negroni week

It's Negroni Week!

A statement from Campari Group explains “Following the sad news of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, and out of respect for Her Majesty the Queen, as a team we have made the decision to postpone Negroni Week in the UK until further notice.”

It’s Negroni Week!

Are you a cocktail connoisseur? A lover of Gin? Crazy for Campari? Does just hearing the word Vermouth excite you? 

Then you probably know that these three ingredients combined create the classic Negroni cocktail. This week (12th-18th September) marks the annual Negroni Week!

What is a Negroni?

As we get into the history of how the Negroni came to be, we can see that it has been, and probably always will be up for debate. 

One story details Count Camillo Negroni (was he actually a Count? No one really knows!) asking his bartender at Cafè Casoni in Florence to put a stronger twist on the classic Americano by replacing the soda with gin. Then, he popped off back to America, sharing his new cocktail creation, and it quickly became a classic. 

In recent years, a verified descendant of the Negroni family has built a case hailing his ancestor as the creator of the classic cocktail. His story describes General Pascal Negroni creating the Negroni about 50 years before Count Camillo had put his spin on the Americano. During wartime, Pascal is said to have made some Vermouth-based cocktails during high-ranking military meetings, which are now believed by some to be the origins of the Negroni.

History of Negroni Week

Negroni Week was established back in 2013 by Imbibe Magazine as a way to celebrate the classic cocktail while raising money for charities all over the globe. Since it’s been a thing, this annual festival, sponsored by Campari, has grown to thousands of participating venues all over the world and has raised millions for charitable organisations. 

Where to celebrate this week in London

Well, for starters, at TreeHouse@51 you can enjoy bottomless Negronis for £19. Their Tanqueray Negroni fountain is a must for all cocktail lovers. Guests can enjoy the free-flowing Negroni fountain as much as they would like for one hour. Now that’s what I call happy hour!

treehouse @ 51

 

Rake’s Café Bar’s Aperitivo Hour is not one to be missed this week. 

Aperitivo Hour is enjoyed by Italians as a way to wind down and relax after work and before dinner time. At Rake’s, Aperitivo Hour runs between 6-8 pm every day, when you can enjoy two styles of Negroni alongside complimentary snacks. 

negroni week

 

If you like to shake things up, then St James Bar at Sofitel London St James is offering 16 new takes on the classic Negroni. Their ‘Once In A Lifetime’ menu is designed to take guests on an adventure through their senses of taste, smell and sight. This menu was inspired by the exploration of a trip on the Orient Express.

negroni week

 

TOZI in Victoria has been offering barrel-aged Negroni since 2016. They continue to dazzle with their amazing takes throughout the years. Their current menu offers three Negronis: a classic, a twist with pico, and a New York inspired version.

TOZI

 

Azura in Camden is offering up a special espresso-infused Negroni available only this week!  

negroni week

 

Get in touch with Posh Cockney today to find out how you can incorporate national days and weeks in your marketing.

Look forward to our October Marketing Dates blog, or get inspiration from previous months in our September Marketing Dates and August Marketing Dates blogs.


Important Dates For Your September Marketing Calendar (+ Content Ideas!)

Your 2023 September Marketing Calendar

As we transition from the warmth of summer to the cosy embrace of autumn, our digital marketing agency in London has stacked our September marketing calendars for our UK hospitality clients. This month brings many opportunities to increase campaign engagement rates, promote special offers, and boost brand awareness through your marketing, social media and PR services. This blog post highlights key dates you should consider incorporating into your digital marketing strategy.

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Throughout September: Freshers Weeks Events & Promotions

Throughout September: Freshers Weeks Events & Promotions

Universities re-open in September, and with new students comes Freshers Week, offering your clients an opportunity to gain a fresh social media following! If your marketing company provides event planning services, your clients, including bars, clubs, and event venues, should consider throwing Freshers events. And for restaurant and retail clients, consider offering a student discount throughout September!

5th September: International Charity Day Marketing Initiatives

Like January, September marks new beginnings and an opportunity for marketing agencies in London and the UK to use their marketing, PR and social media content creation services to support the community! Propose local charities for your clients to partner with and donate a percentage of their sales for the day. Or, partner with a charity, such as Streetsmart, to display print material encouraging guests to donate at their table or checkout. Promote the partnership on social media to encourage more customers to dine at their restaurant!

9th September – Emergency Services Day Offers

To show your appreciation to our dedicated frontline workers, we recommend offering a special offer or discount for emergency service workers for the day, if not permanently! Consider registering your clients’ business under the Blue Light Card if you haven’t already.

