Month: March 2021

We all know that marketing is a highly competitive industry. So, how do you stand out from the crowds? 

We have put together some of our top tips for getting into marketing, and staying there. 

Up Skill

There is an abundance of free courses available online. From Marketing and Digital marketing to PR and Copywriting, there are courses out there that cover it all. 

Marketing is such a broad industry and many job specs are looking for different skill sets. You can never have too much knowledge or too many skills. Always keep learning. 

If your main skill set is in PR, why not take a course in Google Ads and set yourself above the rest. If social media is your thing, make sure you are up to date on all of the latest platforms. 

Not sure where to start?

We recommend checking out Google Digital Garage and Hubspot as a great starting place.
For webinars, The Marketing Meetup and Girls in Marketing are always fantastic. 

Be willing to learn

Employers want to work with people who are keen to keep learning. Ask questions.

Make sure you are fully immersing yourself in the industry. Podcasts and webinars are a fantastic way to do this. 

Make connections

A huge part of marketing is reaching out to brands, venues and partners on behalf of your client. If you can turn up to a job with a handful of connections already in your back pocket, you are already setting yourself up as a valuable asset to an employer.

For those wanting to break into the PR world, having pre-existing relationships with journalists is a huge win. The best way to make a start on this is to hang out where journalists do – Twitter!

Find the gaps in the company 

No company is perfect. Any good company wants to grow and develop and is always keen for feedback on how it can do that. 

If you can go into a job or an interview and find ways you can fill the gaps in the company – whether that’s suggesting new software, new ways of working, areas they aren’t yet reaching into – you are instantly making yourself far more employable. 

Be brave and be bold, tell them how you can help them. Show them why they need to hire you.

Find a community

Over the last few years, online communities have grown hugely in popularity, fueled by social media and our need for interaction during lockdown. 

From Facebook groups to paid-for communities like Girls in Marketing and PR for the People, online platforms are a great way to connect with other like-minded marketers. Surrounding yourself with others in the industry also sets you in a great position for being the first to hear about job vacancies, which has very obvious benefits!

As well as job opportunities, these communities are a fantastic way to keep motivated and keep pushing to be the very best you can be. The Marketing Meetup has a weekly webinar with industry experts, the chat feature allows attendees to chat and connect, learning from each other as well as from the industry elite. 

Gain experience

Unfortunately, many people get trapped in the vicious cycle of needing experience to get a job and needing a job to get experience. So, how do you break this cycle?

Create your own work. Speak with local businesses in your area, do they want someone to give their social media a glow-up for free? What about some free press coverage for their upcoming event?

This experience will not only grow your CV, but it will grow your confidence and your skillset. 

Another way of gaining experience is to apply for internships. These allow you to learn while you work, usually giving you real experiences on client accounts. The Posh Cockney Future Star Programme takes on 8-10 budding marketers several times a year and mentors them as they gain hands-on experience in Marketing and PR. 

Say yes, then figure out how to do it 

Once you have that spot on an internship or even if you’ve landed a job – become friends with the term ‘yes, I’ll figure it out’.

There is no stupid question, except for those that Google can answer. If you are asked to do a task that you haven’t done before but feel like you could figure out – say yes!

Not only will this hugely increase your skills set, but it will begin to make you indispensable to the company. 

Don’t give up

There really is a job out there for everyone, you just have to wait for your time. Until then, keep learning, keep growing and keep making connections. 

Ibiza night operator Pacha Group will take over the Café de Paris, one of London’s oldest nightclubs with current plans to reopen the club as a cabaret venue. 

The chief executive of Pacha, Nick McCabe commented, “Café de Paris has been an icon of the West End since the 1920s, so it is a great privilege to be taking it on into the next phase of life”. 

The London landmark, which originally opened in 1924, has previously attracted some of the top celebrities and A-listers, including Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Noël Coward. 

Despite its long history, Maxwell Restaurants had to announce the news that the company had gone into liquidation on December 19 because of COVID-19, which ultimately resulted in 400 job losses.

Pacha has plans to reopen the site under its cabaret restaurant concept Lío, to prevent Café de Paris from going under, which previously ran a successful London pop-up in 2019. It has plans to be transformed and be a symbol to the London Ibiza Club Group.

The decision to rename the venue has caused much controversy as Cafe de Paris has been a landmark venue in London for generations.

