We’re heading to Manchester for the nicest-smelling gig in the technology calendar.

We really enjoy Lush’s soapbox activism at Tech Trends, so we were glad to be invited to come back to the company’s creative showcase, which this year takes place in Manchester.

A vibrant, varied and interactive event where bath bombs launch activism and where creativity can set you free
Share on X

If you’re wondering what a naked cosmetics company has to do with technology, take a look at our previous articles where we delved into how they not only used data and 3D printing in their product-making, but have been championing digital rights and using digital tech to advance their overall mission under the leadership of Chief Digital Officer Jack Constantine.

#bathart is about more than aesthetics. Beneath the bubbles, there’s a whole world of passions, ethics, inspiration and meaning to explore
Share on X

Check out the full agenda here, but here are some of the highlights we’re looking forward to:

Mark Constantine talks about the Secret Lush Cosmetics Masterplan

Whatever the event, when Mark takes to the stage his ramblings are almost as legendary as his colourful shirts. He’s famous for never sticking to a script – let alone a time slot. But this time it’s different. This time it’s personal. This time he has a plan. The Secret Lush Cosmetics Master Plan to be specific. Join him as he discusses his three-point plan to take over the world, one naked, solid product at a time, and how each and every Lush staff member can make it happen.

Events organisers regret that they cannot take responsibility for unauthorised rambles
Share on X

Ending Animal Testing

The Lush Prize is a major initiative aiming to bring forward the day when safety testing takes place without the use of animals. The focus of the prize is to put pressure on corporations’ who toxicity test on animals for consumer products and ingredients. Join previous winners of the Lush Prize, along with a member of the Lush Prize management committee, and be part of a conversation about the wealth of testing options available to us today and the value of the Lush Prize project.

Think Tank: What is beauty in the age of Instagram?

Social media. It gets the blame for everything, including our increasing obsession with perfection; the perfect life, the perfect clothes, the perfect face. But our relationship with beauty goes back far further than our Instagram feeds – think movie stars, Barbie dolls, royalty and goddesses. In this frank Think Tank, we give you the opportunity to examine our relationship with beauty. What is it? Does it exist? How do we redefine it? And can social media be a tool to help us on our way? Join Umber Ghauri , Kelechi Okafor, and Jay Fletcher as they help facilitate a group discussion on how we can reclaim ‘beauty’ for everyone.

Come on in and join us as we make bath masterpieces like never before
Share on X

“Alexa, Where have all the women gone?”

There is currently a higher percentage of women in the antiquated House of Lords, than there are registered female owners of emerging tech companies in the UK. Join Catherine Allen, and guests as they discuss how and why we are falling short when it comes to gender representation in the tech industry, and how we can encourage more women into tech.

Lush Giving & Regeneration

If you’ve ever wanted to know more about Lush Giving, now’s your chance. To help create a world that works for every being, Lush counts on the generosity of customers, founders and staff to fund grassroots groups that are actively trying to stop violence against people, the environment and animals, as well as those who are developing innovative and regenerative alternatives in their areas. Join us as we celebrate the projects we have funded in the past, the diversity and reach of our global giving and the evolution of some of our funds. Learn more about Re:Fund, the next stage of Slush and the Flight Tax that replaces Carbon Tax. Take a deeper dive into the three areas that Re:Fund spans: Displacement & Disaster, Permaculture & Agroecology, Rewilding & Biodiversity. Need a break? The Spring Prize Lounge is here to offer you a little rest and regeneration.

Fun House

Welcome to the house of fun. If your #BathArt rivals Picasso, and you dream in 4D, then the Fun House is the place to be. An experiential adventure playground that’ll ignite your senses, head here for an immersion in extraordinary. We guarantee you aren’t ready for this jelly…

This is a ticket to other-worldly wonders and underground campaigns. After this there is no turning back
Share on X

#Lushmood Space

How do you want to feel today? No, really! Head to the Lush Mood Space and be immersed in a multi-sensory dreamscape that’ll give you the time and space to transform your state of mind. Choose from four states of mind to gain what you really need when you really need it.

Road to Pelindaba

The Lush Showcase marks the launch of Lush co founder Mark Constantine’s biography, written by his lifelong friend Jeff Osment. This immersive installation lets you jump straight into the pages of the book, as well as the giving you the opportunity to explore how Jeff researched and wrote Dear John: The Road to Pelindaba.

