ICP #MarketingStrategy #SaaSMarketing #CustomerResearch #ProductMarketing #MarketingLeadership #AIinMarketing

Going after a new segment sounds sexy… until you actually try to do it. 😅
 New vertical, new geography, new buyer, new motion — and suddenly everything breaks: messaging, pricing, onboarding, customer success, and your sanity.

In this episode, Emma and Ruta are joined by Anastasia, founder of B2B Practitioners, to talk about when segment expansion is actually smart — and when it’s a fast track to chaos (especially in seed and Series A land).

Marketing confession of the episode:
 Anastasia changed lead scoring in HubSpot and accidentally applied it to older contacts… nuking the MQL and SQL stages. Reversible, but emotionally scarring.

We get into:
 ✅ The first question to ask: why do you want a new segment — and have you actually exhausted the current one?
 ✅ The 18-month reality test: how likely are you to win this segment in the next year and a half?
 ✅ ICP validation when you have no customers there yet: 10 to 15 interviews, then patterns and buying triggers
 ✅ Disqualifying hard: why 60 percent ICP fit should often be a no
 ✅ Expansion myths: “Let’s just break into the US” and why CAC and competition explode
 ✅ Partnerships and relationships: the fastest way into a segment (and why cold entry is brutal)
 ✅ AI positioning: “AI-enabled” is not differentiation — outcomes are
 ✅ Product vs marketing: how to spot a product-market fit problem (Sean Ellis test, discount dependence, early churn)
 ✅ Service vs software tension: when customers want the service but investors want SaaS ARR
 ✅ Operational readiness: what must change across product, pricing, marketing, sales, and CS when you pick a new segment
 ✅ The vertical-agnostic trap: why “we can sell to everyone” usually means wasted spend and worse retention
 ✅ Healthy churn: why letting bad-fit customers go can actually strengthen your brand and flywheel

If your team is about to say “Let’s go after a new segment” — play this first. It’ll save you six months of pain.

#B2BMarketing #GTM #StartupMarketing #ICP #ProductMarketFit #ABM #MarketingStrategy #RevOps #AIinMarketing

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

B2B influencer marketing is having a moment… but most teams are still treating it like a vibes-based experiment. 😅
 In this episode, we take a different angle: B2B influencers as a paid media channel, and what changes when you treat it like a proper media buy.

We’re joined by Will and Chris from Moon at Dawn to break down paid, owned, and earned media, where influencers sit across all three, and how to measure impact without pretending a single post is going to “drive pipeline” on its own.

Marketing confessions included:

•  Chris dropped an uncomfortable truth bomb to a client at 3pm on a Friday 
•  Will accidentally copied an influencer into a brutal client feedback email thread (nightmare fuel) 

We get into:
 ✅ Paid vs owned vs earned, and why influencer sits across all three
 ✅ Why “pay-to-play” is only the starting point (collaboration beats basic promotion)
 ✅ The real problem with influencer selection: too much gut feel, not enough data
 ✅ Moneyball for influencers: choosing creators based on outcomes, not hype
 ✅ New measurement thinking: “resonance” and depth of impact with hard-to-reach ICPs
 ✅ How to make influencer work in B2B with paid distribution, not just organic reach
 ✅ When celebrity speakers work (and when they’re just expensive entertainment)
 ✅ How to start small: plug influencers into what you are already doing and test messaging pillars
 ✅ Beyond LinkedIn: why YouTube and Substack matter, plus LLM discoverability and citations
 ✅ Marketing gossip: talent agencies slowing deals, and LinkedIn building a creator marketplace

If you’ve been told to “just work with a few influencers” but nobody can explain how to measure it, budget it, or scale it… this episode will save you a lot of pain.

Like, subscribe, and drop your biggest B2B influencer question in the comments.

#B2BMarketing #InfluencerMarketing #PaidMedia #MarketingStrategy #LinkedInMarketing #ABM #MarketingOps

Side hustles used to be the vibe… but are they still “allowed” now? 😅
In this episode of Blame It On Marketing, Emma and Ruta are joined by Liz Maguire (email marketer for SMEs) to unpack the reality of side hustles in 2026 — what’s healthy, what’s risky, and what it actually teaches you as a marketer.

Liz shares her passion project, Flea Market Love Letters — a digital archive of vintage love letters — and we get into the messy middle: monetisation, boundaries, employer perceptions, and why marketers can’t stop marketing… even on their days off.

Marketing confessions included:

•  Liz accidentally wrote “lay of your life” instead of “lady of your life” (auto-scheduled… tragic) 
•  Emma asked a male guest live on-air: “Is there anything else that’s hard right now?” and mentally left her body 

We get into:
 ✅ Are side hustles a distraction — or a sanity saver?
 ✅ The monetisation line: why hobbies feel “fine” until money shows up
 ✅ What’s actually not okay (hint: doing your side hustle on company time)
 ✅ Why side hustles make you a better marketer: experimentation, reps, confidence, ownership
 ✅ The one mindset shift that improves your marketing instantly: stop “I, I, I” and write “you”
 ✅ Side hustles vs business ideas: why it’s easy to dream and hard to run something real
 ✅ Ethics and impact: are you building something meaningful or just more landfill?
 ✅ Marketing gossip: the downfall of ugly AI posters and the return of human design

If you’ve been thinking about starting something on the side — or you’re worried your boss will freak out if they find out — this one’s for you.

Like, subscribe, and comment: what’s your side hustle (or your dream one)?

#Marketing #B2BMarketing #SideHustle #EmailMarketing #CareerAdvice #SmallBusinessMarketing #AIinMarketing

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Should you stay… or should you go? 😅

With the job market doing the absolute most, marketers are stuck in the same loop: tolerate the chaos, or risk jumping into something worse.

In this episode, Emma and Ruta are joined by Ana Rogerson — B2B marketer turned career coach and mentor — to unpack the real decision framework behind leaving a role, staying put, or going freelance. No “just manifest it” nonsense. Just practical advice for marketers who are tired.

Marketing confession of the episode:
Ana accidentally sent an email attachment that she very much wishes she hadn’t. The kind of mistake that ages you three years in 24 hours.

We get into:
✅ The simplest test: am I learning and am I still smiling?
✅ Why rushing into the next job is the fastest way to repeat the same nightmare
✅ How to research company culture properly: employees, ex-employees, and what to look for
✅ Why “quiet quitting” is a terrible strategy when you’re job hunting
✅ The hidden career game: performance keeps you employed, but image and exposure get you promoted
✅ Freelance and fractional reality: it’s not instant freedom, it’s sales, resilience, and cashflow swings
✅ Practical stay strategies: boundaries, communication, reporting rhythm, and meeting leaders where they are
✅ Protect your peace: coping routines so work doesn’t eat your evenings and relationships
✅ Why having a work bestie is not optional — it’s survival

If you’re sitting at your laptop thinking “I can’t do this anymore” — this episode will help you slow down, get clear, and make the next move a smart one.

Like and subscribe for more Blame It On Marketing episodes.
Comment below: are you in a stay, go, or “plotting quietly” phase right now?

