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LUCRE NEWS: SUPPORTING CAULDRON FOODS’ CARBON NEUTRAL CERTIFICATION

We’re delighted to announce that we have been appointed by Cauldron Foods, a leading British plant based food brand, to support it’s UK PR strategy. The win adds to an impressive range of clients amongst our rapidly growing Food & Drink division, examples such as; Stonegate Pub Company, Distill Ventures and The Dalmore.

Cauldron Foods has been creating delicious, award-winning plant based food over 40 years. Headquartered in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, the company offers a wide range of vegan and vegetarian great-tasting products that deliver – above all else – flavour, flexibility, and satisfaction.

We were briefed to deliver creative ideas to announce the fact that, as of January 2022, Cauldron Foods has 100% carbon neutral certification across its full range of products.

Tom Lindley, Cauldron Business Unit Head at Cauldron Foods, comments: “We’re always striving to improve the impact we have on our planet and the launch of our new Korean Bites sees us move our products into the Carbon Neutral space for the first time. We wanted to ensure that consumers were aware of this fantastic development in our journey and were incredibly impressed by the strategic and creative approach pitched by The Lucre Group. Our work together in preparation to launch this Veganuary has been a great partnership and as such, we look forward to an ongoing relationship with them.”

Tamarind Wilson-Flint, Director of The Lucre Group, said: “Plant based is increasingly on people’s radars and as a result, the market has become more and more cluttered. Our campaign concept is one unique to Cauldron Foods and all about communicating their journey from plant based products to planet based products. A perfect alignment with their entire range being certified as carbon neutral and a truly authentic way to ensure it is their name on everyone’s lips. It’s such a wonderful and worthy brand to work with and our results speak for themselves.”

Read the feature on Prolific North here. If you want to learn more about how we can support your brand on it’s sustainability journey, get in touch.

Will the bucket list live on? by Kate Hutchinson

Whether you’re a well-oiled bucket list machine, keeping track of all your must-dos and have-dones in a creative looking scrapbook or just have ideas floating about in your head with all the things you want to do or see in your lifetime, bucket lists have become a way of life for many people.

However, following recent controversy, the bucket list has come under fire from many, particularly when it comes to a travel and tourism perspective.

Bucket lists are encouraging travellers to flock to those infamous bucket list destinations and landmarks. From Machu Picchu to the Taj Mahal, and even Everest, travel to these locations which were formerly considered a once in a lifetime trip, are instead being described as ‘chaotic’ with queues detracting from the experience.

Tourism is said to be having an environmental impact on some of the world’s most iconic locations. Many of them weren’t meant, or built, to withstand the increasing footfall. This has led to some of those classic bucket list tourist destinations to come under threat, with people going to extreme lengths to capture that Instagram-worthy snap.

Despite the negatives that have been linked to this, many are still pioneers for the bucket list and the benefits it can add to our lifestyle. Many use it as a method to ensure they make the most of their time and visit more places, but bucket lists needn’t be solely travel.

These are just three important benefits to having your very own bucket list:

Encourages spontaneity and adds perspective on the world around you
Positive distraction – we all know work can be stressful, so it’s always helpful to have a focused distraction that encourages you to step away from those everyday worries
Sense of achievement

Completing items on our bucket list can make us feel as though we’ve fulfilled more in life and gives us a sense of accomplishment. Things might not always be completely realistic and that’s okay! People that know me would no doubt laugh at the thought of me one day running a marathon and I probably would too, but it’s nice to have something to work towards. After all, a bucket list is meant to be aspirational.

If Facebook have anything to do with it, it certainly won’t be the end of our bucket lists, with the social network introducing a new way of sharing our ‘lists’ with friends to promote interaction. Although this feature wasn’t purely for bucket lists, it seems Facebook were keen to ensure that the bucket list lives on, despite the negative reports.

So, I would encourage you to create a bucket list and ensure you live your life to the full.

‘Tis the Season for the Big Advert Battle, by Gemma Wilson

Christmas, a time of goodwill and great advertising, is here again and for retailers across the UK it’s time to unleash the year’s biggest media spend.

Like the glow of twinkling lights and the first chill in the air, awaiting the launch of John Lewis’ campaign has become synonymous with the start of the festive season. But have this year’s biggest retailers left us feeling merry enough to march straight to the nearest till register?

The answer – most likely yes, but campaigns for Christmas 2017 have not been without controversy. From racist remarks in response to Tesco’s ad to Amazon’s attempt to steal Santa’s limelight, it’s been a bumpy ride for brands facing up to the often angry mob that resides on social media.

My personal favourite ad features the lovable Paddington Bear. Thank you, Marks and Spencer, for giving us bags of Christmas cheer. Move over Moz the Monster, for me Christmas this year is entwined with the marmalade-loving movie legend, as he helps to deliver a sack of stolen presents.