Digital Ethics

Is our addiction to technology causing global destruction? As an increasingly digital society it is vital that we acknowledge the sociological and environmental issues that are fuelled by the unnecessary – yet seemingly unavoidable – upgrade cycle of smartphones. The Digital Ethics space will seek to educate our audience on the smartphone industry’s multiple malpractices, whilst highlighting the individuals and organisations fighting for a fairer future.

If you want complacency, turn back
Share on X

When? Sunday 23rd and Monday 24th September 2018, 10:00 – 19:00

Where? Manchester Central, Windmill St, Manchester M2 3GX

How Much? If you fancy joining the fun, tickets are priced at a rather reasonable £20 for adults or £7 for children and can be purchased here

What to expect:

• Innovative digital solutions
• A first look at new products
• Discussion, debate, activism and action on topics spanning human rights, animal rights, and the environment
• Immersive Lush Spa experiences
• Talks from inspirational guest speakers
• Live music from interesting and talented folks
• Hands-on opportunities to make Lush products and find out more about how ingredients are sourced

If you support the status quo, run and hide
Share on X

For all the latest keep an eye on our @techtrends_tech Twitter feed and feel free to say hello using the hashtags #LushShowcase #LushDigital and #Techforgood

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Tech Trends at #LushShowcase 2018 appeared first on Tech Trends.

The Lush Summit in London was a celebration of their activist ethos, but it also turns out they have a thing or three to teach companies about business, and tech.

“You don’t seem to realize what business you’re in. You’re not in the burger business, you’re in the real estate business. You build an empire by owning the land. What you ought to be doing is owning the land upon which that burger is cooked.” Harry J. Sonneborn in The Founder (2016).

The Lush Summit 2018 was a slightly chaotic whirlwind of vegan doughnuts, argan oil and papier-mâché, but make no mistake the people at Lush know exactly what business they are in: activism.

As CDO Jack Constantine put it, “We are a company of activists who make cosmetics”.

Yes, this sounds like a carefully crafted PR line, but as it turns out it’s true. Every year, Lush donates hundreds of thousands of pounds towards a number of causes from close to home subjects such as animal testing to more far reaching concerns like ocean pollution and human rights campaigns.

The people at Lush know exactly what business they are in: activism
Share on X

Lush is a company of activists who make cosmetics
Share on X

For someone like myself, who has spent over a decade working in the comms industry, corporate social responsibility too often echoes the Monsanto-esque approach to sustainability campaigns: cue accomplished looking farmer peacefully walking back home at dusk after a wholesome day of work in the fields. If you find yourself in that uncomfortable place between the need to believe that a better way of doing business is possible and having to deal with a heavy dose of accumulated cynicism, Lush might just have something to lift up your spirits.

If you find yourself torn between jaded scepticism and the need to believe that a better way of doing business is actually possible, the Lush approach might be for you
Share on X

Lush’s concept, like most good ones, is simple: make fresh handmade products that people love. The ‘how’ they do it, is the interesting bit, though. From ingredient sourcing to how staff are treated, right through to their naked packaging policy, Lush operates with a relentless commitment to “do the right thing” all businesses should strive for. Let’s set the record straight before anyone gets flashbacks of hippies dancing around a fire, in 2016 Lush made £723 million in sales – an increase of 26% over the previous year. Not too shabby.

Lush’s concept is simple: make fresh handmade products that people love. The ‘how’ they do it, is the interesting bit
Share on X

Lush has plenty to teach businesses especially those in the tech space
Share on X

So, how do you make that kind of money while running a business with a heart? As I discovered, Lush has plenty to teach other businesses especially those in the tech space. Aside from the obvious fact that we all wash and use technology daily (well, most of us do anyway), Lush has a firmer handle on their digital ethics than their glittery products might lead you to believe.

Means to an end 

Make products with a mission, let your customers fall in love with both

In 2016 Lush launched The Digital Fund to support grassroot activists and charities protecting freedom of expression and safeguarding the Internet. The fund was financed by the sale of their Error 404 special edition bath bombs, which raised well over £200,000. Bahrain Watch, Digital Rights Watch in Australia and the Association for Technology and Internet in Romania are some of the associations that received funding so far.

In 2018 Lush is focusing on e-waste, the 20 million tons produced every year to be precise, with a new campaign built around a mobile-shaped Agbogbloshie bath bomb… the only phone you’ll ever willingly drop in water.

