260 Years Later: Guinness Maintains Popularity as the Most Valuable Irish Brand

Founded by Arthur Guinness in 1759, by the 1770s Guinness was already selling overseas when most Irish companies were content with domestic sales. In 2018, the Guinness Storehouse made it possible for visitors to have their face imprinted onto the foam on the top of a pint, using the latest technology.

From the time that production began, this company has continued to change with the times, staying up to date with the latest trends. From 1759 up until 1986, the chairman of the factory was a member of the Guinness family. The company has made risky decisions and changes that have paid off and is still an inspiration for businesses today.

In 2019, Guinness was worth an estimated €2.5 billion ($3 billion), an increase of 16% from the year before. Like the majority of Irish businesses, sales dropped in 2020 but, it remains the most valuable Irish brand.

There are many reasons why Guinness has managed to reach this point and some of the most significant ones are mentioned in this piece.

Changing with the Times

While Guinness started out brewing ales, by the 1770s they were also brewing porter, a black beer that was growing in popularity in the UK. Rather than trying to encourage the public to take an interest in their ale, Guinness made changes to suit the public.

Porter is given its dark colour from the roasted barley, first produced in London in the 1720s. It seems to have gained its name through its popularity with dock workers and other labourers known as ‘porters’. By the late 18^th century ‘London Porter’ became the first style of beer to be brewed worldwide, with a substantial production in several countries, including Ireland

In 1799, Edward Guinness made the bold move of ending the production of ales completely and only brewing porter. Luckily, this was a success and Guinness remained popular. In Dublin it was often called ‘plain porter’ or even just ‘plain’. In the Workman’s Friend, a well-known poem by Flann O’Brien, he states:

When money’s tight and hard to get
And your horse has also ran,
When all you have is a heap of debt –
A pint of plain is your only man.

West India Porter was a brand of Guinness created in 1801, that contained more hops. This ingredient helps to keep beer fresher on long voyages while maintaining a head of foam. Still brewed today, this makes up 45% of Guinness sales and is most popular in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.

Extra Superior Porter was formed in 1821, still used today and known by the name Guinness ORIGINAL. Different varieties have been developed over time and today, there are 20 different beers featuring the Guinness name.

Taking Risks

Guinness first started shipping overseas in 1769, sending six-and-a-half barrels to Great Britain. By the 1820s, they were already shipping to Portugal and Sierra Leona, along with the US states of New York and South Carolina.

By the 1850s, they were travelling as far as New Zealand, even though most Irish companies were content with domestic sales. Many worried about the dangers of travelling overseas at a time when most ships still relied on sails instead of steam power. Taking the risk to export their product overseas is a major reason why Guinness managed to stay afloat.

By 1900, Guinness had developed into the largest brewery in the world. Their first overseas brewery was built in Park Royal, London in 1936. After the success of this project, breweries were later built in Nigeria (1963), Malaysia (1965), Cameroon (1970), and Ghana (1971).

Today, Guinness owns breweries in 5 countries and is brewed in 49. It is sold in over 150 countries. Four of the countries where the drink is most popular today are home to Guinness breweries:

1. United Kingdom
2. Nigeria
3. Ireland
4. United States
5. Cameroon

Building a Brand

In 1876, the emblem of the ‘Brian Ború Harp’ became the registered trademark of Guinness. This famous Irish instrument is on display today at Trinity College Dublin. The harp is the national symbol of Ireland and this trademark embraces and celebrates Irishness. Seen on cans and glasses today, the signature of Arthur Guinness is written below an image of the harp on the Guinness logo.

Advertising guru Peter York states:

Guinness has survived as a brand as well as a product, and that’s what’s enabled it to stay afloat when a lot of its peers absolutely drowned.

Inside the shop at the Guinness Storehouse today, some of the things a visitor can buy include socks, jumpers, bottle openers, coasters, and magnets that feature either the word ‘Guinness’, a picture of the Brian Ború Harp or both. It’s known around the world as a representation of probably the most iconic Irish brand in history. If anyone sees the emblem today, there’s no question which country it comes from.

Successful Advertising

Guinness was already the biggest alcohol brand in the world in the 1900s but, official advertising did not begin until 1929. From 1929, up until the late 1960s, the Guinness account was held by the advertising agency S H Benson in London.

Two long-running advertising campaigns they came up with that were used for over 40 years were given the slogans:

1. Guinness is Good for You (1929)
2. My Goodness My Guinness (1930)

Guinness archivist Eibhlin Roche explains where the first slogan came from, referring to members of staff at S H Benson:

They went to a lot of the pubs in London where their offices were based and asked punters: “Why are you drinking Guinness?” Nine out of ten times the answer back was “Guinness is good for you”

Today, it is illegal to advertise alcohol by making claims that it’s good for your health but, up until the 1950s mothers in Irish hospitals were given a pint of Guinness after giving birth. The reason for this was the high iron content found in this drink.

