When you blow it... and win anyway

Also: Branding vs. marketing

Author

Marketing Qualified
July 11, 2025

Welcome back to Marketing Qualified! Here’s what we’re talking about this week:

  • When you blow it… and win anyway. How to turn a mistake into great marketing.

  • Branding vs. marketing. Some visuals to help illustrate the key differences.

😅 When you blow it… and win anyway.

There are two types of marketers in this world:

  1. Those who’ve accidentally sent an email with mistakes to their entire list.

  2. Liars.

This week, we came across a gem from The Loft, a brand that accidentally called every subscriber Jane. (Also, the link was broken. Legendary.)

But instead of spiraling into shame or sending a robotic “CORRECTED EMAIL BELOW” follow-up…

they owned it with charm, humor, and a working CTA.

Loft Correction Email

The follow up email did three things right:

  1. Took the L without over-explaining

  2. Leaned into personality (If your name is Jane, congrats—you were seen.)

  3. Actually delivered value (The original link? Fixed. The CTA? Still solid.)

It’s a masterclass in brand voice under pressure. People make mistakes. Brands build trust by how they respond.

And if you can correct the mistake and make your audience laugh while giving them what they came for?

That’s not a screw-up. That’s good marketing.

📰  In the news this week.

🏰 10 storytelling tips from a Disney writer.

🇺🇸  A US-only TikTok could be on the horizon.

🤖  AI video tools that are actually worth your time.

👕  Tips from a $150M company on scaling a purpose-led brand.

🎧  30+ best podcasts for marketers.

🥊 Branding vs. marketing.

Most marketers know branding and marketing aren’t the same thing.

But explaining the difference (and keeping it clear in execution) isn’t always easy.

Brand campaigns and marketing campaigns serve different purposes. Mixing them up leads to a muddled strategy.

These two graphics are a good reset.

Example 1

Example 2

😂 Marketing meme of the week.

meme 130

How'd we do with this week's newsletter?

A READER’S REVIEW

review 130

Enjoy this newsletter? Forward it to a friend to spread the love.

Want us to write about something specific? Submit a topic or idea.