But far from the silver screen, or even TV sets, for brands and their borrowed film stars, scoring PR success comes from making an impact digitally and racking up views on mobile devices. PR Week reported the Marks and Spencer film had an impressive two million views in just four hours on the brand’s Facebook page. The campaign has been supported with a #LoveTheBear hashtag complete with a unique paw print emoji and social media monitoring tool Brandwatch reported 97 per cent of social media mentions were positive.

To date, one week after its first release, the ad has achieved more than 5.6 million views on its YouTube channel.

Treat yourself to a little seasonal magic, courtesy of Marks and Spencer:

Dabbling with Deskercise, by Nick Horbowyj

Although having missed the boat to being ‘beach body ready’ with a flight to Greece looming and still the not-so-proud owner of a little excess baggage around the middle, there is no better time than now to start making small steps to a slightly more active lifestyle (or so I’ve heard). One of the issues with this, other than creating elaborate excuses to avoid the gym, is that for many people a desk job limits the ability to keep active throughout the day, with the exception of running to the shop at lunch or chasing down the ice cream van. However there is hope by the way of an article on Greatist, posted back in 2014 but recently brought to my attention thanks to Twitter – Deskercise! 33 Smart Ways to Exercise at Work

Although I didn’t manage to get through all 33, here are a few that have already started paying dividends, whether it’s for overall health improvement or just for office hilarity:

The celebratory split squat jumps

The idea behind this is that every time there is a celebration, you do a split squat jump. For those new to the move, it’s basically steading your feet and getting into a split-leg position, lowering into a lunge and then jumping up with celebratory force. Finding an excuse to do it was tricky at first but I quickly came to realise that even the offer of a Jaffa cake was enough, which hopefully balances out the calorie intake to some degree.

The Mover and Shaker

Although my days of dancing the night away are for the most part behind me, the odd jig can often still manifest with the right song, so the idea of a quick bout of desk dancing was entirely possible. Yes, my colleagues did begin by looking on with concern at the impromptu moves, however, it is quickly contagious. 80s Movie Hits playlist on Spotify was a great source of desk dance inspiration, FYI.

The Shoulder Shrug

This is as simple as it sounds – raise your shoulders up to your ears in a shrug motion, with a five-second hold. It says not to do this in a board meeting but I would also suggest a warning to your colleagues if you plan to shrug and perhaps don’t do it in front of your boss. In the midst of asking you an important question, a shrug probably isn’t the best response.

For more deskercise inspiration go to https://greatist.com/fitness/deskercise-33-ways-exercise-work and big thanks to the writer, Emily Milam for the inspiration.

The Marketing Industry’s Biggest Coup? Beer Yoga is coming to a park near you, by James Harris

The ancient practice of yoga, which finally gained prominence in the West in the 1980s, is undergoing a rebrand as yogis across Germany, Australia and the Far East are taking to enjoying a bottle of their favourite tipple while seeking mental, physical and spiritual nirvana. Known as Beer Yoga, it’s the latest health and fitness craze due to hit our shores.

For years we’ve been told that alcohol (a diuretic) and exercise are not best friends. England’s Edge Hill University even found that “just smelling alcohol was enough to weaken people’s willpower”, so what’s changed? Well, there are no prizes for guessing that the trend originated in Germany, a country that is reported to consume 116 litres of amber nectar per capita per year.

Has the German beer industry seen the marketing opportunity of a lifetime following the explosion of yoga worldwide? Are there genuine benefits to this practice, or is it too good to be true? Or, perhaps the world has simply gone mad. We’ll let you be the judge, but what’s for certain is that it shan’t be long before a Beer Yoga comes to a park near you.

Sources:

http://time.com/4366179/exercise-workout-wine/

http://blog.businesstripfriend.com/article/top-20-beer-drinking-countries

Don’t worry, be Danish by Gemma Wilson

The concept of hygge proved to be a publishers’ dream in 2016 with seemingly everyone in Britain subscribing to the Nordic philosophy of wellbeing and simple home comforts. But the benefits of thinking Danishly extend beyond interior design.

A new report (released in March 2017) has identified the top 20 happiest countries to live in, and an impressive four out of the top five are Nordic countries. Food for thought when considering the concept of contentment and the role that has to play in how we live our lives beyond the flickering of candlelight and a well-placed throw.

The World Happiness Report is carried out annually and measures happiness and life satisfaction levels in 155 countries worldwide. The study also takes in to account societal influences such as perceptions of corruption and freedom to make life choices, which lead to the US falling to 14^th place this year, as well as factors such as equality, GDP per capita, life expectancy and social support.

