Premiership football deals extended by Mondelēz International with Manchester City and Arsenal

Confectionery group Mondelēz International, owner of Cadbury, has extended its involvement with Premiership football in the UK, adding new deals with both Manchester City and Arsenal clubs to become official partners, reports Neill Barston.

The move follows swiftly on from a similar agreement sealed earlier this month with Chelsea, which will see the manufacturer have a major interest in top flight soccer in England, as the business continues to expand its range of community activities.

As Mondelēz noted, the focus of its latest collaboration with Manchester City will initially celebrate worthy causes, individuals and businesses who have gone above and beyond during the coronavirus pandemic to help those around them. This emphasis reflects the club’s shared values of creating deep, lasting relationships and assistance of their local communities and those further afield.

In the first collaboration between the two brands, Cadbury will champion the Club’s Cityzens – City’s wide-reaching network of global supporters. ‘Cityzens’ from around the world will be given a platform to nominate the people, community initiatives and local businesses they’d like to recognise for their acts of kindness, generosity and support of those around them, over the course of the upcoming 2020/21 season.

Each month, Cadbury will work with Manchester City to award the ‘Cityzen of the Month’. Nominations will be made by registered Cityzens via City’s official website and mobile app, and celebrated with fans and followers around the world across the Club’s digital platforms.This spotlight aims to give valuable visibility to the winner at a time when they need it most.

The winning entry will also receive 50 Manchester City squad branded Cadbury Dairy Milk bars to share with their friends, family or those who supported them through the pandemic.

Omar Berrada, Chief Operating Officer at Manchester City said: “This new partnership with Cadbury will truly have fans at the heart of it. We have been overwhelmed by the incredible efforts of City fans all over the world to support their communities in response to this pandemic and we are delighted that Cadbury will be helping us to celebrate these achievements.”

Samantha Greenwood, Global Brand Director at Cadbury added: “Every person and business, in every community, plays a vital role in our economic recovery. Manchester City’s fan base and the Cityzens network enables us to shine a light on the incredible work that these individuals and businesses have been doing, and we hope boost the contribution each plays on our journey to recovery from the pandemic.”

Throughout the duration of the partnership, Cadbury will also be offering Manchester City fans unique access to their Club through a series of activities that fans can look out for over the coming months and seasons. The first such promotion will be Cadbury’s Match and Win promotion, returning for its fourth and biggest year in late August, running across more than 180 million Cadbury products. Fans will have the chance to win millions of club prizes, including hospitality experiences, match tickets and vouchers redeemable in the CityStore, as well as Cadbury prizes (see www.cadburyfc.com/ for more information).

Arsenal connection

Meanwhile, the confectionery and snacking group’s link with Arsenal will help revive a fans’ favourite spot, the Little Wonder Cafe, which had been forced to close its doors for the first time in its 100-year history during lockdown and has been struggling for financial survival due to the loss of match day and local custom.

As the confectionery giant explained, such a focus seems unlikely for a partnership between two global brands, however it embodies the shared heritage and beliefs of Arsenal FC and Cadbury – a pioneering and innovative spirit that looks to do things differently, intent on supporting and nurturing its community. Cadbury is built on an ethos of generosity and the belief that there is a glass and a half in everyone.

The Little Wonder Cafe has been a living example of this ethos throughout the pandemic, for the heart of the Islington community.

While its doors have been closed to dining-in customers, owners Murat and Ferhat Eric returned to the cafe, establishing it as a vital hub for the club’s Arsenal in the Community workers, who have continued their initiatives to support local north London residents throughout the pandemic. To help sustain this continued support of the club’s community workers, Cadbury will be donating 500 meal vouchers to the Little Wonder Cafe.

Though the cafe has now reopened to the public, customer numbers are down 85%, capacity at the cafe has been reduced to allow for social distancing measures to be put in place, and customers’ eating habits have changed, with many selecting smaller, quicker orders.

Murat Eric, joint-owner of the Little Wonder Cafe, said: “This generous donation means a lot to us. From a business perspective, it will bring more people to the cafe, whether a local coming in or new visitors that may become regulars. From an advertising side, we haven’t been able to do anything like this in the past, so a big thank you to Cadbury and Arsenal. This makes us feel a lot more confident about our future.”

Ian Wright, former Arsenal player and Cadbury ambassador, helped launch the collaboration between club, Cadbury and the Little Wonder Cafe, with his own menu special named after him added to the cafe menu to commemorate the occasion.

He explained: “The Little Wonder Cafe is like so many local businesses that survive on match day trade, and with recent games being held behind closed doors, the local community has been hit hard. I am so happy that Cadbury are lending a hand to help a local family run business bounce back. The Little Wonder Cafe holds a very special place in my heart and it’s an honour to be involved and have the Ian Wright Special on the menu too!”

Not to forget the fans: the first 500 customers to eat at the cafe following the sponsorship announcement will receive bespoke Arsenal branded bars of Cadbury Dairy Milk, on a first come first served basis, to reward their support of such a pivotal local business.

Samantha Greenwood, Global Brand Director at Cadbury added: “This partnership marks the coming together of three businesses that believe in generosity and the difference we can make together. We are excited that through our sponsorship of Arsenal Football Club, we can make such a difference to the Little Wonder Cafe, and all together, the Islington area. Small businesses play a pivotal cultural and economic role in the recovery of local communities, and the UK as a whole, so we are proud to do our part in supporting them.”

 

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