#MarketingCareers #B2BMarketing #CareerAdvice #MarketingLeadership #JobSearch #FreelanceMarketing #WorkCulture

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

If your leadership team only cares about “what did we close?” but you’re stuck reporting traffic, followers and vibes… this episode is for you. 😅

In this live session, we’re joined by Paul (20+ years in marketing, now at Marmalade Marketing and a HubSpot Gold Partner) to get into the actual data and metrics that matter — what to stop reporting, what to track instead, and how to explain B2B buying journeys without hiding behind a funnel diagram.

Marketing confession of the episode:
 Paul got Argos catalogue pricing wrong and a product that should’ve been £79.99 went out as £39.99. Print mistakes are forever.

We get into:
 ✅ Vanity metrics to ditch (and why CEOs eventually come for “commercial impact”)
 ✅ The three numbers that matter most: revenue, pipeline, ROI — and why conversion and velocity deserve a seat too
 ✅ People, not personas: why named accounts beat “Jane, 32, reads The Guardian”
 ✅ The funnel is not linear (and maybe never was) — so how do we explain the journey?
 ✅ Account-based thinking: quality, penetration, and activity in the right accounts
 ✅ How long B2B journeys really are (and why 3 website visits over 2 years can still be a win)
 ✅ Lead scoring as a practical way to track progress without funnel theatre
 ✅ The “so what?” problem: data everywhere, but no story — how to fix analysis and reporting
 ✅ Minimum data every marketer should have: TAM, conversions, velocity, plus GA and website behaviour tools
 ✅ Website metrics: what matters, what doesn’t, and why top-of-funnel numbers still need context

If you’re tired of getting dragged into “why didn’t this channel convert?” arguments, or you need a smarter way to communicate marketing impact to finance and leadership — hit play.

Like, subscribe, and drop your worst “CEO hates my metrics” moment in the comments.

#B2BMarketing #MarketingMetrics #ROI #Attribution #HubSpot #MarketingOps #ConversionRate #ABM

Ever walked into a meeting with a spreadsheet… and watched everyone’s eyes glaze over? 😅

This episode is for the marketers trying to use data to influence up, sideways, and across the business — without being ignored, undermined, or dragged into a channel-by-channel debate.

We’re joined by Jade Faulconbridge, marketing ops consultant (finance, manufacturing, payroll — the full chaos), to talk about how to build a data story that executives actually understand, and how to use that story to set boundaries, win budget, and prove marketing is a revenue team.

Marketing confession of the episode:
Jade got fired from her shortest-ever job after pushing back on a founder’s “AI will replace SEO and write all our content” plan. Painful… but also iconic.

We get into:
✅ Why marketing should be treated as a revenue-generating team (with KPIs that matter)
✅ The only way to win influence: pick your numbers, repeat them, report over time
✅ Why you should never start with data — start with the “why” and use data to back it up
✅ The 3 numbers to take to the board every time: revenue, pipeline, ROI (plus conversion and velocity if you’re feeling spicy)
✅ Direct vs influenced attribution — and how to talk about both without getting eaten alive
✅ How to push back without saying “no” (be curious, force trade-offs, let them realise it’s a bad idea)
✅ Why CRM and reporting foundations come first — otherwise you’re “just doing stuff”
✅ What not to share with leadership until you’ve fixed it (some dashboards are inside-only)

If you’re tired of being asked to prove marketing with one month of data, or justify every channel like it lives in a silo — this episode will save your sanity.

Like and subscribe for more Blame It On Marketing episodes.
Comment your worst “show me the ROI” meeting story below.

#MarketingOps #B2BMarketing #MarketingStrategy #Attribution #ROI #RevOps #StakeholderManagement #MarketingLeadership

Marketing feels harder than it should right now. Bigger targets, tighter budgets, AI expectations, more noise everywhere… and somehow it’s still “why didn’t that email get opened more?” 😅

In this episode, Emma and Ruta sit down with Jake (co-founder of ChannelCrawler) to talk about why marketing feels so brutally difficult in 2026 — from both sides: founder brain and marketer reality.

Marketing confession of the day:
 Jake thought he was resetting a SendGrid API key… and it turned out to be a phishing scam. Cue password resets, broken automations, and a serious “I thought I was tech-savvy” moment.

We get into:
 ✅ Why marketing has always been hard — but budgets and expectations make it feel impossible now
 ✅ The AI noise problem: more content, less quality, less attention
 ✅ Founder syndrome: “I’ve got a great idea” vs the roadmap (and how to push back)
 ✅ How to communicate marketing properly to sales and leadership (and stop the magic lead tree fantasy)
 ✅ Why more traffic doesn’t mean more revenue (and why conversion can be the real priority)
 ✅ Picking your path: channels, trade-offs, and committing without panic-sweating
 ✅ Lead quality vs lead volume: why 50 MQLs are not all created equal
 ✅ A practical tool to protect focus: OKRs and “what are we dropping to do this?”

If you’ve been asked to do more with less, explain your existence in every board meeting, or compete with a tidal wave of AI slop — this one’s for you.

Like and subscribe for more Blame It On Marketing episodes.
 Drop your biggest “marketing is hard right now” pain point in the comments.

#B2BMarketing #MarketingStrategy #StartupMarketing #ConversionRate #MarketingLeadership #AIinMarketing

Why do some marketing teams move fast and break things… while others want a spreadsheet, a process, and a risk assessment before lunch? 😅

In this episode, we’re joined by Michelle Hartley from People Sorted to unpack marketing personalities using the Insights Discovery framework (the one with the four colours). We’re talking team dynamics, communication, decision-making, and why “just be more collaborative” is not a strategy.

Plus: we do the personality reveal on Emma and Ruta (spoiler: it explains a lot).

We get into:
✅ What the four colour energies mean (red, yellow, green, blue)  
✅ Why some people want speed and others want certainty  
✅ How your “work self” vs “real self” shows up under pressure  
✅ Why sales and marketing can feel like different species  
✅ The hidden reason “nice culture” still ends in chaos  
✅ How to work better with people who are the opposite of you  
✅ What a “perfectionist profile” looks like in marketing (and why it’s a blessing + curse)

If you’ve ever thought “why is this person like this?” at work… this one’s for you.

#marketing #b2bmarketing #leadership #teamwork #careerdevelopment

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Your CRM is meant to be the backbone of marketing… so why does it feel like a haunted house? 👻
In this episode, we’re joined by Jack, a CRM and automation expert (marketing + recruitment), to unpack what actually goes wrong inside CRMs — and what to do when your “single source of truth” is anything but.

We talk messy data, broken integrations, Franken-stacks, and the classic problem: one marketer builds a beautiful system… then leaves… and nobody knows what anything does.

We get into:

✅ The most common ways teams wreck their CRM (and don’t realise)
✅ Data hygiene first: how to audit what’s broken before “fixing” anything
✅ Zombie contacts and old records: when to delete, when to downgrade, and why it matters
✅ Custom fields, forms, and lists: how to simplify before it becomes unreportable chaos
✅ Lead source is everything (so why does nobody capture it properly?)
✅ HubSpot + Salesforce together: the pain, the mismatched numbers, the “who changed that field?” drama
✅ Naming conventions and documentation: how to make your CRM survivable when people leave
✅ Automation that protects your data (alerts, required fields, and keeping things clean over time)
✅ AI and CRM ops: what’s worth learning now if you want to go full marketing-nerd

If your CRM is currently held together with hope, duct tape, and 400 undocumented workflows — this one’s for you.