16th September: 100 Days Until Christmas Marketing Campaign

Whether you are someone who starts the Christmas countdown at the end of summer or would rather not see a piece of tinsel until December, creative marketing agencies in London already have the holidays planned for when the city’s extravagant celebrations begin! If you haven’t already, solidify your Christmas marketing campaigns and ensure your clients are booked up for holiday parties (and don’t forget to book your soiree to celebrate the holidays with your market agency).

On this day, you can also begin a 100-day countdown to Christmas, where you can run a competition or present different gift ideas daily to stimulate excitement and increase awareness of your clients’ offerings!

21st September – National Fitness Day Activations

National Fitness Day is an engaging opportunity for your restaurant clients to promote healthy menu options for pre- and post-workout fuel. And for hotel clients, highlight their gym and fitness centre offerings. Hosting a pop-up event in London is a great promotional activation, including rooftop pilates and farmside yoga. Let’s get active!

23rd September: Autumnal Equinox Launches

If your digital marketing agency has clients planning on bringing in Autumn offers this date, marking the first day of the season, is a good day to launch them.

For cafés, create a promotion introducing pumpkin-spiced lattes to celebrate the start of the new season. Many restaurants integrate pumpkins into their recipes, too. Finally, lots of people will be looking for autumn events and activities around London, and if you have an event space, promote family activities such as a maize maze and pumpkin picking to ring in the harvest season!

27th September – World Tourism Day

As summer tourist season winds down, this day is an excellent opportunity to attract more tourists. For London hospitality marketing and public relations agencies, their hotel clients consider offering a “tourist special” and promoting it on travel forums and social media. What a lovely way to celebrate one of the main target audiences of hospitality marketing!

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September offers a rich tapestry of opportunities for hospitality marketing agencies to engage with their clients’ audiences. By planning ahead and crafting targeted marketing campaigns around these key dates, you can drive customer engagement, increase sales, and enhance brand loyalty!

 

Still need more content ideas for your September marketing calendar? Get in touch with Posh Cockney today. 


Crisis management 101 with one of Salem’s most famous witches

Crisis management to avoid execution

Bridget Bishop, the first person to be executed during the Salem Witch Trials, was unpopular within her community. She was married three times, owned two taverns, wore unusual clothes, drank alcohol, and was known for her potty mouth. She was far from what was expected of a 1690s woman and thus, a prime target for witchcraft accusations.

Bridget was convicted of devil-worship and witchcraft in 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials – but could this have been avoided? Accusations were often hurled at women who were social outcasts and fell short of the expected societal norms; maybe Bridget just needed some help in managing her public image. 

So, what crisis management methods might a PR agency in the 1690s have used to help save Bridget Bishop?

Make a plan

This is always the first step following a PR crisis; Bridget’s PR agency needs to plan out how to re-shape her public image. In crisis management specifically, there must be a focus on having a meticulous communication strategy in line with a brand plan. Bridget’s PR agency would work to reshape their client’s public image into that of a kind, friendly woman, who loves her community and was so unfairly accused of witchcraft. Once a detailed plan has been drawn up, it’s time to execute it, and avoid execution!

Time to act

At this stage, it’s important to not act too slow, or too fast; working in PR is all about breaking the right message, at the right time. The first thing Bridget’s PR agency would think about is if there is evidence of Bridget’s innocence. If there is, it’s probably a good idea to publish it! If not, it would be time to start re-shaping her public image.

A positive media presence is important in managing a client’s image, but without social media, the next best thing would be to have Bridget featured in a local pamphlet. A man named Cotton Mather regularly wrote pamphlets for the Salem population, and having Bridget featured positively in these pamphlets would be a golden opportunity. Yes, Mather actively encouraged the witch hunts in his pamphlets, but they were the only thing being published at the time. He’ll be a tough cookie to crack, but that’s the job of a PR agency!

Bridget’s unusual and bright wardrobe also added to her unpopularity and so her PR agency has two options: either launch a campaign promoting self-expression, or advise Bridget to soften her style until the storm blows over. Considering Bridget’s life is on the line, the second option seems wiser. Her PR agency would also probably advise her to stop drinking alcohol for the time being and ease up on the swearing – it doesn’t help her new, friendly brand.

Get creative!

Let’s be honest, a few style changes and a nice write-up in the local pamphlet isn’t going to save Bridget from the gallows. Her PR agency needs to get creative to really show Salem how unthinkable it is to believe Bridget is a witch. A good, old-fashioned PR stunt is never a bad idea.

In and around Salem there were many orchards, and so her PR agency could encourage her to partner with a local orchardist and create a juice brand. If that’s not possible, she could find a wild orchard and create her own small pop-up shop in the centre of Salem giving out free apple juice to all!