Lío is expected to launch between the end of 2021 or the start of 2022. Pacha says that attendees can “expect a unique and surprising display where dinner, cabaret and club come together”. 

It will be interesting now that Lío Cabaret & Club Ibiza has a permanent space in the London club scene and brings to question how successful it will be. 

Despite Pacha having only been limited to Ibiza previously, they have also announced numerous other openings which include two on Mykonos, where most Brits spend their holidays.

“It is fantastic to have Pacha come back to London and save this iconic venue. Even though it will be trading under a different name, it will still be providing the same unforgettable experience and allow people to enjoy this phenomenal venue for many more years to come.” – Former Director of Marketing at Cafe de Paris and Posh Cockney CEO, Liam Norval

Make sure to send in your opinion about this new change on Instagram @poshcockneyltd.

Want to know more about Cafe de Paris? Read our recent article on the closing of this much-loved venue here. 

Posh Cockney Luxury Travel and Concierge is growing, and we hope you’ll join us.

We have expanded our services to two of the newest hotspot destinations; Dubai and Las Vegas. With a wide array of top hotels and experiences, Posh Cockney travel and concierge really are the best if you’re looking to plan a trip of a lifetime!

Luxury travel is now at the centre of a Global Luxury Travel Ecosystem of experiences.  Here at Posh Cockney, our travel and concierge service was born from a desire to remove the stress of booking and organising luxury holidays, as well as a desire to provide the utmost unique holidays! From helicopter transfers to private jets, we have you covered.

With our incredible team of experts on hand 24/7 you can rest assured that every detail will be taken care of to the highest standard. It’s time for you to be treated like the VIP we know you are.

We have ambassadors all over the world who can organise entry into the most exclusive clubs and venues with no need to wait in line. Thanks to our amazing connections we can also secure restaurant bookings at those hard-to-book places.

From the moment you reach out until you arrive safely home you will experience the true essence of luxury travel whilst being continually supported by our exceptional concierge team. 

So, whether you want to race supercars in Las Vegas or Zip-line through the Dubai Fountain, let us arrange it all for you. We offer exceptional experiences, from luxury serviced homes to the world’s top hotels, we are here to facilitate your every need.

Head to our Luxury Travel and Concierge page and browse through the destinations we have on offer.

Don’t see what you’re looking for? We are constantly expanding our partners and have lots more exciting destinations in the pipeline. So, get in touch with our team today, to find out how we can help.

No request is too big or too small.  We look forward to hearing from you!

On the 23rd of March 2020, we as a nation received our first stay-at-home order from Boris Johnson. A year on from this day we have seen not only our country but the world face utter turmoil due to COVID-19. As part of Marie Curie’s National Day of Reflection, a minute silence was held at noon GMT today, to consider those taken from us too soon. 

Marie Curie’s initiative encourages us to reflect on the hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their lives due to the virus as well as remember our friends and families who we cannot currently be with and show support by reaching out and checking up on them as well as sending our condolences to those who they’ve lost.  

It has been a difficult year for our country and the world. Marie Curie’s National Day of Reflection reminds us that we are not suffering alone and we’re all in this together whilst remembering those we’ve lost along the way during this pandemic. 

Marie Curie are also asking that people take the time to connect today. Reach out to those around you, especially if you think they might be feeling isolated or alone. Whether this is a simple text, writing a letter or sending some flowers, every connection can make a difference. For more information on this, and other ways you can help, head to their Website.

Since the 23 of March, there have been three national lockdowns and the introduction of tiers across the nation. The recorded number of deaths from this day has gone from 335 to a devastating 143,259 according to national statistics. Although, those figures don’t do much to bring comfort, tough times never last. On this day of reflection, we celebrate the lives we’ve lost as well as looking forward and hoping for a brighter future. 

While we remember those that we have lost, it is also important to look to the positive changes that Covid has forced us to make. In a study by Iposos MORI for BBC News and King’s College London, 40% of 2,200 people surveyed said they plan to continue to walk more post lockdown. 

The study also showed that almost a third of people think they will continue to work from home and a quarter of commuters say they will do less traveling. 

Here at Posh Cockney, Covid has completely changed our business focus, as well as how we operate. We have learned a lot and feel lucky to have thrived under the pressure. With light at the end of what has been an incredibly long tunnel, we are excited to see how things reshape after the vaccine rollout. 

