Chris Norton is the founder and managing director of Leeds-based agency Prohibition PR.
With over two decades of experience in the PR and communications industry, Norton has established himself as a leading expert in digital PR, social media strategy, and crisis communications.
A former university lecturer, Norton is also a public speaker and industry thought leader, frequently sharing insights on PR trends and best practices at conferences or through his published works. He is also the host of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, a top ten UK marketing podcast.
From lucky breaks to best failures, he shares all the lessons he’s learnt…
Which single daily habit or practice could you not do without?
I’m a firm believer in keeping up with the latest trends and I am massive news junkie, so reading the online news and industry updates first thing with a nice coffee every morning is non-negotiable. Staying on top of PR and marketing campaigns keeps me inspired, sharp and ensures I can at least try and keep thinking of interesting ideas. I just love clever campaigns or stunts no matter who is doing them.
What’s been your luckiest break?
My first job in PR at Harvard. I went down to London and was one of 120 applicants on the day and I was surrounded by Oxbridge clever types and I thought what is a Northerner doing down here. I went into the interview and it turned out I was the only one with proper PR experience as I had done a degree and spent a year in placement on a Nuclear Power Station. So I had examples of work I had done and articles I had secured. I was one of five people picked that day and I still can’t believe it.
What’s your best failure?
Where do I start, I have had so many. Without a doubt, it was a marketing campaign I spearheaded early in my career that completely bombed. We didn’t fully understand the target audience’s needs, and it missed the mark. But from that, I learned the critical importance of really knowing and understanding your audience and their pain points before executing any strategy. That failure has shaped my approach ever since. It is one of the reasons I love talking about mistakes and failures on our Embracing Marketing Mistakes podcast so much. We have all made them and when someone tells me they haven’t I always think – yeah right. Humans learn from mistakes – it is the very thing that makes us human. Nobody is perfect.
What is the best investment you’ve ever made, either financial or time?
My family home has been a good investment, I bought a three bed and now it’s a five bedroom house as we have extended it. My DJ turntables at university made me a lot of money… but the best investment I’ve made is definitely in my team at Prohibition. Building a strong, supportive culture and hiring people who are a lot smarter than me (not difficult) in their respective fields has been invaluable. They push me to be better every day and are the reason for our continued growth and success – it is nothing to do with me.
Which podcast or book would you recommend others to read and why?
I really love Nudge, which is a podcast all about Nudge theory and the behavioural science behind it. It is recorded by the brilliant Phill Agnew and we had him on the podcast recently and he was brilliant. His show is full of hot tips on how to get more from your marketing and some of it is pretty surprising and very useful. I just love hearing what makes people tick and the science behind it.
What one piece of advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
Firstly, put down the burgers and drink less beer. No seriously, I think I would say don’t worry so much about having it all figured out every single time. I would tell myself to not worry about imposter syndrome because we all have it, and we don’t have all the answers every time. I would also tell myself to invest more time in networking with marketers —it’s always your relationships that will open the best doors. But most of all, I think I would tell myself to not take yourself too seriously, life is too short.
Who or what has had the single biggest influence on your working life?
Wow, now this is a big question. I have worked with some truly brilliant people that have inspired me. However, I think I learnt most things when I was working in London. I had several bosses there and they were so professional and brilliant at what they did. I was always striving to impress them and try and show them that I was good enough to do this job. So if I had to choose someone I would say my second boss Paul Jarman. He was always honest and fair – that is what you want in a boss.
Tell us something about you that would surprise people.
I once DJ’d at the Radio 1 Christmas party in London. I was very excited about it at the time as I thought they would want to hear the latest dance tracks I had bought – it was all vinyl back then and I spent my weekends digging in crates finding the rarest coolest tracks. However, as it turned out, Chris Moyles and Scott Mills didn’t go, it was mainly the production team, and they were requesting Kylie which made for an interesting evening as all I had was house.
If there was one thing you could change about your career, what would it be and why?
I know this sounds a bit naff but I am not sure I would change anything. I have made loads of mistakes and done my best to learn from them. Actually, I think I wouldn’t suffer fools gladly. The worst thing about being a business owner is clients that either pay late or fail to pay. I always try to end all client relationships in a positive manner and actually I think I should have just been a bit bolder when people failed to pay. So don’t suffer fools gladly guys.
What does success look like to you?
At work, success is having a brilliant team of nice people (no dic*s) and a business that is fun, growing and doing cool and interesting work. In your personal life, success is getting your kids through school and having a loving family you can go home to. I am lucky enough to have both, but I don’t take them for granted because as any business owner knows, just when you think you are doing well there is always something around the corner just waiting to slap you hard around the face. So in short, I would say success is health, wealth and happiness.