Salem was also near the sea, so another idea could be to get Bridget to start some sand-sculpting and host an exhibition. Why? It’s harmless and fun, and shows that in her free time she likes doing something nice for the community, rather than spending her time in a candle-lit room slaughtering goats and drawing pentagrams.

Fresh image, new opportunities!

On the assumption that Bridget Bishop’s PR agency were successful in their crisis management, Bridget has successfully avoided her execution, squashed her witchcraft scandal, and has positively transformed her image amongst the local community. The entirety of Salem now knows her name, and her story of being so falsely accused of witchcraft is famous. 

So what next? Any good PR agency would encourage Bridget to use her fresh, positive image as a springboard for new career opportunities! 

Bridget, it is time to rebuild your life! Go get yourself a brand deal, or even become a seamstress and create a Bridget-inspired colourful clothing line. You could also partner with a company, such as a bakery! Or, you could even use profits from the taverns that you own to start your own bakery, and use your new reputation to build your bakery up to be the heart of Salem’s community.

 

Unsure on how to effectively manage a crisis? Get in touch with Posh Cockney today to speak to our expert PR team.


elderly people

How does new technology benefit older people?

Back to an analog world

Not so long ago, many aspects of our lives were a lot simpler – work meetings were in person, pen and paper were used to take orders at restaurants and cash was most definitely the most common method of payment. Everyone was well adapted to those methods. 

So, when new technologies started to emerge, many found it hard to adjust, especially elderly people who have spent their whole lives working and living face-to-face.

New technologies in a post-pandemic world

For many years, technology has been dramatically developing. In terms of communication, social media was introduced, followed by networks such as LinkedIn, which facilitated the job market. Digital websites for restaurants where customers can visualise menus and book tables were also launched.

After the pandemic, even more innovations were introduced into our lives to minimise human contact: meetings became fully online, university courses started offering entirely digital degrees, and restaurants launched QR codes for contactless ordering and payment. Not only that, but several businesses became cashless. 

While so many of us can view these progressions as positive changes, it’s important to consider how these technological enhancements affect older people’s lives.

How have new technologies impacted the elderly?

A high number of older people have mentioned feeling left out from the digital world.  While it is undeniable that technology has brought benefits for older people in terms of communication with family and friends during the pandemic, it is important to note that new technologies have also made their lives ten times harder.

A focus group conducted by Frontiers in Psychology found that older adults between 65-76 years old are willing to learn how to use new digital developments but are scared of the lack of instructions and complexity.

It’s arguable that human service and interaction can truly transform the hospitality experience. For instance, 5 Star restaurants or luxury boutiques regard service as essential as it makes the customer feel important, ultimately impacting their business positively. This kind of experience is why many people would rather go to a physical store or go to restaurants instead of ordering.

How can we support the elderly using new technologies?

Technology has certainly helped the world in many ways. It’s clear that young generations are in charge of helping older people to adjust to new technologies that will facilitate their lives; yet as businesses keep rapidly innovating, it is also their duty to support older people. 

As the world evolves, elderly have difficulties in catching up with the pace of technology. Businesses who specially receive a considerable amount of older people visiting their venue should consider carrying workshops in order to help them, even if it is as little as once a month – people help the people.  

In regard to food & beverage companies specifically, a good idea to be inclusive, is to offer both methods of service. Perhaps a QR code menu in which you can order from, but also a physical menu and a staff member for those who need it.

 

Get in touch with Posh Cockney for innovating ideas on how to make your business accessible for all. 


August Marketing Calendar

Important Dates for your August Marketing Calendar (+ Content Ideas)

Your August Marketing Calendar

August is almost here with promises of lots of fun in the sun to be had! With the month fast approaching, we thought we’d share our August Marketing Calendar, highlighting the dates you should be looking out for in your content planning.

It’s mid-Summer, the sun is shining and the kids are out of school for the holidays. What better way to prepare than by planning marketing content based on key August dates?

From fun events like National Cat Day to more meaningful celebrations like World Humanitarian Day, August provides lots of opportunity for creative marketing ideas – so let’s make the most of it!

Find a pen and include some of these dates in your August Marketing Calendar.

1st August: Yorkshire Day

This month begins with the celebration of Yorkshire Day. Have you ever been to this region of the UK? It’s so beautiful that it even gets its own national day!

Whether your restaurant is traditionally British or a completely foreign cuisine, bring a little Yorkshire into your eatery, making your ‘special of the day’ a Yorkshire food  –  this could be a Yorkshire pudding, a Yorkshire curd tart… and serve it for the day! 

Don’t forget to ask your customers to post it on their social media using a special hashtag and tagging your restaurant.