Hospitality bosses to take reopening case to the High Court after government misses data deadline

Earlier this week, night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, Sacha Lord wrote to the prime minister threatening to go to the court for judicial review if the government does not allow pubs and restaurants to open fully at the same time as non-essential shops in April. 

Supported by Hugh Osmond, founder of Punch Taverns and former director of Pizza Express, Lord argued that ‘transmission is plainly higher in non-essential shops,’ and said he would ‘pursue legal action if the government did not provide data to the contrary.’ 

The deadline Lord and his team set for the government to respond was on Wednesday 17th March. They asked for ‘scientific evidence’ to justify why the sector isn’t being allowed to open on April 12th alongside non-essential stores. 

If the government’s roadmap is supported and driven by science, surely they should be able to provide this evidence to justify their decisions? 

On Wednesday however, Lord tweeted, “We’ve just received the Government’s response. They have FAILED to introduce any new evidence as to why indoor hospitality cannot open the same day as non-essential retail. We’ll now be working through the night to take our case to the High Court for a Judicial Review.”

Previously, Lord took the Government to court over the ‘substantial meal’ rule – and won. He described it as a ‘landmark victory for the hospitality industry’, which has faced some of the toughest restrictions of any sector since the pandemic began.

As a big name in the industry, he is using his position to question the government’s decisions which have such a wide impact on businesses and people’s livelihoods. He is essentially arguing that it is safer in a licensed, regulated hospitality venue, with measures in place, than it is on the busy high streets. 

Outdoor hospitality can reopen on 12th April with indoor hospitality having to wait until the 17th May to reopen. This delay in fully reopening hospitality, has been estimated to cost the sector £7 billion over the five weeks. With shocking figures like this, Sacha Lord’s challenge of the government is critical.  

But perhaps it is also necessary to look at it from the other side. It has been a year of life in and out of lockdown, so perhaps we should remain patient, follow the roadmap and ensure that this is the final time hospitality will ever have to ‘re-open.’ 

The latest update from the government however, is worrying. The Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland has announced plans to change the rules of judicial review.

Judicial review helps the public hold power to account because it allows any of us to ask a judge to scrutinise a decision by a minister or public body, where we have an arguable case that they’ve acted unlawfully.

Taking this away would mean that the public risk losing the power to interrogate government decisions. In response to this latest news, Sacha Lord has tweeted: 

‘After a very long day with legals, the full team are meeting again at 8am … and we’re ready to carry on pushing for what we believe in. Some would think they were rattled.’

It seems the hospitality industry has had enough of being the target of government regulations and it is time to question the decisions that have made, and continue to make, such detrimental impacts on businesses and individuals.  

Whether it’s advice, practical goal-setting, current affairs, or simply some funny escapism, there really is a podcast for everything! With industry experts offering unique insight into the secrets of their trade, podcasts are bite-size tools you can use to develop your knowledge and interests. 

And you’re in luck! The Posh Cockney team has put together a list of some of our favourite podcasts we use to gain insight into the busy world of business, marketing and PR. Here’s a list of podcasts you can use to assemble your own toolkit to help you thrive in the industry.  

Marketing Over Coffee

This is the perfect podcast to listen to whilst sipping on your morning coffee. Each week, the hosts meet in a local coffee shop and discuss marketing methods that are essential for reliable marketing strategy. Covering what’s new across the social media and marketing landscape, this is an easy to listen to podcast with great food for thought. 

Listen here: Marketing Over Coffee  

Socialette 

In this short podcast, host Steph Taylor, gets straight down to the matter in hand and dives headfirst into the nitty gritty of online marketing, content marketing, social media marketing and much more. With episodes lasting around 8 minutes, Socialette is a great podcast for those after a quick and digestible insight into the world of marketing for businesses.

Listen here: Socialette

Conversations of Inspiration

Founder of Not On The High Street, Holly Tucker, talks to a new founder each week to hear the highs and lows encountered whilst building their businesses. With Holly’s sensitive interviewing skills, this podcast is sure to make you laugh and cry and perhaps even inspire the inner entrepreneur in you.

Listen here: Conversations of Inspiration 

The Janet Murray Show

This is a must-have show in your podcast toolkit. With her friendly, but no-nonsense style, Janet Murray offers practical and easy to follow strategies and tips for building a business and engaging an audience. Practical, wise and entertaining, you are sure to leave this podcast feeling clued up and ready to Go-To-Market. 