Lush is focusing on the 20 million tons of e-waste we produce every year
Share on X

DIY tech

If it’s not good enough make your own

Tech is everywhere nowadays, have you noticed? Hence it should come as no surprise that Lush employs a 40-strong team of software developers globally, who have built the company’s POS software. The surprising bit is that the software is completely open source, which means it’s technically available to their competitors too.

Lush employs a 40-strong team of software developers globally who have built the company’s open source POS software
Share on X

Lush is planning on rolling out their hardware, tablets for their retail locations to begin with, by the end of 2018
Share on X

To take this crafty endeavour one step further, Lush is planning on rolling out their hardware – tablets for their retail locations to begin with –  by the end of 2018. Let that sink in for a moment: a cosmetics company making their own ethically produced tech hardware.

“We have no plans to take over Apple any time soon” – jokes Constantine – “But we are serious about offering an ethical alternative to mainstream devices.”

End-to-end ethics

Dissect the entire lifecycle of tech

As the folks at Oxfam know all too well, your organisation is only as ethical as its weakest link. In other words, strong ethics are only as deep as a company’s knowledge of all the steps involved in the production of a product, and its willingness to “walk the walk.” Lush partners with a number of charities, associations and likeminded companies to bring its vision to life while avoiding cutting corners. Sharing moral standards with the people you do business with, finding the informed advisors and contributing by not being part of the problem are all important steps towards this.

Lush partners with a number of charities, associations and likeminded companies to bring its vision to life
Share on X

Two examples of such partnerships that stand out in the tech space are Ethical Consumer and Fairphone, who are both working with Lush to raise awareness around the sometimes shady tech supply chain. Whether it’s the dubious work ethics of invisible tech giant Foxconn – who subcontracts for the likes of Apple – or children mining cobalt in Congo, it seems high time for businesses to question the true cost of the tech they use or make.

It seems high time for businesses to question the true cost of the tech they use or make.
Share on X

So is Lush a dream company? Perhaps. Is it perfect? Of course not. However, with a reported pre-tax profit of £43.2m in FY 2015/2016 (an increase of £18.7m on 2014/15) and fingers in all the right tech pies Lush is definitely one to watch, and at Tech Trends we’ll continue to do just that.

What an incredible two days at the #LushSummit. pic.twitter.com/Wz46OTiBBo

— LUSH UK (@LushLtd) February 15, 2018

Sole Chirco is an emotional intelligence consultant and Tech Trends’ Wellness Tech Correspondent. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn. 

The post It’s None of My Business – Or Is It? appeared first on Tech Trends.

In an age of polarised politics, companies that stick to their principles and don’t shy away from activism can gain an edge  

The easiest way to find any Lush event is to just follow your nose
Share on X

The easiest way to find a Lush event is to follow your nose. As I wandered down to Old Billingsgate market in the heart of the City of London, I was hit by its familiar scent – a melee of hundreds of essential oils wafting from “naked” handmade cosmetics – from solid shampoos and massage oils to fresh face masks and hand-cut soap. I was home.

This “Creative Showcase” was their pièce de résistance, a chance to show off just how far they’ve come since opening their first shop in Poole back in 1995. Their main factory – still based in Dorset – now employs about 1500 people out of a global workforce of around 14,000 – and has nearly 1000 shops in 50 countries.

Lush has come a very long way and grown up a lot in the past 20 years
Share on X

It’s safe to say one can no longer dismiss Lush as some sort of whimsical hippy project, yet there’s no sign that they’re reining back their trademark wackiness. Within five minutes of entering the showcase, I spotted a group of dancing ladies wearing nothing but a few transparent plastic bubbles (promoting the idea of “naked” products) walked on a platform full of giant wobbling shower jellies (shower jellies are indeed a real thing) and watched Queen guitarist Brian May going down a slide on his way to inspect machines that were laser-etching soap bars and 3-D printing solid bath melts.

Willy Wonka would eat his heart out, but in spite of appearances, this was all serious business.The reason why Lush is consistently ranked as one of the best places to work in the UK and in 2016 generated pre-tax profits of £43.2m (up 76% from the previous year) is because it sells a lot more than lathers and ointments; It sells an ideology around which both staff and customers can rally.