August Marketing Calendar

2nd August: National Night Out

Did someone say National Night Out? This is typically a national day in the United States, but who doesn’t love going out? So, let’s celebrate it in the UK as well! 

This is a good opportunity for bars and restaurants to create some special offers or events, for example, an extended happy hour (perhaps for the whole night), or a student night in which you pay an entry price and only students are allowed, with shots deals and cocktail jugs. 

Or, for restaurants that want to offer something more relaxed, perhaps serve a free glass of wine to everyone who orders a main course.

5th August: National Cycle to Work Day

Did you know that cycling is linked to lower risk of heart disease and cancer? The UK introduced “National Cycle to Work Day” back in 2013 and it’s most definitely a great initiative.

For any business wanting to bring in more customers, offering a stamp card that encourages customers to cycle to your venue, with the promise of a discount once a certain number of stamps is reached, can be a brilliant idea.

8th August: National Cat Day

It’s Cat Day! Are you a pet shop? How about asking your followers to share a picture of their cat on social media tagging your company for a chance to win a discount or freebie? Customers love to feel special and this is a great opportunity to bring more awareness to your business. You can also share pictures of the cats at your shop as well! Who doesn’t love pet pics??

If you run a hotel, why not use this occasion to become pet-friendly and announce this to your customers and target audience? Every year, so many hotel bookings are lost due to the fact that the hotel does not allow furry friends. If you are already a pet-friendly venue, make sure to announce it on social media and create awareness among your customer group.

8th-14th August: Afternoon Tea Week

Forget national days, there’s a whole week designed to celebrate Britain’s famous tradition of Afternoon Tea. Yes, you heard right – we are in Britain after all. Is there any better way to celebrate than by having a whole week dedicated to afternoon tea? 

Are you a business that serves afternoon tea? You could launch a giveaway competition on your socials – the winner gets a free afternoon tea experience! Competition: Tag 3 friends on the original post, repost it on their story and voila! They have entered the competition.

Afternoon Tea Week

12th August: International Youth Day

On 12th August, it’s International Youth Day. This day was created by the United Nations with the purpose to enhance awareness of cultural and legal issues affecting youth of today. 

Regardless of the type of business you run, try dedicating a few hours to creating a safe space for young staff and customers and decide on a youth-focused charity that your brand will start supporting. If you’re a restaurant business, why not dedicate a special dish or drink to the charity, donating a percentage of all sales? It is undeniable that this approach will benefit your company professionally and personally; doing good for people will attract even more valuable customers that support important causes.

Another option could be a brand display of appreciation to young people. You could invite a youngster to perform at your venue, singing, dancing, even painting – you name it!

13th August: National Prosecco Day

Did someone say prosecco? Bottomless brunch is always a success: they provide so much fun and the ideal way for your business to attract happy customers.

Host a Bottomless Brunch and offer delicious food along with bottomless prosecco and entertainment. Who wouldn’t want that? In terms of food, you can offer anything from pizzas to waffles, whatever is your specialty. Customers can enjoy bottomless prosecco or prosecco-based cocktails.

Get your customers involved! Host a competition that allows customers to create a prosecco-based cocktail of their choice to be added to your menu. Ensure they tag a friend, follow your account and share to their story to enter, increasing brand exposure.

19th August: World Humanitarian Day

World Humanitarian Day. People help the people. On this day, why not donate 40% of every bill paid to an important cause? For instance, donate to the people of Ukraine and all families affected by the ongoing war.

22nd August: World Plant Milk Day

For a restaurant owner, create and post a dish or drink on socials usually made with normal milk substituted with plant milk, making your customers aware that you offer vegan alternatives. This is a great way to ensure all your customers feel included and catered for.

24th August: National Dog Day

Dogs are adorable and today is their day! Invite your customers to bring their pet into your venue. This will let everyone know that your business embraces the connection between humans and their pets. But, make sure to have loads of water pots for them – it’s still August!

National Dog Day

31st August: Summer Bank Holiday

It’s the last day of August and with the end of summer approaching, most people are out of work trying to enjoy as much as possible. 

This is a great opportunity for restaurants to provide Summer discounts or special offers to their customers while they’re out of work. For example, cater to family and friend groups with food platters at a 15% discount price for groups of +4, or cocktail jugs can be a great idea to attract customers. 

Looking for something more exciting? Host an event at your venue: DJs, canapes, drinks, photo booths and more. You might want to charge an advance ticket price so it’s more exclusive and the event is profitable.

Still need some more marketing ideas? Get in touch with Posh Cockney today for a more tailored plan to your specific business or event. Planning a little further ahead? Check out our marketing calendars for March, April, May and June


World Chocolate Day

As we move further into July, there’s only one thing to look forward to: World Chocolate Day! On 7th July, the whole world celebrates chocolate – and when it’s not a national heatwave, often hot chocolate.

