Guinness wins Brand of the Year award
Guinness dominates the market with its iconic black and white brand From skyrocketing sales across Europe to being crowned Britain's favorite pint, it's no surprise that Marketing Week has awarded Guinness as the Brand of the Year
Guinness has been declared the Brand of the Year at the Our Website Awards 2023, outshining tough competition from Boots, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Sage, and Yorkshire Tea to secure the prestigious accolade.
The brand's victory came after a public vote, in which readers of Our Website were invited to select their preferred winner from the five nominated brands. In addition, a panel of brand and marketing experts assessed the shortlisted brands and ranked them based on their excellence in brand management.
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It is unsurprising that Guinness has achieved triumph, given the success it has experienced in the past year. Earlier this year, Guinness became the most popular pint in Britain, representing one out of every nine pints served in the UK. Additionally, it witnessed a 19% increase in sales throughout Europe. Kantar has ranked Guinness as the most distinctive beer brand in the UK and the fifth most distinctive overall. This remarkable marketing success story showcases the value of comprehending a brand's distinctive DNA, especially for a brand that has maintained its iconic product since 1759.
The secret is black and white
Our Website columnist Mark Ritson commended the brand earlier this year for its remarkable growth. This growth was not solely due to a new line extension or product innovation, but rather to masterful execution of fundamental marketing principles. Ritson noted that there was no new technology or alternative approach involved; instead, the brand simply applied textbook marketing strategies superbly to an exceptional brand.
The secret is black and white
The marketing function of Guinness is fully aware of the amazing platform they have to work with. During an interview with Our Website for our This Much I Learned podcast, two of the brand's marketers, Grainne Wafer (Diageo's global director of beer, Smirnoff, and Bailey's) and Neil Shah (head of Guinness GB), discussed the brand's success.
According to Shah, the strategy is not to completely disregard the rules. Instead, it's about building upon them. He highlighted two key product innovations that have allowed Guinness to maintain its unique experience while reaching new audiences. These innovations include the alcohol-free variety Guinness 0.0 and the Nitrosurge technology, which allows for the perfect pint of Guinness to be poured at home.
Before being launched, both innovations underwent extensive research and analysis, according to what Wafer shared with us at the time.
Regarding the brand's success, Wafer believes it is straightforward: "The key to effective marketing lies in consistently implementing a simple strategy, supported by substantial investments, and continually evaluating and learning from it to optimize results over time."
Russell Parsons, the editor-in-chief of Our Website, believes that Brand of the Year recognizes brands that serve as valuable learning examples for others. These brands showcase strategic expertise and tactical brilliance, utilizing all available resources to achieve impactful outcomes. In essence, they are brands that command admiration. Guinness, with its long-standing demonstration of these qualities and much more, is a prime example.
This brand possesses a profound knowledge of its identity and the significance it holds. It understands its core essence and why it is essential. As a result, Guinness is a deserving recipient of the prestigious Brand of the Year award.
