Guinness

Guinness was in a slump a decade ago, but today it accounts for one in every nine pints sold in UK bars. What's behind its renaissance?

During the Covid lockdowns in the UK, Guinness spotted a trend for drinkers to post photos of everyday objects that reminded them of a pint of Guinness. It’s set to open a £73m Guinness ‘culture hub’ at Old Brewers’ Yard in central London that promises a “grain-to-glass immersive visitor experience” in the mould of the Dublin original. It’s a question of how, with such a strong, bold, masculine heritage and brand expression, it adapts that to become relevant and appealing to a wider audience,” he says. Social listening also comes into play, enabling Guinness to “analyse trends and how to jump on to these without losing the interest of their loyal customer base”, Repiso argues. Part of its slump can be attributed to the perception of stout as a heavy, old-fashioned drink – a world away from crisp, sparkling Mediterranean lagers. Launched in 2021, it has been front and centre of the brand’s marketing pushes around St Patrick’s Day and rugby union’s Six Nations Championship, with campaigns urging punters to drink responsibly. That gave the brand confidence to return to the “genuine core” of Guinness, says David Jenkinson, partner at branding agency Pearlfisher. What of the upstart craft beer market? For instance, the two-part pour – which requires bar staff to pause halfway through pulling the pint to let it settle – has long been a unique selling point for the brand. The latter attaches to special cans of the brew and, via a nine-part process, promises to pour pub-quality pints. Sales of the stout were slumping as the spotlight fell on a new wave of craft beers and easy-drinking lagers. “The Irish internationally have this reputation for having the craic – a really good time.