Cadbury supports community businesses by sharing out advertising opportunities

Posted July 31, 2020 by Frank Wainwright

Notts County have announced an agreement with Cadbury which will see the club’s official travel partners, Sharpes of Nottingham, become shirt sponsors for Sunday’s play-off final and for the next two seasons.

Cadbury has donated the advertising opportunities from the partnership to Sharpes, one of many Nottingham-based businesses severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sharpes saw its business grind to a halt during lockdown and their loss of bookings has resulted in an ’18-month winter’, with no summer 2020 business expected and almost all of their team on furlough.

While there is an acceptance that there will be a long period before the coach operator can return to its full capacity, Sharpes are determined to adapt to a socially distanced future, including the return of travelling Notts fans to away games once supporters are permitted in stadiums.

The home shirt sponsorship which has been donated by Cadbury will vastly increase the company’s profile, helping them reach a far greater audience than ever before, and the unprecedented exposure will begin on Sunday when Sharpes’ logo will be on the shirts for County’s Vanarama National League play-off final against Harrogate Town at Wembley, televised live on BT Sport.

The deal with Cadbury also secures the ongoing relationship between the club and Sharpes, guaranteeing the travel logistics for both the team and supporters who use official club travel throughout the duration of the contract.

James Sharpe, Operations Director of Sharpes of Nottingham, said: “This is simply amazing news that has provided some light during a dark time for us.

“Our fleet hasn’t turned a wheel since 23 March, which has hugely impacted us as a small, family-run business, and we can’t thank Cadbury and the club enough for this act of generosity and the difference it will make.

“It’s an honour to be Notts’ home shirt sponsors and we’re so excited for the future and the new season!”

Sharpes aren’t the only local business to benefit from the agreement, with Cadbury also throwing their support behind Arthur Johnson and Sons Auction House as well as Treetop Catering.

Arthur Johnson and Sons, who own the historic Cattle Market next to Meadow Lane stadium, will benefit from Cadbury and the club’s assistance in selecting businesses most in need of support after the market reopened its gates to traders and shoppers earlier this month following a three-month closure.

Treetop Catering, meanwhile, have been selected to receive advertising opportunities through the sponsorship arrangement after they saw the cancellation or postponement of all events due to lockdown and social distancing restrictions.

By amplifying local businesses in need of exposure and custom as they begin to reopen, Cadbury and the club hope this arrangement will aid the economic recovery of local businesses and the Nottinghamshire area as a whole.

As the world’s oldest professional football club we, like Cadbury, are recognised as one of the UK’s greatest pioneering organisations.

We also share a passion for supporting our communities and have both worked closely alongside Age UK throughout the pandemic, helping to raise money and awareness for the 225,000 older people who often go a whole week without speaking to anyone.

Our CEO, Jason Turner, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to continue our trend of launching innovative sponsorship campaigns by teaming up with an incredible global brand in Cadbury to help three fantastic local businesses.

“Sharpes, Arthur Johnson and Sons and Treetop are all companies we know well and who we have of course been concerned about throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, so to be able to help them in this way is brilliant.

“We’d like to warmly welcome Cadbury and the three beneficiaries on board.”

Nick Rogers, Senior Brand Manager at Cadbury added: “We are extremely excited to work with Notts County on this unique partnership, which builds on our other collaborations with football clubs across the UK, and deepens the positive impact we are able to have.

“Cadbury was founded on an ethos of generosity that we still live by today and we’re very proud of what this partnership with Notts County will achieve in the local community, particularly in driving economic recovery of those in the local area.”

Agency MKTG has been supporting Cadbury in this partnership programme.