Sharp's Brewery

Social responsibility campaign

It was decided that Sharp's Brewery should take the initiative and proactively promote responsible drinking, not only to safe guard people's health but to support the communities where its beer was sold.

A radical and bold move was needed to demonstrate that the brewery was taking this seriously and intended to put words into action where responsible drinking was concerned. It was also important that the brewery was seen to be doing more that merely paying lip-service to The Portman Group's Responsible Drinking Campaign.

Method

As part of brewery's Environmental and Social policy, Sharp's announced that it would no longer supply establishments that regularly attracted alcohol related disorder and
continually flout or break the law.

This new policy applied to pubs and clubs where physical and verbal loutish behaviour was a regular occurrence and who repeatedly serve under age drinkers or people who cause a nuisance to other customers due to excessive drinking.

This was indeed a radical move and one that might involve upsetting customers. Yet the brewery saw this necessary to demonstrate it was serious in its commitment to local communities and responsible drinking.

Results

Skyfield helped kick-start the brewery's corporate social responsibility programme and generated wide spread positive news stories, including BBC TV, ITV and BBC Radio Five Live.