History of chocolate

About 5,300 years ago, chocolate traces were found in the upper part of Ecuador – considered “food of gods” for many. This confection is made of cocoa seeds found in forests in Central and South America. Back in the day, chocolate wasn’t a sweet treat, it was cocoa beans mixed with other ingredients to create a bitter chocolate drink for the wealthy mayans. However for the less privileged, it was used only in funerals and as a sacred offering. 

In 1500, chocolate arrived in Europe and maintained its symbol of luxury, only consumed by the affluent.

World Chocolate Day

Chocolate and the UK

In 1847, the first edible chocolate bar was introduced by J.S. Fry & Sons, a British company, and not long after Cadbury launched a Valentine’s Day box and Easter Egg (currently, Fry’s Chocolate is produced by Cadbury.) From there, more and more innovations have been brought and distributed to the market, including the introduction of many varieties of flavors, prices and brands, making chocolate easily available to the vast majority.

How important is chocolate in our lives?

Especially in Europe, it seems to be very important! Europe can be considered the biggest consumer of chocolate in the world. With Germans being the top customers, they eat an average of 11 kilograms of chocolate per capita a year, followed by Switz averaging 9.7. 

Although affected by COVID-19, Europe reached a market value of 46 billion euros in 2020, expected to grow by 2.2% a year until 2026. Not only is Europe the biggest market for chocolate, but it is also the biggest importer.

Chocolate in the restaurant industry

It is easy to suggest that most restaurants around the world serve something with chocolate on their menu, as it is estimated that at least 1 billion people eat chocolate everyday. Newness comes everyday: new cafes with imaginative desserts, such as Said Dal 1923, and many others have been introduced. This reminds us just how important it is for the catering industry to integrate chocolate into menus, with vegan options available as well.

How do you plan to celebrate World Chocolate Day on the 7th? Posh Cockney’s clients, such as Happy and St Martin’s House, have unbelievably delicious chocolatey desserts for you to enjoy on this special day!

World Chocolate Day

 

Get in touch with Posh Cockney today to find out how you can better connect with your customers and create unforgettable brand experiences. 


Gucci Snapchat

Cryptoart, Virtual Sneakers and Digital Real Estate: How Gucci’s marketing has utilised Augmented Reality

Image Credit: HypeBeast

Dominating the virtual space

Over the last few years, Gucci has been making its presence known in the virtual world. The iconic brand has done this in a way which is not so much dipping its toe into the  free-dimensional world, rather,  jumping in headfirst and causing a cultural tsunami.

From Augmented Reality (AR) try-on features to experimental digital spaces and buying digital real estate, Gucci’s recent ventures into the virtual world has got us all talking about them. Last week’s launch of their Gucci’s new virtual cryptoart space has kept this conversation going. How has Gucci utilised AR and is this merely expensive marketing or, rather, paving the way into the new age?

 

Virtual Try-on 

In 2018 Gucci partnered with Snapchat to release a try-on lens on their platform. Available internationally, it allowed Snapchat users to try on Gucci shoes in AR. It was incredibly successful and part of the experience was visiting the online Gucci store after virtually trying on the trainers, making it easier than ever to buy Gucci’s products. 

 

Gucci has now unrolled this feature onto its own app, where customers can now try on more than just trainers. Makeup, nailart, watches and even home decor, Gucci yet again enhanced the customer experience of online shopping, thrusting itself into the present age, keeping itself as relevant as its fashion.

Gucci Snapchat

Image Credit: Footwear News

Digital-only fashion

Around one year after Gucci began its AR journey with Snapchat, it launched a project which took its ventures to the next level – Gucci designed a pair of trainers which exist solely in the virtual world. Named ‘Virtual 25’, the fluorescent trainers were launched in collaboration with Wanna, available to try on using AR as well as to wear in photographs.

The digital trainers were launched on the online Gucci Sneaker Garage, and purchasing them unlocked a downloadable version of the trainers which could be worn on the users’ avatars on the game Roblox and  the virtual reality social platform VRChat. Since this, Gucci has made available a range of accessories to be used in the same way and has added further virtual pieces for the game The Sims 4.

Image Credit: Dazeen

Vault

In November 2021 Gucci, yet again, plunged itself deeper into the virtual space and launched Vault. Vault is an online concept store which showcases vintage pieces from the brand. Each item is accompanied by a profile, detailing the item’s history and story – something important in maintaining the brand’s luxury feel – and is intended to give buyers a relationship with their chosen items.