Why is marketing the one industry where you can be “too young” and “too old” at the same time? 🤯

In this episode of Blame It On Marketing, we’re talking ageism in marketing (and yes… the sexism that comes with it). We’re joined by a mother-daughter duo: Justine, Marketing Director at The L Factor, and Lenna, award-winning business mentor and professional “nosy parker” (her words, not ours).

We get real about what ageism actually looks like in marketing, why it’s so baked into the industry, and how to handle those comments without losing your mind (or your professionalism).

We get into:
 ✅ Why ageism and sexism are basically inseparable for women at work
 ✅ The weird questions women get asked at events (and how to respond)
 ✅ Why marketing “experience” is misunderstood — and how to reframe it
 ✅ How to challenge ageist behaviour without going full confrontation mode
 ✅ Cross-generational lessons: what newer marketers miss, and what older teams miss too
 ✅ The AI hype problem: not everything needs to be “AI powered”
 ✅ Why “looking busy online” is just digital confetti (and what actually builds trust)
 ✅ Reddit honesty: how to show up without pretending you’re “one of the community”

If you’ve ever felt dismissed, underestimated, or boxed in because of your age — this one’s for you.

Subscribe for more B2B marketing truths, rants, and real talk. 💛

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Ah yes.
The three words that have launched a thousand unnecessary redesigns.

In this episode of Blame It On Marketing, we’re joined by the brilliant Juliana Germinio from Yellow Zest to unpack the most vague, infuriating, soul-crushing piece of feedback marketers hear on repeat:

“Can you just… make it pop?”

Pop how?
Pop why?
Pop for whom??
WHAT IS POP?!

From rogue email links sending restaurant guests to skincare masks (we’ve all been baptised) to websites 80% complete before someone decides it’s “not doing it for them” — we get into why bad feedback happens, why senior leaders default to aesthetics, and how marketers can stop drowning in subjective chaos.

But this isn’t just a rant. (Okay, it’s partly a rant.)

What you’ll actually learn:

🔥 How to turn “make it pop” into actionable feedback
🔥 The exact follow-up questions to ask when feedback is vague
🔥 How to coach senior leaders to give better input
🔥 Why defining the emotion and audience outcome changes everything
🔥 How to protect your process (and your sanity) with better expectation-setting
🔥 When to push back on AI-generated feedback — professionally
🔥 Why “it’s not for you, it’s for your audience” is your new favourite line

We also cover:

• The danger of skipping proper briefing stages
• Why visual feedback feels easier (even when it’s wrong)
• How to avoid 20 hours of unnecessary redesign
• And the legendary “hot pink website” story featuring a colourblind CEO

This one is for:
Designers.
In-house marketers.
Agency owners.
Fractionals.
Anyone who has ever been handed two words of feedback and expected to magically interpret them.

If you’ve ever stared at a screen thinking, “I literally cannot do anything with this” — welcome home.

Let’s stop making things “pop.”
Let’s make feedback better.

🎧 Listen now. And maybe send it to the person who keeps saying it.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why does “ABM” so often become a logo-swap landing page and a prayer? In this episode, Emma and Ruta sit down with Marta George (ex-Head of ABM, now Field & Channel Marketing) to get brutally honest about what real ABM takes—and when you shouldn’t do it at all.

We get into:
 ✅ Why “ABM Lite” isn’t real (and why it keeps getting sold anyway)
 ✅ The village ABM needs: sales, SDRs, CS, product marketing, brand, design
 ✅ Account selection done right (data > opinions, relationships matter)
 ✅ Start small: 2–4 accounts, bottom-of-funnel first, then scale
 ✅ Timelines & expectations: quarters to years—not weeks—and what to report
 ✅ What to track (and why MQLs are the wrong question for ABM)
 ✅ When to skip ABM and do personalised demand gen instead
 ✅ Tools & AI: faster personalisation ≠ ABM
 ✅ Spicy take: why growth teams deserve bonuses/commission

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why do smart companies still treat marketing like the “content machine” or sales’ on-call design team? In this episode, Ruta and Emma sit down with Margaux Grasso and Sarah Mardle to unpack marketing’s perception problem—and how to fix it with influence, data, and better internal storytelling. Expect practical playbooks for building credibility, aligning with sales, and pushing back on bad habits without starting a turf war. 

We get into:
 ✅ Why marketers accidentally fuel the “make it pretty” myth—and how to stop being the default Yes Team
 ✅ Building your internal brand: report like a strategist, not a task taker (show the link to business goals)
✅ Stakeholder personas: map power, pressures, and motivations so your message lands internally, not just with customers
✅ Alignment that sticks: shared goals, shared language, and moving from blame to ownership with sales
✅ Budget battles: make a business case, not an approval request—what to show the CFO and when
✅ Product-market fit reality checks: run shared experiments so “is it marketing or the product?” gets answered fast
✅ Career insurance: mentors, advocates, and relationship-building as a core marketing skill, not a nice-to-have 

Who’s on mic:
 • Margaux Grasso — Founder, Wripple. Helps marketing teams build internal credibility, align with sales, and set strategy. 

 • Sarah Mardle — Founder of Alma Business Consulting, Executive and business coach with a neuroscience PhD, supporting leaders and founders (especially in life sciences). 

Perfect for: marketers tired of being seen as order-takers, leaders who want real sales-marketing alignment, and anyone who needs a clean, confident way to ask for more budget—and get it. 

If you’re ready to swap “make it pretty” for “move the business,” this one’s for you. 

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why do tiny marketing budgets come with sky-high expectations? 💸 In this episode, we’re joined by Lucy Blenkinsopp, marketing lead at Version 1, to talk about how to do more with less—without burning out or BS-ing the board. From choosing fewer, higher-ROI channels to proving marginal gains and building a real case for budget, we get practical about what actually moves the needle when cash is tight.

We get into:
 ✅ Fewer channels, done better: double down on what works and drop the FOMO
 ✅ Test–learn–report: micro-pilots, clear hypotheses, and sharing results every quarter
 ✅ Create 25%, distribute 75%: repurpose relentlessly and let AI speed production
 ✅ CRM hygiene: turn it every 12 weeks, go “intent fishing,” revive stalled opps
 ✅ Measure marginal ROI: track incremental wins instead of waiting on full-cycle proof
 ✅ Budget storytelling: pipeline-to-spend ratios, define your attribution terms, post-it metrics
 ✅ CFO as ally: model scenarios together and set expectations early (not in Q4)
 ✅ Sales x Marketing: capture anecdotes from the field to complete the data picture
 ✅ Spoof-video sanity check: memorable ≠ relevant—know your ICP and the line

If you’re being asked to deliver a miracle on a shoestring—or to “just get more pipeline” with lunch money—this one’s for you.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why do leaders still want to “be on LinkedIn”… even when the content makes buyers cringe? 🤳 In this episode, we’re joined by Brad Zomick—executive content coach and host of LinkedIn Famous—to get real about getting senior leaders to create content that actually helps the business (and doesn’t read like buzzword soup). We dig into when a CEO should be the face, what they should post, and how to build an idea flywheel that never runs dry. 

