Guinness: from grandad brand to cult favourite

Cast your mind back 10 years and think about Guinness. For many of us, it wouldn’t have been our first choice at the taps and it came with a reputation for being an ‘old man pint’ or the drink your grandad would have.

When you then consider where the brand is today and its unequivocal popularity, the transformation it has undergone is truly spectacular. Today, Guinness is the most popular pint in Britain, with the iconic Irish stout accounting for one in every nine pints pulled in the UK.

By implementing a strategic and all-encompassing plan focused on a long-term transformation, the Diageo and Guinness teams have been able to overhaul how consumers think about Guinness. This change of public perception and brand positioning is cemented by the fact that Netflix has commissioned a series on The House of Guinness, alongside its sponsorship of The Premier League for the next four years. The brand is also opening a new micro-brewery and culture hub outside of the heartland and in a prime, central London location.

Of course, not all brand or business owners have the same budgets available to us as Guinness does, or the longevity and knowledge that by investing in a long-term plan change will happen. But there are still learnings we can all take and absorb into our own business strategies moving forward.

Be bold ​

Guiness has undoubtedly been one of the boldest brands in the world of FMCG. For example, while it’s clear to see that low-and-no alcohol options are gaining market share and increasing in popularity, for established brands entry into the market can be a risk. In fact, a lot of the most celebrated options out there are either from new entries to the market, or brands only making low-and-no options.

Why is it such a bold move for an established brand like Guinness? People know what they ‘should’ taste like, making it a challenge to maintain and capture the same distinctive and iconic flavour.

For Guiness, being bold and taking the leap into the 0.0% market has paid off. In fact, Guinness 0.0 makes up 3% of all global sales of the Irish stout brand and consumption doubled across Europe in the year to June 2024. Incredible when you think it was only introduced to market in 2020.  

What’s more, it’s arguable that without the 0.0 option, it would never would have been able to secure the Premier League partnership, as advocates of drinking responsibly.

Keep introducing new people to your brand ​

As a family business with family business values, loyal customers who have supported what we do are incredibly important to us. However, what Guinness has shown to be a cornerstone of success is continuing to introduce new people to the brand to generate ongoing, strong brand awareness and recognition.

The 0.0 option will undoubtedly have helped in this space but, really, where Guinness has been innovative in this regard is with its catalogue of licenced products. While a non-beer drinker may not be likely to go into the beer aisle and pick up a pack, they might, for example, buy crisps. They could also find themselves in the spices and seasoning section picking up a Guinness Steak & Ale Pie Mix, or even a Guinness Smoky Ketchup in the condiments aisle.

Guinness know that food and drink go hand-in-hand, and that people have for many years been using Guinness as a cooking ingredient in various dishes both in homes and professional kitchens. Armed with this knowledge and their distinctive flavour profile, through considered and carefully executed partnerships and licenced products, Guinness has been able to open the door to a world of new consumers and make the brand visible and relevant at more food and drink occasions, allowing it to continue to raise awareness and grow its market share.

In our own work with the Guinness team, we collaborate closely with the Guinness beer sommelier and their team of chefs from the Guinness Storehouse. They are an incredibly passionate group of people who have unrivalled expertise and experience in working with Guinness, having incorporated the stout into thousands of dishes, so we knew immediately when we hit the right products. What’s more, they are very transparent about their limitations and allowed us to take the lead on market suitability.

The team naturally follows a rigorous sign-off process for both products and branding/packaging in order to protect their brand, but they have some of the best brand guidelines I’ve ever worked with.

Embracing history and heritage ​

Guinness is a brand with heritage, and while it continues to innovate to keep its signature flavour and brand relevant, it has embraced its history and heritage with open arms.

Being able to combine heritage and innovation takes a lot of hard work behind the scenes, bringing together everyone from the NPD team to the marketing department. It is a real skill, and one that we’re only beginning to understand and delve into.

Guinness celebrates its history, which is clear from numerous touchpoints. We can see this in the development of its new culture hub in London, alongside the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. The brand has maintained and celebrated its iconic front-of-pack Irish harp, which first made an appearance on a Guinness bottle label in 1862.

When we work together, it’s about pushing creative boundaries, yes, but all while respecting Guinness’ legacy. For example, when developing a new product, we conduct numerous taste tests and feedback sessions to ensure each product meets their high standards. This approach allows us to fine-tune our offerings continuously, resulting in a range of products that not only align with the Guinness brand but also introduce innovative flavours that honour its rich heritage

For younger, newer and even prospect brands, it might seem like an impossible challenge to learn how to embrace a heritage they don’t have yet. However, every brand – regardless of age – has an opportunity to draw on their beginning story. It’s about taking a step back and working out what each brand’s heritage story is and finding a way to bring it to life in a unique way.

The result of this hard work by Guinness shows clear results. Their results published at the end of January attributed Europe’s 3% organic net sales growth as being driven by Guinness which grew 24% - with nearly all the growth in Great Britain and Ireland.

As the brand pours itself into new and exciting avenues, all of which seamlessly pulls it away from the ‘old man’ perceptions of the past, the rest of in the industry can look a little more closely at how we can embrace some of these elements in our own future strategies.

In other news, mini versions of our favourite tipples are 'the' new thing.​​