Brands We Love: Guinness

In the latest instalment of our Brands We Love series, we’re exploring how Guinness managed to remain true to its heritage whilst re-inventing its reputation to appeal to a wider audience – becoming the UK’s most popular pint.

Here’s why we love the legendary stout brand:

Guinness has experienced a brand overhaul over the last decade.

What was once viewed as a ‘pint for grandads’ officially became the UK’s most popular pint in 2023 – with 1 in 9 pints pulled being a Guinness.

Normally, when a brand sees growth like this, it’s because of new innovation or products. This isn’t the case here. It was all down to brilliant marketing.

Founded in 1759, Guinness is now a globally recognised heritage brand – but it once faced declining sales due to a perception problem.

A long-term transformation strategy revived its image by blending tradition with innovation.

Key to this was celebrating its history (retaining the iconic 1862 harp motif) while expanding its reach through a London culture hub and partnerships in sport and fashion.

Guinness isn’t opposed to taking risks to grow. It launched its 0.0 offering in 2020, a bold step for a brand which capitalises on a very specific taste. Known and loved by its audience.

But this opened new opportunities, such as partnering with the Premier League, which has a duty to promote responsible drinking.

Sales of 0.0 doubled in the past year, and it now makes up 3% of Guinness’ global sales – a worthwhile move.

0.0 isn’t the only product helping Guinness engage new audiences.

It also expanded its reach by introducing licensed products like crisps and spice mixes – adding more flavour to its offering and reaffirming its role in people’s lives.

In short, Guinness has achieved where so many brands fail. Its transformed its image without losing sight of what matters: heritage. It’s a global success story and exactly why we love the brand so much.

Need to transform your brand? We’ve got 30 years’ experience building brands and driving business growth. Get in touch at susannah@energypr.co.uk to find out more.