We get into:
✅ Should every exec post? How to decide (audience fit, proximity to customers, time, POV). 

✅Content that works: start with audience pain, not product; find content–market fit; avoid the “jargon casserole.”

✅Pillars × funnel: top- and mid-funnel stories 80% of the time; when to dip into BOFU. 

✅The podcast play: easier than talking-head videos, produces endless clips, and doubles as elite product-marketing research. 

✅Idea pipeline: sales FAQs, customer calls, events, team-sourced prompts—and why thoughtful commenting now has real reach. 

✅Coaching execs: make it easy, measure in quarters (not days), encourage smart risks, and help them find the fun so it sticks. 

✅Gossip corner: AI makes us “bionic marketers”… and why that can help or hurt depending on how leaders use it. 

If your exec wants to “get LinkedIn famous” by next week, play them this—and build something that actually moves pipeline, product, and trust.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why do the same marketing headaches keep coming back every year? 🤯 Three years in, 100 episodes later, and we’re still hearing “can you make it go viral?” like it’s a brief.

In this special 100th-episode live show, Ruta and Emma look back at the biggest themes from Blame It On Marketing so far—and the stubborn problems that refuse to die. From CROs who are just Head of Sales with a shinier title, to “pipeline” being treated like a strategy, to AI hype outrunning reality, we get honest about what needs to change (and what marketers can actually do).

We get into:
 ✅ “Make it go viral” and other immortal bad briefs (plus what to ask instead)
 ✅ CRO ≠ Head of Sales: what a real revenue leader should own (product, CS, renewals)
 ✅ Pipeline isn’t a strategy: start with business strategy → marketing strategy → goals
 ✅ Firefighting culture: why constant “sprints” without breathers burns everyone out
 ✅ Video obsession & personal-brand pressure: formats ≠ strategy, receipts > vibes
 ✅ Sales & marketing alignment: the forever battle (and the only fixes that stick)
 ✅ AI reality check: you’re not late, you don’t need “vibe coding,” and it’s AI-in-workflow, not human as an afterthought
 ✅ How to push back internally without sounding like a jerk (or losing your budget)

If you’ve ever wanted to hand your CEO a five-year plan when they ask for “viral,” this one’s for you. And if you’ve been here since episode 1—thank you for sticking with us. 💛

Why are marketers still arguing about ROI in 2025? 🤯 “ROI is reductive!” “You can’t measure brand!” Meanwhile…budgets are getting slashed and CFOs are sharpening their scissors.

In this episode, we’re joined by Jordan Stachini—founder of Co & Co and proud member of the “least-fluffy marketers” club—to cut through the noise. We get real about what ROI actually is (and isn’t), how to report it without strangling creativity, and how to keep your budget safe when the money people come calling.

We get into:
 ✅ “All sales are conversions—but not all conversions are sales.” How to set objectives and measure the right thing at each stage
 ✅ Holistic > siloed: why channel-by-channel ROI gets marketers in trouble (and how to report at the right altitude for board, C-suite, and team)
 ✅ When you don’t have revenue access: scrappy ways to start measuring today (yes, even if it’s manual)
 ✅ Offline → online is one journey: activations that earn digital reach (and why tying every post to a till receipt is a trap)
 ✅ Founder taste ≠ ICP truth: keeping opinions out of your metrics
 ✅ Talking to CFOs without losing your soul (or your budget)
 ✅ “Champagne results on lemonade money”: setting realistic ROI expectations
 ✅ AI vs human creativity: Billy bookcase content vs bespoke craftsmanship—and why connection still wins
 ✅ Regional ads that slap (Hooch in Ancoats) vs ones that flop (Magnum in Piccadilly Gardens)—and the ROI lesson behind both

If you’re done with ROI theatre and want a practical playbook for proving value without dumbing down your marketing, this one’s for you.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why does every second LinkedIn post promise an “AI system” that will fix your marketing overnight? 🤖✨ If you’ve been told to “just automate everything,” this episode is your antidote.

In this episode, we’re joined by Fiona Sherwood (fractional CMO & AI marketing trainer) and Joanna Edwards (events leader behind a GenAI-for-marketers summit) to get practical about what an AI strategy actually is—and why tools come last, not first. 

We get into:
 ✅ Why “automate everything” isn’t a strategy (and where automation does belong) 
✅ Using real customer insight (CRM + sales-call transcripts) to fuel content that isn’t beige 
✅ Guardrails that matter: GDPR, FCA/regulated industries, brand voice, approvals, and culture 
✅ Tooling sanity: start small, personalize your stack (Copilot, GPT, etc.), and budget for training 
✅ How marketers can lead company-wide AI standards—without shaming or “AI-washing” 
✅ Measuring what matters, spotting hype, and setting expectations with the C-suite 

If you’re tired of guru threads and beige outputs—and you want an AI plan tied to revenue, compliance, and actual customer problems—this one’s for you. 

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why do so many great marketing plans get kneecapped by…ego? 🤯 You know the drill: a founder who “already knows” the playbook, a swoop-and-poop exec, or a client who hires you for your expertise—then ignores it.

In this episode, we’re joined by marketing strategist and consultant Rissy La Touche (Dimple Studio; ex-Square) to unpack how ego shows up at the top, how to spot it early, and how to navigate it without losing your mind—or your results.

We get into:
 ✅ Red flags on discovery calls (no questions, prescriptive “do this,” trash-talking their team, refusing audits/strategy)
 ✅ Curiosity as a power move: “What makes you believe that?”—and other ego-disarming questions
 ✅ When to walk away (and why solo-founder gigs can be the toughest)
 ✅ “Most founders don’t need a podcast” 🙃 — hard truths about shiny-object marketing
 ✅ Using ego for good: value props that make buyers look brilliant at work (hello, promotions & advocacy)
 ✅ Keep your receipts: decision logs, recap emails, and notes that save your sanity
 ✅ Culture math: why leaders’ “bad-day behaviors” trickle down—and how to push for change
 ✅ Building allies across the org (the simple “time to chat?” outreach that actually works)
 ✅ Early-stage reality checks: experiments, resources, and the Square pivot story
 ✅ Staying sane: feedback loops, mentors, boundaries, and choosing freedom as a consultant

If you’ve ever been steamrolled by a HiPPO, battled a micromanager, or just want better tools for managing up—this one’s for you.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why do so many teams grab a shiny rebrand when the real problem is strategy? 🤔 We’ve avoided this topic for ages… but today we go there—with brand strategist Beatrice Gutknecht, whose mission is, ahem, “F*** rebrands.” She breaks down why visual-first overhauls flop, how to get brand + marketing actually working together, and what to measure so brand work shows up in revenue—not just mood boards. 

In this episode, we unpack when you need a rebrand (rarely), when you need repositioning (usually), and how to make it stick inside the business—not just on the website. We swap horror stories (hello, “my wife doesn’t like the logo” feedback) and get practical about test-and-learn, ICP research, and cross-functional buy-in. 