 

Since its launch, Gucci has added various aspects to Vault. Users can now access through Vault Gucci’s digital real estate on Sandbox – a metaverse world where users can buy, develop and sell virtual real estate. Users can also access Gucci Town on Roblox – a free-dimensional location offering virtual experiences such as games, art exhibitions and shopping, as well as being able to connect with people around the world.

Image Credit: Roblox

Cryptoart Gallery and Auction

Gucci’s new Vault Art Space is the most recent feature in its venture into the virtual realm.  On the 23rd June 2022, Gucci released the project in partnership with SuperRare. It is the brand’s first cryptoart exhibition, titled ‘The Next 100 Years of Gucci’ which showcases ‘collectable fragments’ from 29 artists that twist the past and present to envision the future of Gucci.

Cryptoart has emerged to reintroduce scarcity and value into art. An Indelible signature is assigned to the artwork (Non-Fungible token) and ownership of such tokens denotes ownership of the corresponding artwork, as well as all copies of it.

The pieces are available for auction solely by using the currency Ethereum (ETH) and the space will be continuously restocked with fresh pieces.

Image Credit: Vault

What is the significance of Gucci’s virtual ventures?

In navigating its way through the digital space, Gucci is undoubtedly pushing the  limits of conceptualisation and bending dimensions. Gucci’s journey has been an incredible marketing strategy where it has thrusted itself into conversations about the future and with phrases like ‘cryptoart’, ‘Ethereum’ and ‘free-dimension’ making us stop in our tracks and ask what these emerging concepts actually are, the brand remains more relevant than ever.

Gucci’s virtual ventures unquestionably fits with their brand – it is experimental, forward-thinking and lacks rules – much like its fashion. Gucci has been able to understand where the future of fashion is heading, paved that exact way and not changed in its identity at all through the journey. Yes this is marketing at its top tier, but it is also nothing short of the carving of a new epoch.

 

Get in touch with Posh Cockney today to find out how you can better connect with your customers and create memorable brand experiences. 


Does digital hospitality mean less customer service?

In today’s increasingly digital world, fewer and fewer humans are being needed for work positions. Can artificial intelligence achieve the same results as humans in an industry like hospitality, where excellent service is vital for creating memorable customer experiences?

What is hospitality?

While the industry itself contains businesses like hotels and restaurants, in practice, hospitality can be defined as a friendly and welcoming service that makes customers feel individually appreciated and encourages them to return again. 

But who can provide this service? Humans. From the second you enter the door of a hospitality business, details such as complimentary champagne and a welcome basket already create a good impression, however the smile you receive, a good conversation, voluntary help and more, also matters – creating a sense of feeling valued at all times. 

“People will forget what you said, forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” (Maya Angelou).

How effective are robots in the hospitality industry?

Using a machine that appears like a human person and can be trained specifically for certain needs offers hospitality multiple benefits: 

  • Low risk of staff shortages as robots can never call in sick
  • Cost effective
  • Less time consuming. Faster and more effective check in /check out
  • Ability to gather data from clients and therefore be able to successfully personalise their experience.

However, despite their benefits, robots are not able to empathetically interact with a guest as a human can, which can damage the customer’s experience, potentially making it less memorable. Also, without humans, the data collected by the bot would not be able to be effectively used.

What about technological improvements?

Hotels, bars, restaurants and venues in general will always need human people to match their values and objectives; however, multiple tools have been developed to enhance customer experience and facilitate the work of employees. Some of these are:

  • Remote check-in and check-out.
  • Room keys via smart phones.
  • Mobile ordering and paying (use of QR codes displayed in restaurants and bars).
  • CRM (Customer relationship management: a tool used to control active and potential customer relationships, data, bookings and information necessary to meet the expectations of the customer).
  • BotChat services (available 24/7 and solve most problems).

digital hospitality

Overall, technology is an outstandingly fast growing industry: by 2025, it is expected to have connected an additional 4.3 billion people. Innovations and improvements will always be advantageous for the hospitality industry, often decreasing costs, minimising environmental impact, improving safety and more. 

Perhaps one day in the future we will live in a robotic world – but it would be a lie if we said that digital hospitality can replace the kind of service humans provide. Creating a real connection with customers is an ability only humans hold – for now…

 

But what’s better than a singular human being? A whole team of hospitality and lifestyle expertsGet in touch with Posh Cockney today to find out how you can better connect with your customers and create memorable brand experiences. 


Important Dates for Your June Marketing Calendar (+ Content Ideas!)

Your June Marketing Calendar

Summer is so close, we can almost taste it! Or maybe that’s just the delicious taste of St Martin’s House’s Jubilee Specials Menu…

Speaking of, June has got so much in store for all us Brits this year, from the Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee to strawberries and cream at Wimbledon (let’s be real, who really goes to watch the tennis??). 