Listen here: The Janet Murray Show

Ceres Podcast

Here at Posh Cockney we are in the business of making hospitality happen so what better way to get our weekly update of all things hospitality than from the Ceres Podcast. The host, Stelios (Founder & Director of Ceres, Pure Food Innovation) talks to exciting guests to find out what makes people do what they do in an industry rooted in making others happy. Even if you don’t want to open your own restaurant, this is a good and easy listen.  

Listen here: Ceres Podcast 

The Marketing MeetUp Podcast 

Featuring live talk recordings, interviews, and discussions, The Marketing MeetUp Podcast is jam-packed with insights, actionable takeaways, humour and inspiration for the marketing world. Joe is a great host who allows his guests to share their expertise and then asks them the relevant questions we are all thinking. Even if you’re not in the marketing world, this is a great listen, tapping into so many topics!  

Listen here: The Marketing MeetUp

Posh Cockney Podcast 

How could we create a Podcast list without recommending our very own Posh Cockney Podcast hosted by our founder Liam Norval. Interviewing some of the biggest names in the hospitality world, and those ‘Living the dream’, Liam finds out what it takes to make it to the top. 

Listen here: Posh Cockney Podcast 

So, next time you’re scrolling through Spotify to put on that same song you have on repeat, why not switch it up and listen to one of these podcasts which are sure to motivate, teach and inspire you in your business ventures.

Free Rapid testing for all businesses for workplace testing. How will this affect getting people back into hospitality?

The UK has introduced rapid coronavirus testing to allow mass gatherings to resume later this year in situations where social distancing is impractical or affects their ability to operate in an economic way. This is a big step in the right direction as it gives venues that the government failed to reopen last year, such as nightclubs and some theatres, a fighting chance.

While everything still feels very uncertain due to the instability that has been shown over the past year, will the government’s new scheme of free rapid testing for workplaces be the golden ticket that the hospitality industry needs to get back up and running?

Many employers have already taken up the offer of rapid, regular workforce testing, with 112 UK organisations across almost 500 sites joining government backed rapid testing.

Today, the government can confirm that it has widened the criteria for joining the workplace rapid testing programme from businesses with more than 250 employees, to businesses with more than 50 employees.

So what does this mean and what kind of return will we see for the sector?

This will have an effect in two ways. Firstly, given the new rapid testing we should expect to see a large number of people feel confident and safe enough to return to their offices. This in turn will hopefully bring returning businesses to nearby hospitality venues such as cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels and clubs. Having people return to areas which are densely populated with office spaces will help the recovery of the businesses in that area.

Secondly, in regards to those directly in the hospitality industry it will give them a chance to reopen in a safe way by both allowing the return of employees through regular testing and encouraging clients to return to venues like restaurants, clubs and hotels with the confidence that the environment is safe.

A large threat that could be faced, is that even with this workplace testing, work from home could be here to stay. With many people not wanting to return to full time office work, this could have a negative effect on nearby venues who rely heavily on people from the nearby office spaces.

Ultimately The COVID-19 pandemic will eventually dwindle. The economy will recover, and the hospitality sector, from restaurants to casinos, pubs and events will all regain its footing and look forward with confidence to a successful, thriving future.

Why is an Event Calender important? 

A promotional calendar for marketing is key to know what sales and promotions to focus on. It provides the ultimate selling opportunities while celebrating an event or national holiday. So hopefully you can promote your brand in the buzz of the event! 

March 

March time is all about womanhood and being green! Celebrate Mother’s Day and lavish them with some deals or by customising products (a good example of this by Celestial Cinema). With St. Patrick’s Day followed soon after, instead of “painting the town green”, why not spruce up some advertisements and posts with green. 

• 14th March- Mother’s Day (UK) 
• 17th March- St. Patrick’s Day  

April 

With chocolate eggs and Easter egg hunts, this is the perfect time to exhaust your marketing efforts. Why not create an Easter egg hunt for people to engage with the brand? 

Either virtually (hiding eggs within your Instagram photos) or around town offerings deals, promotions, and prizes for winners! If your brand is perfect for foodies, you can also take photos of your best chocolate desserts and dishes! 

April Fools is also an important day. This can be a great excuse to do something fun, dramatic, and silly. Either with company members or customers. 