We get into:
 ✅ Why “visual-first” rebrands backfire (think Twitter→X, Jaguar) and what to do instead.
 ✅ Repositioning 101: align brand, marketing, sales, and CS—then ship fast tests, not 100-page brand bibles.
 ✅ Killing subjectivity: replace “CEO’s spouse said no” with customer research and data.
 ✅ Building a brand world in B2B (yes, really) so people feel your positioning—not just read it.
✅ A real case study: moving an architectural hardware brand earlier in the buying cycle and making marketing actually easier. 
✅ Agency red flags to watch for (and why big glossy “guidelines” ≠ business impact). 
✅ What to track so brand = pipeline: category mentions/associations, market share & engagement, retention & advocacy, and even CAC. 
✅ Leading through the AI noise while staying human-first (without whiplash). 

If you’re tired of expensive rebrands that change the logo but not the results—and you want brand work that sales, customers, and your team can feel—this one’s for you. 

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why is it still harder for women to be seen, heard, and safe in B2B marketing? 🤔 We work in female-heavy teams, but the mics, panels, and power seats still skew the other way—and it shows up in our careers, our DMs, and even at conferences.

In this episode, we’re joined by Jane Serra, host of Women in B2B Marketing, to dig into what actually moves the needle: women-only spaces, real allyship, and building the support systems that carry you further than any “hustle harder” mantra ever will.

We get into:
 ✅ Why “women-only” rooms still matter (and how they change the convo)
 ✅ How to build your Personal Board of Directors (P-BOD)—and use it for jobs, pay, and sanity
✅ Practical allyship for men (hint: share those opportunities you’re handed)
✅ Equity vs. equality: what companies get wrong and how to fix it
✅ Conference reality checks: safety, safeguarding, and setting boundaries
✅ “Do it scared”: putting your name in the hat before you feel “ready”
✅ The visibility gap—why fewer women get the mic and how to change it
✅ Surviving the “do more with less” era without burning out

If you’ve ever felt alone in a room full of marketers—or you’re ready to make B2B better for the next woman in line—this one’s for you.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Think events are all free prosecco and LinkedIn photos? 🤔 Behind every smooth show is a sleep-deprived team juggling power sockets, panic emails, and a thousand tiny fires—often at the same time.

In this episode, we’re joined by Sarah Tully (Group Event Director, eCommerce Expo & Technology for Marketing), Laura Dazon (Marketing Manager), and Phoebe Dunsmore (Marketing Executive) from CloserStill Media to pull back the curtain on event season—what really breaks, what actually matters, and how marketers can survive (and even enjoy) the madness.

We get into:
 ✅ The biggest misconceptions about events marketing (and why the show is the middle of the campaign, not the end)
✅ How to balance sponsors, exhibitors & attendees with a clear “value story” (Laura’s “chair with four legs” framework)
✅ Real on-site war stories: raining ceilings, no-show speakers, surprise venue drills, and the eternal Wi-Fi scam
✅ Ops gotchas marketers miss (power, internet, signage, space for photo areas… and why people never read the emails)
✅ Inbox triage during peak season: empathy, boundaries, and why “please unsubscribe me” isn’t a personal attack
✅ Neurodiversity on the show floor—headphones, quiet resets, and planning for the post-event crash
✅ Exhibitor & visitor playbooks: keep activations simple, plan before/during/after, train booth teams, and download the app
✅ Self-care that actually helps on-site: snacks + water, pacing, buddy up, and don’t schedule your whole life the week after

If event season has you clutching your lanyard and whispering “I need a nap,” this one’s for you.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why does B2B influencer marketing feel so chaotic right now? 🤔 LinkedIn reach is down, creators are charging enterprise prices, and everyone’s asking how to prove ROI without waiting nine months for a deal to close.

In this episode, we’re joined by Hector Forwood, co-founder & CEO of Flooencer, to demystify what’s working (and what’s broken) in B2B influencer marketing—how to pick the right creators, what to pay, and how to measure impact the C-suite will actually buy.

We get into:

 ✅ What’s changed on LinkedIn (why organic reach has dropped & what still works now: carousels/PDFs, mixed media, and long-tail impressions)
 ✅ Creator types—content creators vs. thought leaders—and when you need both
✅ Pricing sanity: flat fee vs. affiliate/rev-share, and avoiding the “three posts for £18k” trap
✅ Measuring ROI for PLG vs. enterprise (discount codes & clicks vs. engaged-persona tracking)
✅ Running technical campaigns that aren’t cringe (how to make deeply technical features land with data teams)
✅ Small-budget playbook: start with customers, employees & partners, then micro-creators off LinkedIn (TikTok/YouTube)
✅ The four pillars of advocacy (influencers, employees, partners, customers) and how to stack them
✅ Red flags to skip: AI “agents” that are just automations, bait resources, and vanity engagement
✅ A couple of painfully honest “don’t do this” stories to keep you out of trouble 😬

If you’re trying to make influencer work on a B2B budget—or trying to price your own content without getting fleeced—this one’s for you.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why does marketing feel… weird right now? 😵‍💫 Budgets are tight, algorithms won’t sit still, AI is everywhere, and juniors are somehow expected to be CMOs. So how are marketers actually coping—and still shipping great work?

In this episode, we’re joined by Dan & Alice, co-hosts of Work Is Weird Now, for a brutally honest chat about staying sane, creative, and effective when the ground keeps moving.

We get into:
 ✅ Boundaries > burnout: muting, blocking, and setting “rules for scrolling” so you can actually think
 ✅ “Certainty theatre” vs. test-and-learn: how to make the case for experiments when leadership wants guarantees
 ✅ The junior trap: why you still need senior thinking, horizon-scanning, and context (and what’s fair to expect from juniors)
 ✅ In-house, agency & community: finding the support system that keeps you sharp (and human)
 ✅ AI without the eye-roll: practical ways to use it without losing your voice—plus what new tools mean for real creativity
 ✅ Events, content, and the attribution mirage: measuring what matters when not everything can be measured
✅ Coping tactics that actually help: small wins, shipping momentum, and protecting your creative time

If your job currently requires equal parts strategy, creativity, and emotional resilience, this one’s for you. 🎧

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why have so many leaders written off SEO as “dead”? 🤔 Whether it’s the rise of AI search, fears of fierce competition, or painstaking boardroom battles over budget, the rumour mill keeps churning. But if your ideal buyers still Google for solutions—or even ask ChatGPT—you can’t afford to ignore it.

In this episode, we’re joined by Sam Dunning, founder of Breaking B2B and host of the Breaking B2B podcast, to explain why SEO isn’t dying—it’s just evolving. Sam shares the unconventional, revenue-focused playbook that’s working today for B2B and SaaS marketers.

We get into:
 ✅ Why “SEO is dead” misses the mark for most B2B & SaaS businesses
 ✅ How to decide if SEO fits your ICP, runway & resources
 ✅ The two quick-win page types that can rank in 30–60 days
 ✅ Niches, “offer + industry” and “alt vs” pages: long-tail goldmines
 ✅ Why one-and-done SEO is a fantasy—and what a revenue-driven strategy looks like
 ✅ How to win stubborn C-suite buy-in (or quietly prove ROI yourself)
 ✅ Brand mentions, structured data & AI search: ranking on ChatGPT, Perplexity & more
 ✅ Crafting top-of-funnel “jobs-to-be-done” content that truly converts

If you’re tired of SEO obituaries—or you’ve been guilty of underinvesting in search—this one’s for you.