What better way to embrace these upcoming events than by including them in your June content calendar?

Without further ado, here are some of the June dates Posh Cockney is preparing for this year.

2nd-5th June: The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend

June starts off with a bang with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend. School’s out, work’s out, and hopefully the sun’s out over this four-day celebratory weekend.

There is so much versatility when it comes to what your business can do for the Jubilee. Entice your holidaying customers with exclusive weekend-only offers, or create limited edition patriotic dishes/drinks that no one will want to miss.

Whether you own a shop, restaurant or even a dental surgery, get your red, white and blue bunting out for the kill. You can never go wrong – plus it’s not often we get to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee!

5th June – The Big Lunch

One key part of the Jubilee Weekend is The Big Lunch. The Big Lunch is an event created by Eden Project Communities as a way to celebrate community connections during this weekend of patriotic togetherness. Of course, this means street parties galore! 

Is your business at the very heart of your local community? Can you provide food and drinks for any street parties happening near you? There’s always a way to get involved, and this will, in turn, solidify and strengthen your business’ relationship with the local community. 

Use this as an opportunity to get to know your existing customers and introduce yourself to new ones – as well as having a good old time!

June marketing

6th June – National Donut Day

If you’re an F&B business, this is your chance to highlight the donut dessert offerings on your menu, whether it’s a jam donut, a cronut, or a classic Homer Simpson-style treat. 

Create a special offer for any donuts on your menu and share with your followers on social media. Or, why not use Instagram stories to ask followers to vote on their favourite kind of donut? This will help increase your engagement, plus give you some new menu ideas!

Don’t already have a donut on your menu? This is your opportunity to premiere one in the best way possible. Create something unique, wacky and newsworthy, and you may be in for a chance of some press coverage

7th June – World Food Safety Day

Show off how brilliant and thorough your F&B business’ food safety practices are by highlighting them on social media! Showcase your kitchen’s cleaning process on Instagram Stories, or even share your food hygiene rating score.

You could even use Insta reels to give your customers a tutorial on how to keep their kitchen extra clean at home. Know any great hacks? Get sharing! This can both humanise your brand and entertain your followers, alongside demonstrating your business’ value of top notch food hygiene.

8th June – Best Friends Day

Got any best friends amongst your staff team? Post photos of them on social media and ask them to share why they love their best friend so much.

Why not create a special offer perfect for duos? A 2-for-1 offer is a true crowd pleaser, and you can use this on any products you think a pair of best friends would want to purchase. Are you an F&B business? Promote a 2-for-1 offer on selected cocktails for all customer pairs that can prove they’re besties!

10th June – World Gin Day

Who doesn’t love a bit of gin? Tempt your customers to a special offer on all your gin-based offerings and share on social media. 

Not an F&B business? Get a shot of your team having a refreshing drink over their lunch break – doesn’t have to be gin, no one will know! 

If you’re a hotel or events venue, partner with a local gin distillery and set up a gin-based tasting, or even work with them to set up a competition where winners receive a VIP trip to the distillery.

12th-18th June – Healthy Eating Week

Before we tuck into a whole load of strawberries and cream-based desserts later this month, the middle of June means it’s time to embrace healthy eating. 

If you’re an F&B business, make a special effort to promote your veggie and vegan menus, and create offers for your healthiest dishes and drinks (smoothies are your best friend here).

Anyone who works in an office can set up a healthy eating table for their hungry colleagues, and share on social media for all to see.

19th June – Father’s Day

It’s time to celebrate all fathers young and old, dead or alive! Ask your team to share a photo of their dad and one thing they love about them for the company Instagram.

What do (most) dads love? Beer. If you’re an F&B business, reward all dads that come into your restaurant with a free pint of beer. Or, mix it up and do something to stand out from the rest. Dads hardly ever receive flowers, so why not be the first to give them? Your brand is sure to be remembered for this kind and unique gesture.

24th June: Bring Your Dog to Work Day

Forget the Queen’s Jubilee! There is no day more important in June than Bring Your Dog to Work Day. 

This one’s fairly self-explanatory… bring your dog to work. But like all novelty days, there are always ways to mix it up. For example, ask your team to bring in any pet of their choice (although the pet tarantula might be a miss). Is your office full of cat-lovers? Make the day your own and bring in your pet cats – just be prepared for some potential violence in the staff room!