• 1st April- April Fools Day 
• 4th April- Easter Sunday 
• 5th April- Easter Monday 

May 

With the rising temperatures, and the excitement of the upcoming British summer, why not celebrate that summer feeling? 

Hopefully, with the reduction of Lockdown measures, you can invite people to the center of the business- shop or restaurant- offer deals in anticipation of summer or summery cocktails on World Cocktail Day! 

If you are not convinced by this, how about challenging your customers to a bake-off on World Baking Day. 

• 3rd May- May Day 
• 13th May- World Cocktail Day 
• 17th May- World Baking Day 
• 31st May- Spring Bank Holiday  

Conclusion 

How will you participate in these national holiday/key events? Now. it’s up to you to work on your campaigns, promotion, and deals.  Don’t forget to be creative!

Make sure you send in your holiday-themed campaigns to @poshcockney on Instagram, and we will make sure to comment and like!

We are delighted to be able to say that Posh Cockney has reached its second birthday. In a year where sadly, many businesses have not made it, we realise the achievement even more so.

To be able to say we are now in a situation where we have been getting stronger every month, particularly with the launch of Posh Cockney Productions, is testament to the hard work of the entire team. Pivoting into the lifestyle industry has also played a massive part in our growth and we are certainly stronger now than we were 12 months ago.

“If we cast back to March 2019 when the company was born, we were unsure of how successful we would be. But I had enormous faith that we could do something special and we have had a fantastic first two years. We have opened restaurants like Wahlburgers, Happy London and Bosporus to name a few and have five new projects in the F&B world to open this year. We have also helped to nurture brands like PURE Vodka and we are really excited for the future.” – Liam Norval Posh Cockney CEO

The Posh Cockney team is growing, and we have just launched our Future Star Programme, mentoring and working with talented young people. We hope to welcome some of them into the Posh Cockney family full-time at the end of their three-month internship.

With new talent and new clients in the pipeline and the Hospitality Industry preparing to bounce back, Posh Cockney HQ is busy, bustling and incredibly excited for whatever the next 12 months has in store for us.

“I would like to thank all of my clients and the team that have been with us from the start. We couldn’t have done any of this without you and we are super excited for the rest of 2021 and we have some even bigger projects lined up for 2022 that we can’t wait to share with you.”

Sadly, like most events this year, Covid won’t allow Posh Cockney the birthday party it deserves. But don’t worry, that just gives us longer to plan for the next one!

Twitter has new plans to initiate the “Super Follow” feature which will charge users for exclusive content. Is it worth the money? What exactly is “exclusive” about the content?

Super Follow was introduced because of the lack of innovation from Twitter. As Jack Dorsey chief executive of Twitter says, “Why don’t we start with why folks don’t believe in us… it comes down to three critiques: we’re slow, we’re not innovative, and we’re not trusted”.

This new function enables Twitter to charge users to access additional content. This includes:

•         Users being able to create and join communities based on their specific interests
•         Access to bonus tweets
•         Subscription to a newsletter
•         A badge on your Twitter handle to indicate support
•         A “safety mode” that can pick up on abusive messages

The function, according to Daniel Davis- Twitter’s chief design officer- enables content creators on the platform to receive money from their followers. This also involves a tipping function where followers can control the amount they want to give.

A spokesperson from Twitter said, “Exploring audience funding opportunities like Super Follows will allow creators to be directly supported by their audience… and will incentivise them to continue creating content that their audience loves”.  However, it has not yet mentioned the cut that Twitter will take as a consequence.

The announcement originated from Twitter’s first virtual Analyst Day event, where analysts spoke about their goals for the following years. Twitter decided to launch Super Follow because they wanted to generate revenue. They are hoping to double their revenue by 2023, which would equal to $7.5 billion annual revenue.

It is also an attempt to compete with online advertising which is dominated by Facebook and Google. Twitter, in opposition, has  produced a subscription, which has been widely described as similar to Only Fans.

What does this mean for us? In terms of the users, the feature is worth the money as it connects people to their specific interests. Yet, the newsletter and the badge seem quite mediocre in the scheme of things.

Given the potential popularity of the subscription, will we all have to have Super Follow? There are no clear-cut details, and it leaves us to question whether people in PR and Marketing might have to invest in Super Follow so they can have access to a premium area of Twitter to advertise to specific audiences.