Why do marketers lose their cool over slide decks, ChatGPT “feedback,” and CEOs who sign off every tweet? 🤯 We’ve all felt our blood boil when leadership “just wants it pretty,” when “my partner hates that ad,” or when they lob in a last-minute “get this done by tomorrow” bomb.

In this crossover episode, Emma & Ruta team up with Marketing Dribble hosts Rob Boyle and Johnny Kenyon to play Trigger Bingo—naming the marketing pet peeves that make us want to quit our own jobs. Then they vote on which trigger reigns supreme.

We get into:
 ✅ “Make the slides pretty”—and watch sales hijack your designs
 ✅ “My spouse saw the ad and hated it”—no, really, that happened
 ✅ CEOs who must sign off every post, budget or button-click
 ✅ Marketing leaders replaced by sales hires (or ChatGPT)
 ✅ “Urgent” priorities imposed last-minute—then radio silence
 ✅ Google Ads horror stories: “Why didn’t my ad even show up?”
 ✅ Endless ChatGPT feedback loops that never end
 ✅ And more of your worst marketing nightmares…

If you’ve ever felt your marketing sanity slipping—or wondered if you’d snap, too—this one’s for you. 🎧

Why do marketers blame shadow bans when their posts flatline? 🤔 If you’ve ever felt like LinkedIn’s algorithm is out to get you, you’re not alone. From engagement pods to Top Voice conspiracies, the platform’s quirks spark more theories than a late-night Reddit scroll.

In this episode, Emma & Ruta play detective with two LinkedIn insiders—Corey Johnson, growth marketer (LinkedIn addict), and Ash Turner, ex-LinkedIn creator manager to bust myths and reveal what really moves the feed.

We get into:
 ✅ Engagement pods vs. genuine reach—does LinkedIn even care?
 ✅ Top Voice badge drama—why some big influencers get snubbed
 ✅ Carousels, video & clicks—how metrics hijack your content
 ✅ Shadow banning: myth, marketing excuse or content fail?
 ✅ Company pages vs. personal profiles—which one wins?
 ✅ Creator monetization & pay-to-play—sponsored posts explained
 ✅ API lock-down—why third-party tools struggle on LinkedIn

If you’ve ever wondered why your best posts get buried—or why a meme explodes while your thought pieces vanish—this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now and crack the LinkedIn code.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

In this episode, we’re ditching the basic bitch prompts and going deep on real AI power for marketers. Emma and Ruta unpack everything from prompt engineering to custom GPTs to automated workflows—so you can stop treating AI like a toy and start using it like a pro.

We get into:
 ✅ The AI lingo you actually need: models vs. providers vs. platforms vs. benchmarks
 ✅ Prompt engineering 101: zero-shot, few-shot, meta-prompts & when to use “reasoning”
 ✅ Building your own Custom GPTs—for content, strategy docs, coaching & more
 ✅ Automations that turn transcripts into blog posts, spreadsheets into insights
 ✅ Data cleaning, contract checks & process docs—all without lifting a finger
 ✅ Picking the right model: why cheaper LLMs sometimes outscore GPT-4 on copy
 ✅ AI as your personal CMO-mentor: role-plays, feedback loops & impulse checks
 ✅ Content audits, gap analyses & campaign plans—instant, AI-powered QA

If you’re tired of treating AI like a magic wand—or you’re ready to stop copy-pasting prompts and start building real AI-driven workflows—this one’s for you.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why do so many marketers break into a cold sweat at the mere mention of “board meeting”? 🤔 We’ve all been there—calendar invites arrive, you scramble through slide decks, and suddenly your palms are slick with nerves…

In this episode, we’re joined by Chris Kelly, Head of Marketing, to unpack the marketer’s boardroom debut—how to earn that seat, craft the right story, and walk out with the board singing your praises blame-it-on-marketing_f….

We get into:
 ✅ Why only commercially minded marketers should elbow their way in (and how to know if it’s your moment)
 ✅ Networking tactics that turn casual hallway chats into boardroom invitations
 ✅ Crafting slides that follow your narrative—story first, data second, and a dash of creative flair
 ✅ The board’s must-know metrics (cost per lead, brand awareness lift) vs. vanity numbers you can ditch
 ✅ Surviving the toughest questions: AI tools for mining potential Q&A and rehearsal hacks
 ✅ Rehearsal rituals—record yourself, get feedback, and build unshakeable confidence
 ✅ Showcasing your team’s wins to build internal advocates (and succession backups)
 ✅ Post-meeting power plays: following up on board queries to cement your credibility

If you’re tired of sweating over last-minute decks—or you’ve been knocking on the boardroom door with no answer—this one’s for you.

Why do so many marketers build campaigns in a vacuum—then wonder why they flop? 🤔 We’ve all seen it: content calendars packed with guesswork, launch after launch… and still, crickets.

In this episode, we’re joined by Helen Saxton, customer-experience advocate and Blame It On Marketing’s newest bestie, to unpack why customers must be at the heart of every business—and how to turn real-world feedback into content that converts. 

We get into:
 ✅ Why brand managers who never speak to customers keep missing the mark
 ✅ Mining free insights from social comments, CS tickets & on-site reviews
 ✅ Balancing quant (surveys, NPS) with qual (deep-dive interviews) for true customer clarity
 ✅ Partnering with customer-success/service teams for an always-on feedback loop
 ✅ When to pick up the phone—and when to gather feedback asynchronously

If you’re tired of launching campaigns nobody asked for—or if you’ve been guilty of marketing by gut instead of data—this one’s for you.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why do so many B2B marketers treat YouTube like a dusty archive? 🤔 We’ve all seen it—upload a stale webinar, paste a podcast video, and then scratch your head when views don’t budge… with zero strategy behind it. 

In this episode, we’re joined by Jake Kitchiner, co-founder of Channel Crawler and our new Blame It on Marketing YouTube guru, to unpack the B2B Tube trap—why companies dump content on YouTube and see no ROI, and how to build a channel that actually drives leads. blame-it-on-marketing_y…blame-it-on-marketing_y…

We get into:
 ✅ Why simply reposting webinars and demos is YouTube clickbait… for crickets
 ✅ The three-step service model: free tutorials → paid deep-dives → new clients
 ✅ How B2B SaaS brands like Clay turn “how-to” videos into product subscriptions
 ✅ YouTube’s three discovery feeds—Homepage, Suggested, Search—and how to win them
 ✅ Crafting hooks, thumbnails & chapters that make viewers click, watch, and subscribe
 ✅ Evergreen content planning: batch filming, SEO research, and a six-month runway
 ✅ How to use YouTube Ads with channel & video-level targeting (not just keywords)
 ✅ Repurposing your podcast or LinkedIn content into short-form YouTube hits

If you’re tired of uploading endless “just-because” videos—or if you’ve been guilty of treating YouTube like a dumping ground—this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now and let’s talk about turning YouTube views into real business.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why do so many companies treat consultants like magic beans? 🤔 We’ve all seen it—bring in a “growth expert,” sprinkle them between teams, and pray they fix everything… without clear goals or accountability.