It cannot be forgotten that Bring Your Dog to Work Day is an event created by ethical pet company Hownd to raise money for animal charities. If you’re a F&B business, perhaps dedicate a special dish to the cause and have a percentage of profits go towards an animal charity. Or make your restaurant dog-friendly for the day (if it isn’t already) and ask dog-owners to donate to your chosen charity.

(Pictured – Judit, Head of Social Media with her pooch!)

June marketing

27th June – Wimbledon begins!

Ah, Wimbledon. Strawberries, cream and sunshine… oh, and a bit of tennis. 

This is your chance to serve up a strawberry and cream-based dessert better than anywhere else and showcase it all over socials. Give it your own branded twist, or do something wacky and outside-the-box that might grab the attention of journalists. There’s always scope for a limited edition strawberry and cream-themed cocktail, hmmm.

With Wimbledon being a live sport, anything can happen. Get your funniest social media team member to provide Twitter commentary throughout the matches – there’s nothing better than quick reactive brands. 

If all else fails, any F&B site with a pub garden has a fabulous advantage here. Create special discounts on some of your best drink offerings and start screening the matches. As long as you can entice customers with a big screen, they’ll stay for everything else you offer.

 

Still need more content ideas for your June marketing calendar? Get in touch with Posh Cockney today.


Everything you need to know about the metaverse

The term ‘metaverse’ has been thrown around a lot lately, especially since Mark Zuckerberg announced his plans to develop it. But what actually is it? In this blog, we explore everything you need to know about the metaverse.

What is the metaverse?

The metaverse is yet to exist in its entirety but here’s what we know now. It’s an artificial universe accessed through two technologies: virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). You’ll need a VR headset to view and participate in it, but the idea is that people can interact with one another in a more immersive way with this three-dimensional experience. 

However, the difference between the vision and reality is vast. The vision is a virtual space entered through a single gateway. Right now, each metaverse is separate. Meta and Microsoft are rolling out their own metaverses, to name just a couple. For the vision to work, the platforms must have a seamless connection so that you can switch between them without using separate gateways. 

Supporters of the metaverse envision an online world to stay connected with friends and family, through concerts, conferences and trips around the world. This will come at a price. Expect decentralised economies trading in cryptocurrency. You’ll be able to buy and sell virtual goods, NFTs and event tickets. The driving force behind the construction of the metaverse is of course to generate a bigger digital economy. 

Who owns the metaverse?

Strictly speaking, no one and everyone. There is no specific company that owns the metaverse. Facebook’s rebrand to Meta may make you think otherwise, but Meta and the metaverse are two different things. The metaverse vision includes companies working together to provide a seamless interface, however there is yet to be any collaboration between companies. That said, the metaverse will technically be owned by those that built and use it; software developers, engineers, computer scientists, artists, world builders and users. However, the companies that own the tools to allow these people to do their jobs will also have an influence in the future of the metaverse. 

When will it arrive?

The metaverse as a single, connected space will be years in the making. There just isn’t the internet infrastructure to host millions of virtual users across the globe just yet. The metaverse will need strong and fast internet connections, otherwise the virtual world will be full of glitches – hardly the user experience Meta and other companies are aiming for. 

Mark Zuckerberg expects to see the metaverse mainstream in the next 5-10 years. But don’t get too excited – it’s still in the early stages of development. However, some features, like virtual reality meetings and games (Fortnite and Roblox), are already operational. It’s the interoperability of these features that’s needed to progress. 

How will this change the way we work?

Working remotely is already a reality for many of us. However, what could change is how we interact with each other online. Meta has already released Horizon Workrooms, a virtual reality space to hold meetings. Other tech giants are following this trend, with Apple investing heavily in its AR glasses and Microsoft launching Mesh for Teams, a mixed reality feature. This could mean a move away from Zoom meetings and a move towards meetings held in VR.

Companies could also develop their own virtual workspace to allow you to work from the office, from home. It takes all the benefits from working in the office (collaboration, efficiency, resources) into a virtual space whilst removing all the hurdles (commuting, renting an office space, overseas colleagues).

It could also mean attending conferences across the world with your digital avatar and conducting training sessions via AR, which could cut your staff training times by 60%. This hypothetically makes for a more inclusive and accessible workspace, provided that everyone has a VR headset and a stable internet connection.

No matter how you feel about the expansion into the metaverse, it’s clear that’s where the future is heading. By 2030, experts predict that a large proportion of people will be using the metaverse in some way. PwC predicts that 23 million jobs will be using VR by 2030 too.

The impact of the metaverse to enhance our digital experience has huge potential. Instead of working from home, you could be working from your own digital workspace, whether that’s on the beach, in the jungle or alongside your coworkers’ digital avatars. The future is much closer than we think! 

Interested in learning more from Posh Cockney’s insight? Get in touch today.