Although it’s fair to say the whole nation gorged on chocolates this Christmas.  We do, after all, have the highest per capita consumption of chocolate in the world and the UK market boasts the greatest variety of chocolate bars available globally.

But if a bit of seasonal over-indulgence means you’re ready to take a break from Kit Kats, perhaps you should reconsider.  Recent scientific research* confirms the long-held belief that both dark chocolate and cocoa are high in antioxidants and actually contain more than fruit. This has led to calls for cacao seeds to be considered a ‘super fruit’ and all products derived from cacao seed extracts such as natural cocoa powder and dark chocolate, ‘super foods’. It would seem, when it comes to chocolate, a little of what you fancy really does do you good.

Even more reason for chocolate lovers to stay loyal to their favorite sweet treat is the shocking research released this week suggesting that climate change could soon make chocolate the rare, expensive and exotic food it once was. A study by The International Centre of Tropical Agriculture of cocoa plantations in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana – where more than half of the world’s cocoa is grown – found that the amount of land suitable for production could halve due to a projected temperature rise of 2.3C by 2050.

Worse still, according to a recent article in The Daily Telegraph, recent political upheavals in West Africa have already pushed up the price of cacao by 10 per cent on the trading floor to almost £2,000 per tonne. In direct response, Cadbury and Nestlé have increased the retail price of their top-selling confectionery in the UK including Dairy Milk, Wispa and Kit Kat by 7 per cent, more than double the rate of inflation.

We say, now more than ever, indulge while you can. Eat chocolate, drink chocolate and be merry because it’s the ultimate good mood food and the best way to beat those January blues.

*Chemistry Central Journal.

Tumblr is one of the fastest-growing social sharing websites, jumping from 4.2 million users in 2010 to 13.4 million in 2011*. It’s a site where bloggers collect and share inspirational images, but equally popular on Tumblr accounts are quotations. Often anonymously written, they are re-posted by millions who believe in and want to share with others these simple and sometimes sentimental statements. Frequently motivational, romantic, comforting and inspiring, they have much in common with the fortune cookie, reminding us that, ultimately, you make your own fortune and happiness. Sometimes we just need a little reminder. ‘You’ll never know if you don’t go; you’ll never shine if you don’t glow…’and ‘Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy’ are two of my current favourites. It seems we are all craving fluffy, warming words now more than ever. 13.4 million Tumblr users can’t be wrong.

I actually started sending a little motivational slogan around to my friends and was shocked at how quickly it caught on. At the time I had been dating someone in finance; a very short, albeit sweet, relationship but I took away something from the experience. The man in question was a banker, very successful and an expert at getting what he wanted. At the end of a text, he would often write ‘say yes’ and I always would before even thinking about it. I tried this technique on my friends and it worked just as well. ‘Cheeky Monday night drink? Say yes,’ They always would and, in turn, they used the phrase back at me. Maybe it was no coincidence that Dale Carnegie in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People says, ‘A yes is magic in business. It sets the psychological process of the listeners moving in the affirmative direction and gets the other person saying ‘yes’ immediately.’

But more than just a trick to getting another person to do what you want, this ‘Just say yes’ attitude struck such a chord with my friends it even appeared on a Facebook status. Because by simply saying ‘yes’ you are open to getting the most out of your life.

Unfortunately the relationship with the banker didn’t last long. As I explained to my friend, quoting something I read on Tumblr, ‘We were just dominos. I fell for him, he kept falling for another.’ She sighed and said, ‘Well you’ll be okay. Love is never linear. Everybody finds their somebody.’ I immediately felt better.

‘Smile like you mean it’ is a song by The Killers but also a popular Tumblr quote and a crucial element in Dale Carnegie’s theories on achieving a happy and successful life. He says ‘The expression one wears on one’s face is more important that the clothes one wears on one’s back’. He believes that even if you are not happy, force a smile and soon you will believe that you are. If you are having a problem with someone at work or in a relationship he suggests always be nice. Or even better, kill them with kindness. Essentially, whatever problem you’re facing, don’t let it affect you.

Similarly, you won’t fail to have noticed the incredible resurgence of the slogan Keep calm and carry on in recent years. A poster produced by the British Government at the start of the impending second world war, it resonates with us in today’s recession-hit times as a sign of courage that can help in almost any given situation; something we all need in life from time to time.

But back to the fortune cookie and the real message of this post. Huge congratulations to Hilary and Peter from all of us here at Focus PR. After all, Love is all you need.

*Source http://blog.comscore.com/2011/08/tumblr_user_growth_accelerates.html

Visitors flocked to the kitchen-themed stand to enjoy their Harveys with a slice over ice

Thousands of brands flock to exhibitions in an attempt to engage with consumers, but when your stand is just one among many, what qualities make you stand out from the crowd? Last week we spent five days with Harveys® (www.harveyshalfhour.co.uk) at The Ideal Home Show at Christmas and introduced over 31,000 consumers to Harveys over ice with a slice of orange. Hours spent chatting to visitors, listening to feedback and making trays of samples faster than they can swipe them, means we’ve gained enough insight into the world of sampling to bring you The Focus PR Guide To The Perfect Stand.

1. Size. They say size isn’t everything but when it comes to exhibitions, bigger can be better, although you need to know how to use it. Otherwise it can – literaly – be a huge waste of money and space. The Ideal Home Show Spring left us believing that given more space we could increase our sampling numbers, create more impact and get consumers to engage for longer. Therefore, for round two at the Christmas show, we re-negotiated an increase of over 30% in the size of our stands and expected an influx of consumers ready to take their Harveys Half Hour on the seating provided, either at our vintage garden stand or in our vintage kitchen…
2. Design. Now we come to the crux of the matter; despite waiting with bated breath to receive our visitors we found that, although people loved the product and were keen to take samples (7,000 per day on average!) from the edge of the stand, fewer people than envisaged wanted to actually take a seat in the garden. In comparison, the kitchen table hosted an ever-changing rotation of visitors taking a seat to chat, drink, relax and even breast feed! Despite their similarity in size, the kitchen stand was clearly the more popular choice and by day two we were itching for guests to  explore the garden stand further. So, we stripped it back; we took away some of the plants, creating more open space for people to wander through and drew them further into the stand: result! The tables were finally full with guests enjoying their Harveys over ice with a slice of orange in our vintage garden – phew!  But there was still a longer dwell time in the kitchen. So, when you have a good position, delicious product and a charming sampling team in equal measure, what makes one stand more inviting than the other?
3. Lighting. We realised it boiled down to lighting. Rigged above the kitchen was a rack of spotlights, arranged to focus on key points of the stand, bathing them in a warm glow. We concluded this made a strong impression on consumers, encouraging them to take the time to relax on the kitchen stand. The lesson we learnt: if dwell time is high on your list of priorities, invest in good lighting.
4. A great team. Finally, and it goes without saying, you need a great team on the ground. Exhibiting allows you to reach thousands of consumers but it is only through the hard work of our own team here at Focus PR and the professionalism and enthusiasm of the dedicated team from Wine Sorted, that we got consumers to engage with and believe in the brand.