In this episode, we’re joined by Loren Shumate, growth consultant and our new Blame It On Marketing bestie, to unpack the consultant conundrum—why leadership chases silver bullets, where it blows up, and how to get real ROI instead ​E84.

We get into:
 ✅ The biggest myth giving consultants a bad rap—and why clear deliverables matter
 ✅ How to know when your startup needs outside help (and who should make that call)
 ✅ The right questions to ask before signing a statement of work
 ✅ Why siloed tactics fail—and how consultants drive cross-functional alignment
 ✅ Dodging “magic bean” tech plays: why you need vendor-agnostic advice
 ✅ Turning boardroom truths—like “my CRM’s a ball of yarn”—into actionable change ​E84
 ✅ Red flags that scream “run away” when you’re vetting marketing experts
 ✅ The LinkedIn soap-opera of fake influencer feuds—and why labels don’t make better marketing

If you’ve ever hired (or been tempted to hire) a consultant—and ended up with a mess—this one’s for you.

Why does email marketing often feel like shouting into the void? 🤔 We’ve all been there—campaigns get built, contacts pile up, and engagement flatlines… yet somehow “just send more emails” remains the rallying cry.

In this episode, we’re joined by Beth O’Malley, self‑proclaimed Email Queen and 12‑year CRM veteran, to dismantle the biggest email myths—why your campaigns keep missing the mark, and exactly how to fix them.

We get into:
 ✅ Why borrowing B2C “best practices” and 2004 segmentation still holds you back
 ✅ The real risks of buying cold lists (and smarter ways to reach prospects)
 ✅ The three pillars of email mastery: strategy, data integrity & tech setup
 ✅ How to build subscriber‑centric journeys that deliver the right message at the right time
 ✅ Quick wins with exclusion‑based campaigns to trim the fat and boost engagement
 ✅ Why open rates lie—and which metrics actually prove email ROI
 ✅ Avoiding technical dead ends: SPF, DMARC & platform limitations to watch
 ✅ Winning leadership buy‑in with analogies (and the cost‑of‑inaction playbook)
 ✅ The unethical tricks—like fake order confirmations—that always backfire

If you’re done watching your emails underperform—or you’re ready to turn email into your highest‑ROI channel—this one’s for you.

Link to Beths course: https://www.certifiedguru.com/

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

What’s causing senior marketing leaders to burn out, feel isolated, and lose their edge? 🤔 In this episode of Blame It On Marketing, Emma and Ruta sit down with the insightful Fiona Jensen—a veteran with over 20 years of B2B marketing recruitment experience—to break down the hidden crisis in senior marketing.

We get into: 

✅ The real reasons behind the burnout and isolation of senior marketers
✅ Why being the “glue” of the company can make your contributions invisible
✅ How unrealistic KPIs, shifting roles, and ever-growing pressure are driving top talent to quit
✅ The essential role of building a robust network and finding the right mentors
✅ Practical red flags and tips for spotting unhealthy work environments and preventing burnout

If you’re tired of seeing top marketing talent get crushed under endless pressure—or if you’re a senior marketer needing a wake-up call on how to safeguard your career and well-being—this episode is for you.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

Why do CEOs sometimes go rogue on social media—and what does it mean for your brand? 🤔 In this episode, we’re joined by Amber to dig deep into the wild world of executive online antics. From LinkedIn mishaps to rogue posts that cross the line, we unpack how CEOs’ off-the-cuff behavior can affect everything from corporate culture to talent attraction.

We get into: 

✅ The high-stakes world of CEOs building personal brands—and sometimes stepping way over the line
 ✅ How misguided attempts at “juicy” engagement can backfire and why a little media training goes a long way
 ✅ Real-life examples of rogue posts that made waves (yes, including the infamous “boob post”)
 ✅ The power of a solid social media policy and crisis plan in keeping your brand safe
 ✅ Insider gossip and survival tips from marketers who've navigated the fallout

If you’ve ever wondered how to manage the fallout when a CEO’s online behavior starts causing havoc—or if you just love a good marketing scandal—this episode is for you.

How do you keep the spark alive with MQLs when everyone’s ready to call them dead? In this episode, Ruta and Emma sit down with Ross Howard, Product Marketing Director at Inbox Insight, to share a no-holds-barred conversation about the messy, hilarious, and sometimes maddening world of Marketing Qualified Leads. Rather than ditching MQLs altogether, our guest and hosts explore how a little relationship-building, a whole lot of content creativity, and a fresh look at aligning sales and marketing can make all the difference.

We dive into:

✅ The truth behind the “MQL myth” and why these leads aren’t the enemy
✅ How early marketing blunders (hello, email typos!) paved the way for smarter strategies
✅ Balancing lead gen and demand gen without sacrificing quality or your sanity
✅ Creative multi-touch tactics that keep your audience engaged long after the first email
✅ The secret sauce of building genuine connections, even when the system seems stacked against you
✅ Insider marketing gossip that proves even the pros have their off days

If you’re ready to rethink your lead strategy without scrapping everything you’ve built, this episode is your new go-to guide. Let’s embrace our MQLs for life—done right, they can be your secret weapon.

Why do so many senior marketers think a website rebuild will solve all their problems? 🤔 We’ve all seen it—new leadership comes in, declares the site outdated, and suddenly, it’s full steam ahead on a total overhaul… with zero strategy behind it.

In this episode, we’re joined by Alice Walton, website expert and our new Blame It on Marketing bestie, to unpack the fresh start fallacy—why marketers keep rushing into website redesigns, why it backfires, and what to do instead.

We get into:
✅ Why marketers love (and overuse) the “new website” play
✅ How to know if you actually NEED a new site (or just tweaks)
✅ The #1 mistake companies make before redesigning
✅ Why some brands obsess over their site… and others ignore it completely
✅ How bad CMS choices force unnecessary redesigns
✅ The secret war between devs & marketers (and how to win it)
✅ SEO, CRO, and why marketers STILL forget them in a rebuild
✅ How AI & voice search are changing website strategy

If you’re tired of watching websites get scrapped for no reason—or if you’ve been guilty of pushing a redesign without a real plan—this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now and let’s talk about what actually works.

In this no-holds-barred episode of Blame It on Marketing, hosts Emma and Ruta team up with the ever-so-authentic Marie-Claire Silfer (MC) to spill the tea on everything LinkedIn. Tired of the endless parade of AI-generated spam, forced selfies, and “engagement pod” shenanigans? So are we.

Join the trio as they dissect the art (and occasional disaster) of creating content that’s genuine, engaging, and refreshingly human. They share their war stories—from early “pitch-slapping” mishaps to dodging misogyny and microaggressions—and dish out the real-deal tips that can help you level up your LinkedIn game without losing your cool.

Key Takeaways:

• Authenticity Wins: Learn why mixing personal struggles with professional wins beats bland, over-polished posts every time.
• Consistency Is King: Discover how treating content creation like “brushing your teeth” can transform your online presence—even if it’s just 5–10 minutes a day.
• Content Remix Magic: Get tips on repurposing old posts into videos, carousels, or bite-sized text gems, so you’re never out of ideas.
• Call Out the Cringe: From forced selfies in random settings to all-male influencer shout-outs, find out what to avoid if you want to keep it real on LinkedIn.
• Community Over Clout: Explore why building genuine relationships beats chasing likes and how to navigate the pitfalls of engagement pods and fake comments.

