Annual report case study - Guinness: building for the long term

When it comes to quality growth, Guinness is showing the way. After a period of challenged performance followed by the closure of bars and pubs during Covid-19, the iconic brand is reaping the dividends of a strategy that builds on its legacy of ‘power, goodness and communion’, embedding its place in culture and attracting a more diverse consumer base.

Guinness is our second biggest brand,¹ and the work we're doing to deliver its ambition of becoming the ‘most creative, innovative and sustainable beer in the world’ is yielding results. This year, organic net sales grew 32%.

Coming alive in culture

Guinness’ distinctive voice is informed by deep consumer insight and powered by precision marketing to ensure it connects with key cultural moments. In August 2021, Guinness launched its first pan-African campaign in five years: Black Shines Brightest. Inspired by the bold and unique beer, Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, the campaign celebrates African creativity and ingenuity, and features some of the best-known local culture makers, including Ghanaian choreographer Incredible Zigi; Nigerian designer Adebayo Oke-Lawal; and Kenyan media personality Adelle Onyango. Proving that it resonated locally, Black Shines Brightest led to the recruitment of 1.5 million new Guinness drinkers across Africa during fiscal 22.

Innovation for new consumer occasions

Our recent award-winning dispense innovations and our liquid innovations have been focussed on ensuring high-quality Guinness is accessible in emerging occasions at home and in new places and spaces, no matter their size or physical setup. Following the successful launch of the Guinness MicroDraught in pubs, restaurants and bars, we launched a limited first release for consumers in Great Britain in December 2021. This launch delivered Guinness Draught on tap in consumers’ homes for the very first time. And we also introduced Guinness NitroSurge in Ireland this year. It provides an easy new way to experience the famous ‘surge and settle‘ at home, increasing the number of occasions in which consumers choose Guinness.

Investing for the long term

In addition to our investments in innovation and marketing, we also announced, this year, investments in two new Guinness visitor experiences that are due to open in Chicago and London in 2023. And to support our sustainability ambitions, in February, we embarked on a three-year regenerative agriculture pilot in Ireland, to highlight opportunities to reduce the carbon emissions of barley production.

View Annual Report 2022

^{1. By organic net sales value}