The UK rose up the ranks by four places this year, making an appearance at number 19 in the chart, with our neighbours in Ireland entering at number 15.

However, it’s the Nordic countries which take centre stage in the findings this year, and to whom the global audience should turn to as a benchmark for successful living. While not everywhere is lucky enough to call home the breath-taking scenery that makes up much of this part of the world, and which undoubtedly must play a role in the fulfilling lives of locals, there are certain factors that can be shared.

Low income tax, free healthcare and higher education as well as excellent welfare and social support systems are all factors which contribute to reducing the wealth gap, meaning money does less of the talking. Instead, a rewarding social life is higher up the agenda, contributing to a shared higher quality of life. The countries also enjoy a long-life expectancy and peaceful politics – not forgetting of course a great sense of style!

The Top Five Happiest Places to Live in the World in 2017:

1. Norway

2. Denmark

3. Iceland

4. Switzerland

5. Finland

#WeLoveLeeds, by Emma Baylis

Yorkshire has yet again topped the polls for being one of the best places to live in Britain. First Harrogate was voted the happiest place to live, and now Leeds is hitting the headlines as the best city in Britain when it comes to quality of life, placing 26^th out of 200 cities globally. Amazing!

With new bars and restaurants opening weekly, beautiful countryside on our doorstep and a flourishing creative and digital industry to boot, Leeds is fast becoming an advocate for the Northern Powerhouse so many MPs and figureheads speak of. Move over, Manchester!

Leeds has of course been home to Lucre HQ for over 10 years, so we couldn’t agree more!

Photo credit: Visit England / Diana Jarvis

Katie Pepper looks back on her career choices

When I was little I wanted to be a shoe shop lady. I liked the handheld machine to measure feet and I thought the sales assistant seemed nice. That pretty much was the basis for my career aspiration.

Then when I started school, I wanted to be an actress. This ambition pretty much stuck with me until I enrolled on a Drama degree and realised that I wasn’t prepared to take the risk of a lifetime of rejection and so started focusing my efforts on stage management, which led into event management and finally PR.

In all honesty, I should have changed degree courses after my first term. I didn’t really enjoy my course and stuck with it mainly so as not to disappoint my parents and probably myself – admitting a dream I’d had since I was five years old was no longer viable was a tough pill to swallow.

So following the news agenda this week – the higher education White Paper and research commissioned by the Education and Employers charity revealing that giving teenage students careers talks could add up to £2,000 on to their salaries by the time they reach their mid-twenties – got me thinking that perhaps good careers advice would have led me down a different path?

We’re currently working with careers guidance company U-Explore which is striving to improve careers education for young people. Its new product Start is designed to help young people connect ideas, interests and aspirations to jobs and educational pathways. At the heart of the Start software is a job bank which includes more than 1,600 jobs providing detailed information on the qualifications required, typical salaries and the user’s own suitability for the role. Linked to this is live market information, showing open opportunities in the student’s locality, enabling young people to get a real indication of the current labour market and job availability. What’s more, it’s free!

As the name suggests, Start enables a young person to begin anywhere; a favourite subject; an area of interest; a place to study; or a job aspiration. Users create a personal profile based on their qualities, skills and work preferences and the unique profiling technology matches them to jobs which correspond to their personality.

Whilst I’m a big advocate of studying something you are passionate about, indeed this was my argument when my parents (both careers advisors) queried the ‘future’ I would have with a drama degree, so many graduates are finishing university with no idea of what they want to do, loaded with debt, whilst key industries are screaming out for specialist skills and expertise. In 2014, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills set out 40 jobs of the future ranging from aircraft pilot to web designer and biochemist to pipe fitter, yet often because careers education is not consistent, young people do not know about the opportunities that these jobs offer, or that they even exist.

So much has been written about the skills gap we’re facing, something has to be done to ensure our next generation is equipped to support the growth of our economy. Engaging with young people and making careers advice relevant to 14 and 15 year olds is vital and something we have to prioritise both in school and at home.

Tristram Hooley, Professor of Career Education and Head of iCeGS at Derby University who has just published a White Paper on the potential impact of Start said: “Young people need to actively manage their careers if they are going to get the most out of life. Start is an exciting new tool which can help young people to make better choices about qualifications while they are at school and to build the skills that they need for their post-school lives.

“One of the key advantages that Start offers schools is that it can provide them with information about the way students are engaging with their careers. This can help them to improve their career guidance programmes and potentially provide information that may inform the development of the whole local education and employment system.”

Would using Start have changed my career path? Maybe not, I was pretty passionate about drama, but it’s likely my preference for the stage would have matched me with more secure career opportunities and potentially opened up other avenues a lot quicker than I could have found by ‘trying’ different things. And that extra £2,000 would have come in useful too.