LinkedIn isn’t what it used to be, in this episode, we sit down with Andy Lambert to break down what’s actually working in social media marketing today. We get real about the mistakes marketers keep making, why engagement matters more than ever, and whether company pages are hard work.

Oh, and AI? It’s changing the game—but let’s be clear: it’s a tool, not a replacement for actual strategy. We also dive into community building, video content (spoiler: just posting isn’t enough), and why authenticity beats algorithms every time.

Takeaways (or, what to yell at your marketing team about)

✅ Social media keeps changing—marketers need to keep up.
✅ LinkedIn is still gold for B2B (but you need a strategy).
✅ Rushed marketing = bad marketing.
✅ Video is big, but quality > quantity.
✅ Engagement > just posting.
✅ Personal brands > company pages (sorry, corporate).
✅ AI can boost creativity, but don’t let it kill your soul.
✅ Community > audience—build relationships, not just reach.
✅ Focus on what your audience actually wants.
✅ Authenticity wins—people can smell BS from a mile away.

Marketing changes, but the fundamentals don’t. Listen in, take notes (or don’t), and let’s talk about what actually works.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

In this episode of Blame It on Marketing, Ruta and Emma take on the obsession with chasing competitors in B2B marketing. They dig into why marketers fall into the copycat trap, share their own experiences of getting it wrong, and discuss how to break out of the cycle with a strategy that actually works. The conversation covers the importance of knowing your own product and audience, the risks of playing it safe, and the ethical dilemmas that come with marketing today. Bottom line? Creativity beats imitation every time.

Takeaways

• Chasing competitors leads to bland, copy-paste marketing.
• Understanding your unique value proposition is non-negotiable.
• Creativity and originality win in the long run.
• A solid go-to-market strategy keeps you focused.
• Differentiation matters—especially in a crowded market.
• Managing internal stakeholders is just as important as external messaging.
• Ethical marketing is no longer optional.
• Marketers should prioritize their ideal customer profile (ICP) over industry trends.
• Copying competitors often results in surface-level strategies with no depth.
• Close collaboration with product teams can make or break marketing success.

In this episode of Blame it on Marketing, Emma and Ruta are joined by Alex Vince-Myers, Head of Marketing, to tackle the big question: which marketing metrics actually matter? Together, they sort the fluff from the facts, breaking down the difference between vanity metrics and actionable ones that drive real results. The trio dives into personal confessions about marketing missteps, the perks of sharing metrics across teams, and why getting leadership to buy into metrics is easier said than done.

The discussion doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff—like the gap between marketing efforts and revenue—and wraps up with insights on how to navigate the ever-evolving trends shaping today’s marketing landscape.

Takeaways:

• Marketing metrics are a cornerstone for growth and accountability.
• Vanity metrics might look good, but they don’t always tell the full story.
• Sharing metrics internally can boost team morale and engagement.
• Senior leaders need to get on board with understanding marketing numbers.
• Metrics should align with business goals to ensure relevance.
• Tailor the metrics you present to the audience at hand.
• Accurate attribution relies on understanding the full customer journey.
• Context matters—analyze metrics within appropriate timeframes.
• Don’t lean too heavily on vanity metrics for decision-making.
• Leadership buy-in is essential to maximize marketing’s impact.

This one’s all about making your numbers work for you, not against you.

We’re Ruta and Emma, the marketing consultants behind Blame it on Marketing. 

If you’re in B2B SaaS or professional services and looking to do marketing that actually drives revenue and profit, we’re here for it.

Visit blameitonmarketing.com and let’s get this show on the road.

In this episode of Blame It on Marketing, Emma, Ruta, and guest Jamie Pagan dive into the gritty realities of marketing budgets. From the awkward dance of asking for money to the headaches caused by mismatched sales and marketing priorities, they unpack the budgeting struggles marketers face daily. Jamie shares practical advice from his years in B2B marketing, offering insights on educating leadership, proving ROI, and making the most of lean budgets.

This episode tackles why tight budgets make for tight-lipped marketers and how better communication and alignment with sales can turn things around. 

If you’ve ever had to justify your existence to the finance team, this one’s for you.

Takeaways:

• Budgeting in marketing is often ignored until there's a problem.
• Misalignment between marketing and sales creates budget gaps.
• Sales cycles heavily influence budget timing and strategies.
• Proving ROI isn’t just nice; it’s non-negotiable.
• Educating leadership on marketing's value is critical to securing funds.
• Shoestring budgets lead to lackluster engagement and retention.
• Free tools and creativity are lifesavers when the budget is tight.
• Building trust with leadership pays off in future budget negotiations.
• Regularly tracking and sharing your impact builds a case for investment.
• Negative past experiences with marketing can skew leadership's perception.

In this episode of Blame It On Marketing, hosts Emma and Ruta explore the challenges of marketing attribution with Tara Robertson. They share their own experiences with attribution, unpack the complexities of measurement, and highlight the importance of collaboration between sales and marketing teams. The conversation tackles the messy reality of attribution, emphasizing the need to better understand how marketing influences customer journeys. Their takeaway? Embrace the imperfections—attribution is rarely straightforward.

Key Takeaways:

- Attribution is often oversimplified and can mislead marketing decisions.
- The pressure to measure everything can stifle creativity in marketing.
- Sales and marketing teams should work collaboratively towards common goals.
- Understanding the customer journey is crucial for effective attribution.
- Self-reported attribution can provide valuable insights into customer behavior.
- Attribution tools can be helpful but should not be seen as a silver bullet.
- The ideal attribution setup varies by company and should focus on key touchpoints.
- Marketing should influence all types of opportunities, not just inbound leads.
- Leadership expectations around attribution can be challenging to navigate.
- Embracing the messiness of attribution can lead to better marketing strategies.

Blame It On Marketing Turns Two! 🥳 In this special anniversary episode, Ruta and Emma reflect on two years of podcasting, marketing gossip, and relentless honesty about the industry we love (and sometimes love to hate).

From the chaos of LinkedIn to outrageous sales commission stories, they revisit their favourite episodes, hard-earned lessons, and hilarious highlights. Expect shout-outs to iconic guests like Timi and Talya, alongside a passionate plea for marketers to stop settling for 35K manager roles and to demand better buying experiences. Plus, Ruta reveals her unfiltered LinkedIn comment philosophy, while Emma dreams up LinkedIn-integrated podcasts for all our scrolling convenience.

Takeaways:

• Buying Experience: It's still a mess—why aren't companies focusing on the buyer?
• Sales and Marketing Alignment: Compassion, not competition, is the key to collaboration.
• CRO Insights: A great CRO transforms businesses, not just quotas.
• Influencer Sales: Stop expecting your team to moonlight as TikTok stars unless you're paying for it.
• Career Advice: No job is worth sacrificing your mental health. Make that exit plan if needed.
• Bad Marketing: Sometimes, breaking the rules is where the magic happens. (Ask them about their tattoos!)

Stick around for some spicy LinkedIn gossip and a heartfelt thank-you to the listeners who've made this two-year journey unforgettable. 🚀