November 27th is a big day in the calendar.
Whilst many millions around the world will be celebrating Hanukkah with doughnuts or potato pancakes and preparing for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner, we wondered what, if anything, people would be doing to celebrate Lancashire Day.
Mustard has been conducting a series of polls in the run-up to Lancashire Day to establish what the county is most commonly associated with.
Respondents were simply asked “What is the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Lancashire?”.
The findings clearly show that the UK population are considerably more likely to associate Lancashire with its food than anything relating to its history, culture, society, emblems or landmarks, with more than half (53%) selecting a food item linked with the region.
By far and away the most common of these was Lancashire Hotpot (36%). But it is not just lamb and potato that people think of, with people far more inclined to mention Lancashire Cheese (9%), Pies (4%) and Black Pudding (4%) than, for example, the traditional Red Rose emblem (3%).
Geoff Barnsley, Director of Brand Alignment and place marketing experts Brand Vista, believes the stand-out resonance of Lancashire Hotpot is no bad thing:
“Given the rich diversity within the British Isles, it is notoriously difficult for place brands to cut through to a UK wide audience. The key is to be known for something unique that you can own and being recognised for great food is certainly no bad thing. However as a place you would want to be recognised for the range of things that make you special. Such brand perceptions and reputations can only be enhanced through a deep understanding of your audience, and a compelling brand vision that is communicated relentlessly and matched by the visitor experience.”
Richard Walker, Director of Mustard, agrees:
“People across the UK are making connections with Lancashire through its fantastic food, and evidently the county is finding a way to people’s hearts through their stomachs. Equally, the region has much more to offer to residents and visitors than just traditional food. The challenge is to make those differentiating facets stick front-of-mind as well as in the sub-conscious”.
While females are more likely to make food associations with Lancashire, males are marginally more likely to make sporting associations, including 7% of males who first associate Lancashire with cricket.
Around one in ten (9%) say Lancashire has “no meaning” to them, and a further 4% say “up North somewhere”. The lack of any association is particularly prevalent among younger audiences (17% of 18-34 year olds, compared with 5% of those aged 55+).
Those aged 55+ are relatively more likely to make immediate links with older, traditional and historical associations – including Coronation Street (6%), Cotton / Textile Mills (5%), and the Red Rose (4%) – but even as far as they’re concerned, the Hotpot rules.
The poll was conducted among 1,360 members of an online research panel on 25th and 26th November 2013.
| all | M | F | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | |
| TOP ASSOCIATIONS | % | % | % | % | % | % |
| Hot Pot | 36 | 34 | 37 | 30 | 37 | 38 |
| Cheese | 9 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| No meaning | 9 | 8 | 10 | 17 | 8 | 5 |
| Accent | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| Cricket | 5 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Pies | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| Black Pudding | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Coronation Street | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Up North Somewhere | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Friendliness | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Red Rose | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Football | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Cotton / Textile Mills | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Walking / Scenery | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| War of the Roses | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Rugby League | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Poverty | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| The M6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Coast / Seaside Towns | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