The theme of the second campaign, with the slogan ‘My Goodness, My Guinness’ (1930) featured zoo animals. The artist was the cartoonist John Gilroy and the zookeeper in these signs is actually a caricature of Gilroy.

Eibhlin Roche states:

Gilroy came up with the idea of the circus. He went to one and saw a sea lion balancing a ball. He thought “well, what if it was a balancing bottle instead?

Keeping these successful adverts in use for so long, these images have preserved brand recognition. You’ll still see replicas of these adverts on display in pubs today.

The first television advert for Guinness was shown in 1954. While ‘Island’ (1977) and ‘Surfer’ (1999) are very well-known adverts, the commercial success of the ‘Pure Genius’ campaign is worth taking a closer look at.

The ‘Pure Genius’ campaign, ran from 1985 to 1994. In 1987, the first advert featuring the Dutch actor from Blade Runner, Rutger Hauer was broadcast. Dressed all in black with fair hair, Campaign Magazine stated:

The star’s blond hair was a symbol of the foamy head on a pint.

Famous lines from these commercials include “On the subject of colour. I’m with Henry Ford” and “It’s not easy being a dolphin,” as Hauer slowly sips a pint of Guinness from his chair with a dolphin swimming around in a tank behind.

Peculiar comments, along with Hauer’s calm and mysterious nature as he drinks his pint, pushed the brand recognition of Guinness further than ever before. It seemed that each new ad he starred in was part of a story and his character made the drinking of Guinness seem stylish and mysterious. Within three months of these commercials first showing, Guinness sales had risen by 22%.

The Guinness Storehouse

While television and social media adverts do not last much longer than a couple of minutes, visitors often spend several hours in a brand home such as the Guinness Storehouse. A former fermentation plant at St. James’s Gate Brewery, the Guinness Storehouse was opened in 2000. By 2018, 1.7 people were visiting the site each year, making it the most popular tourist attraction in Ireland.    

This seven-storey interactive tour allows visitors to learn the story of the brand and how it has survived over time, even demonstrating to them how the beer is made. It even comes with a complementary pint of Guinness for every visitor. By the time a tour begins, visitors should already be able to smell the aroma of ‘fresh hops and Irish barley’, something which can’t be copied on television adverts.

While sales of Guinness did begin to drop in the 2000s, the storehouse was radically updated in 2011 and retail sales had risen by 26% in 2015. The same year, it was even named Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction in the World Travel Awards.

People crave the kinds of meaningful moments, shared experiences, and emotional bonds- or what I call “emotional souvenirs’ that brand homes can provide.

Conclusion

Even if someone does not know that the harp is the official symbol of Ireland, they will probably be able to tell you which country Guinness originated from.

Although this company is 260 years old, it still stays up to date with changes in trends and modern technology. As Rupert Guinness states:

We are brewers and always have been; and in our brewing, we have sought, and we seek, to ally the traditions and craftsmanship of the past with the best that science has to teach us.

This demonstrates to other businesses how important it is to move with the times and maybe take a few chances along the way if they want to stand out from the others. Clever adverts that turn your brand into a talking point can also be very effective if they’re done correctly. Throughout the years, Guinness has remained popular in some countries while rates have fallen in others but, major projects such as the creation of the Guinness Storehouse make it likely that Guinness will still be celebrated in centuries to come.

Click here to follow me on Facebook.

References

• Dorgan, M. (2019). Are These the Best Irish Brands in 2019? (Online). Available at: https://www.irishcentral.com/business/best-irish-brands-2019(Accessed 7 January 2021)
• Fabb, D. (2007). Last Orders for Guinness? (Online). Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7106277.stm (Accessed 6 January 2021).
• Ferriter, D.(2015). Drink and Society in Twentieth Century Ireland (Online). Available at https://www.ria.ie/sites/default/files/priac201508_fnl.pdf (Accessed 5 January 2021).
• Guinness & Co. (2018). Our Story (Online). Available at https://www.guinness.com/en/our-story/ (Accessed 7 January 2021).
• Guinness Archive. Archive Factsheet: The History of Guinness (Online). Available at https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/content/pdf/archive-factsheets/general-history/company-history.pdf (Accessed 6 January 2021).
• Johnson, A. (2015). Ireland in a Pint: Touring Dublin’s Historic Guinness Brewery (Online). Available at: http://travelwellmagazine.com/2015/05/ireland-in-a-pint-touring-dublins-historic-guinness-brewery/ (Accessed 10 January 2021).  
• Lachel, C. (2015). The Brand Benefits of Places Like the Guinness Storehouse (Online).Available at: https://hbr.org/2015/10/the-brand-benefits-of-places-like-the-guinness-storehouse(Accessed 5 January 2021).
• Power, E. (2015). Exhibit Shows That Guinness Makes Ads With a Good Pint (Online). Available at:https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-20343375.html(Accessed 6 January 2021).