They have a range of guiding policies around animal welfare, environmental responsibility, profit-sharing and charitable giving that are strictly adhered to, and are involved in broad-ranging activism in causes such as opposition to policies such as fox hunting and badger culling. Which is why it makes sense that Dr. May – a keen campaigner against the cull – would be a kindred spirit to Lush’s Founder Mark Constantine, who posts pictures of badgers on his Facebook, saying he “felt like a kid at Christmas” when they visited his garden.

Willy Wonka would eat his heart out, but this was also serious business
Share on X

Constantine has also taken a clear stance against Brexit, speaking up for the essential contribution that European workers make not only to Lush, but to the broader UK economy and adding a belief “that all people should enjoy freedom of movement across the world” to its core mission statement. Like many businesses, Lush simply would not have been able to grow as it did without the graft and dedication of European workers. And I should know, because I was one of them.

The European Union allowed Lush to flourish as a business
Share on X

Back in 2003, when Lush was a much younger company but already experiencing very rapid growth, I got an entry-level job at its flagship shop in Carnaby Street. It was flexible enough to allow me to work around my University studies, and in only a few months I got promoted to key holder, then assistant manager. I would stayed and gone further, but I was awarded an Erasmus grant, a scheme that allowed me to do my second year in another EU country without paying hefty tuition fees, but that involved leaving my job and moving to Italy. So it was interesting to hear Lush’s next guest of honour at the creative showcase – Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn – talk about the importance of the Erasmus programme and vow that his party would try its best to keep it, even after the UK leaves the European Union. I do wish him luck in that.

The saddest thing about Brexit is that I wouldn’t have done any of that without the European Union. I wouldn’t have got a job a Lush and been able to work there without any restrictions as an EU citizen, nor would I have received the grant that enabled me to graduate.

Lush sells much more than cosmetics. It's an ideology around which people can rally
Share on X

In fact, I would never have chosen to move to England in the first place; a huge part of the attraction was that the UK was not only a country with its own rich culture, but that it was only an hour or so away, through frictionless travel, from so many other rich cultures I could experience. It is sad to think the next generation of Brits will not have that option.

In such polarized political times it is hard to remain neutral, but companies like Lush seem quite happy to embrace this activism and incorporate it into their core business, even creating a “soapbox” space on its own website where “passionate people with strong opinions” can exercise their freedom of speech.

Lush’s Founder might well describe himself as a “wishy-washy liberal,” but the liberal left is getting increasingly angry as they watch progress in areas such as diversity, worker’s rights and environmental protection being eroded by current policy, and companies like his are becoming a beacon through which people feel they can channel some of that anger, even if it’s by purchasing a nice bath bomb.

People can exercise their activism by buying a nice bath bomb
Share on X

Lush has taken a stand against Brexit
Share on X

Any doubt that Lush are not shy of getting political was dispelled when Jeremy Corbyn was ushered in next. Before joining Constantine on stage for a fireside chat – where he toyed with the the possibility of going vegan and said he’d not hesitate to call Donal Trump and tell him that pulling out of the Paris Accord was a mistake – the Labour leader took off his jacket, put on some gloves, and made his own bath bomb. Needless to say, it proved a big hit with the audience who chanted “Oh Jeremy Corbyn” and laughed indulgently when he said he only had a shower in his house, so wouldn’t be able to use the ballistic he had just made.

“I hear Number 10 has a bath,” quipped Constantine.

 

“Well, that’s probably a good reason to move,” conceded Corbyn.

Like most things at Lush, it’s all good fun, but it doesn’t mean they’re not being serious.

@jeremycorbyn says he’s got no bath to use the bath bomb he’s made at #lushcreativeshowcase. “Number 10 has a bath” replies Mark Constantine pic.twitter.com/XtfdqOvran

— Alice Bonasio (@alicebonasio) September 4, 2017

Because the company has definitely grown up and will continue to evolve and grow as it embraces digital technology and branches out into verticals like luxury spa treatments. But unlike many businesses, Lush realizes that this doesn’t mean abandoning who you are. Most importantly for its loyal community, it also shows how – if you stick to your principles – you don’t actually have to choose between doing well and doing good.

This article was originally featured in the Huffington Post

To find out how to leverage VR/AR/MR in your enterprise, Tech Trends offers bespoke Virtual Reality Consultancy support

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post How Soapbox Politics is Good Business appeared first on Tech Trends.